…Is The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning
I dreamt about goats last night. My goats. Even Mads was there. Eating snow. In the summer. It was beautiful. And I was not blind.
Yes, I am still here. I hope I made it clear in the last entry that it wasn’t necessarily goodbye. I just wanted to make sure I had said some things, in case I wake up one of the coming days and can no longer use the computer. I do plan to still update for as long as I can. I don’t know how long that will be though. It is getting close to impossible. My central vision is very bad now. It’s like staring through a dense, dark fog. Reading text is time consuming and tiring. I’m sure I’m making more and more typos as well, but I hope you’ll forgive that. I have had to give up on 99% of my computer use.I check my email and my blog and that’s it. Well, plus a little youtue. I can’t watch the videos anymore but I can listen to them. There is this thing called “let’s plays” where people play computer games and do commentary. I like listening to that. I don’t knoq, maybe it’s comforting to hear people talking. And since I can’t play computer games myself anymore, at least I can listen. there is especially one guy, Kikoskia, who does very entertaining commentary. And he happens to be playing Ultima 7 right now, which is my favourite game of all time. So it is quite soothing to listen to him and to the sounds and music of the game. I have a big craving to play the Ultima eries again. 6-9. I grew up loving that series, there is great escapism in it. But I am cut off from that world now I’m afraid. But I digress.
Today I managed to go shopping on my own. With a great degree of difficlty. But I found that I can see more when I’m outside. It was overcast, but the natural light helps me. So I found my way to the shopping center around the corner ok. But once I got inside it was back to being almost blind. It’s not fun to walk around like that in acrowds of people. And I can’t pick out the stuff I want to buy anymore either. So my solo shopping days are pretty much over I think. But it’s nice that I can see a little better outside. That means I should still get a lot out of visiting the goats.
I can still see a fair bit around the edges of my left eye. Especially the left side, I can see a lot of light and colour there. I can see some on the right side as well, but that is more dark and gray. And then the center is all dark of course. But it’s frustrating. Having good eyesight just out of my reach. I can see it out of the corner of my eyes. A beautiful world teasing me. But when I try to look at it, the darkness covers it. Like a fountain of diamonds sparkling in the sun but when you try to catch them they just trickle out theough your fingeres. I can see it’s there but I can’t look at it. Still, it’s a lot better than being completely blind, I know. It’s jus frustrating. I look at the computer screen now and it’s almost completely dark. Then I turn my head and I can see the text light up and become clear. But when I try to look directly at it, it goes dark again.
I have started using my magnifying glass at the computer. You can only zoom the text so much before it become impractical. But using the magnifying glass helps some times. It must be a strange sight, me with head right up to the screen, staring through the glass. Like some sort of demnted Sherlock Holmes looking for fingerprints on the monitor.
But whatever helps. It might very well not be long before that won’t even work.
I have been on my exervise bike 2 times today. And 2 times yeterday. It is my new plan to do it twice a day. We’ll see how long that lasts. But it’s good to stay active, instead of lying in bed and listening to the radio all day.
Tomorrow I have another meeting with the sight central folks. I’m going to get my cane and we’re going to do some training. So that should be interesting. I’m not looking forward to it, to be honest. But I need the cane, no doubt. It will be good to have. I am just tired. All the new things happening, while the world fades. I havae almost daily headaches, probably from my eyes having to strain so much.
But I am still alive and ready to fight another day. I mørket før en morgenstund.
September 7th, 2009 at 19:27
Keep fighting, you’re doing well :) Nice to hear from you!
September 8th, 2009 at 3:37
Hay, hay! Good to hear from you.
Today was Labor Day in America. And of course what was I doing? Laboring! We did some scraping and priming on the house we are starting on next. The temperature may be cooler, but the humidity made it a hot day.
Snickers was a “Demon Donkey” tonight. Running around crazy, not letting my husband put the halter on her. So she didn’t get out of the pen. The goatzies got a nice walk and some apples.
Bad donkey didn’t get to do anything except eat hay after the goatzies were back in the pen. Hope she is calmer tomorrow.
You’ll have to let us know how the sight central people and the cane training goes. Good luck. My husband and I think about you every day.
September 8th, 2009 at 18:54
Katrine – When the going gets toughm the superplume gets going !
Debster – You are quite the laborer. I get tired just from reading about it. Unfortunately the sight central lady called in sick today. Actually she just didn’t show up and we had to call their office to find out that she wasn’t coming. So I won’t get my cane until next week probably. But I’ll make sure to tell you how it goes, assuming I can still handle the blog by then.
September 11th, 2009 at 23:13
Hay, hay! We primed a (small) barn today. (That rhymes. Am I good or what?)
I also donated a pint of blood at the Red Cross Blood Drive. I’m starting on the first pint of my 5th gallon of blood.
The blood drive people came from a much larger city (than here anyway) and they had noticed yesterday that everyone seemed to be riding horses along side the roads.
Then today they noticed it again. Hee, hee. It’s Rodeo week in our area and many people who have horses ride them in to a nearby town. There will be wagons, mules, horses, campers, etc. They will stop over night at a park or field to camp and head out the next morning.
(Till the blood drive people realized it was Rodeo time, I think they were concerned they were going to a “really, really rural area” to collect blood.)
These “country folk” ride horses everywhere! Horses do seem to be converging from all over.
No, I am not riding Snickers in to the Rodeo. She might make a good bucking bronco though! The rider’s feet would be dragging the ground.
How are you doing? Thought maybe my amusing “horse story” would make you smile.
September 12th, 2009 at 14:56
Jeez, Plume! I don’t even know where to start. I am utterly heartbroken for you! I really, really thought the ops would help. I really did and I prayed so hard for you. I’m sorry also that I’ve been awol. A friend lost her 16 months old daughter and it was all pretty heavy for a while – still is, but not nearly as acute – but I haven’t forgotten you or stopped thinking about you. In fact, you are never far from my mind. You have been a really good friend, Plume, to me over the years. How long has it been, anyways? 7 years? Something like that, anyways. I hope the Blinde Samfund ppl can help you so that you can still use your computer. It is such a lifeline for you. I know you’ll have to learn and relearn so many things, now, and I know it’ll be an uphill battle. But you’ll surprise yourself and you will rise to that challenge, that I promise.
Won’t write anymore now, Plume, ‘cos I know it’s hard work to read.
But I send you much love. x
September 12th, 2009 at 18:54
desiree – I am sorry for your friends loss. That is very horrible. I understand completely. I know you won’t forget about me. You have always been a great friend as well. I can’t believe I knew you before you had kids. What a crazy thought. thank you for still being there. And here.
September 12th, 2009 at 19:02
Debster – hah, that’s a funny rodeo story. You know, I have never been to a rodeo in my life. Although I did watch a rodeo episode of the simpsons just a couple of days ago. So that almost counts.
Maybe you could ride one of the goats? That reminds me of the old picture of Mads riding a sheep. Sheep are probably too calm for rodeos.