Eventful Few Months

 

   I haven’t posted here since 2 September.  My laptop is unreliable and often failing me, so I haven’t been writing.  There has also been a lot going on here. 

   My father-in-law, Decha, died on 11 September at age 92 after a long decline in health.  I simply didn’t know what to say about this at the time, but I will try to write more about his funeral in a future post.  Mother-in-law, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s dementia, has been staying with brother-in-law since Father’s initial hospitalization, and she will probably remain there.  So, our house is now very quiet. 

   Tuk is doing fine, and our one remaining cat has regained health after a spell of illness. 

   I have had some major health issues of my own.  One month ago, I had cataract surgery which replaced both my natural eye lenses with synthetic ones, correcting for far vision so that I don’t need glasses anymore except for very close fine reading.  Despite the long healing process, I am very pleased with the results.  I was surprised by not only the return of visual detail but the colors of the world that I had been missing.  Today was the day I was finally allowed to wash my face again, meaning the healing is over. 

   While in the hospital, the day after eye surgery, my prostate problems got alarmingly worse.  When I had blood in my urine I saw my urologist.  It was a bladder infection along with increasing enlargement of my prostate.  I was fitted with a urinary catheter, and the collection bag is like a ball and chain that limits my traveling and exercising.  (I call it Sancho, always with me.)  I had the catheter removed last week to see if I could urinate; I could not, so they had to put in another one.  I need to make choices about prostate surgery soon. 

   With this Double Whammy of ailments that have forced me to be inactive, I am grateful for two things.  One, I wisely waited for eye surgery until the end of the Rainy Season and the start of the Cool Season, when we have our short window of comfortable weather, with low humidity and no excessive sweating.  And, two, for the prior several months I had been exercising hard and building up strength, with rigorous stair-climbing in the neighborhood while wielding hand weights.  I was strong, and my back pains were absent.  However, a month of inactivity will mean a slow re-start of my workouts, and this damn catheter will be a nuisance for the immediate future. 

   I’m looking forward to a better New Year.  And I hope to write more.  Have great holidays! 

-Zenwind. 

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