Game of Cards - Game of Life

In my last post, I mentioned I ventured to have a garage sale despite having surgery a week earlier.   In my down time as I waited for customers, I grabbed a book off my bookshelf entitled "The Old Farmer's Almanac Sampler".   It consists of quotes and advice that was published in the annual periodical throughout the years.    Appreciating the wisdom and courage of the generations before us, I really enjoyed perusing through this book. 

I was drawn to one particular quote that I felt was so appropriate as we all deal with life's little struggles and ailments.   It is from 1907 and is attributed to Josh Billings:

"As in a game of cards, so in the game of life we must play what is dealt to us; and the glory consists, not so much in winning, as in playing a poor hand well."  

Ahhhh, there is that attitude thing again.   The triumph is all in how we CHOOSE TO RESPOND to whatever life give us!    This has been a lesson of the ages - but one that we must be reminded of often.  

LIVE TODAY!  CHOOSE JOY!  ALL IS WELL!

Springtime! Time to LIVE it!

Whew...it's the middle of spring - it's been almost two weeks since my "tube shunt removal" surgery - and no update!    A little on that later. 

First of all, within the past week or so I have received a couple of comments from new fellow ICE readers.  Thank you & welcome!   I'm so glad you found this site.   After years of me feeling alone battling this ICE thing, I created this blog in hopes that others diagnosed with this disease, might find it and know they are not alone.    I don't have answers - but I have feelings and thoughts and sometimes I share how I deal with it.  It's my form of therapy!   Please know, I always welcome your comments and thoughts - because it helps me too - knowing that I'm not the only one out there!  Through this blog, I know of at least six of us ICE patients - plus several friends who check in every once in a while.  Thank you everyone.

Second, it is springtime - and that means multitudes of activities and things to do!   I really don't have the time, nor the desire. nor the energy to deal with surgery recovery and follow-up doctor appointments, let alone the every day nuisances from this disease - but I must.    But I MUST ALSO LIVE TODAY - LIVE THIS SPRING!    SO just a couple of days after surgery, I went to a couple of games of my son's baseball tournament.   Fortunately, two games were during daylight hours - so sunglasses "hid" the evidence.   One game was at night - but I bared all - swollen, red, teary eye, no eye makeup - just my glasses.    It wasn't pretty - but I was LIVING and enjoying my family - and quite frankly, that's all that is really important.    Even last week, I held a garage sale in my neighborhood garage sale event.   Once again, it wasn't pretty - but I got rid of stuff, made a little cash and LIVED!    There are end-of-year school activities, middle school transition activities, more baseball and soccer, gardening, more of lots of things.   And I want to LIVE them!  

Okay, finally for the update on surgery.   It went fine.  It was a tube shunt removal in the lower inner quadrant of my eye with more patch grafting (ugh!) and an ECP to zap some of those fluid producing cells to try to control the pressure.  My doctor said he was very glad that the tube was removed - for it wasn't doing any good - except cause trouble.  As mentioned earlier, my eye was very sore for a few days and there has been lots of tearing probably due to the sutures.   The good news is the pressure was "9" the day after surgery and "11" one week after surgery.   The "not-so-good news but need to give it more time" is the cornea is swollen (but it was like that before surgery), I'm still experiencing those "double shadows" which is frustrating, and personally and honestly, I'm struggling with the way my eye looks.   I have more I want to share - but I'll leave that for another post.   

Remember....

LIVE TODAY
LIVE SPRING
CHOOSE JOY 
 
We may need to remind ourselves often, but that's okay!