Why the ICE Syndrome Eye is Worth Fighting For & My Story of The Red Laces of a Baseball

Dreaming of Palm Trees & Beaches on this cold Kansas day!

  
First - a quick update.   I saw my glaucoma specialist today.    Pressure in that right eye?   16!   WOO HOO!    I don't go back until May - and the next appointment with my cornea doc is in April.    That means I have THREE WHOLE MONTHS before I see another eye doc!   Not only that, but I will have gone at least one year since an eye surgery!   Another WOO HOO!    Not all is rosy - my right eye had difficulty picking out the large letters this morning.   But I'm used to that and my cloudy double vision - for which there are no simple answers.  But for today, it's a look above and a whispered "thank you".

Which leads me to my topic for today....

WHY THE ICE SYNDROME EYE IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR.....

Trust me, I have struggled at times with just wondering why I bother to go through all the stuff I do for this ICE eye.  Surgery after surgery, appointment after appointment, medication changes, side effects, pains, aches, irritations, ups and downs - it IS a long continuous journey with many twists and turns - and it does get tiring.     Several years ago I  read online of someone who had her ICE eye removed so she wouldn't have to deal with the hassles.  "Wow", I thought, "A little drastic, but I understand".   Since then, I've heard more comments similar to this.   

Through the 13 years I have lived with ICE, I have fought, I am fighting and I will continue to fight for this ICE eye.   Here's why.... 

1) A couple of you have written me indicating that you have bilateral ICE - ICE affecting both eyes.   For you, my heart goes out to you and I think of you often.    You are an inspiration.     

2) While most of us experience unilateral ICE - affecting just one eye - who knows if ICE may eventually attack the other eye.   I don't worry about such possibilities, but it's enough to make me fight through the issues I have with my ICE eye - to give it the best chance I can for vision down the road.    

3) Vision technology has grown by leaps and bounds in the past 10 years.  And while little research is being done on ICE, there just might be a good solution for us soon.  Hang in there.       

4) What if an injury is sustained in the healthy non-ICE eye and vision is impaired or lost?  Once again, not something I worry about but I am conscious of it.   If you are like me, it is so easy to say "BUT that won't happen to ME".   And here's my story of the Red Laces of a Baseball.

 Almost two years ago I was attending my son's baseball tournament in a small Missouri town.   The fences along the sides were low.   It was a hot humid day - and I got up out of my lawn chair, reached into our cooler for a bottle of water and I heard the ping of a metal bat.    I looked up and believe it or not, no more than two feet away from my left "good" eye were the red laces of a hard hit foul baseball.    It was one of those moments where time stood still and the split seconds seemed like minutes.   I ducked and disaster was averted - although it took a while for me to catch my breath.    A lesson.  It can happen.

Yes there are problems - but there is much to be thankful for.   In many ways, these experiences have been a blessing in disguise.    As sick as my eye is, in the evening when the television is on and when I close my good eye, I can still see moving images.   If something happened to my good eye, wouldn't I consider those moving images to be a blessing?  Shouldn't I consider it a blessing now?    Yes, this blessing - this vision - is worth fighting for.   You never know what the future holds.   

Sometimes it just takes the red laces of a baseball to remind me.  

A New Year and Stop the Clock

Where does the time go?   Happy New Year!    

First of all, thank you to those who have sent me email updates over the past few months.   I so enjoy hearing from you - and I apologize if I haven't gotten back to you or have sent a delayed response.  Just so everyone knows, some of us have had eye surgeries  (both glaucoma and cornea dsaek), changes in medications, good news, bad news, so-so news.    It's the life of an ICEr.   It's just so important to KNOW that you are NOT alone out there!  If any of you ever want to share your ICE experiences out in blogland, please let me know and I'd be happy to include your story in an upcoming post.   This spot is to be a place to help us get through all of our journeys - not just mine!   

As for me, the past six months have been so crazy - let's just say that I'm glad 2012 is over.   Between the fire, family illness, middle school life & activities, my small online business, significant home improvement projects, holidays & more, there has been a lot to handle, process and maneuver through.   (Did I mention I had a very significant birthday milestone in that time frame too?  YIKES! Say it ain't so! )    And through it all, I'm happy that my eye held up - without any drastic changes.   Sure, double shadow vision - cloudiness - wandering eye.....that's just part of my new normal.    But to have gotten through those six months with no pressure increase, no cornea pain - it's nothing short of a miracle to me.   I know 2013 will continue to present challenges - but at least it is a NEW YEAR!  Regardless what happens, it's up to me - my choice - if it is happy or not!

My next appointment is with my glaucoma specialist in two weeks.   The past few days I have had that oh-so-familiar dull achiness behind that eye.   I'm so hoping it is just an anomaly - and nothing.     Trying not to worry for we know that does us absolutely no good!    Que sera sera.

 The other day I was flipping through an old issue of Health magazine and came across the following paragraph by Susan Hall.   I thought I'd share it with you and close with it.   It is such a good reminder!   Take care everyone!   I'll try to be better in 2013! 

Stop the Clock

You wait all week for Friday at 5, and the next thing you know Sunday night is staring you in the face.  Instead, make time feel like it's slowing down by living in the present.  Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that when people made a point of actively savoring the things they usually hurried through - maybe it's eating breakfast, drinking a cup of tea, or walking to the bus - they experience more happiness and fewer negative emotions.  So revel in the softness of your fluffy duvet, the smell of an orange while you peel it, or the carefree giggles of your kids.