"Dream On!"

Yes! Today I feel like the dream is back on.  So much so that I am inspired to write my first post in a month.  Actually I'm gonna commit to posting every day again, even though they may often be brief.  At the very least I need to keep a diary of my training, and of how I'm feeling.

So why all the enthusiasm you are probably wondering?  Well I'm gonna tell you!

You see I've been stressing for months now about my eyes, knowing that I needed surgery soon, and worried that it would seriously impact my training.  It seems that running and swimming are both off the schedule for at least a month after cataract surgery.  The whole thing was compounded by the horrible interaction I had with the first ophthalmologist I seen several months ago.  I can safely say that he was the most unpleasant, uncaring doctor I have ever seen in any discipline!...and I've seen lots.

Fortunately he does not do the particular type of surgery that I wanted to pursue, and so after a whole bunch of aggravation I finally got a referral to another doctor.

Today was that appointment, and I think I was more nervous going into this meeting than when I went to see my first cancer doctor years ago.  I'm sure it was a combination of things; fear for my training, the previous bad experience, and the very basic worry about my eyes.

Within 5 minutes of meeting Dr Tingey I knew all my fears were unfounded.  The other guy told me there was great danger in waiting until September...this guy said "no worries".  The other guy was sceptical about the particular type of lens implant I want...this guy has done it many times, and thinks I'm an excellent candidate.  The other guy was vague, unsupportive and uncaring about my ironman....this guy totally got it!

Both eyes are scheduled for the early part of September, and with only a 2 week wait between eyes.  According to Mary, even that is unusually good, as the bare minimum is usually 3 weeks.   That other doctor I mentioned above wanted six!  And if you're wondering why that matters is about juggling glasses and prescriptions once one eye is done, and the other not.

There is a good chance that I will still need glasses after the surgery, particularly for reading, but, and here's the exciting part, there is also a very good chance that I will be able to swim, bike, and run without any kind of corrective lenses!!!  That would be amazing!!!

So in closing, I guess I'm feeling pretty grateful today, and just a wee bit sheepish about how grouchy I've been for the last while.  Just to give credit where credit is due, my resolve to do better comes from my special adopted sister Gail.  We had a marvellous visit today, and through our conversation I was reminded how petty my little health worries are  Gail has, and continues to, overcome much bigger challenges, and still she keeps on keeping on.  Thanks Gail!!  You rock!!

Tomorrow I'm gonna tell you about my new training regimen.  I'm excited about it as I think I've hit on the best way to adjust to my new limiters, while still getting everything I can out of this old carcass.

Oh, and today was a rest day.

Life goes on.

"It is often said that before you die your life passes before your eyes. It is in fact true. It's called living."---Terry Pratchett

Love
Peter