Ms. October

My birthday was Wednesday and I turned an age I never imagined being when I was young.  My imagination stopped at when I would be 43 (in 2000) and then...well, I just thought I would be old.

When I was in my 20's I received a flyer from my employer about retirement plans.  In it, I saw the number 2023.  I said aloud, "what the heck is THAT?"  One of my coworkers looked over my shoulder and said, "Oh, that's the year you get to retire."  I said, "that's a DATE?"  I then started sobbing. 

But now I am older and less prone to sobbing.  I just turned 56 and on my birthday I had cataract surgery.  I did not much like the surgery.  You are somewhat awake with bright lights in your eye and a scalpel somewhere in the vicinity of your eye until the "light sedation" kicks in.  Then you are still sort of awake and the surgeon is talking to you saying look here look there loooooook  oooooverrrr to the.....

You can't see around you and your head is taped to the danged table. 

At my followup visit my surgeon promised me that for eye #2, in two weeks, they will start me on the good drugs the minute I walk in the door. 

Thank goodness!  Because I swear I thought he was going to start before I was in happy-mode.  Whew!

The surgery went okay, as it turns out, though I had a day of anxiety on post-op day 1, when I had some cyst with pigment in it break open and my vision went from clear as a bell to looking through brackish water.  Today I'm back to clear as a bell, and my surgeon promised me that should not come back.  If it does they will start me on the good drugs immediately so I don't start sobbing.

In the meantime I am off work for a few weeks, and I just found out my department is being restructured.  My boss doesn't know what jobs will be left by the end of the month, but hers appears to be on the way off the organizational chart.  Which is sad because I really like working for her.   If she really does leave I will definitely start sobbing.