Happy Birth-da-Versary to ME!!!

So...today is a VERY special day for me!

Five years ago, on January 29, 2009 I got some news that shook me to my core.

A few days prior I had go to my optometrist for my annual visit. She dilated my eyes, said a few, "hmmms" and then said, "I'm going to have you see a RETINA specialist because you have some "interesting" things going on with your eyes.

Okay. Fine. So I made an appointment and I went.

It was THE WORST DOCTOR'S VISIT I'VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE!!!I would rather go to the Dentist AND the Gynecologist IN THE SAME DAY, than go to the RETINA specialist!

I get there and as I'm waiting to seep the specialist I notice that EVERYBODY in the room is over 60...EVERYBODY! And then there was me. PROBLEM.

Then, I get called in to have my eyes dilated and am instructed to go sit in this very dark room...again, with a bunch of folks WELL OVER 60! PROBLEM.

As I'm waiting, I notice that many of them have been accompanied by someone else. Why? BECAUSE THEY CAN'T (or can barely) SEE! PROBLEM.

Finally, after who knows how long, I get called into a room where over 50 pictures are taken of my eyes/retinas. I hated it! BRIGHT Lights were shined RIGHT INTO MY EYES and then click, after click after click...

This went on for what seemed like FOREVER and I'm pretty sure that at some point I begged the guy to STOP. Finally...he did. I wanted to cry.

I waited some more and it was finally time for me to see the specialist. He had already reviewed the images of my eyes so when he walked in the room, I don't even think he greeted me...his first words were, "Is there a history of BLINDNESS in your family?"

EXCUSE ME?!?

I told him no.

He then proceeded to show and tell me ALL of the things that are wrong with my eyes and then it's a wonder that I can still see. As if the images weren't bad enough, he whipped out a drawing of an eye and then started marking AGAIN all of the problem areas with mine, followed by, "1 in 10,000 people are at risk for losing their vision...YOU are a 1 in 100 risk".

Well alrighty then!

I asked him what could be done. His reply, "nothing".

He was the worst! No encouraging words. No hope. No help. He basically told me that I SHOULD be BLIND already, and since I wasn't yet...eventually I WOULD be. Then sent me on my merry way.

I left that office more depressed than I had ever been in my entire life. I came home and CRIED. And CRIED. And CRIED. My kids wanted to know what was wrong and I told them. We prayed together and then...we CRIED together.

I fell into a major depression and didn't go to work for a week. I couldn't function. I had to figure out how I was supposed to live my life without EYESIGHT.

But God...

After a week of depression, I pulled myself together and went heavy into prayer mode. First I prayed for God to not let it happen. I asked Him to let me keep my eyesight. I prayed this prayer for a while. Then, my faith shifted to that of Shadrach, >Meshach and Abednego (if you don't know who they are, just open your Bible...they're in there). And my prayer became, "LORD, I know that You are able, yet I accept Your will for me, whatever that may be." And with that prayer, came PEACE.

So here I am, FIVE YEARS LATER and praise be to God, I CAN STILL SEE!!!

Yes, I've had a few scares within the past 5 years. Yes, I've received more bad news about my eyes. Yes, I wear sunglasses (OVER my regular glasses because I can no longer wear contacts) that you typically only find octogenarians wearing...but I CAN SEE! And right now, that's all that matters.

So for those who wonder why I take so many pictures...why I see the beauty in something as menial as a snail slithering by after the rain, and every other little thing that most folks could care less about...well, now you know why. I don't know how much longer I'll be able to see those things, so I soak it ALL in....ALL of it.

No you know my story. So next time January 29th rolls around, feel free to wish me Happy Birth-da-Versary to ME!I call it my Birth-da-Versary because it's the day that life started over for me. The day that I decided to start living life to its fullest while appreciating all that is around me.

Let the DIALOGUE begin: What would YOU do if you were faced with life-changing medical news?

Talk to me!

Til next time...