Seven Years Later

My goodness!!! Where has the time gone?

I woke up this morning and realized that I forgot to write a very important post yesterday. Yesterday, January 29, 2016 was my 7 year "Birthdaversary."

Birthdaversary is a mixture of the day my retina specialist told me that losing my eyesight was in my very near future which resulted in me soon thereafter looking at life through GRATEFUL EYES.

Yes, January 29, 2009 very well may have been the worst day of my life, and the news that I was given on that day sent me into a deep downward spiral, and depression.

I mean, how is one supposed to handle the news that their eyes are the worst that the doctor has ever seen in his numerous years of practice, which was quickly followed by him printing out a picture of an eye and then marking the paper with EVERYTHING he saw wrong with mine. Holes and tears all over the place.

I sat frozen after hearing all that he had to say, then finally asked, "What can be done to make things better? How to I fix what's wrong with my eyes?"

His cold, emotionless response was, "Nothing."

He ended the visit and told me to come back in six weeks. Those were the longest six weeks of my life. I didn't know if I was going to lose my vision within those six weeks...I didn't know what to expect. He left me with nothing to help me get through.

So, as I said before...I became severely depressed...to the point of not even being able to get up and go to work. I felt like my life was coming to an end. How would I function without being able to SEE???

Somewhere along the line, maybe week four or five, I began to pray. My prayer in the beginning was, "Lord, please don't let me lose my eyesight." Then it became, "Lord, I know that you are with me in ALL things, and although you know what I want, ultimately, this is about what YOU want. So let YOUR will be done, and help me to accept whatever that is." With that prayer, came a calming peace. I was finally ready to get back to living.

Six weeks were up and it was time for me to see the specialist again. A slew of pictures were taken of my eyes...my retinas actually. The BRIGHT LIGHT of the camera shining RIGHT IN MY EYES was awful. When all the pics were taken, I then proceeded to the examination room and waited for "Mr. No Bedside Manner" to come in and review everything with me.

He came in, looked at the pics, didn't say anything, then called someone else into the room. They talked amongst themselves as though I weren't in the room. I overheard them looking for things that were on the previous pics, that were no longer in the pics that had just been taken. They were baffled.

Finally, the doctor looked at me and asked, "What have you been doing?"

My response, "I've been praying. God made these eyes, and I knew that only He could HEAL them."

They both looked at me like I was speaking a language they didn't understand. I understood completely, and left that office PRAISING God.

That was SEVEN years ago, and these eyes STILL FUNCTION.

Since that day seven years ago, I have developed a deep appreciation for God's beauty around me. Whether it comes in the form of an ocean wave, a sunset, a flower, a bright shiny full moon, a bird, squirrel, snail, people...you name it...when MY eyes see it, I always thank God, and if I am able...I take a picture.

I still have to take precautions with my eyes, like wearing Solar Shield glasses (that senior citizens wear) when I'm out in the sun, even on days when no one around me has their eyes covered, mine MUST be. I'm unable to wear contacts because putting them in and taking them out makes me "see stars", so I've decided that glasses will do just fine. Those are very small prices to pay though toward the preservation of my beloved eyesight.

So...that's my story, and every year I am so happy, and BLESSED to share it. I would say that God is good, but in my life, He is sooo much more than that. I've often told Him that there is no word to adequately describe His goodness. I'm sure He understands exactly what I mean.

Now, Let the DIALOGUE begin: Have you had any medical scares that God brought you through?

Talk to me!

Til next time...