Peace for your Path...

"peace. it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart." (unknown) http://www.labyrinthwellness.com

Saturday, September 24, 2011

the cruelest month...

...is April as T.S. Eliot reminds me in the first line of The Waste Land.

However, for me, September is historically turning out to be pretty darn crappy.

On Wednesday, I managed to severely scratch my left cornea in a freak accident here in the house that I could likely never recreate in a million, gazillion years (though I will never try).

Essentially, it happened like this:

One hurried and harried and stressed-out "me" not paying attention as we were five minutes from needing to leave for car line + One crazy, over-scheduled morning of routine doctor's appointments + One school backpack on floor + One mom (me again) being super-controlling and deciding to rearrange contents of said backpack for one teenage son who never needed my help to rearrange anything at all in his backpack as it is his backpack (and not mine) + One very sharp and ominous corner of a tall dining room chair lurking right beside the backpack = A very dramatic and depressing morning/afternoon spent at the Eye Institute (via a brief stop at the OBGYN office, but seriously, that is TOTALLY a story for another day - you don't even want to know - and I am only now just able to laugh about it the tiniest bit. "Um, Mrs. Hansel, we all greatly appreciate that you take your annual exam and mammogram so seriously, but actually, Mrs. Hansel, we all really think that you need to go to the ER (or anywhere other than here) just as soon as possible. Yes, right now. Yes, please go. Now. Go.")

An older lady, also a patient, on her way out of the Eye Institute later that morning told us that I was very lucky.

"Do you know how lucky you are, young lady? Do you have any idea?"

She told my husband and me that the very same thing had happened to friend of hers, and they had to take her entire eyeball out. Took it right out, she said. Thanks nice lady. That was a super helpful thing to say to me at that very moment. I will always remember you for your compassionate choice of words and your impeccable sense of timing...

The Good News - my eyesight will most likely eventually be just fine. I am deeply, incredibly grateful beyond words at this news, and I am already better today. Now it just feels like sandpaper rolling around in my eyeball and not like a searing, hot knife anymore. This is very good.

The Bad News - I am a truly lousy, wimpy, whiny, and pitiful patient as those of you know who read all about my journey with my broken ankle at very nearly the same time last September...I can only work at my computer for tiny little bits of time due to my blurry vision which is making me VERY GRUMPY.

I look only slightly better than Rocky did when he pleaded in movie #1 during his fight with Apollo, "Cut me Mick," and tomorrow morning we are finally joining the church we have been visiting for nearly three years. I will be looking very mysterious and "Hollywood" in my dark sunglasses standing up in front of the entire congregation. I suppose people might whisper to each other - "You see that one, yes, that one, the one up there in the dark sunglasses? Boy, she really needs to be here in church. God love her."

And they are exactly right. I do.

9 comments:

Jennifer's Journey said...

Omg-Robin, that sounds terrible !...it had been so long since we have talked and that makes me so sad :(

Jennifer's Journey said...

Omg-Robin, that sounds terrible !...it had been so long since we have talked and that makes me so sad :(

Holly said...

Hope you feel better soon! ♥

Holly said...

Hope you feel better soon! ♥

Robin Bradley Hansel said...

Thanks so much, Jen and Holly. I really appreciate your comments. They have helped me to feel better already...Love, Robin

Marjorie Connelly said...

Robin - I am soooo sorry to hear of the ordeal that you are going though. May your healing be steady and quick. I so appreciate your gift as a writer, especially as you describe your mishap with such clarity. Hugs, Marjorie

Robin Bradley Hansel said...

Thanks, Marjorie! Much better today...Love you! Robin

Brandie said...

Blargh :( I'm so sorry. Eyes going crazy/hurting/etc are so not fun at all. I'm sending many healing vibes your way and I hope that your eye is back to normal soon!

Robin said...

Thanks so much, Brandie. You know that you are my hero - (as corny as that sounds and especially to the Bette tune). I can't even tell you all the times I have thought of YOU during this little trial of mine. Your courage and strength have lifted me up over and over. I love you! Robin