Barmy Blue's Bland Blog

So. The Monday after next Monday is the long awaited cataract operation. I'm not sure of all the details but it seems like they'll cut out the damaged lens and replace it with a plastic one. Hearing that I can't help but imagine doll's eyes. Yes, I know it's completely different. Surely having a glass eye would be more like a doll's eye but still. Makes for a good title at least.

I'm kind of confused. I've heard that cataracts are done with lasers now. I knew a girl at school who mentioned it. She complained about her glasses so we said why don't you wear contacts. She said they irritated her eyes. So we said why don't you have laser eye surgery then, if you hate your glasses that much. (I also wear glasses, have done for most of my life so I don't have a problem with them. In fact my face would look wrong without them.) She said that if she had laser eye surgery she couldn't have surgery for cataracts because that's also done with lasers and that her family had a history of cataracts. If this is indeed the case then why no lasers for my mother's eyes? Assuming what she said was true then maybe it's because of the previous operations mum's had. She also had a little laser surgery to lessen the amount of scar tissue in her eye so that it didn't pull her retina away again.

What exactly do they cut I wonder? I could look it up but I don't want to. I prefer to speculate, at least until it's over. I'd guess it's easiest to cut the pupil. Maybe I'm just making things up. Like I said. Maybe I'll look it up nearer the time. I wonder what the parts they replace look like. I'm curious but kind of disgusted at the thought. Kind of like when I didn't look when I had a blood test a few years ago for suspected anaemia. I'm not anaemic, I'm just pale.

I've never really minded needles. I don't exactly like the idea of them but it's never been a problem. I don't mind blood either. However, I wondered if I'd feel differently seeing my own blood in such a fashion. Since I wouldn't look I explained why. The nurse that took it seemed kind of patronising to me, using the same kind of tone she'd probably use on people like my mother (who are afraid of needles) then again, those who are afraid and those who think it best not to look just in case, I suppose there's not much distinction between them, especially for people who have to put up with these kinds of people every day.
I've been thinking of donating blood. I wonder if it's good enough though. I'm not exactly a healthy person and I seem to have poor circulation. Also, due to unnecessary fat and the poor circulation my veins are very hard to find. When I had that blood test some years ago it took them a while to find a vein. Mum has the same problem. She recently (as in within the last year or so) had a blood test. That was after her first eye operation where she took a letter to the doctor about the operation and they took the chance to give her a check up (we're the kinds of people who avoid the doctor. I'm certainly avoiding the doctor) The only other time she ever had to have a blood test was when she was pregnant and they stuck her with the needle about three times before they found a vein. Thoughts like that are kind of off putting. I looked up about giving blood. Assuming the information is correct, the NHS don't keep donated blood for very long. I find that odd but also kind of understandable. On the subject of blood donation. It seems that when you have a baby you can donate blood from the umbilical cord, this is apparently very good stuff because it contains stem cells. Who knew.

I could go on about my visions of the future of stem cell research such as super humans, or clone armies or growing human organs but it'll be too long if I do. Long and pointless.
I only wanted to update you on the eye situation and put a new blog entry up here.

I'm not sure what happened with the last entry. Maybe it was just too long. If I have any other problems with it then I'll look into it but if it's just a one off then never mind.

Bluebiird out.

Also, Napoleon's having problems with his teeth. Hardly surprising, he's had fillings since before I was born.