Monday, February 10, 2014

Still Good

This will be another short post because my "one week after surgery" appoint was like my last one, quick.  This one was slightly longer because Dr. Danzo actually did an eye test to check my prescription.  He said everything looked good and my eyes were healing nicely and I could still see the 20-15 line.  He mentioned that my left eye looked a little dry and that I should continue to use my artificial tears but could stop taking the prescription drops.

I am still very happy with the results and am glad I did it.  I've still been wearing my goggles at night although as far as I know I've never woken myself up because I was trying to rub my eyes so I think I would be OK to sleep without them.  I've been sleeping pretty well so I figure I might as well leave them on.  I do usually take them off if I wake up around 4-5am and it feels wonderful!

I'd say the worst part is still not being able to rub my eyes.  It's not ever that big of an issue except when water runs over my (shut) eyes in the shower and I really want to wipe the water off.  I end up showering with my eyes closed and hoping they air dry by the time I need to get dressed!

No more appointments until the "one month after surgery" appointment at which time I'm hoping they tell me that my flaps are as healed as they will be and that I can gently rub my eyes again.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

First Post-Op Checkup

This post will be short because, well, the checkup was short.  After a rough night of sleep due to wrestling the goggles all night, I woke up with dry, but surprisingly clear eyes.  I drove to the 20/20 Institute and sat in the waiting room for about 5 minutes before I was escorted back to the exam room.  I have to mention again, I have never waited more than 5-10 minutes for any appointment which is great, especially since all my appointments are on work days.  The optometrist that day was a new one (to me) but still very friendly.  After giving me a few eye drops he asked which of the lines on the eye chart I could make out.  I could read most of the bottom line (I mistook an O for a C) with both eyes and it turns out that line is the 20/15 line!  He made a joke about how they can't call themselves the 20/15 Institute but that that is a goal.  I know that vision can, and probably will, change slightly over the next month but I hope mine stays the same!  It's amazing to me that this procedure works so well and so quickly.  The doctor did mention that there was a fiber under one of the corneal flaps but that it wouldn't affect my vision.  (Affect vs. effect, I hate these two words, just use one for all occasions!)  I was a little thrown off so I didn't ask what the fiber was.  I will ask today at my appointment but I'm thinking it is a cornea fiber.

Anyway, that was it, just a quick look at the eyes to make sure everything was healing and I was on my way to work.  The dryness has slowly been getting better.  The first night I could barely make it past 9:30pm before I couldn't stand it (even with all the eye drops) but now I'm making it past 10:30pm without having to use the artificial tears too often.  The biggest pain for me is worrying about the corneal flap and wearing the goggles at night.  I finally took a nap yesterday without them (I was home with a sick N) and it was glorious.  I slept a few hours last night without them but would wake up every hour or two worried that I had rubbed my eyes so I put the goggles on for the last couple hours.  Also, the drops, specifically the artificial tears, are pretty sticky and gunk up your eyelashes.  I use a Q-tip, very carefully, to clean them off but I'd still prefer to just stick my face under the shower stream and rub my eyes.  Oh eye rubbing, how I miss you.

Another update after my appointment today.  Here's hoping my vision is still 20/15!

Super Bore

Nobody needs me to rehash the pain that was Super Bowl 48 so I won't.  I will make a few comments.  Sorry in advance that they are going to be so random but I'm just planning on typing them as I think of them.


  • I would first like to place blame on Joe Namath.  If he hadn't flubbed the coin toss, Denver would have won the toss, deferred to the second half, and the game would have been much different.
  • OK, that was obviously said tongue in cheek but you do have to wonder how the game would have gone if Denver would have won the toss.  I think Denver would still have lost, and probably by double digits.  If they played 10 times I think Seattle wins 6-7 times.
  • Even after the safety, and subsequent drive, Denver was only down 5-0 and only 8-0 after the next Seattle possession.  There was plenty of time to calm down and get things under control.  If they were in shock after the game the way started, they are not a very strong team mentally.  I mean come on, you're down by one score.  Get it together.
  • It was clear Denver was not prepared to be hit.  
  • It was clear Denver was not prepared to hit back.
  • Denver could not get Seattle off the field on third down.
  • That being said, when can a team give up 43 points and you can say the defense didn't play that bad.
  • True, they gave up a couple scores late due to bad tackling, but the game had been over for quite some time and it was clear the offense had given up.
  • Denver clearly got out-coached.  When it was obvious that their game plan was not working, why not try mixing things up.  After the two week break, I was fully expecting to see things we had never seen before.  Well, they scored only 8 points, I guess that was something new.
  • They had some clear mismatches on offense, specifically with Welker.  He was open a lot and I think they should have kept feeding him the ball over and over again until Seattle had to overreact to that and that might have opened things up down the field.  Maybe that was the plan but Manning was too flustered to make the throws.
  • Denver's special teams, and special team coaching, was a joke.  Why do a pooch kickoff to open the second half?  Sure, they didn't know it would be returned for a TD but why take that change?
  • I think the onside kick to start the 4th quarter was a bad move.  No, I don't think Denver was going to come back but you never know and why give Seattle such a short field?
  • I said this to anyone that would listen but one of Denver's biggest problems was that their defense forced 0 turnovers in the two playoff games leading to the Super Bowl.  The finished with 0 in their 3 playoff games.
  • Manning got rattled right away with that safety and it didn't look like he could recover.  That was surprising to me as it was not his first (or second) Super Bowl.  I thought his big game experience would give Denver the advantage but he made mistake after mistake and couldn't regroup.
Believe it not I was not intending this to sound so negative so let me (sort of) change it up a bit

  • I stopped watching at the end of the first quarter.  I did tune back in a few times to see how things were going.  Unfortunately when I did, I saw Peyton's pick-six, and unsuccessful forth down (and short) conversion.
  • Maybe that didn't sound positive but it was for me because I didn't witness the ugly second half.
  • Maybe because I didn't witness the second half I have a more positive attitude that most other Broncos fans.  I've been listening to sports talk radio the past 2 days and it sounds like most people are devastated.
  • Sure, I had a few bad dreams about the game but nothing near what I experienced after the loss to Baltimore last year.  I didn't sleep well for 3-5 nights after that game.
  • I know this might not sound like me but I really enjoyed the regular season and playoffs (until the Super Bowl) and look back at the season with a positive feeling.  I enjoyed hearing about Denver during the 2 weeks leading up to the big game (as opposed to Baltimore or NE.)
  • I am very happy that Champ got to experience Super Bowl week and get all the attention he deserved for a great career.
  • Although I wanted Denver to win, I have to say I'm happy for my friend Chris (who has been mentioned on this blog in the past) because, as a life long Seahawks fan, he finally got to see his team hoist the trophy.
  • After Denver's 0-4 record in the Super Bowl, I know how happy I was to finally see them come out on top.  I think every sports fan should be able to experience that feeling once in their lifetime.
  • IMO, it was remarkable that Denver made it to the Super Bowl with 5 of their 11 defensive starters on the IR.  Yes, almost half of the starting defense, including their best player (Von Miller) was out.  Perhaps this is why they finished the playoffs with a -4 turnover margin.
  • Denver's schedule next year is brutal.  Road games in Seattle, NE (again?), St Louis, Cincinnati, and KC, along with home games against San Francisco, Indy, and Arizona.  I'm thinking Denver will win 10 - 11 games next year.
  • Even with 10 - 11 wins, with that schedule I think Denver will be much more prepared for the playoffs and hopefully more mentally/physically tough.  Hopefully they don't have the injury issues next year like they did this year.
  • I'm curious to see what Denver does this offseason as far as free agency goes.  They will probably lose Knowshon and Decker but I hope they focus a little more on the defense.  Specifically safety.  They need to become a better turnover forcing defense.

So much for thinking this was going to be a short post!