The Caregiver Curmudgeon: I Can See Clearly Now
According to the American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, there are two definitions for the word curmudgeon. The first one being:
An ill-tempered person full of resentment and stubborn notions.
Or, my personal favorite:
A crusty irascible cantankerous old person full of stubborn ideas
Believe it or not, I have discovered some things that are good about my ever-advancing age.
First, I have great excuses for not wanting to go to undesired events anymore – interferes with nap time.
Then come the discounts, although I have not availed myself of the early bird dinner specials. Looking forward to those.
And finally, there is nothing greater than being a great-uncle. I need that nap now.
On the other hand, there are parts of my body that creak when I get out of bed that I didn’t even know existed.
- I have met many fine ologists that I also didn’t know existed.
- What I used to spend on entertainment, I now put into co-pays.
- It is still unsettling when someone in their mid-40’s calls me sir. Until I look into the mirror, I think I am still their age. Note to self — stop looking into mirrors.
But I did find something great about my dodderage – cataracts. Follow me now. I have worn glasses since I was five years old. And started wearing contact lenses in junior high school. Everything I ever did revolved around that fact. If I had an interview, had a date, or was speaking at an event—gotta stop to pop in the contacts. I couldn’t go anywhere without my kitbag containing glasses, contacts and solution. That is why I was actually quite excited when my eye-ologists deemed that the cloudiness I have been experiencing was due to cataracts, for which I would be needing surgery.
I wasn’t new to the issue of how cataracts could change your life, my mom had the surgery at 85 years of age, and I remember going to her doctor’s appointment where she could read the copyright off the bottom of the eye chart at one hundred paces and I didn’t even know there was a chart on the wall. We now say she can see through walls.
My second cataract surgery was this week and I have to admit, I am not yet used to not having my trusty vision kitbag by my side. I can already see better without vision aids than I ever had with them.
I bring this up due to an interview I had today on Dr. Keith Darrow’s program this morning when we discussed how much better people felt when they addressed the other third rail conversation for seniors, (other than driving) — hearing. I have heard at so many conferences that getting this appointment made is one of the biggest challenges we face, yet after we are able to get our loved one to the audiologist, (yet another ologist), and successful treatment was achieved, its like a whole new world of human interactions opened for them. They were not afraid of group conversations anymore.
The good news is that now as seniors, we can see and hear again like teenagers.
Now if someone can only do something about the need to nap like kindergarteners.
Please share your thoughts in the comments below.