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Father’s Day

david — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 03:55:09 +0000

Me & my dad at dinner today.

We had a very busy Father’s Day. We went to Outback at 11.10am for lunch with Eliz’s father, mother, her sister Margaret, and our niece Meghan. Yes, I said 11.10am. More like brunch, I guess. I have to say that is by far the earliest I have ever eaten a Bloomin’ Onion. It is also the only time I’ve seen Outback less then 90% full.

After an enjoyable meal, we came home to make peanut brittle. That is our gift of choice to both our dads. They both like it and it isn’t too difficult to make. Eliz does the majority of the work, measuring, watching the temp, etc. I pretty much am the designated stirrer. I stir it frequently from 225 degrees up to 280. At 280, the peanuts go in and it’s got to be stirred constantly until it hits 305. Once the peanuts go in, it is a nice workout. At 305, it comes off the heat and vanilla and baking soda are added. I stir it vigorously for a minute or two and then Eliz dumps it on the table (onto parchment paper and towels) and spreads it out. The whole process takes about an hour and a half.

My biggest contribution comes when I sample the product. It takes about 40 minutes to cool enough to break into smaller pieces. I usually start sampling about 10 minutes after it’s been spread onto the table and every five to 10 minutes there after… Today, we were heading to my parents between 3.30pm and 4.00pm, so we had to “make sure” it wasn’t too warm to break up and stack it in a corning ware for the journey. We don’t want it to stick together… I also sample it along the way, just to make sure everything is good. Today, Jane helped sample.

When we arrived at my parents, they invited us to dinner. It is unusual for them to want to go out to eat. Well, it’s unusual for my dad. They like to go to Ruby’s Diner since it is across the street and fairly quick (as long as it’s not busy.) I wasn’t too hungry today after the big lunch at Outback and all the sampling I had to do. Eliz and the kids weren’t too hungry either, but my dad was okay with going out, so we went.

I had the Asian Chicken Salad. It had grilled chicken breast, lettuce, bell pepper, and wonton strips. The dressing was awful, the wonton strips seemed like stale tortillas, and ended up wearing honey mustard sauce and Oreo Fantasy milk shake that I tasted from Jane’s dinner. Even that couldn’t stop me from enjoying the meal.

I am 46 and my dad is 93. Eliz’s father will be 84 in October. We are both so fortunate that we can enjoy time with our fathers. It doesn’t matter what the food tastes like or how the service is.

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Post tags: baking soda, bloomin onion, caption, corning ware, dad, parchment paper, sister margaret, table, Today, wonton

Visual Fields Test

david — Thu, 13 May 2010 05:58:43 +0000

My appointment with my glaucoma specialist went well, except for the fact that I was back to the 20/200 line and even that wasn’t as crisp as a my second PostOp appointment on 27 April (I also believe it was slightly worse than my unscheduled appointment with Dr. Ayres this past Friday.) I’m glad everything looks great, but that isn’t helping me see better. As per Dr. Pro’s (and Dr. Ayres’) recommendation, I’ve scheduled an appointment with Dr. Garg, the retina specialist I saw earlier this year. I have a feeling I know how that appointment will go too. Everything will look fine, but my vision will still suck. Call me Nostradamus. I’ll let you know how things go on 18 or 19 May.

Central Vision Visual Fields Test at Wills Eye

One of the problem I’ve noticed is that I seem to have more blind spots, especially in my central vision. When Eliz and I were working with Jane at softball, I noticed I had trouble following the ball when Eliz would flip the ball to me from three to five feet unless I looked to my right. I’m not sure what the above test indicates, but since I don’t think I’ve ever had this particular visual fields test I don’t think there is anything to compare it to.

Visual Fields Test Machine in the Glaucoma Dept. at Wills Eye

After my appointment at Wills Eye, Eliz and I walked up Walnut Street and stopped into the Associated Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired. I had contacted them just before we moved Salon Supplies + Interiors and ForYourSalon.com out of that disaster of a building (which has been condemned, by the way.) Between the move and setup of the business and waiting to see how things went with the surgery, I didn’t follow up. Looking back, that seems dumb. As it stands now, I don’t think things will improve dramatically, if at all. You may say I’m a pessimist, but I disagree. I would call myself a realist. Sure, I can hope and wish, but I’ve been doing that since I was a small child. Maybe I learn something and gain some confidence.

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Post tags: appointment, caption, central vision, Dr. Ayres, Dr. Garg, Dr. Pro, eye, glaucoma specialist, Jane, retina specialist, test, Walnut Street, Wills, wills eye

Image of My OCT Scan

david — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:53:51 +0000

Just a quick update to add my OCT image. I’ve added here and to last night’s post (so you can compare mine with the normal one posted on the Vitreous Retina Macula Consultants of New York website.) I kind of think mine looks like two people laying on the beach on their bellies and seeing just their backs and butts. I’m hoping to hear from the doctor today or tomorrow.

My OCT scan from 11 Jan 2010.

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Post tags: bellies, butts, caption, cataract, cornea, Dr. Pro, glaucoma, image, mine, New York, OCT, pagoda building, retina, update, vitreous retina, wills eye

OCT Retina Test

david — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 06:36:14 +0000

What an adventure today at the Pagoda Building at 100 Presidential Ave. After a few minutes in the waiting area, we were called back. I followed Irene into a very dimly lit room, stumbling slightly on one of the stools. I sat on a stool that seemed to be a bit too high for the machine I was supposed to put my chin in while pressing my forehead against the bar. The device that was going to take the images and measurements of my retina looked similar to an older (circa 1998) surveillance camera. Inside the lens was this cool blue light, slightly lighter than the blue light on the machine that reads your IOP, that looked similar to something in a sci fi movie with a thin red line across the horizon that looked like a laser.

My good fortune was that the machine was brand spanking new and both Irene and Todd had not yet mastered it. Irene couldn’t get a good set of images and kept asking me if I was diabetic, which I am not. She then said that the cataract in that eye must be really dense, because they couldn’t get a clear image. She then decided to dilate my eye. (This test was only for the left eye. The right is waiting for the Six Million Dollar Man eye and I haven’t spotted those at Radio Shack yet.) Dr. Pro had asked that the eye be dilated, but Irene thought it wasn’t necessary at the beginning. While my pupil was dilating, Irene stepped out of the room. Todd, Eliz, and I talked about the machine. I asked Todd a question and didn’t get a response. Eliz then answered for him. Seems he didn’t realize I couldn’t see him and he nodded yes to answer my question. After about 10 minutes, Irene walked back in, but Todd wanted his turn on the machine, so Irene coached him. He couldn’t get a good image either. Irene’s turn again.

After about 10 to 15 minutes of trying, we were asked to go wait in another waiting area. We only waited there a couple of minutes and then it was back into the hot seat for me (and I didn’t stumble in the room this time since my eye was dilated…) Finally, Irene was able to get the correct images the doctor ordered. I asked if I could have one put on my flash drive. Irene said no, but said she’d print one out. As she looked through all the images, she realized that they weren’t that good. She asked if she could try again on getting a good image. At this point, either Eliz or I mentioned the Endothelial transplant from December 2008. She then said that might be why she couldn’t get a good image. Whatever. She got some images she was happy with and printed one out for me… In black and white! The doctor will have a look in a day or two. I’ll call on Wednesday to see what the story is.

I’ve got a scanner issue that is stopping me from uploading the image. Hopefully I’ll figure it out tomorrow and have the image up here then. I know it doesn’t look like this image:

OCT demonstrating normal retinal architecture.

My OCT scan from 11 Jan 2010.

So now I have to wait to hear from the doctor. My image is a bit more “hilly” than the image above. I’m hopeful this is the reason for my latest issue. I also hope this can be fixed.

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Post tags: adventure today, caption, cataract, cornea, Dr. Pro, Eliz, eye, glaucoma, good fortune, image, Irene, machine, OCT, retina, room, surveillance camera, thin red line, Todd, waiting area, wills eye

Glaucoma Study

david — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 04:47:56 +0000

My latest Fields Test done at Wills Eye during a glaucoma study.

Over the past year, Eliz and I have taken part in a glaucoma study at Wills Eye in Philadelphia. I was asked if I’d be willing to participate and when they realized that Eliz would be bringing to each session, she was asked to participate as part of the control group. Fortunately, Eliz doesn’t have glaucoma! The study included a (torturous) visual fields test, IOP and vision check, a questionnaire on how glaucoma affects your life, an obstacle course, spotting different size boxes around a room, dialing a “telephone,” reading in varying lighting conditions, spotting objects moving on a computer screen, and, my favorite, matching socks. It takes about three hours to complete and we had to go in four times within a year. Last Thursday (17 Sep) was our last session.

We were compensated $20 (total) and had our parking validated at each visit. At the end of the study, we are each to receive $160 (which is due in the mail in the next week or two.) To get paid to get a fields test is AWESOME! It’s like getting paid to be water boarded… The fields test is so exhausting to me, because I have trouble just looking at the dot in the center of the machine. I only get the test done on my left eye, as my right eye can barely tell light from dark (I can tell light is shining on it by waving my hand between my eye and the light source, about 10 inches from my eye. If I see a shadow, I know there’s light and six more weeks of winter. Of course, I could always just open my left eye, but I like to know what I can see with the right eye.) For those that haven’t taken a visual fields test, as you look at the center dot, a series of lights, ranging in size and intensity, flash all around the inside of the machine, one flash at a time. You have button in your hand that you press if you see the light. It’s kind of like being on a game show. I would hope that I would hit the button more if I were on a game show… I’ve posted my my fields test from that day so you can see the results, they weren’t pretty.

One of my concerns that day was the eye chart. I could only see the big E at the top with my left eye (the “good” eye.) That is the 20/400 line. I was able to see the E on the 20/200 line, but only with the pinholes. I have noticed over the past few months that my vision seemed to be slipping (again.) I have also noticed some double vision, especially on lighter objects with a dark background. This is extremely frustrating, because it has really effected my reading on the computer. I have a local ophthalmologist appointment next week, a glaucoma specialist appointment the following week, and my cornea specialist appointment in mid-October. Hopefully, one of them will be able to find the problem and fix it (though I’ve been waiting my whole life to have my problem fixed, so I won’t hold my breath.)

I was asked at the glaucoma study if I would be interested in participating in more studies. I told them I’d be happy to so. It upsets me when I see a young kid at Wills Eye to see a glaucoma specialist. I know what is ahead for them and it isn’t fun. I also know what you are now thinking, ‘With technology and stem cell research, they’ll be able to take care of that problem…’ I hope so, but pardon me for not being as optimistic. Those same things have been said to me over the years, from the time I was in middle school to the present day by friends, teachers, coworkers, employees, and others. I’m still waiting.

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Post tags: caption, double vision, Eliz, eye, Fields Test, glaucoma, glaucoma study, lighting conditions, obstacle course, ophthalmologist, Philadelphia, size boxes, study, test, vision check, wills eye

New Images of Water Damage and Mold

david — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:17:22 +0000

Area was used to show custom salon furniture and other salon equipment now only shows mold.

This container was empty on Friday when we left for the weekend. Now it has about 10 inches of water in it.

Wet display case, wet Coke box, wet rug, mold on the walls.

Right side of the counter, from the customer's perspective, where the customers stand at checkout.

As promised, here are a few images of the water damage and mold at 617A Grant Road in the Delcroft Shopping Center, inside Salon Supplies + Interiors. The carpet near the counter and display case seems wetter than in past storms. The carpet is soaked almost to the rear of the checkout counter. The display case countertop was wet this morning when we arrived. There were also a couple more ceiling tiles that were wet by the entry door. One was so wet it was sagging. The floor below those tiles was wet too.

I’ve emailed the property management company, Goel Enterprise, but haven’t heard a word yet. It appears they are just going to string me along until the end of the lease on 31 January 2009. Very frustrating…

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Post tags: alignleft, attachment, caption, caption area, ceiling tiles, Grant Road, Images, Mold, property management company, Water Damage