Today is New Year's Eve and I spent the last afternoon of 2018 at the hospital having my eyes scanned and injected.
The scans revealed a quite dramatic deterioration in my vision since my last appointment and the consultant said that I needed the injection in both eyes again. So I'm typing this with some difficulty after enduring the needle inserted in each eyeball and the resultant soreness and black 'blobs' that are a result of these injections. After this procedure it normally takes 24 hours for my vision to completely clear and the soreness to subside but my left eye is particularly painful at the moment.
The consultant also put me on a waiting list for an operation on my cataracts. Again, I have these in both eyes and he thinks that they've got to the point where they need to be removed. He reckons that my turn may come up for the operation sometime in August of 2019. Can't say I'm looking forward to that, but it may help improve my vision a little.
My back injury pain from my birthday fall has just about gone apart from some discomfort if I twist my body in certain positions, but it's much better than it was. Christmas was both a pleasure and a pain because of this...
Christmas Day was spent at home. Emi and I brought my mum over from Wakefield to our house for the day and Emi cooked the traditional festive dinner for the three of us. Nice and cosy.
Boxing day was spent with Elle and Elliot and their partners Nic and Danny. Lots of gifts were exchanged and I now have several books and videos lined up to read and watch. All in all, a very merry time was enjoyed by everyone.
I've heard that the Backlund Super 100 guitar that generous fans have arranged to buy for me will be delivered in around three weeks time. Can't wait!
I can hear fireworks exploding outside as I type these words...New Year celebrations by some neighbours no doubt, (though it's only 6:30 pm.) Emi and I will spend the evening quietly at home with Django the cat and a bottle of Champagne to toast in the new year. We like sharing these warm, intimate moments together. Gone are the days of mad partying, but I don't miss them.
So, as 2018 draws to a close and 2019 prepares to enter all our lives, I'd like to wish all readers of this journal a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR and many, many thanks for your wonderful support of my music during 2018!
We've got a street dedicated to that Roman Fire God and I see there's one up in your neck of the woods as well . Vulcan Street in S.F. is a staircase made of cement . There's something special about it beyond that, though as those of us who walk up and down those steps seem to do so more often than not in a rather careful, calm and considered way. Wishing you well ! Thank you for all you share with us !
Happy New Year to you and Emi! I really can’t speak to the retinal deterioration, but I have had the cataract surgery and it was a Godsend in my situation. I went from being horribly nearsighted and night blind due to laser surgery to save my vision from bleeding to having 20/20 -2 at my last eye appointment (I missed two). I’m just sorry that you have to stress about it until August. Good luck to you, Bill! 🖖
Happy 2019 Bill and Emiko (great concert at Leeds by the way)😉
I hope 2019 is a great year for you and yours.