Ellie has a favourite position when clinging to her mother: she pivots her right arm inwards at the elbow and curls up the fingers behind her.
Yesterday I photographed the phenomenon.
This morning Martin removed most of the last of the patio paving and will need to hire a skip to take it all away before he can continue. Depending on the accuracy of the less than optimistic weather forecast he will carry out his normal more than simply gardening tasks tomorrow.
In the meantime I underwent an eye dilation procedure at Boots Opticians in New Milton. The purpose of this was to confirm or disprove the recent assessment about a developing cataract.
An instillation of Tropicamide increased the size of my pupils, enabling my optometrist to view the inside of my eye more easily.
Jackie was able to record this increase with her mobile phone while we waited in nearby Costa Coffee, and is therefore to be congratulated on working out how to e-mail her observations to me.
The original assessment was confirmed. I will need neither surgery nor new specs – at least until my next annual check – and was given the comforting view that “many younger people would really like [my] eyes”.
Blurred vision and temporary photophobia persisted this afternoon, but all will become clear tomorrow.
This evening we enjoyed second sittings of yesterday’s Hordle Chinese Take Away fare, with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I finished the Cabernet Sauvignon.
Congratulations on you prognosis and youthful looking eyes.
Thanks very much, Pat
I am glad that you don’t need surgery, Derrick! I have had the dilation treatment several times and it is never fun. In fact it kind of hurt! Great photos, you do a great job with your beard.
Thank you very much, John
You’re welcome! ☺️
I wish you clear vision tomorrow – back to normal. How precious our eyesight is!
All back to normal today, Anne. Perhaps the most important sense for me. Thanks very much
Glad your eye diagnosis was good news indeed, and that is a cute picture of Ellie cuddling her mom.
Thank you very much, Maj
Congratulations on getting the procedure. 🥂
Thanks very much, Holly
Now we know what to do when we want to get the delighted look!
I was wrong on all my guesses wasn’t I?
Indeed, you were, Sue. Thanks very much for trying, though
They dilated my eyes one time at the eye doctor and did not tell me. To drive home was scary. It also caused a migraine.
How ridiculous. Thanks very much, Andy
It was. I always take someone with me to the eye doctor now and sunglasses.
I see you Derrick … through my blurry morning eyes …. Usually things become clearer for me when I get up and about and “clean” my spec’s!!
Cheers, Ivor
LOL I’m having the same procedure in a few hours.
I’ve had cataracts removed and shouldn’t return. It’s just routine to monitor changes.
I trust all will be well, Chrissy. Thanks very much
All good. I need to repeat test in 3 weeks. pressure levels slightly up on previous but my fibromyalgia can often throw tests out.
It must be a big relief that you won’t need surgery.
Yes. Thanks very much, Liz
You’re welcome, Derrick.
Tell Ellie that it’s ok to sleep with her arm that way — I do it too! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ It used to be that cataract removal was a daunting procedure requiring weeks of lying flat on the back with a patch over the operated eye. These days, you can be up and around (though not driving) almost immediately afterwards, wearing a patch only at night to keep you from rubbing the eye for a few nights. Here, they usually do the second eye a week after the first one. How times have changed!
Thanks very much, Janet. Ellie will be pleased to be in good company. I am expecting this cataract op, if I ever have it, to be smoother than my last one 25 years ago
Woohoo!! So glad you have young eyes! And they look young, too!
Thank you very much, Luanne
I wonder if that is a position that little Ellie assumed when she was still inside the womb.
I wondered the same thing, jfwk
Quite likely. Thank you both
Could well be, John. Thanks very much
Wonderful news about your eyes–and good job by Jackie!
Thanks very much, Merril. We watched the first half of Enola Holmes 2 – thanks again for your recommendation
You’re welcome. I hope you and Jackie enjoy it.
We are doing so.
I have cataracts developing and every time I go to the optometrist, I plead that it’s time for surgery. But he says not yet. I hear you almost don’t need glasses afterwards.
That is true, Gwen. It would save you having to change the colours of your frames. Thanks v very much
Oooh, what would be my identity then? I know, I’ll just keep changing hairstyles. I got a lot chopped off today. Shaved on the sides and sort of spiky curly on top.
I’ve had some cataract on mt left eye, long ago, but the doc didn’t do anything, because it wasn’t bad enough to do a surgery. Then it went away by itself! I understand why your doc didn’t do anything to your eyes.
That is good, Byung. Thank you very much
Babies tend to curl their fingers. Very cute.
That was an excellent photo of you. Very dapper. And good news for your eyes.
Cheers my friend.
Much appreciated, Brian
I loved all your photos, Derrick. You look dapper in your linen jacket, and since you were glancing at Jackie, you look content as well. Gosh how I miss holding babies. My sons are young adults, so no grandchildren in my immediate future. The baby days are fleeting but precious.
Thank you so much, Alys
Sweet little baby hands! Glad you didn’t need surgery. Clif had cataracts removed when he was in his late sixties. Made a huge difference!
Thanks very much, Laurie
That’s good news!
Thanks very much, Sheree
That’s a result, shows the medicinal value of Hoegaarden beer.
Good point, Gary. Thanks very much
This is wonderful news, Derrick. Thanks for sharing!
Much appreciated, Jill
Looking good, Derrick! My theory on Ellie’s sleeping position is that she wants her heart to be close to her mom. Babies are very in tune when it comes to heartbeats.
Interesting, JoAnna. Thank you very much.
Good news!
Thanks very much, Cindy
Your eyes are beautiful! YAY on the good news! I wish your eyes good health for eons to come!
Aw, on Ellie’s sweet, so relaxed sleeping position! I bet she IS feeling and hearing her mom’s heartbeat like she did those 9 months in the womb. 🙂 That has to be so comforting! 🙂 ❤️
(((HUGS))) 🙂
Thank you so much, Carolyn. X
I am very glad that you don’t need surgery, Derrick!
Thanks very much, Aletta
So: your optometrist said, in essence, “We’ll see how things look in a year.”
Yes, indeed, Linda. I hadn’t even been aware there was a problem 🙂 Thanks very much
I’m glad you don’t need surgery my Dad had the surgery in both eyes.
Thank you very much, Charlotte.
Cataracts take their time to grow and may never grow to be operable, as per my ophthalmologist. I am glad your eyes are fine, Derrick. Ellie’s new trick is very cute.
Thank you so much, Dolly
You are most welcome, Derrick.
That is good news on your eyes, Derrick!
Thanks very much, Lavinia
That’s good news, Derrick. Clarity re the conflicting prognoses and hopefully, now the procedure is passed, clarity with which to enjoy the visual world again today!
I’m really surprised a lot of comments are about fear of surgery. Actually, it is not a real surgery. It is 10 to 15 minutes absolutely unpainful procedure.
So I understand, Alexander. Thanks very much.
Really good photos of you, Del. Xx
Thanks very much, Ali XX
Ah yes, pupil dilation – and the damn things take forever to get back to their rightful size 😀 … congratulations on your young eyes. 🙂
Thank you so much, Widders
I have had those same drops to make your pupil big, they last a while and you feel quite disorientated. Interesting position assumed by Ellie.
Thank you very much, Robbie
Love that sweet photo of Ellie. Aren’t baby hands precious?
Yay you on the good diagnosis! Well worth the bother of the dilation.
Thank ou very much, Jodie
<3
Wonderful eyes; a-twinkling and a-sparkling 😊
x
Thank you very much, Melanie X
I’m glad that everything is ok and no surgery is required 😉 Jackie captured your eyes very well 😉
Thank you so much, Ribana 🙂
I agree with the others: Jackie’s photos are wonderful. It’s always good to see the man behind the images.
Thank you so much, Crystal
You are looking good Derrick – and Ellie is looking positively precious.
Thank you so much, AnneMarie