26. Seeing and moving

This past week I saw my optometrist, Peter. I got fitted for a new contact lens in my left eye. A couple of hours before I had my appointment I put in a trial lens which Peter had given me a few days before. Mither had gotten new glasses and I had taken her to pick them up and seen him while he was checking her glasses fit was ok. He had given me the trial lens then. The type of contact lens I have to wear are called 'mini scleral contacts'. They are hard, bigger than the coloured part of my eye and they basically create a new cornea. It is filled with a solution like saline and when it is on my eye it is suctioned on. To get them out I have to gently push on the bottom part of the lens in my eye to break the suction and then I have a little rubber suction thing that I put onto the contact lens to take them out. It is a lot easier than the other lens I had. Those things could pop out and go flying across the room! Those ones were called Rose K. I had to stop wearing those as they had started to rub on my cornea. Not good! It meant I had to change from the optometrist, Bonnie, I had been going to for about 20 years. She isn't trained to fit the mini scleral ones. Not many people are.

So, after having the trial lens in for two hours I go to my appointment. I was able to drive even though there was no prescription on the lens yet. That is how good they are at correcting my vision just by making my eye have a normal shape, instead of the wonky keratoconus (cone shaped cornea) shape. Peter checked the fit by looking through the machine where you have to sit with your chin on a little chin rest. (Having big boobs is slightly awkward here because if I don't lean forward enough my chin isn't in the right spot. See, another reason having boobs removed is a positive). He was happy with the fit, saying "it has good clearance". If you want to know what an eye with keratoconus looks like just google it. When he says that the lens has good clearance it means there is enough room between the wonky bubble eye that I have and the hard contact lens. If it is too close it could put pressure on the eye, or touch it which could lead to all sorts of issues.

Once the fit had been determined to be ok he put on a pair of glasses that could block out the right side and then he asked me to read some letters on the wall opposite. In and out went different types of lenses until I could see the size that he was aiming for. Then he held something that looks like a monocle and says "1st or 2nd". When he says 2nd he flips it around. Depending on what I say he moved a little knob on the side of the glasses I'm wearing. This is because in addition to having keratoconus I also have quite bad astigmatism. My right eye has had a toric fitting but the left one hasn't quite been bad enough yet. Well, now it is.

An hour has almost gone by and he says that I am seeing 3 more lines better than I was with my old contact. Then he says "I think I'll just try another size and shape, if you put it in now can you come back again in a couple of hours". Sure, I knew this might happen so hadn't planned anything for the afternoon. I do some food shopping, take it home and then head back. This lens fits ok, a bit closer but not too bad. The whole process starts again. Glasses on, lenses in and out, toric lens testing. Verdict is....the first lens he tried. They've been ordered and sent off. Peter is also going to fill in some forms for the NDIS for me. Let's see if I can get some funding to pay for my lenses. He says that without contacts I would have a significant disability so let's see what happens.

In the last week I went back to an exercise class with Lewis for the first time. We tried out a few exercises to see what is ok for my arm and also for where the port is. I asked Dr Man if there were any restrictions with the port, or with cardio. He says cardio I can go as hard as I feel like and he would check with the Dr who put the port in about any other restrictions or not. One thing that definitely didn't work was a hamstring exercise. Lying down on my back, legs up on a yoga ball, lift bum and then bend legs and straighten them. Gravity pushes the boobs towards my chin which means the port gets squished. So yeah, that's not going to work. There are other ways to do hamstring exercises and the one that was ok was lying on my tummy, putting bands around my ankles and clipping in some exercise bands. Then bend legs and straighten them, repeat. Must better. Squats ok - obviously been a while since I did them as even bodyweight squats got my heart pumping. To think I had been up to an 80kg bar and squats last year. One...day...at...a...time!

After the hour finished I felt good, nice to move the muscles again like that. I also felt hungry!!!! First time I had felt that since the chemo. I had done some walks before but they hadn't brought on the hunger feeling. I've decided I would go to Lewis once a week. I will usually have chemo on Tuesday so that week I will go on Friday and then the next week on the Wednesday. That's the plan anyway. I have my own set of exercise bands, 6kg weights (borrowed from Lewis) and Mither and Pither have some of the rubber band things. I can do most of the exercises at home too. The back of my right arm is still numb, as well as my armpit. The next day I could tell that the back of my arm is a bit less numb. The exercise must be kick starting the nerves to heal.

A few other things that have happened in the last week.

Evie and Ange helped buzz cut my hair again. It has been almost a month and was growing quite long, almost 2cm. Back to a number 3 again. Feels much better. Hasn't started to fall out yet but maybe during my next chemo cycle.

I've done some sewing. I made Evie some oven mitts (complete with cupcakes I made out of a hexagon) so that she has her own for baking. I also made Ange and Jon an oven mitt/hot plate holder that has a carrot and beetroot on it. I have been crocheting. Shell commissioned me to make some more dishcloths. They are crocheted out of cotton. Those are quick (couple of hours) to make and fun as well. I'm hoping with my new contact that I can do some cross stitch more as well.

Paula (Psychologist) called and introduced herself. I think I'll make an appointment with her next week or the week after. I'll have to look at my schedule and see where I have room. Things get booked up quickly these days. That is a good reason to make an appointment all in itself.

Ross (Social Worker) called. Nice Irish accent! He also was introducing himself and if there was anything I need help with. Financial help is the main thing. He said I would be eligible for Jobseeker with a medical exemption so I don't have to do the seeking part. (That "seeking' is applying for 20 jobs a month and doing 100 points of education/training.) Dr Man filled out the form for Centrelink for me. (Watch this space for that story - It'll be a blog post all on it's own.😩😬😳 Probably next week. Nothing is every easy with Centrelink). Ross also put a referral through to the Cancer Council as they have a one off grant that helps with food and fuel costs up to $350. Also there is a charity that pays for utility bills (I only have a phone bill) if I need too. Big relief that I won't be totally dependant on the Pither and Mither paying for everything. Dr Man put the dates 30/11/22 - 01/11/23 on the form and said if my treatment is still intense in November it can be extended.