TECHNOLOGY IN MANY FORMS – 2/16/2021
A friend was showing me a red dot laser he put on a SPECIAL pistol and when I tried it I couldn’t see it.
I had been told I had cataracts before so now I guess this was the Universe telling me it is time to get it fixed. Long story short, after 6 Doctor’s visits, half were second opinions, it was deemed that I needed cataract surgery. No big surprise, but the last Dr. suggested that I stop by another office of theirs for another doctor to look at something she did not like. Ok, his opinion was a lesion under the right eye and go do the cataract surgery first and we will deal with this problem next.
As a side note, during those second opinions I had a chance to have my eyes photographed several hundred times by these incredible machines. You put your chin and forehead up against two plastic cups and the machine finds dead center for each picture based on what the operator wants as she tells me which way to look. When I asked the doctor, what did they do before they had such amazing technology he said, “ We guessed”.
So we work up at 4:30 am, got dressed, took the puppy out, came home and then drove to the Stein Eye Institute at UCLA in Westwood for our 6 am check in and my 7:30 procedure. A complex of three beautiful modern buildings bearing the names of some big-time benefactors I assume. Efficiency was the word of the day with a lot of good old customer care thrown in; and don’t forget all of the CYA paper work needed in this litigious world. After being admitted I was taken to #2 of 16 preparation and recovery rooms. You get undressed, put all your stuff in the big plastic bags, put on the drafty shorty gown that ties in the back and sit down in this bigger version of a dentist chair, with a lot of bells and whistles. Nurses and doctors came by one by one until I had met and spoken with a team of 6 or so plus signed some authorizations, etc. They kept me comfortable with heated blankets, booties, and a squishy pillow.
7:30 rolled around and they came in, reclined the chair a bit, unhooked it from the floor and we rolled into the always cold operating room. More hot blankets, please. Yes! Next came the release of a mild sedative, WOOOPIE! And I was totally relaxed and 30 minutes later I was back in room #2 recovery. 30 minutes after that I got dressed and they had told my wife to bring the car around and we were home by 9:15. FLASH – 4:10 pm UCLA Anesthesia just called asking if everything was OK?
I had something to eat, prayed and went to work in my home office until after 12. Feeling just fine. Now I am laid back, listening to some Slow Dancing 50’s music. They told me my eye and eyelids might itch. Might? OMG the itching is driving me nuts and they put a hard half cup patch taped over my eye and I couldn’t scratch it if I had to.
In the recovery room I am reading a book that I stumbled upon at The Kabbalah Centre study library. It is written in English and is a spiritual, work based, life coaching book. The super weird thing is one of the authors is Hal Isen. I took a multi-day course from him back in the 80’s. Double Weird is that is uses the Tree of Life concept of Kabbalah and other ancient teachings. Triple weird is that Hal handwrites on the inside, To David Fisher – With Love and Appreciation – Hal Isen. Now David Fisher ( no relationship) was the est forum leader that used to come to St. Louis for about 6 years when I was deeply involved in Werner Erhard’s work. I read that if you can be totally present at any moment with what is present, then you can shift your experience of that moment. So, I am itching like crazy and I turn on the music and get totally into it and the itching goes away! As my mind wonders the itching comes back and as I get totally back into it the itching dissipates. Wow, this is really something for a seeker like me. I have had some numbness in my hands for the last 5 months and received some relief from my healer friend Nir Yogev who totally showed me how to get rid of 40 years of back pain, but I still have about 5% left in the left hand and about 20% numbness in the right had. It is a drag, because I can’t totally close or open my hand without feeling this numbness. I will try this new experience today with my hands.