Monday 24 August 2009

Des sees the Light

A few of my long time readers have asked how Des (my father) is doing these days.

Well, he's busy. Really busy.

R-E-A-D-I-N-G. L-O-O-K-I-N-G. W-A-T-C-H-I-N-G. S-E-E-I-N-G



Des has been almost blind for 12 years. But, a couple of weeks ago he had an eye operation.

As there was a chance he would lose his remaining sight he was prepared, after giving it a lot of thought, to face the odds. Although he'd been practicing walking around the house with his eyes closed - just in case.

"So, how did it go?", I asked the morning after the operation.

"It's a miracle", he said. "I'm the only 82 year old I know, besides Hugh Hefner, who went to bed with a brunette and woke up with a blonde."

Yes, it went that well - truth is, Mum has gone decidedly greyer (blonder) in the last 12 years since he 'really saw' her last .... Thank goodness his sense of humour is intact......and hers.

Anyway, he's busy catching up on all the sights. It's quite wonderful watching someone 'really see' again. Sometimes, we don't realise how much we take for granted and I am discovering some things I've been blind to as well.

Have a great week!!

65 comments:

  1. WONDERFUL! I'm SO bloody pleased for him. I really am :) (G)

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  2. Bless his heart and his humor is delightful what wonderful news for him and YOU. Totally awesome! So, perhaps now he can start his own web page eh!

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  3. How truly FANTASTIC! What was wrong? Was it some form of Macular Degeneration? How incredibly Miraculous that he has his sight back! That has to change everything in his life---in every way. I would love to know more, dear Lilly....

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  4. AWE-SOME! What a thrill it must be for Des to have his sight back to go with his fabulous sense of humor. I am thrilled for him!
    Woo-hoo!
    xo

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  5. Oh. My. Gosh. I died laughing. Outloud. He's hilarious. BTW I'm so glad everything went well.

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  6. Great story! I need to go back and read some more about your Dad.

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  7. I love his sense of humor! :) LOL!
    And am so glad for him. What a blessing to have "new" eye sight for the rest of his years!

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  8. All the best to them both.

    So can he read your blog now?

    The world with replacement parts is going to be interesting.

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  9. As soon as I saw Des on my sidebar, I jumped on over. I wanted to know how he was. He sure is the most amazing father I know. You're so lucky, Lilly.

    Thank goodness everything went well for your dad. We do take some things for granted, don't we?

    Please send our love to him.

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  10. Lilly, that's such wonderful news about Des! It sounds like a small miracle, so happy for you all.

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  11. Lilly,

    What a wonderful piece of news about Des ! I hope you can convince him to do guest post one of these days, on his impressions ....

    Just for him, I wish Australia had won the Ashes....he must have watched the last test recently. And I hope that he gets back to his great hobby of finding a decent chap for you, and gives him a proper checking out :-) (Maybe Barbara and I need to mobilize again and help him in that ....)

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  12. My grandmother did the same thing, many years ago. I only knew her as the grandma we had to lead around the house so she wouldn't bump into things... but after the surgery she came to life in the best way!

    So happy for Des and love how he makes his jokes about everything! Thanks for letting us know how he is getting on!

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  13. Awww. Thanks for that heart-warm on a Monday :-)

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  14. That's wonderful! My wife's parents were both blind. Her mom from birth and her dad went blind when he was about 15 or 16 from glaucoma. It seems like that would be so hard to fathom, going blind after having lived life with sight for so many years. I am happy for your father.
    I do have to say, there was something very comforting about leading my mother-in-law around shopping or to a restaurant or the casino. It just seemed to draw us closer.

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  15. That is SO awesome!! Yay Des! I particularly loved how it's shown you where you were "blind". It is so easy to take our sight for granted. Was a great reminder for me to be grateful for the 20/20 vision I have.

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  16. Lils! Terrific news about your Dad! He's very brave to have gone through the surgery with uncertain outcome looming over him. I went through a similar ordeal with eyelid reconstruction, and now, you'd never be able to tell by just looking at me. It's amazing what medicine can do these days.

    You definitely have picked up on his positive outlook, humor & charm!

    I bet it's given him an extra burst of energy!

    Juls~

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  17. Lily, this is great news, I am really happy for him. Glad he has a sense of humor, most old people that have something wrong with them are really grumpy..Hope your week is going great.

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  18. Wow, that is some incredible news!!! Now, how long will it be before he starts getting into trouble for wanting to spend too much time down by the beach?

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  19. I am just smiling from ear to ear. Wondeful news. feel good story of the week, I'd say. Gonna be a heck of a week if this is just the beginning.

    Thanks you for the update Lilly, we love you too!

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  20. That is so fabulous!! I, too, am smiling from ear to ear! I can only repeat everything that Peggy wrote and I'm so excited and happy for Des, your Mom and for you!!

    A big hug from Seattle! This is great news to start the week with!

    Sylvia

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  21. That is so awesome!! I still remember when I got contact lenses after being so blind for so long, and I walked out of that office and stood looking at the detail on a leafy tree for about five minutes!!

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  22. Thanks everyone for your comments. Des will be able to read them for himself NOW. He is still totally blind in one eye but has great vision in the other now. I tell him he has always been a bit one sided anyway..... And Rhonda you hit it on the head. It's being able to see the detail in things. I avoid looking at him because now he will be able to see the wrinkles lol!!! I also told him to be careful when he looks in the mirror.

    It just goes to show that despite everything, while there is life there is always hope. Good times and bad times are part of our journey. But hey the good times are so good sometimes. He is still in his wheelchair when he is out and walker at home but being able to see now will open up a whole new world for him again. It is good news and thanks again for your support for him. It makes an old guy happy!!

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  23. Hey Ugich - err he was trouble enough when he couldnt see so well now.....it can only mean more hilarious happenings....at least he may pick out more age appropriate guys now, lol!!!! Des sends his love to you. Cricket? Don't mention the cricket. He is ok about it and I am shocked - fancy letting the Poms beat us.....anyone but them..lol!!

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  24. OMGosh! ROFLMAO!!! It isn't how much days in your life that counts, but how much life that are in your days. Des definitely has life in his days!

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  25. Wow, what an amazing gift. I do love his sense of humor!

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  26. @Lilly: Ah, yes - the cricket hahahahahahahahahahahaha - oops!

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  27. Great news.Des ! You'll be able to keep a better eye on Lilly now !

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  28. Fabulous news about Des seeing the light!!

    "And God said, 'Let there be light' and there was light, but the Electricity Board said He would have to wait until Thursday to be connected.
    Spike Milligan :-P

    Hugs
    Peggy

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  29. I love his sense of humour... Too funny for words!

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  30. haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, haaaaaaaaa, too funny Des and its wonderful news. As for you Lilly we Poms have something to celebrate with the cricket, no?????? LOL

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  31. Dear Lilly ... quite possibly the best post I've ever read! Wonderful!

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  32. That is hilarious. I could picture it in mind. BAHAHAHAHA. There is alot we take fr granit. Im glad your Pa is doing well. :)

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  33. How wonderful! I love your dad's sense of humor. It's so amazing what they can do today in the medical community.
    And what a beautiful gift to him at 82 years old! We must never give up hope for miracles :)

    Have a Happy Day, Lilly!

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  34. Fantastic news Des, and the Chic Geek is so right. Miracles can happen at any age and you are one person who knows how to squeeze every drop out of life. Go for it!!!

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  35. Oh, my! What a lovely gift... for all of you. XO

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  36. Such a wonderful post. Thanks for sharing

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  37. What a wonderful fella!

    It must run in the family.

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  38. haha! I'm sure that's just great for him!!

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  39. How wonderful and a timely reminder of all those things we take for granted.

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  40. It just doesn't get any better in my opinion!!! What a glorious post dear Lilly!! All the best to you and your family! :0)

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  41. I'm an unabashed fan of Des. How wonderful it must be to see the world --this time with fresh eyes.

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  42. I am so glad his eye surgery went so well. Once when my mother-in-law had eye surgery, we brought her home and she walked in her own house and said, "Who in the hell put that awful green rug there?"
    The rug had been there for years!
    She thought it was some other color.

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  43. Congrats Des, hope you get an eyefull and so glad to hear your news. And you Lilly must be very busy, no time for blogging anymore.

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  44. Lilly, are you coming back some time soon? Just stopped in to say hi.

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  45. That is such amazing news. I do hope that he will just get better and better!
    Now we know where you get your fabulous sense of humor from!

    I gave you an award. Come by my place and check it out!

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  46. What a wonderful thing to happen! I'm so happy for your Dad! I can only hope and pray the same will happen for my Mom.

    She is going through eye surgery next year. She put it off this year, because she wants to teach one more year.. she's stubborn like that. She has glucoma in both eyes and drops and minor surgery already and the pressure has still not reduced.

    With her eyes that constantly move (because of albinims), the doctors are afraid of the outcome... they said if she has stress after the surgery, her eyes could collapse. (Well, like that isn't stress enough to worry about??)

    Your father's surgery gives me hope and most definitely, a smile! Thanks for the update!

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  47. @ Aleta - keep the hope alive with your Mom - and my prayers are with her and you.

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  48. Oh, how wonderful! So nice to hear great news like that. Your dad sounds like a swell old guy! XOXO

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  49. That's truly exciting and amazing! Can't wait to hear more about his "new" discoveries!

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  50. Aw, congrats to him! I love the waking up with a blonde comment. That's perfect!!!

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  51. What a wonderful thing for Des! I love his comparison to Heff that is classic.

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  52. that's marvellous news for your Dad Lilly...
    YAY!!!
    all the best to him and his 'new' wife :) ;)

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  53. Great news. We need more good news and to focus on the positive. Funny pixie props, he he..

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  54. Hi Lilly, I'm back from holidays, thanks for your visit while I was away. You lived in Coffs Harbour? Me too.
    Great news for lovely Des, I always enjoy your Des posts. He is fortunate to have a wonderful daughter watching out for him, and vice versa, Lilly.
    I am picking up my first pair of reading glasses later this week, I had my eyes tested just before I went on holidays, suspecting that the telephone book print and all other fine printed material is not really getting any finer, it simply means I now need
    reading glasses, and have done for about the past year!

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  55. Great news indeed.

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  56. what wonderful news for Des ...gives me a little inspiration for a decision of my own.

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  57. That is wonderful! I love his sense of humor!

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  58. nice September banner
    where is the September post?

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  59. @ Lisleman - soon, soon when I get one plus I have to pay some visits first, and your first up!!

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  60. WAHOo i was wondering when there was going to be anoter post.

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  61. that is so wonderful to hear Lily... REALLY WONDERFUL!

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  62. That is so awesome! Congrats, and I'm sure he'll really keep you on your toes now.

    Give Des my best.

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Thanks for your comments.