Last eye surgery update... and a little of my family history...

My 5th and hopefully last eye surgery was January 16th. It was to put a stent into my blocked tear duct. DH and I were to be at the Surgical Center for 7:30 am. 

This surgical center is very nice. The nurses there are so kind and efficient. Not to say that I wasn't terrified... but any surgery to my eye scares me (if I'm totally honest, any surgery scares me).

The first thing they do is take your weight, assign you to a bed, and take a whole 3-clip binder of information (since this is my 4th visit there, the binder is getting pretty thick).  Then they give you a gown, socks, and hairnet to put on, go over the info in the binder again, take your temp and blood pressure, attach an IV to the back of your hand, and bring you a warm blanket. Then they go get your hubby to sit with you while you wait for the doctor and anesthesiologist to come by.

I told the anesthesiologist that last time I was in the surgery room when they were prepping me for surgery, I was fine until they tied my hands down. I didn't like that, but realize that it may be necessary when working on my eye. So I asked could they put me out before they did that. He said this surgery would be a little different. It would take longer and so they would be using a general anesthesia - so no need to tie my hands down. I would be out.... and I was. 

Turns out the surgery was a little more complicated than planned. Apparently my left tear duct was completely blocked an the doctor couldn't get the stent through. So they had to do a by-pass? Not exactly sure how that is done, but I do have stitches between my eye and my nose. Told not to blow my nose for a week... some bleeding would be normal, etc. 

The worse part of all of it was that I was so terribly dizzy due to the anesthesia after the surgery. I couldn't stand up without help for most of the day. Eventually that wore off... but next 2 nights would wake up headachy and feeling strange. I'm told anesthesia on older folks can have some lasting effects (guess I now fall into that category). 

Saw my Eye Doctor for my post-op this past Wednesday. Said all is looking good. My eye pours tears out the outer corner a lot... but he said that should gradually lessen. The stent stays in for 4-8 weeks and then is supposedly taken out in his office (?). I'm still using antibiotic drops and ointment. The watering constantly bothers me and it occasionally aches a bit. But it's tolerable. 

And that's it! I have an appointment for a month from now... unless I have a concern before that (which I more than likely will have). Please pray that this is the end of my eye problems...

Total Change of Subject:

I have thought for a while about doing a post on my ancestral family, but have hesitated - believing that since I'm not big on autobiographies, or memoirs, no one would be interested.

But just re-reading that last sentence made me realize the stupidity of that thought. Lots of people like to read autobiographies, biographies, and memoirs. Just because I prefer fiction - cozy, historical, or science fiction - doesn't mean everyone does.  I know that. Yet, we tend to think everyone thinks as we do. Believe me, they don't! If we haven't learned that in the last few years (through the pandemic and through politics), then we are beyond help.

So, I'm starting this family history now, just generalized info that I happen to know. Perhaps I will need it one day for my own recollection... (like the pandemic chronicles I wrote from 2020 to 2022). And besides, the kids or grandkids could possibly like to read it one day. So I will share it with you - a little here and there - just for entertainment purposes.

Anyway, where to start. I don't really know a lot about past family... only what has been told to me.

My Paternal Side:

my dad

My dad was the oldest of four children (3 born in London and one born in the States). My dad's brother wrote down what his dad (my paternal grandfather) remembered of his life. He said that he was born in England, married there, joined the British Calvary, fought in the Boer's war, took his discharge in Cape Town, South Africa, worked on a ranch for a while, did some gold prospecting, returned to England. was a lighterman, a barge captain, a steamboat captain, and later ran a gunboat on the  Persian gulf (this I can verify as I have a postcard he sent to my dad when he was 7 that proves this).

He took his English wife and then 3 kids to the States 3 times after the war (between 1918 and 1920).  Last time (1920) they ended up in Jacksonville, Florida - and another son was later born there. Granddad (and Grandma) became naturalized citizens and never returned to England. The family moved to New Orleans when my dad was 17 and had found a good job at Architectural Stone co.(where he eventually became the general manager).

I can verify the ships crossings as there are documents available on Ellis Isle with ships and passenger names, etc. And there is some documentation with the British Calvary. I'm not into genealogy sites, but probably could find more info if I looked (which I may do eventually). But in general, I would have loved to have known my paternal grandfather. He sounds like a very 'interesting' character. 

I know nothing about my paternal grandmother other than she died before I was born, was from England, had a quiet disposition, and had/has family there... parents and siblings. I often wonder if her English  family wasn't happy with her marrying my Irish grandfather (yes, he was born in England, but his grandfather was from Cork, Ireland.). And I wonder this because they never went back to visit family... and no family ever came to the States to visit them (no letters or correspondence that I know of either).

There are 'stories' of why my grandfather left England. Don't know if any of them are true. One is that he simply didn't like the climate, one is because of the difficulties in England after the war, and one was that he had built a ship, sold it, wasn't paid, and stole it back... (I kind of like that one - sounds like him)

I'm going to stop this here as it's as much as I can recall at the moment. I do know that my mom used to say that my paternal grandmother used to serve watercress sandwiches (that's something my mother didn't care for - and I personally have never eaten - but it sounds very English).

That's it for today... may continue on with this at some point or may go on to my maternal side another day. 

Hope I didn't bore you too much... I planned to add a picture of that postcard from the Persian Gulf sent to my dad when he was 7... but don't have the energy to look for it just yet (still putting Christmas away over here).

Hope you are all staying home safe and warm during this Arctic Storm. It's still pretty cold here (not as cold as some of course... but cold for us Southerners), but it should be warming up a bit in the next day or so.  

Hugs (virtually),

Rian