An Outing - Away From Home

It is about five weeks since Ram had corrective surgery procedure done on her right eye. She has not gone out of the house all these while. I decided to take her away from home. As a priority member of a travel club I am entitled to complimentary stays and discounts in restaurants of a chain of hotels. I decided on one of the hotels in KL, not too far away for her to travel and yet she can be away from home for a couple of days. It was also her birthday. February is birthday month for Ram and our three grandchildren in Bintulu.

We could not be with our grandchildren for their respective birthdays because of her eye condition but talking to them on the phone regularly, the presence of son Shaffik who was in KL for work and who spent his evenings at home with Ram I guessed compensated for this inability. Ram’s sisters Siti and Shidah stayed with us for more than two weeks after Ram’s corrective surgery (and that was a greaaaat help for me, relieved me of my kitchen chores mostly!!). Tessa and Sita, despite their busy schedule and travels had also regularly spent time with her at home. Sita, Fahrul and little Najla had come home every weekend. The whole of the previous week Najla was with us. With Ram’s improved eye condition and being able to read again, she enjoyed playing and reading to (or was it with?) Najla. Najla recognizes written words with pictures like any two year olds and she likes books, hence it was fun to play ‘reading’ with her. Her antics never failed to keep Ram and I amused.

I think it was a good decision to take her away from home even if it was just 25 kilometers away. A change in environment, surroundings and atmosphere certainly relieved her stresses of being cooped up at home. Imagine the glow and excitement in her when checking into the hotel and the presence of Sita and family in an adjoining room in the hotel lifted her spirits even more. It was purely coincidence that Sita and Fahrul had work to do in KL and purposely chose to stay in the same hotel with us (certainly with some persuasion from me!!). They brought Najla along, which was what we had hoped for, when we heard of their work commitment in KL.


I cannot see the stars.....


I cannot see with this thing Tok Mi, is it working properly?


We had dinner in the hotel restaurant. Tessa was there too. It was Ram’s birthday and it was a nice ‘coincidence’ if that’s what we can call it. We could tell that she had a good time that night and she overate too. Najla kept us awake until beyond midnight with her playful antics. She kept running across from her parents’ room back and forth into our room. She was full of energy although it was way beyond her bed time then. Perhaps the ice cream and sweets she had at dinner gave her the energy. So Ram ended having a long day on her birthday!!

We had very heavy breakfast the next day at the restaurants buffet breakfast spread, had lunch at about 4.00pm and because we had so much food for the day we decided for snacks only at dinner (heavy snack ha ha! Sita bought roast chicken and all its accompaniments plus some pretzels!!). Najla continued with her playful antics. She slept very little during the day hence she slept early that night.


Late Night Snacks In The Hotel Room - not good for the waistline!!


Ram’s appointment with her eye specialist is scheduled for March 1st. I hope, by then, her condition improves further and that removal of the stitches on the cornea can begin. She did complain of sharp sensations in that eye now and then and I believe it’s the stitches causing it. However she has been taking it in her stride and we religiously kept to the schedule of cleaning the eye and applying the eye drops. There’s no pain in the eye, only uncomfortable sensations, that is compensated by her ability to see even minute details, including the age lines and streaks in my face ha ha!

Her left eye? Ohhhh, that’s another story. It is giving her problems somewhat. Apart from not being able to see with that eye, it is also beginning to hurt. She feels pain in the mornings, just like what it was with the right eye prior to the cornea transplant three years ago. There is eye drops for this eye and is religiously applied too but it appears as though other problems are beginning to creep in. We will just have to wait until the right eye is properly healed before deciding what to do. Meanwhile ……. we will just continue to pray to the Almighty for His grace and guidance.

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

You Do Not Miss What You Do Not See!!!!

Oh my! So bright………………..

It is now two weeks since Ram had the corrective surgery on her right eye, which had undergone a cornea transplant three years ago. Vision in her left eye meanwhile is dimming and worsening. She has gotten used to adjusting her vision on her right eye only and disregarding the left eye. Vision on the right eye is improving and today she realized that she could see the wrinkles on my forehead and the lines on my face very clearly. Also, she was surprised that the back of her hands are showing prominent age-lines when the last she remembered was that the back of her hands were smooth. Well, it was many many years ago that she could see the details on the back of her hands clearly.

She sees colours brighter now and can differentiate different shades of the same colour. She sounds excited. Like they were all new discoveries. I guess she did not miss what she did not see and there were many she did not or could not see the past 25 years or so. It was about 25 years ago that the problems with vision on both her eyes started.

Reading has always been difficult for her. Whenever I read I have often had to read aloud for her benefit as well. Now she can even read the fine prints on labels, footnotes in the pages of books, tiny prints in newspapers and so on. I can see that she is enjoying these new discoveries!! Praise is to the Almighty for restoring her vision. I hope her distance vision will similarly improve soon.

On the plus side, Ram is more cheerful these days. She is laughing again. She still worries over the state of her left eye but she is not moody, nor negative and crappy. Yes, she was…., all these years, and picked on the slightest thing that was not right. I have been receiving the brunt of her mood swings and have tolerated it thus far. It pained me to see her all stressed up. I am now thankful to the Almighty that this negative phase shows signs of ending.

She saw her doctor a few days ago and was told that it may be a while yet before the stitching on the cornea can be removed, and removal will be in staggered stages, perhaps over about six months to one year. The problem of cataract will also be addressed later as it is now not hindering her sight and not critical. So also problems with the left eye. She has just to continue using eye drops for it.

The potential of Ram seeing very well with her right eye now is as bright as the vision she is seeing and she is prepared to concentrate on improving vision on this eye and not worry about the left eye. Only after full recovery of the right eye will we start thinking of doing something with the left eye and also the cataract problem. We pray and continue to seek guidance and blessing from the Almighty and may He be pleased. We seek His blessing always.....

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya