Hello, beloved Mopers! I’m baaaack! Don’t know if you missed me, but I missed you. 
Appointment went OK. Neuro-ophthalmologist was very thorough and spent an hour with me. She seemed to know her stuff, too. I was impressed. She said I DO have visual snow syndrome and said it’s also contributing to the light sensitivity an night blindness. The med they usually recommend (A lot of people with VSS don’t need medication because the VSS is mild and they have no other issues.) is a medication I’m already on, but she thinks I need a higher dose. If that doesn’t work, there’s another oral medication, but it can cause a bad rash, so she’ll consult with a rheumatologist before putting me on it, due to the lupus rash stuff. I have to have an MRI to make sure I don’t have “something” pressing on the optic nerve.
She read me the notes from the specialist I saw in Portland last winter and agreed with him that the main issue is that due to surgeries and multiple eye issues, light does not travel a straight path through my eyes, as it does through yours. You may need glasses; you may have had cataracts (Me, too, but mine were in my forties and from steroid eye drops.), but unless you’ve had lots of surgeries and corneal issues, light goes to the back of the eye in a straight shot, like a movie projector.
Here’s how I look at it, though. 100 years ago, I’d have been the blind woman sitting on your corner selling pencils out of a tin mug. Each surgery helped me. The fact they reached critical mass and messed up my vision in other ways is collateral damage. I was able to teach as long as I did because of those surgeries. Well, that, and I got good at pretending to see I saw better than I did. Life hack: if you frown and look puzzled at kids in the back row during tests, they think you can see them and aren’t as apt to cheat.
I got back OK and am sooooo glad to be home. The hotel I stayed at had tiny rooms. I had to plug my phone in a bathroom outlet.
I brought a PBJ with me for dinner. Not too exciting, but cheap. I did splurge and got a panini and iced chai for lunch today. Yum. I slept like a rock at the hotel due to the 5 miles of walking that day, much of it uphill. (Seattle is hilly in the wrong direction!) My hotel room was tiny. It barely fit a queen-sized bed. And I had to plug my phone in the bathroom outlet. But no matter, I got through it OK. And I had no trouble finding the doc’s office. There were helpful signs painted on the parking garage floor, and I only had to ask directions twice.
Butters, please forgive me if I’m wrong, but you seem to have a gut certainty your husband will be transitioning soon. If so, wishing a smooth journey for both of you. Church families can be a huge blessing.
swampy, I luuurrrve me some rolled pecans and would be happy to contribute to your church. Is there some way I could do so?
sari, why do you have to leave when park workers show up? What do they do, exactly?
He was happy that I asked him to stand with me, so I’m glad I did OYKW does not like to do that kind of stuff so he is not in the video. We are indeed both Episcopal and Lutheran. The local ELCA congregation came to us several years ago and broached the idea. This is possible because the ELCA and The Episcopal Church have a concordant named