Grumpy

[Anna Mason]

Have to leave my lenses out for a few days cant wear glasses can only type with my nose like to be active how can I fill my tim I AM SO...... BORED

[Pat A]

Anna
Have been bored for 6 months - so know how you feel. A virtual group hug is what you need...!

Are you a radio person? I'm not really, but for times of real boredom I have discovered LBC radio - 97.3fm but I think it's London based so don't know if that's any help unless you've got Sky/Cable?(then you can get it through your TV) No music at all but some hilarious - and serious - topical phone in debates!

Thinking of you...

[John Fontanini]

Do you play/have access to an instrument?

You don't need to have perfect vision to strum a guitar, so if a friend/relative has one, get them to drop it round and just bash around with it when you're bored.

[Anna Mason]

Well I like the suggestions radio is a good idea but not active enough i think. I am not musical just painful to listen to. I have found some seeds have germinated and I might spend an hour in my greenhouse tomorrow Icould always dib in with my nose, just hope i dont fall in the pond , 2hourly eye drops is a lot of cups of tea and buiscuits. I have phoned friends and work twice lost the phone 4 times. I know Ishould be grateful its only temprary but its amazing how you only enjoy sitting doing nothing when you ae=re ok but end up gnawing door handles (not literally) when its enforced.

[Michael P]

Anna, I know how you feel.

I have been without a right lens for the past 3 weeks following a cataract op. and I haven't been wearing my left one either since Sunday as this eye will be done on Tuesday; so it will be a fair while before I at least get a new right lens fitted.

My head is spinning from all the squinting I have been doing these past few days.

I went to Aldi's this afternoon and I came across some cheap golf shoes. My head was virtually jammed into one of the shoes because I was trying to read what the size was.
A voice from behind me asked if he could be of help. I turned round to see a man in his mid 70's, probably 20 years older than me. For a moment I was taken by complete surprise as it never occurred to me that I needed help but it was obvious to him that I did. He immediately told me it was a size 44 and the shoes are now adorning my wardrobe.

I did laugh afterwards but it has made me realise how helpful the badge, which I believe Louise is organising, will be.

[Pat A]

Anna
I have just treated myself to an aromatherapy back & neck massage (done at my home) - absolute bliss - I'm in la-la land I think at the moment! You don't need your lenses for it! I know it's not "active" - but you won't want to be afterwards for a while!

Michael
How has it been for you since the first cataract op? & I wasn't aware you were having the second next week - hope all goes well.

[GarethB]

Remember when I had three months off.

Repainted under the rear arches of one car and then repainted behind the grill of that too. Lack of vision meant I could feel when the paint was smooth.

Laid a patio for my daughters play house, redesigned the whole of the back garden.

If the weather was bad I started on the decorating.

Going back to work was relatively quiet compared to my time off work.

[Andrew MacLean]

I am not the one to ask what to do with time off. I try not to take any.

I didn't take time off work after my second graft and didn't take any time off after my recent cataract. But when I do have time off (enforced vacations are the plague of the modern workplace) I like to potter; I like to visit people, I like to listen to talking books, to the wireless and to music, I like to go to concerts and to dine in restaurants. I like to walk in the hills and along the riverside.

In short I like being out and about with my wife.

Andrew

[Pat A]

I guess you are one of the lucky ones Andrew - I certainly wouldn't be taking time off if I could work effectively and I am sure most of us are the same - but so many employers these days just beat you with a stick if you cannot perform at 100% or more, so the only option is to take sick leave. At the moment, I can't really drive and cannot read - as in I can read words if they are in large print - but cannot possibly cope with the mountain of reading documents & spreadsheets, long hours and travelling that my job entails.
And I suppose that others like myself and Anna find it difficult to get out and about without good vision because we are not used to it. I know when I went up to London last week the crowds at the mainline station terrified me because everyone was in such a rush and to me was just a moving blur! Because I knew where to get the bus I needed I was OK but if I had had to find out I would have had trouble even stopping a "blur" to ask them!
So it can be quite difficult to adapt to being stiuck at home- especially at this time of year when the weather is dismal!

But a friend is picking me up to gp to the gym inhalf an hour so I am trying to keep actiove!

Hope you are feeling a bit more cheerful today Anna!

[Andrew MacLean]

At the moment, I can't really drive and cannot read - as in I can read words if they are in large print - but cannot possibly cope with the mountain of reading documents & spreadsheets, long hours and travelling that my job entails.
And I suppose that others like myself and Anna find it difficult to get out and about without good vision because we are not used to it. !

I agree that I am very fortunate, but the only way to learn to get about with poor sight is to make yourself do it! The RNIB run classes. Use a white stick. Get out there: if you can't manage at first (and none of us ever could), just keep pushing.

Stop people and ask them for help. In Glasgow this is easy. Gareth once posted about help he had been given at Central Station, and his experience is fairly typical. People will go out of their way to be helpful.

As to reading spreadsheets and documents, my job entails all this, too. I have a good computer (provided by Access to Work) that has facilities for reading aloud documents and/or magnifying them on my screen. I also have a video magnifier that enables me to read books or documents.

I also am unable to drive at the moment. this is a problem, but not one that is impossible to defeat. I make heavier use of taxis than I should like, but my bus and train travel are free. I did have a big problem at first finding out where to catch busses to different destinations, but a willingness to look lost (no pretence involved!) and ask for help made it possible for this handicap to be overcome.

Andrew