Today we were driving to East Kilbride to Hairmyres hospital for Scamp to get her eye test. She has a cataract in one eye and our optician had written to the hospital recommending her for cataract surgery. Last week we got the letter inviting her to go for a check up. We had to cancel a tea dance in Paisley, so we were hoping the test would be the first step to the removal of the cataract. We were making a big sacrifice here, you understand.
But before any of this could happen I had to go and see the bank manager and apply for a bank loan to pay for the tank full of petrol I’d need. Well, I didn’t need a full tank, but a considerable amount and it costs a lot of money these days to run a car. The bank manager ok’d the loan which I can pay back at a reasonable 55% interest. I may have to put a padlock on the filler cap now to prevent folk syphoning off this precious liquid.
We drove to the hospital and got parked, then went looking for the clinic. Of course I couldn’t stay with Scamp because of whatever restrictions they’d enforced now, so I left her to it and went looking for something to photograph. As I was finding my way out of the labyrinth that is Hairmyres, I thought my phone beeped at me, but no message showed up on the screen. Then I got a phone call from Scamp to say ‘Just wait, I won’t be long. I’ll explain.’
The explanation was that they couldn’t do the assessment because she was wearing contact lenses. She should have been told to stop wearing them for four weeks before she came for the assessment (two weeks for normal lenses, four for gas permeable). Otherwise they couldn’t take measurements from her eyes for the replacement lens(es). I’m sure she’ll explain much better than I can to you two. Disappointed, relieved, angry, all these emotions seemed to come to the fore as we drove home. She admits herself that she just ranted at me most of the way home. Which was fine. What it did do was give her a chance to get it out of her system and plan ahead. She’s managed to get an appointment with the optician for tomorrow morning. After that we will know better what the situation is and possibly have a way forward.
We discussed the whole thing at length when we got home and agreed that things would become clearer after we’d spoken to the optician tomorrow. We might even go for lunch in Hamilton afterwards.
Because of the mixed up day, today’s PoD became the last rose to flower in the garden. The last rose of summer, one of this year’s purchases and a replacement for one we used to have in one of our gardens, years ago, Prima Ballerina. A pretty little rose with a nice scent.
That’s all for now. It’s been a busy, mixed up sort of day. Hoping for some clarity if not resolution tomorrow (apologies for two unintended puns!)