We spent a good bit of yesterday at the VA hospital in Tucson. It can be a humbling experience to be around so many men and women who have served our country and to see the effects of their sacrifices. It will also make you feel very lucky to be walking around in one piece, relatively healthy. At least it does me.
I wasn’t looking forward to this visit because last year they told me they suspected I was coming down with glaucoma and subjected me to a very long, uncomfortable series of exams that they called “mapping” my eyes. I was supposed to have it done again yesterday, but they had an equipment problem and had to postpone the worst of it until we get back to Tucson sometime in November.
That didn’t mean I was in and out of there quickly, though. I had a new doctor, and after dilating my eyes she spent over an hour doing a series of exams and measurements. The good news is that she seems to think that the glaucoma thing is a false alarm triggered by the fact that I have overly large, asymmetrical eyeballs and larger than normal optic nerves. But better safe than sorry, and she said they still want to monitor me closely, just in case.
After I was done at the eye clinic, the next stop was downstairs at the pharmacy, which took close to an hour. But that was okay, it gave my eyes some extra time to recover from the dilation before going outside into the sunlight. Even then, I wore dark glasses and had Terry drive, just to be safe.
We needed to stop by Rocky Mountain Cummins to get some coolant for our motorhome, but after going to the location listed on the Cummins website, it turned out that they were out of business at that location. I called the telephone number from the website, which was answered by the Cummins garage in Phoenix, where I learned that they’re gone from Tucson altogether. They directed me to the Freightliner garage a few miles away, where they had the proper coolant.
By the time we grabbed a quick bite to eat and got back home, my vision was pretty much back to normal. I spent the rest of the day and evening writing and knocked out somewhere over 2,000 words in my current work in progress.
The news was full of the guilty verdict in the Jodi Arias trial, which has been a media circus from Day One. It’s amazing to me that the trial dragged on for so long, though I guess it shouldn’t. It’s reality TV at its worst. I don’t think she really deserves one more iota of publicity, but Bad Nick had other thoughts, so I let him post a new Bad Nick blog titled She Deserves To Live. Check it out and leave a comment.
Thought For The Day – What if there is no conspiracy and the government really is that stupid?
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Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!
Nick, you’re so right about the Veterans that you see at the VA Hospital.
I take my Dad there several times a year, and to see what some of these survivors have to cope with is humbling indeed.
What’s really heartbreaking is seeing what many of them fought for being wasted away by our government (both past and present).
Memorial Day is rapidly approaching, this Nation NEEDS to remember the reason for it!
Butch
I get a kick out of the phrase “my current work in progress”. Hard to be any more vague than that.
JC
Love the Thought For The Day
Unfortunately I think the government is that stupid.
It’s just one of the mysteries in life, Jerry.
happy to hear that your eye appointment went better than expected. Happy also that you have a Dr that want to follow you for awhile just to make sure everything is still OK. I have not been to a VA hospital since I was a little girl, but can imagine seeing all those young Vet who have lost so much. We also so see many when I have to go to Brooks Army Medical Center in San Antonio and see all the young kids here going thru different treatments for their awful injuries, most though have fantastic attitudes and say hello to everyone they see. God bless them all.
Hey Nick; I am also a Vet (disabled 20%) and until we went fulltime in Sept. 2012 the VA was all I had for hospital and doctors. When we went fulltiming I took out Part B and Part F because I was a little afraid of being out in the middle of nowhere where there might not be a VA hospital or clinic. I could save over $200. per month if I dropped both and just relied on VA. Do you have Both VA and B and Extra coverage..Your feeling and experience please.
Also we are presently outside of Payson at Tonto Rim Christian Camp as volunteers with MMAP (mmap.org) and will be passing through Sho Low on our way to Albuquerque how long will you be at Sho Low?
Rich O.
Rich,
All I have is the VA and so far it’s worked out okay. We will be in Show Low a week or two.