SINGLE VISION

Thursday morning, April 22, the patch came off, and I looked at the picture on the wall. For the first time, in 18 months, there was only one picture on the wall. Most of my vision has been restored to single vision. It is still very weird. As I wear my prescription glasses, I have to remind myself that the prism, that corrected the double vision, is gone. What I see is what I really see. I still see double when looking down, like reading a book, but that is easily corrected by lifting the book up or tilting my head down. The same when looking at the computer. I know I can adapt to this, as I have adapted to it for the past 18 months.

I did have a bit of a melt down Thursday night. As I was watching TV, my eyes just split into double vision for no reason. I could consciously pull them back, but it kept happening. I was so scared, I just lost it. I feel better today, Friday, after my doctor appointment. He feels everything is OK. He suggests we just need to wait and see how my eyes heal and my brain adjusts before worrying about it. For now, I will not be doing much/any driving until I am certain I can control the double vision. Yes, I am a bit stressed, but I am kind of relieved that the doctor is not worried.

Thank you ALL for your prayers and your kind thoughts. Here is my prayer back to each of you…

May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.

I also pray this prayer, daily, for you (Yes, this one comes up as a pop up reminder!)…

God, bless all my friends, family (and me) in whatever it is that You know we may be needing this day! Open our ears, our eyes, and, most importantly, our hearts to you. May our lives be full of Your grace, peace, prosperity and power as we seek to have a closer relationship with You. I pray the Holy Spirit will empower us to resist temptation and replace temptation with a desire to reach out to others in kindness and love. Use us, Lord, as the servants that we are. Help us to recognize when You open doors for us, we might faithfully walk through.

God, thank you for the miracles of modern medicine and for restoring my vision. Amen.

With love,

Laura

Flashlight of Hope

In October 2008, it appeared my life path was coming to an end. Instead, the Lord handed me a bright, powerful, fully-charged flashlight (with steroid induced batteries) that, when pointed on Him, reflected a blanket of light down on me through hundreds of friends, family and strangers who walked with me on my journey. The light made the uncertain road an adventure filled with curves, valleys, mountain top experiences and a few melt downs as the batteries lost their charge. It is a chapter in my life I hope never to lose on a shelf. Wednesday, April 21, 2010, is the final preparation to the start of a new chapter in my book. As I tried to come to terms with the realization that the surgery will only partially correct my double vision, the Lord focused my flashlight on Nash, a little, 3-year-old boy (the son of a friend of mine) who was recently diagnosed with a tumor in his eye. The eye was removed, and there is still uncertainty whether the other eye will develop the same, rare, genetic mutation. Within a few days after his surgery, Nash was out running and playing, unfazed by the loss of his eye. My flashlight was, once again, re-charged and lifted up as the Lord continues to remind me that despite the mountains I have climbed, there is someone else with a much steeper mountain to climb. It is by Grace that we reach the top of each mountain set before us. It is by Grace that we learn how to live within our limitations, disappointments, pain and loss. It is by Grace that our flashlights are charged and we see the world in a whole new light.

Although my single vision will not be restored, completely, we hope for significant improvement to my forward vision. On Thursday morning, at 8 AM, the bandage will be removed from my right eye, and, depending on the outcome of the surgery, the doctor can make an adjustment to the slip-knot of a stitch in an attempt to fine-tune my vision. It is not a perfect science.

Thank you for praying for the success of this surgery. More importantly, thank you for praying for an opportunity to use my flashlight as an encouragement to others.