A Mermaid in the Eye Doctor's Office?
Posted: Sep 21, 2009There aren’t many things that really spook me anymore. I have gone into the light and been allowed to come back. After that, almost anything can just be shrugged off, ya know?
So when I learned a couple of weeks ago that i would be coming into the eye doctor today to get a shot, well, that didn’t bother me. That is, until they told me it would be an injection into my eye. While I am wide awake and looking at them.
I have been stressing over it for several days, and finally I just gave in. It would be fine. I got up this morning, showered, dressed, ate a cup of yogurt and a banana (that’s a whole other story for later) and hopped into the trusty ol’ Honda CRV war horse. I cranked up the iPod, and was listening to the new Cody McCarver album on the way to the doctor.
When I got to the Professional Building (are professional buildings constructed better than non-professional buildings? And how does a building actually go pro?) everyone was in a tizzy. I entered through the second floor parking area, and there were workers running every which a way. As I boarded the elevator for the third floor, I heard a man saying something about a flood.
When I arrived one floor up, the door to the lift opened,and there were these huge industrial hoses draped all around the floor. Workers were scurrying about. The water main had broken during the night and dumped thousands of gallons of water into the third floor, which just happens to be where my eye doctor resides.
People on the second floor had water coming through the ceiling and the workers were in high gear trying to mop up, suck up and otherwise eliminate the standing water. When I opened the door to Dr. McLane’s office, four people were in there with mops frantically cleaning up the mess.
I was lead to one of the rooms by the same nice nurse I had met on my last visit. She said, “This should give you something to write about!” I laughed and said, “You bet.” I mean, I ain’t saying there was a lot of water in there, but sitting in the exam chair with the door open, I could have sworn I saw a mermaid in the hallway. I kept looking for an ark.
Well, long story short, my fears going into the procedure were totally unfounded. After numbing drops, dilating drops and various and sundry other drops, I was ready for the shot. The doctor was putting something else into my eye. “You’ll feel a little pressure,” he said. I was bracing myself for the needle, when he says “Okay, we’re done.” Wow. I haven’t felt that much relief flood over my body in I don’t know when. Nothing but a thang.
After a while, the doc came back in and looked into my eye with his machine thingy and said the eye was responding well. Hopefully the meds will bring the swelling on down and my vision will start to return.
I made my way through the elaborate maze of hoses, mop buckets and workers, and was soon on my way home, driving with one eye and listening to the iPod. And you won’t believe this, but my ever psychic iPod was playing Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Texas Flood.” Pretty appropriate. And what a way to celebrate the successful procedure, jamming with SRV in my CRV. Even the dark and gloomy weather we have had for three days could not shake my joy in that moment.
Keep it Real. Keep it Southern.
Buffalo
Comments
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sandybluesky says...
Love your writing as always. You should do a book.
PenneElk says...
SO glad all went well--in spite of the flood. Can't believe they continued with business as usual. LOL And that is too cool about Stevie Ray Vaughan (one of my all-time fave musicians!). Stay well.
rebyll says...
From Childhood we have been conditioned to fear that.... "Cross my heart and hope to die.... Stick a needle in my eye!!!!"
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