Rinza Velez
Member
In 2018 I was 56. I attended a retirement seminar early that year, preparing to retire in October! At the seminar, the main speaker said something that was funny but made sense. He said, "It would be great if we could be born at age 90 and retired at age 65." We all laughed, but I was certain retiring early would allow me to enjoy a lot of life after that! I had spent my life taking care of myself, and "doing all the right things." I was a runner, bodybuilder, biker, swimmer, got plenty of air and sunlight. Yes, I did like to have fun, but kept it control. Everything was paid off, home, cars, bills, and the rest of my life would be for having fun! It all began during a workout, in October 2021. While working out in my gym, I became disoriented, dizzy, and sick. I drank some water, sat down, and breathed, and, as always, finished my workout. Looking outside seeing my yard man mowing in the backyard gave me some comfort knowing I was not alone. Mom had died in August, and being left in charge of everything, I had to travel 700 miles to the Rio Grande Valley to handle all the matters and arrangements, so I attributed my episode to fatigue and stress. The next day, a spot appeared at the top of my right eye. I could not rub it out, or wash it out, so it was confusing and weird. To me, it looked like what is called "floaters", but all at the top. A friend of mine told me to eat pineapple and I ate tons of it. The spot remained. Finally, I went to an eye doctor, and the scan revealed a blockage of a vein leading to my retina, this is called a Retinal Vein Occlusion. The vein looked like a snake that had swallowed a tennis ball! I was so scared. Immediately, they called a Retina Specialist, and I was to have an appointment on that Thursday. In that eye, it appeared that I was under water, and things were swishing around. Alone, and scared, I cried myself to sleep. The specialist told me of my condition and started me on eye drops to see if this would help, it didn't. So then, it was on to injections, which I have been getting since then, going on 5 years. Then, a cataract developed in that eye, and I was blinded by it, and a pre-surgery exam diagnosed me with open angle glaucoma in both eyes., omg! The surgery removed the cataract but did not improve my vision due to the existing condition, and to make matters worse, my insurance did not cover a penny of it, from the anesthesia to surgery and my new lens! So, it was back to square 1. Now, in my one good eye, another cataract has developed, and I now have an astigmatism, making some light appear fractured, so now, more trouble for me. Last night, I walked out in the backyard, and looking at the stars, I talked to my mom, remember all the long talks we would have, I could talk to her about anything! She was a nurse too and always cared for me. I said, "I wish you were here Momsie, I'm so scared!" Spent much time staring out into space, wondering, how did I get in this mess? My best wishes to y'all! The best days are still ahead, maybe not for me, but for you!
I unchecked it. Did it work? 
