July 15, 2011 11:00 AM

Ouch!

Yesterday's photophoresis session was a little out of the ordinary in the fact that the nurse initially missed my vein and they had to go probing around with the needle. As you can imagine, it was a little uncomfortable while they manipulated that needle in search of my vein. Even at the end when they removed it, my arm was sore when they put on the bandage. Admittedly, the nurse apologized for the incident but it still didn't ease the physical pain. It's the first time that anyone has had any problems so I can't really complain.

Good news on another front! On Monday, I start with the first of three appointments for my scleral lenses. We'll see how that goes(pardon the pun). They are nicely working around my Wednesday and Thursday photophoresis appointments thus tying up lust about every day over the next two weeks. These appointments are all day affairs so you do not leave until 4 in the afternoon - just when commuter traffic gets underway. Ugh! Fortunately, through health insurance and the generosity of our local Lion's Club, it's all paid for. As you can imagine, as with everything I seem to get involved in, it's expensive. As my wife says, add it all up and I'm becoming the six million dollar man!

Today, friends from New York are coming for a few days. We're looking forward to that. It's nice to touch base and the change of pace will do us good! I just feel a little guilty in that, in my current condition, I can't assist more. However, the goal is that this, too, shall pass and that's what we look forward to.

So, the net result will be that, by the end of the summer, I expect to see improvement in several areas. Not that I'm wishing the time and all that good weather away, mind you. I like summer even though I cannot have much exposure to the sun. The warm weather, the beautiful flowers, the images of life all around you - summer is so much better than the cold reality of winter.

Thank God I can still experience them all...

Bob