But I play one on teevee...

A little bit. At least enough to drive, which is enough for now. I recall that the waiver I signed before the procedure (yes, it's completely true that I talk like one of them now) told me that I might need to get new glasses, which I take to mean a new prescription. I'm not sure this prescription is ever going to cut it again. Oh well.

I like these frames, so I'll prolly get a new pair of glasses, plus new lenses in these frames, since I have had them only one year and they still kick ass. I have been bespectacled since sixth grade, and I have never had two pair of glasses that I liked at the same time. I've had two identical pair, one with tinted lenses, but not two different pair. That would be cool.

Back to where I started, it alarms me how little visual acuity is necesary to operate a motor vehicle. I believe that I would meet the standards for legal blindness today, though not permanently, and yet I'm comfortable driving. It's only to the hospital, and I could drive there in my sleep, but I'm going to attempt it tomorrow morning.

When I did my test run, I had no problem reading street signs, no trouble seeing traffic lights and other people's cars doing silly things like swerving into my path, no problem seeing pedestrians walking in the streets. My peripheral vision is strongly impaired, so there will be no lane changing without actually turning my head. That part will suck because when I turn to the left, that action pulls on the skin around the catheter, and it hurts.

Now. President Shrub. If you are listening out there, which I hope you are, you can make sure that a child born today who develops diabetes in childhood will not go blind, will not lose her kidneys, will not have to go through what I've been through over the last year. Don't be stupid in the name of politics. OK? People like me have about 25 good years after diagnosis. That's long enough for scientists to come up with something that will help, if you let them.

It would be fair to say that I am not your biggest fan, but I think there are more voters in this country whose lives have been touched in some way by a disease that might be cured with stem cell research than there are ultra conservatives.

So do the right thing.

before - after