On The Huh

Old English Tarot

Firstly, a definition of the phrase 'on the huh'.

It's been an odd couple of weeks, for two main reasons: firstly, I got totally sucked into the Olympics, way more than usual: a fantastic atmosphere, and superb achievements for Team GB. I thought the Opening Ceremony was brilliant: quintessentially and therefore eccentrically English, with lots of in-jokes for the natives. The Closing Ceremony was somewhat more ... random ... in nature and quality, and came across as a bit of a disorganized afterthought with poor sound quality.

Secondly, I've been discombobulated because DH was home for a while last week. Three weeks ago, he had an eye test because his vision was fuzzy in one eye; he came out with reading glasses - cue much hilarity from the children (and only a little bit from me). The optometrist said she'd referred him to the hospital, just in case. He didn't think to ask, ''just in case of what ?''.

An appointment for the Eye Clinic was phoned through to him, for Monday 30th July; and after a few hours during which we sat around waiting, and also a scan, a thorough examination and a fluorescein angiography, he was told he could go home and someone would be in touch. 

Just in case you didn't already know, it is never a good thing when a clinician who is a consultant says that you are/this is unusual, and goes to get their supervisor, who is a more senior consultant; and then they both say that you are about 30 or 40 years too young for the state of your eye while ooh-ing, aah-ing and umm-ing over your scans.

For a while it was looking like it might be age-related 'wet' macular degeneration, except DH is too young. I got a phone call last Monday to say they wanted him in on Wednesday for treatment. They have determined that it is choroidal neovascularization; a clear simile I found was that new blood vessels grow through your retina like weeds do through a sidewalk.

However, the treatment for the time being is the same as for AMD: 3 injections over 3 months. 

''What's the problem ?'' you might ask. ''Condition diagnosed very quickly, and it's good that it's treatable. Right ? ''

Which is totally true, and I am truly grateful for that. But I had to then call DH to tell him he had to take time off work, get to the hospital on Wednesday to have an injection into his eye. Yes, you read that right the first time. And then that he wouldn't be able to drive for a few days. And that he would have to notify the DVLA. You will, of course, remember that my DH drives this for a living:

44 ton articulated Mercedes truck

So I am purposely not even entertaining the idea of XVI The Tower, or even of XII The Hanged Man.

DH, of course, has been perfectly stoic and amazingly brave about the whole thing so far; while I was telling him about the appointment for the needle in his eye, a neo-natal ambulance flashed past him with blue lights and sirens going. As he said, there are far worse and darker places to be.