It’s been exactly one week since I had my cataract surgery and I thought I would share the experience. I wasn’t terribly worried about it, but the combination of it being surgery and the thought of having a knife cut into my eyeball wasn’t the most relaxing set of circumstances I could imagine. The reality was that I really needed the surgery, as my eyesight was becoming more and more problematic. I’m happy to say everything went off incredibly smoothly and I was actually able to go outside two days afterward and see the Moon, Venus, and Jupiter clearly for the first time in years. I nearly cried with joy.

I was due at the Woodland Hills campus of Kaiser Permanente, in California, at 2:00 pm. The hospital isn’t too far from where I live and my wife was able to pick up several of our oldest daughter’s friends and ferry them to Girl Scout camp, then make it to Woodland Hills in plenty of time. We also had our youngest, who is not very good at a thing called patience, and I knew there was no way she would sit in a waiting room for at least a couple of hours without driving my wife (and everyone else, no doubt) crazy. I had her drop me off so they could go elsewhere and do something other than sit.

I got out and walked the short distance to the entrance that leads to the Ophthalmology Department and took the elevator up the one flight to the Surgi-Center, right down the hall from where I had been examined previously. I checked in and sat down to wait. There was no cell service so I opened up my Kindle app and continued reading one of the many books I have loaded on my phone. About ten minutes later my name was called and I went into the Center.

I was led to one of the many hospital beds that sat on each side of the room, each with its own monitoring equipment and privacy curtain. The nurse who was getting me prepped introduced herself and started me on the routine she has likely gone through dozens, if not hundreds, of times. I only needed to take my shirt off and put on one of those wonderful gowns every hospital has. I also had to take off the gold chain I have worn for nearly twenty years. At her suggestion, I put it in my pocket.

She had be get in the bed, sort of high up so my head was resting on a special pillow. I didn’t even have to remove my shoes! I lay back and, as she began to ask me some questions, another nurse came and started an IV on my right arm. A blood pressure cuff was placed on my left arm. The first nurse asked me my name and date of birth. She had me look at the info, which included the consent form I had signed, and asked me if it was correct. She asked me which eye was to have the procedure. She put an indelible, purple mark just above my eyebrow on the side it was supposed to be.

She also explained she was going to put drops in my eye to anesthetize it a bit in order to make me comfortable with the small sponge containing a chemical designed to dilate my eye. She was very concerned that I not experience any discomfort and repeated her offer to make me comfortable should my eye bother me. She then left me alone.

Shortly afterward, a young man came in and introduced himself as the anesthesiologist. He asked me the same questions I had been asked a few minutes previously and, being a big believer in the old adage, “measure twice; cut once”, I was more than happy to give him my answers. He checked my chart, apparently was convinced I was unlikely to die in the OR, thanked me, and disappeared.

Finally, about a half hour after I climbed into bed, my doctor appeared. She put a few more drops in my eye and carefully removed the sponge. It was the first time I realized there was a sponge in my eye. The nurse who put it in hadn’t mentioned what it was, just that she wanted to be sure it didn’t make me uncomfortable. My doctor then took a large syringe — kinda like a turkey baster — and filled my eye with a warm, gooey substance. She told me that I would be close to sleep, but they needed me to be awake at least enough to follow some instructions during the procedure. They then began moving my bed.

I remember nothing after that, save for a moment when I heard someone telling me to “look directly at the light.” Others have pointed out it was good they weren’t saying “go to the light.” I followed the instructions, especially since they had told me that’s what would be happening and I had been anticipating it . . . sort of. The next thing I knew, I was back where I had been prepped and my wife and daughter were coming in to see how I was doing.

I had a clear plastic, protective “patch” taped over my eye. I was able to get up, put my shirt on, and prepare to be driven home. I was also give a pair of sunglasses, a roll of tape, and printed instructions on what to do next. Although I was still a bit groggy, I was able to walk with my family out to the front of the building, where I sat down while my wife went to get the car. I noticed immediately, despite my eye being considerably dilated, that my sight was clearer. I was done with the hard part and everything seemed fine, which it was.

I had been using two different ophthalmic drops (one anti-inflammatory and one antibiotic) for four days and now had to start a third, another anti-inflammatory). The drops had caused a bit of discomfort, as they burned after I instilled them. However, the first couple of times I put them in after the procedure it felt like someone stabbed me in the eyeball. It was the most painful part of the whole ordeal.

I had to return the next day, Thursday, so I didn’t go into work that day, but I was able to comfortably return to work on Friday. I had my final post-op exam today and everything is going swimmingly. I’ve been putting drops in my eyes nine times a day for the last week, but now only have to put two of them in three times a day for the next week, then a week at two times and another at once a day. Then I’m done.

I’m told there’s a possibility my eye could, in time, develop a membrane that will act like another cataract, but it can be removed with a simple laser procedure. I am extremely grateful for the existence of this procedure I just had and the manner in which it was performed. I am nearly ecstatic to have my eyesight back. It’s better than it’s been in many years. If you’re having a problem with cataracts, which nearly everyone develops if they live long enough, I highly recommend you have the surgery performed. I now have a serialized, registered implant in my eye (my card says so), but I can’t feel it and the difference in my world is like . . . well . . . night and day.

The other day I accomplished another step in getting my impaired sight back to a reasonable semblance of normal. As I have written before, seeing has become a bit problematic though, when it first started, it was somewhat entertaining and humorous. I wrote about it again when I noticed it was affecting just about everything. What I find amazing is to realize I wrote these two posts over three years ago. Amazing what you’ll put up with, or what I’ll put up with.

At any rate, my ophthalmological exam revealed I am a candidate for cataract removal and the replacement of my natural lens with an artificial one. I have chosen to have my vision corrected for distance so, even though I will almost certainly have much improved distance vision, I will still need reading glasses. I have been wearing glasses for a large portion of my adult life and I don’t mind wearing them the rest of it. I’m just looking forward to seeing clearly again. I have not been able really enjoy the night sky for years and it is one of the things I’m most looking forward to.

I would, however, have put up with this longer no doubt were it not for the fact I’ve returned to work and one of my duties involves working in a conference room with team members on various program schedules I build or maintain with Microsoft Project. It’s reached the point where sitting in the back of any of the most frequently used conference rooms, where the keyboards and mice reside, makes it difficult and annoying to read what’s on the screen, especially numbers (dates, durations, lag times, etc.).

The surgery is scheduled for this coming Wednesday, June 17, time to be determined when I call the surgery dept. on Tuesday. This morning I began a regimen of antibiotic eye drops, which I must instill in my right eye four times per day. I will continue using them post-op, and will add a third type of drop, which is a corticosteroid designed to reduce the chance of swelling. Not sure how long I will need to continue this regimen, but I’m figuring at least a week or two, depending on how the eye responds to the insult.

I had my pre-op exam last Thursday and am happy to say I passed. I was pleasantly surprised to find my blood pressure was really good (I have been dealing with essential hypertension for a couple of decades, for which I take medication) and will present no problem with respect to the surgery.

I think I’m really ready for this. As I get older, I have (as most of us do) more issues to deal with, some of which are more serious than others. While this is surgery, it’s outpatient and it is the most frequently performed procedure in the world. I expect no difficulties. I can’t wait to see Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn without their accompanying satellites I know aren’t really there, and I’m especially looking forward to again see the craters of only one (not three) Moon. That will be sweet. IMO.

I got a call from the Ophthalmological surgery department yesterday to ask me if I wanted to have my cataract removed and replaced next Wednesday instead of next month. I said “yes”, so I’m having my pre-op exam this afternoon and, if all goes well, by this time next week I should have my new lens and be well on my way to healing. I’ll still need glasses for really sharp vision, but the constant blurring of my right eye will be gone (Dog willing and the creek don’t rise!).

I generally check the weather using Weatherunderground. It’s reasonably reliable and its name carries a certain wisp of nostalgia for me. I started doing it in earnest a few years ago, when my then 10-year-old daughter started asking me every morning so she would know how to dress for school.

Today, before I left the house, it was raining so I made sure to read the special weather statement and learn what was going on. It seems the remnants of Hurricane Blanca are bringing a fair amount of instability and a substantial possibility of rain and thunderstorms, including cloud-to-ground lightning. The time of day when the odds for precipitation are the greatest coincides with the time I’ll be leaving work for home.

 

 So . . . since it was already in my car from the last time (which, amazingly enough, wasn’t all that long ago) I used it, I carried my umbrella into the building with me. I noticed others didn’t have umbrellas and, in fact, there seems to be a direct correlation between age and the use of an umbrella. Then, as I thought of it, I remembered there is generally a stigma associated with men and umbrellas, esp. young, virile men and . . . well . . . no umbrellas. As proof, I offer the following article from last fall, as well as these two pictures, which I believe represent the most vulnerable – with respect to securing their manliness – among us.

Why Real Men Don’t Use Umbrellas
 

 

I’ve been back at work less than five months and I’m already on my third CEO!

 

 

 

 Today I am going to the ophthalmologist to begin the process of having cataract surgery. The thought of having my eyeball sliced open has always kind of creeped me out so, although I’ve known it was coming, I’ve put it off until I can no longer wait. The other day I was working with the team on a schedule, which was on the screen in a conference room. I had to sit at the back and use the screen to see what I was doing. I had difficulty reading some of the numbers (e.g. dates, durations, unique IDs, etc.) and it was very uncomfortable. Not being able to do my job to the best of my abilities is scary and uncomfortable.

If you want to know what it’s like, and you wear glasses, just take a little petroleum jelly and smear it on one of your lenses. You’ll still see reasonably well because your good eye will compensate to an extent. Depth perception won’t be affected at all. Unfortunately for me, my “good” eye isn’t all that good anymore either. I’m pretty sure a cataract is developing there as well and, to top it off, I’ve long had a small blind spot dead center in that eye. It’s seldom affected me in the past because my other eye (pre-cataract) has compensated well. Now they’re both going.

According to what I’ve read, the surgery is the most widely performed worldwide and is also extremely successful. I’ve talked to numerous people who have had the surgery or who know someone who’s had it and they all say it corrects their vision so well that many no longer require glasses. I’m not expecting that outcome, but it’s comforting to know the procedure is routine. One person told me he felt like he was on an assembly line when he had it done. I’m ready. Can’t wait to see the Moon, planets, and the stars again in all their glory. 

I don’t know if you’ll be able to tell, but I’m easing myself back into writing. I got a bit sidetracked for a few months with two worthwhile and important projects. The first was serving as Marcia Conner’s “Developmental Editor” (that’s the title she gave me) in creating a revised, updated second edition of the book she co-authored with Tony Bingham – The New Social Learning.

As a side note here, let me say that working with Marcia is something I did about a year ago and, now as then, she is one of the best people I have ever had the pleasure of sharing work with. She is focused, brilliant, indefatigable (unlike moi), as well as kind, understanding, and generous. There were times when I felt a bit burned out, but it wasn’t because of Marcia and, truth to tell, her energy helped me get cracking when all I felt like was creaking.

At any rate, it was a decent sized project and, unfortunately, it came to fruition at just about the same time I returned to Rocketdyne (now Aerojet Rocketdyne) as a full-time contractor. So I was working all day at Rocketdyne, then spending my evenings (not all of them, but plenty) working with Marcia. I took two Wednesdays off toward the deadline we had set and I worked Saturdays and Sundays (again, not all of them).

I’ve been a wee tad distracted, is what I’m getting at here and, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to fit in writing during this time, with the exception of some fairly extensive posts on Facebook, where I get the most feedback. I thought I would take a moment to share a little bit of info about the City I live in, Simi Valley, CA.

Simi is quite (in)famous for at least two, frequently three, major things. I wasn’t going to point them out, because I’d like to see some of it go away. I decided, however, to name them as they are primarily negative. Even the one thing that many in the City see as a major positive accomplishment, is not without its controversy. Those things are, in no particular order: The Rodney King acquittals, which triggered the 1992 Los Angeles riots; what is inarguably the worst nuclear meltdown in U.S. history; and we are home to the Ronald Reagan Library and Museum.

There is another thing, but I’m pretty sure it’s only meaningful to the people who live here in Simi. We call it “Happy Face Hill” and it even has its own Facebook page. Actually, the story surrounding its creation in 1998 and its evolution since then is a strange, wonderful, yet torturous one. You can read more about it here and here. There’s a sentence in the first story that, given the historical drought we find ourselves in, I find ironic – “The restoration ecologist said the happy face will look more natural once it rains.” Part of the story involves the Rotary Club I belong to, The Rotary Club of Simi Sunrise which, now that I think about it, is responsible for another thing Simi is well known for, The Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Festival. Our 26th annual affair, which attracts thousands of Blues and Zydeco fans from around the globe takes place every Memorial Day weekend, which means it’s in two days. I’m volunteering about 16 hours over the weekend.

So this is me, welcoming me back, just like Happy Face Hill welcomes me home when I return from work or visiting family. Now that I’m working, I have quite a few things I’d like to write about. I’ve been somewhat apprehensive about doing so, as I don’t wish to invoke the corporate immune system which, since Rocketdyne was purchase by Aerojet, may have a bit more of a hair trigger than I’ve experienced in the past. I’m working on it. Stay tuned!

My first encounter with project scheduling software was somewhere around 1990, when I learned Artemis 9000, a mainframe tool from a company called Metier. I wasn’t all that keen for it, as I was already convinced PCs would soon be the computing platform of choice for the average knowledge worker (I think we just called ourselves office workers back then).

Shortly thereafter, a company by the name of Advanced Management Solutions came out with a PC based scheduling tool called Schedule Publisher. It was much friendlier than Artemis and I took to it immediately, eventually becoming the goto guy for using it at Rocketdyne. When the company also started using MS Project, I wasn’t impressed, as it was not as powerful as SP.

I moved on to bigger and better things, but always retained a deep interest in program/project management and, by the time I left in 2010, I reported to the Director of the PMO, where we had been struggling mightily to move the organization to a portfolio approach to PM. I have to say, since returning, I’m disappointed to see there are still larger issues related to access to machines, processes, and the technicians and mechanics who know how to operate or perform them. Nobody seems to be “minding the store”, merely attending to their own department or program.

Now that I’m back, I’ve been presented with the opportunity to become truly proficient in the use of MS Project (I have 2007) and I’ve been experimenting like crazy once I’ve completed the work I have to do to support my program. My former boss and I used to discuss how program/project management was both a science and an art. The use of a tool such as Project comes down squarely on the science side, except when it comes to the hardest part of scheduling; getting honest, accurate status information from the people doing the work. Then the art part is invoked.

Mostly, though, because I’m just a temp contractor, I don’t get to exercise my artistic chops, so I’m concentrating on the science part. This is where MS Project comes in. Granted, it’s only a tool, but it’s a fearfully complex tool; far more capable and complex than most people realize. My experience is a large percentage of users only scratch the surface and use it mostly as a shield (reactively reporting on progress) rather than as a sword (proactively managing the downstream work).

I asked a friend in IT, who is in charge of these things, for a list of people in my building and the one next door who have Project licenses. I then sent an email to about a dozen of the ones I know and asked them if they could help me by answering some questions. So far, only three have responded and they all have demurred, claiming they only use it occasionally and in a very limited way. One of them, however, when prodded further gave me the name of someone he thought might be a “power user”. I have contacted her, as well as another person she suggested, and we have a meeting in a couple of weeks (she’s going on vacation) to discuss how we might help each other.

I have a feeling, at the rate I’m learning, by then I will be able to teach them a thing or two. I have also purchased three used books, one of which has arrived. The other two are, according to Amazon, on their way, presumably by dogsled. I’m already getting views, tables, groups, and filters (as they’re combined) down. I have every intention of moving into customized fields and, a blast from the past, digging into a little VB as well.

This is fun!

Finding it more and more interesting to be back working after nearly five years of (sort of) retirement. I’m thinking I’m the poster boy for a new form of the twilight years of one’s career. In my case, I am doing work that I did a couple of decades ago; not using my real strengths – other than my ability to come up-to-speed quickly and move far ahead from where I’m expected to be. The pay ain’t too shabby, either. On the other hand, I’m not exactly doing anything terribly stressful (there is the occasional moment) and it’s giving me the opportunity to become a Microsoft Project expert. I don’t believe there are more than a handful of people here who really know how to use all the functionality Project offers. I don’t think it has much to do with them, either. Between the existence of numerous legacy systems for scheduling and accounting, as well as the mess that three separate, major acquisitions in less than two decades has wrought, expedience and efficiency aren’t exactly hallmarks of how things get done.