Well.....
I have cast the dice.

The kittyman is now scheduled to have his right eye go bionic on June 28th. The schedule on the left eye is not set at this point.

I have taken a loan against my 401k to pay for the $6000.00 or more it is going to cost me out of pocket for the procedure, and I have placed my trust in God to see me through it and grant a successful outcome.

I have taken a leave of absence for a week from work to allow some healing time, even though some boast of having gone back to work in a day or two. I don't think that would be in my best interest given my work environment and required tasks.

I still have 4 rigs crunching down their caches before shutting them down.....have been running them at nights only to take advantage of my lower 'time of use' electric rates, so it is taking a bit longer than I thought....

If I could just give up smoking at $8.00+ a pack, it would darn near cover the payments on the 401k loan for the next 3 years. I really wish to try again, not just for my overall health, but to better the healing process after the eye surgery. I AM gonna try.....again.

I am still scared.....but I have gotten so much positive feedback, both from those here in the Seti forums, and from many folks in real life that have gone through the procedure, that I feel better now about it than I did a couple of weeks ago when first facing the prospect of having my eyes surgically modified. And those who have done it give me many thumbs up on spending the extra money on the new 'multifocal' lenses. This is a once in a lifetime thing.
I may not have much to retire on, but if I can't see, what kind of retirement would it be anyway?

I go in next Tuesday for the final tests and 'fitting' measurements so they can order the lens for my right eye. The main unknown is how the epi retinal membrane that I was first diagnosed with will affect the final outcome of the cataract surgery, but without clearing the lens.......all else is useless, as is the eye at the moment.
And, barring any unforseen (probably misspelled, and no pun intended) developments, will have the left eye done in short order, as the eye doc says it is starting to follow in short step behind the right one.

So.......
I take the plunge. Wish me well, send me your thoughts here or by PM, and, if you are so inclined, send God your prayers for me. He will be receiving many from me between now and then.

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"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

Mark. I wish you the very best of luck. I am so glad that you have thought things through and decided to go this route. The crunching can wait, your health cannot.

My thoughts are with you Mark and I wish that all goes well and for a speedy recovery. The kitties will look after you when you get back from the procedure and all your friends are here sending their thoughts also.

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Mark. I wish you the very best of luck. I am so glad that you have thought things through and decided to go this route. The crunching can wait, your health cannot.

My thoughts are with you Mark and I wish that all goes well and for a speedy recovery. The kitties will look after you when you get back from the procedure and all your friends are here sending their thoughts also.

Thank you, Andy.

This is by far, one of the most difficult choices I have had to make in my life.

Most others were dictated by chance, my choice of guns or cars, my choice of women, or my choice of whiskey.

In other words, I have taken little in my 53 years so seriously.

I am about to drop through the looking glass............and I pray that when I arrive at the other side, I may actually be able to see.......

---

"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

Good luck with the proceedure, and, especially, the attempt to stop smoking.

For you, the latter, will have 2 benefits - (a) speed up the healing process; and, (b) pay the increased loan fees.

You will be crunching for many more years with good signt soon.

---

It's good to be back amongst friends and colleagues

Good luck with the proceedure, and, especially, the attempt to stop smoking.

For you, the latter, will have 2 benefits - (a) speed up the healing process; and, (b) pay the increased loan fees.

You will be crunching for many more years with good sight soon.

I pray so......

It is sooooooo hard to accept that something you have taken so for granted for all of your life suddenly needs modification.

By man's hand, and not God's......
I trust HIM, but trusting another man's hand to take your eye........and 'fix' it?

If I had any other choice, I might take it. But if I chose to do nothing else, I would be legally blind in a couple of months. So...I take the dare.

I have much to gain, and little to lose at this point. I struggle every day to do my work.........
It's just making the jump from safety to what could be........

Don't make me cry just now.........I am almost there.

---

"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

Guess the point being.........

As Clint Eastwood said it best.......

'Deserve' has nothing to do with it.

And I am so undeserving.

So I must trust what I believe in to guide me through this.

As Clint said.........I guess I was just lucky in the order.[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTnv9bsxyBA/url]

And 'deserve' has nothing to do with it...............................

---

"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

Good on you Mark. I wish you the best of luck with the surgery. Did you get my PM I sent you a short while ago?

Regards,
Luke.

---

- Luke.

Good on you Mark. I wish you the best of luck with the surgery. Did you get my PM I sent you a short while ago?

Regards,
Luke.

I got it.........
I got to get some sleeps right now.

More discussion later.

What's left of the kittyman's eyes must rest right now.//

Meow.......

Just mind them kitty city clicks for now, please.

Meow.

---

"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

Good on you Mark. I wish you the best of luck with the surgery. Did you get my PM I sent you a short while ago?

Regards,
Luke.

I got it.........
I got to get some sleeps right now.

More discussion later.

What's left of the kittyman's eyes must rest right now.//

Meow.......

Just mind them kitty city clicks for now, please.

Meow.

Good night friend.

---

- Luke.

This works............

If you can stand tall when I cannot......
Stand in faith, and profess free.
Stand there tall, when I am frail......
Stand and have a little faith in me.

Stand tall, as a rock, for I cannot.
Stand and have a little faith in me.

When all the tears you have are all you can see,
just give his loving arms a try.
And have a little faith in me.

And when your loving heart finds it hard
to speak so easily............

Come have a little faith in me.

And the Lord.




Have a little faith.......I will return...........

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"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

My favorite radio station........
[url=http://www.theavenue91.com/en-us/default.aspx]

My favorite movie clip......
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SO5VO2ixWY]

---

"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

Mark I wish you the best for your eye surgery. And Ill say a little prayer for you to.
I will be seeing my eye DR. about the cataract in my left eye. So when i find out more I might be asking you all sorts of questions.
As for quitting smokeing I quit cold turkey. but it was hard. My wife quit using that nicorete gum. I wish you the best on not smoking too.

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[/quote]

Old James

Mark. I wish you the very best of luck. Take care. Best wishes and peace Byron.

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My fears, my thoughts, my hopes.......
I have shared them all with you here.

Just stay with me now when I am most lost.
I have chosen you to give me hope.

Please, please choose me to share with me yours.

Any words of comfort or support will be much cherished in the coming days.

I am confident that I have chosen the right path.

But, as one poster once put it, my little 'pity support group' such as you were once called by another, could not but help, eh?

I get by with a little help from me friends....now, eh?

And I'll try not to sing out of key......

Try not to boo. And I'll try not to cry too much.

Stack 'em.

---

"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

Scared, most of the time........
That's how it is when you live Life by the drop......

It is something else when it hits..........and it has. Hard.

I have sat in my shoes and sobbed so hard it made my head hurt in the last few weeks.......not knowing where to turn or what to do.........

---

"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

Scared, most of the time........
That's how it is when you live Life by the drop......

It is something else when it hits..........and it has. Hard.

I have sat in my shoes and sobbed so hard it made my head hurt in the last few weeks.......not knowing where to turn or what to do.........

All I can tell you is Attitude is 1/2 the battle...You really need to pick yourself up and go into this with a more positive attitude, it will really help with the healing...If you really make yourself believe it will be OK, it will be. If you convince yourself it will be bad, it will be!

---

Official Abuser of Boinc Buttons...
And no good credit hound!

Hey Mark.... hang tough and best wishes! I know it seems a little spooky now, but once it's over and done you'll be bigger, faster, better than ever before. And as an added perk, you'll be able to see how handsome I really am! :) Hang in there, bro!

Scared, most of the time........
That's how it is when you live Life by the drop......

It is something else when it hits..........and it has. Hard.

I have sat in my shoes and sobbed so hard it made my head hurt in the last few weeks.......not knowing where to turn or what to do.........

All I can tell you is Attitude is 1/2 the battle...You really need to pick yourself up and go into this with a more positive attitude, it will really help with the healing...If you really make yourself believe it will be OK, it will be. If you convince yourself it will be bad, it will be!

OK..........I will try to be Forever young.....

May YOU have a firm foundation when the winds of time do shift.

And I know you have had some losses recently.

---

"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

Well.....
I have cast the dice.

The kittyman is now scheduled to have his right eye go bionic on June 28th. The schedule on the left eye is not set at this point.

Good luck with the eye, Mark. Don't get too nervous about it, this kind of thing has gone through enormous progress over the last ten years or so. I'm sure it will turn out fine and will be a great improvement and relief once the hurt of the operation is over!

Once again, best of luck!

John.

Scared, most of the time........
That's how it is when you live Life by the drop......

It is something else when it hits..........and it has. Hard.

I have sat in my shoes and sobbed so hard it made my head hurt in the last few weeks.......not knowing where to turn or what to do.........

All I can tell you is Attitude is 1/2 the battle...You really need to pick yourself up and go into this with a more positive attitude, it will really help with the healing...If you really make yourself believe it will be OK, it will be. If you convince yourself it will be bad, it will be!

OK..........I will try to be Forever young.....

May YOU have a firm foundation when the winds of time do shift.

And I know you have had some losses recently.

Believe me, I feel those winds of change....Good luck all will be fine, my Mother is glad she opted for the surgery and I am going to get surgery soon to get rid of these stinking reading glasses I never seem to have when needed. John is right, big advances in last ten years.

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Official Abuser of Boinc Buttons...
And no good credit hound!