Our recoveries seem to be progressing well? In light of so many kind queries on Mrs Aussie’s status I feel an update is called for… (as well as many thanks)
The broken left arm & sore right hip that has been with Mrs Aussie since our BAC escapade in late October have progressed to the points that Mrs Aussie is back driving our manual change car (although not the Tardis, with its manual shift & long stretch to the handbrake) & I’m once again left in her wake while out walking? The surgeon has been happy with his bone-pinning handiwork (& impressed with Mrs Aussie’s job at damage?). Regular self-administered physio will be required for some time yet & I expect that an attempt to ride Peregrine again may happen early in January? (refer pic of Peregrine sporting a new set of Ergon Biocork GP1 grips – & a set of mudguards)
Another recovery seemingly going fine, is for me – after undergoing Cataract surgery! (wonderful to have Mrs Aussie back driving & able to chauffeur me for a change?) A recent annual opthalmological test had highlighted the rapid development of a Cataract. I was rather surprised at the examination but progressive deterioration can be hard to pick. Certainly understandable with my unusual issue of short sight in one eye & long sight in the other. With spectacles to adjust my vision & my short sighted eye being dominant, the Cataract in my long-sighted eye wasn’t noticeable for me (until being made aware of it),
The surgical process was quite fascinating (as explained with computer visualisation beforehand): a teeny cut in the Cornea, ultrasound to pulverize the Cataract & then the pieces sucked out, before an implant is inserted. The cut is far smaller than the implant, as the implant expands upon insertion. Anaesthetic to have me awake but unaware of the activity & then a patch over the eye until the next day. Eye drops for some weeks but vision already fine – & I’m advised it will improve as the eye heals! Because I’ve had the short/long sight my whole life & can see well without spectacles, the specialist suggested a new lens to return vision to what it was before. When viewing things, I automatically use whichever eye is needed & the brain then processes the image. My use of spectacles was really forced on me by the eye testing requirements for 50+ years of driving licenses, but now the specialist has surprised me by recommending that I go without spectacles for most things!? – & he’s to supply me with a letter to the licensing people for an exemption!
Some downsides from the recovery guidelines are that I “do not play golf, bowls or tennis for a week” (bother! but no mention of not riding my bike? – probably related to the usual audience for the instructions?). Also that I don’t lift heavy objects for a week (is a Brompton heavy?) Oh well, time for some coffee walks & blogging…
Aussie on a Brompton 
So good to hear these reports of mending going well for you and Mrs. Aussie! Being able to ditch the spectacles is a bit of good fortune, albeit at the cost of surgery and time temporarily lost from bicycling.
(Fascinating description of both the surgery and your very interesting vision issues: How impressive that your brain is able to adapt so effectively to the differing visual messages from each eye, and how clever the cataract engineering.)
Ta Brommie,
Yes, new driving license yesterday & all seems well. I’m still undecided whether to use glasses for some “newspaper reading” range tasks (where the glasses help the long-sighted eye see short vision items & the short-sighted eye see items outside of its range). I’m probably still mentally adjusting to allowing the eyes to see a better range than what the glasses have been allowing as a compromise action? An interesting time.