Bank of Holly Springs

Close to Nowhere

It’s like a miracle

Driving home from Holly Springs last Thursday morning, down Hwy. 7, I was admiring all the beautiful trees, the green grass, the sunshine, the gorgeous blue sky, etc.

It was like a miracle. It was just incredibly bright and beautiful.

If you have bad eyesight, cataracts, etc. you’re used to seeing the world differently.

When I was in fifth grade, Southern College of Optometry sent students to our school to test vision.

I have worn Coke bottle bottom glasses ever since.

It’s difficult to describe to someone who sees normally, what a person with vision like mine and my younger brother Dennis have. Dennis and I have had nearly the same prescription in glasses most of our lives.

He discovered he was a diabetic when he had major problems with one of his eyes. Diabetes can destroy your vision (along with your heart and many other necessary bits and pieces).

His eye doctor said he’d had something similar to a stroke in his eyeball. I drove to Memphis, Tenn., picked him up and drove him out to the Germantown office of his eye doctor every other week for a long time. Eventually, they did cataract surgery on him and for the first time since he was in elementary school, he didn’t need to wear glasses.

I was so jealous. I absolutely hated that he was glasses-free and I still had to wear mine.

About a year after all Dennis’ eye problems, almost the same thing happened to me. (Our dad had very bad eyesight and we assume we inherited vision problems from him.)

Dr. Randle, my wonderful eye doctor here in Holly Springs, sent me to Charles Retina Institute in Memphis for treatment. I’ve gone up there every six weeks or so and gotten a shot in one or both eyeballs, along with laser surgery on the left eyeball.

But the cataracts were getting worse and when the doctors couldn’t see through it any longer, they sent me back to Dr. Randle for cataract surgery. Dr. Randle sent me to Rayner Eye Clinic in Oxford (he said he’d sent his mother there, so you know they’re good).

A couple weeks ago, I had cataract surgery on my left eye. I was thrilled and amazed

Tuesday of last week, they did my right eye.

I have been in a state of near rapture ever since. God’s world is beautifully colorful.

My fabric room is an explosion of color.

It’s like a miracle!

Holly Springs South Reporter

P.O. Box 278
Holly Springs, MS 38635
PH: (662) 252-4261
FAX: (662) 252-3388
www.southreporter.com