Cataracts

Today was a good day, and even though it didn't have to do much with light, it had to do with sight, which is slightly related to light. And it was a good day.

My dad had surgery today. He had been having trouble with his eyes for some years, and gone to lots of doctors, so many we have lost the count. He even stopped driving and working because of this. He has macular degeneration... but today is a happy day so I won't talk about that, but, I'll talk about the good news.

So, for years my dad had been going to the eye doctor, just that the doctor was never the same, and he complaint a lot about that (with the insurance company) until he was finally heard and sent to a great and young eye doctor who has been following his case.

She was the first one giving him a hope. She told him he might have a cataract in one eye, and if removed, he might recover some of his sight.

He had the surgery today. Not an easy one. Not an easy day. But... he had surgery! Tomorrow the patch is being removed and we hope he can see much better. Not perfect due to the macula degeneration, but much better.

But now... what is a cataract?

Imagine everything you see is blurry. As if there is a cloud in front of you covering everything up. Not enough light comes into your eye, so not even the colors are bright enough. I cannot imagine having a cataract, it should be terrible. Not enough light entering and not knowing why. I mean, you can saw "oh, today is a cloudy day","today is a foggy day", but every day like that? every day until you forget how is it like to see normally.

According to the National Eye Institute, an cataract is  "clouding of the lens in the eye that affects vision"

There are two kinds of problems or symptoms. You can have blurred vision or perceive sharp light, you may have double vision, or try to change the lense, and this will be very gradually. The second problem would be that your lens changes from transparent to yellowish or brownish, so you begin seeing everything with a sepia tint. Can you imagine seeing everything as an aged picture?

Blurry vision

There are several treatments depending on how advanced your cataract is. My dad had the surgery, this is the last treatment. In this, the cataract is removed and a lense is put inside. You have to rest, avoid doing efforts, or loweing your head, use eye drops to avoid infections, go to the doctor frequently and follow all the instructions given. 

It might be hard or uncomfortable, but totally worthy. 

I'm so happy for my dad right now. And if you want to know more about cataracts, read the site of the National Eye Institute: http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/cataract/cataract_facts.asp it gives you lots of information and explains things really well. If you are looking for something simpler, this site is also nice: http://www.doctortipster.com/1753-cataracts-types-symptoms-diagnosis-and-treatment.html

All the best, and take care of your vision!

Hugs, 

Orqui

Colors in Järna

Järna is located in the south of Stockholm. I went there once while studying at KTH to a lecture about colors. It was a gray and rainy day, so I guess it was around November, and I also remember I was all in red. There is a video by Andika Pradana about our visit. It was amazing their vision about color and how it could improve our health and livez,  their words about Goeth and their color theory (still looking for the book, if anyone knows where can i buy it, in English, or Spanish, please tell me). I think it was amazing, although a pitty it was such a gray day and the books were in Swedish :( (I love buying stuff of the places I go to, if I'm interested, specially books).
Nevertheless, I had the opportunity of visiting it this time I went back to Sweden, and it was the most amazing experience. I have to confess that before presenting my thesis, I was feeling really full of energy and happy and super active, and... well... amazing! But that day... That was an awsome day.
I went with Annelie to Järna. She drove, we couldn't find the signs, we finally found them and got to the place. It seemed it open just for us!
Oh!, I've got to tell you that there is an exhibition in Järna right now named See! Colour! that is mostly about color, as you can see by the name. I had two favorite parts, the ones of experiments, where you could play and understand light and color, and natural phenomena by touching and playing with all the stuff. The other part... were the installations by James Turrell.
OMG! Have you seen Turrell's work? if you haven't, I strongly recommend you to go. Most of his installations left me as... when you are doing yoga, after meditation, that amazing feeling of being there but not being there, or time not existing, so happy and calmed, and so... light and amazed... Others were just as being inside a dream. It was an awsome experience.
Anyways, if you have the chance of going, please... go! It's an amazing experience, once in a lifetime.
At night we stayed for the lights show in the Skyspace. Trully amazing. The only problem was that it finished quite late and I was dying for a toilet, but we met two guys from a business program who were living near and let me used the toilet of their residence. Really nice the guys!
We returned wuite late, but the experience was amazing! Absolutely amazing! If you've got the opportunity to go, please, do it, but remember to pack lunch first, because there are no many options in there.
hugs and kisses!!!
or...
puss och kram?

Flying tips!

I have had several experiences traveling by plane: some fantastic, like 2 years ago, when I was going to Sweden for the first time when somehow my travellingg class was upgraded by the airline when I checked in and I ended up traveling in World club or something like that, with complete privacy and a seat that could move to make me sleep in a kind of bed; some a bit tight but cheap and fast, like traveling by Ryanair with friend to any lighting event in Europe; and some pretty exhaustive, like this time I went to Sweden, in which I hardly slept, my first plane was delayed, lot the other 2, and feared not being able to reach Sweden or home as my flights back were cancelled because I didn't take the previous two.

Anyways, travelling by plane has been an adventure for me, as after being old enough, even though traveling with my family I and kind of in charge of the papers, tickets, passports, finding the way and so on. Well, at least now I feel I can move all around the world without feeling, well, completely lost. I felt this way when losing my plane in NY and not knowing what would happen next, going to Frankfurt airport instead of Heathrow and not having my bags, not even knowing where they could be. And I finally made it. When coming back to Mx, my parents and bf mistook the terminal and waited for me in terminal 2 instead of 1, so I found myself alone when going out and was ready for taking a cab. (If my family wouldn't have come for me, or I would be living alone or something like that, I think I would have taken a cab, gone home, drop my bags, and go to a friend's birthday party... or go directly to the party. I stopped feeling that as something crazy).

I've learnt some things, and I think I'll apply them next time I fly, anywhere in the world.

• Light packing. I bet this is the most important thing I've learnt. You don't really need 5 pairs of shoes. Pack just what you need. There's no need on going through the airports with heavy bags, and when finally arriving taking a huge bag. Besides, you always need space for the stuff you buy in your trips. Well, I like shopping, so I do need the space in my luggage and don't really think like throwing any of my older stuff away.
• Personal luggage basics. I don't know if it is called personal luggage, but i call that way the backpack you take with you in the plane. If there are short flights, this may be the only one you'll carry, if not, it's important you have your basics with you. You never know what happens to your bags after you check them in. Always have in this bag at least one change of cloths: t- shirt, underwear, maybe a pair of pants, socks, etc. Have at least a jacket with you, depending on the place you are visiting, where you are coming from, season, temperature and so on. Basics: Toothbrush, small shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, make-up if you consider it a basic (just if you are someone who thinks no way someone will see me without make up), if not, just to not look destroyed, sunglasses, and lipgloss,  and I guess some mascara a spoon and eyeliner won't take much space, oh, don't forget a pocket mirror. Cash (if you don't have money from the country you are visiting, dollars are accepted almost everywhere). Your card, id, passport, ticket and any important papers you'll be using (keep them in a separate, easy to reach pocket). Camera (you never know). Lap top if you are using it, if not, don't even take it. And all the things you are planning to take there, like fragile objects, presents or that kind of stuff.
• Get on time. Sometimes you can be pretty lucky and take the flight if running and arriving just on time, but it's better to get there some hours before. You never know what can happen, like your ticket being canceled, you going to tax free service, the check in line too long, or the baggage drop line too long. It's better to wait in there than to lose the flight.
• Dress for the ocation. If you are going on a long flight or one or more stops, avoid high hills, short skirts, and any kind of uncomfortable clothing. Use travelling cloths, and take a jacket with you, sometimes the plane is too cold, although some times you have blankets and pillows in the plane. Something funny happened to me this time due to my cloths. I was wearing a comfortable t-shirt with the legend: "No pictures, please". I had a great time! Ok, terrible flight and flying incidents, but nice people in the JFK airport smiling and joking with me, even with the pic taken when you show the passport, and also in Frankfurt, I met a couple because of my shirt. The man asked me for a pic with his wife just because my tshirt said no pictures, please. Nice people, and fantastic talking to them. This brings me to the next advice.
• Have always a smile and travel in a good mood. I think this is extremely important. Take whatever comes, and always treat people the best way, smile and be nice. It's great how peoplein the airport smile to you, and how you can meet people, or get the help you need if asking in a nice way. Also time goes faster when waiting.
• Tax free shopping. First question: do you have another stop before your final destination? If the answer is yes, forget about buying liquors, they won't be let into the plane as hand luggage in the next airport. Do you have a limit that is taken seriously? Then don't buy anything that cannot go into your hand luggage.
• Seating. If you are not interested in seeing through the window, then please, ask for an aisle seat! Also if you go frequently to the toilet. you wouldn't like to be bothering people. Oh, also a pillow would be nice for not bothering people, and remember not to be poking nor kicking the seat in front of you.
• Luggagge. Mark it! All bags look the same! Put a  mark on yours and also a card with your name and adress. Important if it gets lost.
• Buying the flight. Analize all the possibilities and expenses. Sometimes the cheapest flight doesn't happen to be the cheapest at the end, due to transportation towards  and from the airport, the time it goes (sometimes it's just too early), the things you'll do in the different stops, the money you'll spend there, and the possible problems you might have when having more stops, or travelling with a certain company, or towards a certain airport.

Mmm... I think that these are the most usefull things I have learnt from traveling. They are pretty basic, but I hope they are useful for you. I haven't figured out what to do with the nausea, dizzyness, or terrible feeling when landing or going through air bags, or strange stuff, hope to know before next time i take a plane.

Hugs and kisses and wishing you the best of flights,

Orquidea