I have just returned home from my appointment with the opthalmic surgeon. As previously mentioned I had been fairly confident that the visit would reveal that the lenses in my glasses were incorrect, & that following the visit, I would be able to return to the opticians & get new lenses & everything would be hunky dory & we could set off n our trip.  WRONG!

It appears that I do in fact have a rapidly developing cataract in my left eye requiring surgery. Not only that , but I also got told I have one in my right eye too. A double whammy! I was advised that it would be most unlikely that we could complete our trip, before surgery was required, & that I should therefore have the surgery, on both eyes, before we leave. I am still reeling from the shock & coming to terms with it all. I don’t have long to do this however, as I am booked in for left eye surgery tomorrow morning, in Melbourne, & next week I’ll get the right eye done. 

The reason I have been having so much difficulty with depth perception is apparently because of a much larger than normal difference between my two eyes. The cataracts are early onset, with no clear cause that can be identified. as far as I know there is no history of cataracts in my family, I don’t have diabetes, no chronic steroid use, & no trauma that I can recall. A mystery eh?

I am not happy about a delay to our departure, but it seems that providing there are no complications following the surgery, that we should be able to leave by mid June, rather than the beginning of June. Provided all goes well, it should make the whole trip more enjoyable. The harsh sunlight of Outback Australia should be much easier to cope with.

This was certainly not my preferred outcome, but it’s easier knowing than not knowing. The past few weeks I’ve been ‘in limbo’ not knowing where I was headed. At least now I know.  A couple of weeks delay is not too bad if it means I can be ‘normal’ again, & it still gives us time to reach our first ‘rendezvous’, a gathering of kindred souls from the CMCA web forum, at Maleny in Queensland in Mid July.

We probably really should stop planning to travel at all. (But it ain’t gonna happen). It seems that any travel plans bring on medical problems around the time of departure. Our trip to Vanuatu saw me trekking through the jungles just a week or two following a hernia repair.

On a somewhat lighter note, ......... we have purchased a boat to take with us on our travels. Well not exactly a boat, but a 2 person inflatable ‘’sit on top’ styled kayak. With a little additional room in the trailer, & a kayak that weighs just 15 kilos, & many of Australia’s natural attractions being water based, it seemed like a good idea. It should save us money in the long run, & gives us more reason to stop for longer in good spots. A CMCA friend has picked up the Kayak for us from Sydney (Thanks Terry) & we will collect it from him on our way north. Here is a pic of the kayak.