"Metamorphosis" - Greek μεταμόρφωσις, "transformation, transforming", from μετα- (meta-), "change" and μορφή (morphe), "form". (source)
Prologue
MS changes you. It makes you more aware of your past and present faults. Even of your future ones if you’re not careful. It makes you scared, anxious and stressed. It pumps fear, uncertainty and aggitation. And all of a sudden something changes. You change. For the better? For the worse? Only time will tell. Wait and see. Have patience and read through the lines. The Metamorphosis has begun!
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Friday - 07:00 a.m.
For Heaven’s sake! Does this alarm has to ring e-very morning? OK, OK! I’m up, I’m up! There! I turn you off, stupid alarm!! (like you turned me off a few seconds ago). Thank God it’s not raining again. The good thing is that today is Friiiidaaay! Weekend at last. What should I wear today? … A pair of jeans, this shirt… and I think I’ll take the black blazer too. The rain could make us all a big surprise again. The coffee smells good today! Hm, a ciggarette would be nice! Five minutes and it’s all done!
Ooooukey! Let’s put some make-up on! Why does my eye socket hurt? It must have been the damn air conditioning at the office. And I told Miranda not to overuse it! It blew right in my face. Oh, well! It will pass… For two days I’ll be out of the office and cold-air free! … Where did I put my mascara…? Here it is! … Ahhhh! Damn it! Can’t believe I hit my eye! How sleepy can I be? Ahhh, it stiiings! Let’s wash it off… no, I can’t do that! I’ll be late… Hmm… A Q tip will do the trick! It always does! … Yay! I got rid of the sting. It might have been a lash. I don’t have time to worry about it. It’s already 8 o’clock! Another 10 more minutes and I’ll be out the door.
08:45 a.m. - At the office
I’m the first one to get here! Again… Opeeen the laapptoop and … go smoking again… it’s only 08:50, I have a little time left.. and it’s Friday after all… I wonder if someone will reach the sales target this month… Haha! Wait and see. Who knows what could happen! It would be so nice if my eye would stop itching.. and that pain! I’ll stop at he pharmacy on my way home.. they must have something to help me deal with this! … Somebody came in…
- Hi, Miranda! I was waiting for you! What’s up?- Oh, I just came from dropping my little one at the kindergarden. God, he made such a fuss out of being left alone. Again. By me!
- Poor thing, Miranda! I thought he was already getting used to his new schedule and all…
- It seems like he needs a little more training or.. dunno! Maybe I’ll spare him of kindergarden and hire a nanny ‘till he’s able to go to school. Haha!... Is coffee ready?
- Yes, I made a fresh batch. Help yourself. We have milk in the fridge.
- Finally! Oh, by the way! We’re alone at the office today. Between home-offices and vacations we’re left to concentrate on our sales strategies.
- Yeah, right! As if that was the reason for the others being at home. Oh, well! Let’s get on with the day. I finished my cigg, so I’ll be waiting for you in the office. You’re OK with that?
- Yes, no problem. Go, I would be there shortly.
11:17 a.m.
My eye still hurts! Did I got something in it as I was walking here from the bus station… I don’t think so… Miranda?!
- Yes..- Could you please help me with something?
- Sure, what’s the matter?
- I think I got something in my eye. Could you take a look and tell me if you see something?
- … Hmm… there seems to be no .. wait! I see a little .. I dunno what it is.. a thin puff, let me get it out for you.
- Here’s a Q tip.. see what you can do with it.
- OK.. staaay still and don’t blink! I thiiink I got itttt… Yep! It’s out, you should be fine now!
- Thank you, Miranda! It feels much better now. Imagine how my day might have been with something in my eye! Imagine the productivity… the lack of it! Haha!
- Ehhh, nobody would have accused you of not wanting to push hard on your sales today! Hehe!
- OK! Let’s get to work!
13:30 p.m.
My eyes are tired.
- OK, dear! Go relax for a bit. You haven’t got off that chair in three hours!
I can’t smoke! It’s too hot outside and having this window open feels like opening the gates to Hell! Hehe! That’s why I love summer! NOT! Neah! Don’t feel like smoking anymore. Let’s get back to work. A few more phone calls and a bunch of emails and I’m home free! Weekend at last!
- Yep! Too hot outside!
- Are you done with calls today?
- No, I have a few more left, but I’ll wrap it up in an hour or so.
- Good!
- But my eye still stings!
- Meeeh, you just have the remaining sensation. I got that thing out, remember?
- Yeah, but I can almost feel it still in there. And my eye is tired. Almost blurry.
- It will pass. Stay calm and take short brakes. You tire your eyes looking constantly at that screen.
- I’ll relax them a bit!
17:55 p.m.
I can almost feel a slight headache rising through…
- Uhhm, not so good! I think I need to work on it for about an hour more. Are you OK?
- I hope so! My head hurts a bit and that damn eye still bugs me!
- Oh, poor you! Calm down, it will be ok! Go buy some eyedrops and some ibuprofen and you’ll be fine!
- Yeah, that was just my plan! Thanks for the advice. See you on Monday! (If my eye gets better!)
- See you on Monday! Have a nice weekend!
- You to, Miranda! Byyye!
- Bye!
18:30 p.m. - At the pharmacy
Wait, my eye cleared a bit! Yay! Let get those drops and get home.
- Sure! … Here you go!
- Thank you! Have a good day!
- You too!
18:45 p.m. - Home at last!
Hey! Dimi is home!
- Hey gorgeous! … We finished the viewing and there was nothing more left to do so he sent us home!
- What a nice man, this boss of yours! When he wants to, that is!
- It has to suit his interests first, as always! How was your day?
- Fiiine! I reached the upper half of my target…
- Good for you!
- … and resolved all my to-do’s for today. But my eye kept hurting and I could not concentrate as good as I would of wanted!
- Does it still hurt now?
- Yes, unfortunatelly! It cleared up, but my socket still aches! After dinner I’ll take a painkiller and get ot over with.
- Oh, don’t worry! These things happen! … Do you have eye drops?
- Yes, I also bought some of those.
- Come here, you little beautiful one!
- Dimitri, it feels so good to be home!
Sunday - 11:02 a.m.
Oh, well… it’s Sunday! Bummer! Tomorrow that alarm is going to ruin my sleep again! But in the meantime, let’s enjoy the beautiful July weather outside!
- Here you go!
- Thanks! Breakfast was sooo good! I’m living with a real top chef! Haha!
- But of course, my dear! Hehe! Especially for you! By the way! How’s your eye?
- After the discomfort I had yesterday… a bit better now. I can see clearly once again.
- I’m so glad! You got me a little bit scared there.
- Eh, it’s probably nothing!
16:22 p.m.
I’m so tired! And this Sun is hitting me right between the eyes. Let’s move a bit. Ouch! I got some ciggarette smoke in my eye. Wait! It’s not the smoke! The pain came up agin. I’m feeling a little headache comming too. Ehh… get over it.. I’m tired… I’ll sleep it of!
- Yes, Dimi! What is it?
- Could you read this message for me? I can’t do it untill I finish rolling this chicken, or we’ll have burned barbecue! Heheh!
- ‘Course, dear!...
- Well, what does it say?
- Wait, I can’t see the writing well!
- What do you mean?
- My vision is foggy! And this damn headache!
- Are you OK, Alex? Let me get these off the grill… Here, come and sit down!
- I dunno what got into me. I was feeling fine a few hours ago.
- You must have that eye checked soon. Make an appointment sometime next week.
- No, I’ll make one for tomorrow.
- And what about work?
- Work can wait. I would not be able to work with this pain anyway.
- Call your boss and first get a leave of absence, to be sure.
- Ok, I’ll do that, and then make my doc’s appointment.
- I love you, you little in pain one! Hehe.
- I love you too, but leave me alone for a bit! Let me make the call.
17:05 p.m.
… To-mo-rrow… at 10 a.m. .. OK! Thank you very much! Goodbye!
- Dimi, all done! I made my appointment for tomorrow morning at 10.- Good! Would you like me to come with you?
- No, it’s just a check-up. She’ll probably give me some eye drops and send me home.
- OK.
Monday - 10:00 a.m.
Why am I so anxious? It’s not my first eye control. That eye sore, or viral conjunctivitis, or what the Hell it was passed so quickly… I bet this one will be the same!
- Good morning Alex! What brings you here? I hoped our meetings would be fewer.
- Oh, just a check-up. My right eye has been hurting me for the whole weekend. I think I also got a headache from it a few times.
- Take a seat here, please. Let us check it! … Allllriiight! Can you read this for me, please? …. OK! Good! Now this line, please! ….. This one… OK! You did good!
- I’m usually good at this! Hehe!
- Yes you are! Put your head here, please! Keep your eye still… don’t move...or blink.. OK, let’s do the other one!
- OK. Same moves, right?
- Same ones, yes! … Did you have any reading problems.. as not being able to distinguish between letters or needing to squint to see a word..
- No, I did not have issues like that! Why?
- Because from what I can see here, there’s nothing wrong with your vision. Did the pain upset you much?
- Yes. It was constant, and it hurt as I rotated or moved my eye from side to side.
- Let me see those eyes again! Put your head here… OK… and now the other eye...
OK! As I said before, your vision is perfect, but I think there’s something wrong with the optic nerve. Did you ever took a visual field exam?
- No.
- I would want you to have your visual field checked up and go to a neurologist to see if all things are alright. Then comeback and we’ll look at the results.
- Why are these necessary?
- As I said, your vision is good, and I can’t see what is wrong. A visual field chart and a neurologist’s opinion would help me make the right choices for you. Here is your letter of recommandation… your diagnosis is retrobulbar optic neuritis. Make an appointment for these two, and then come back here to look at the data together.
- All right! Thank you, doctor! I’ll schedule them for tomorrow! Have a nice day!
- You too! And lots of health!
- Thank you!
… Funny thing! I’ve always been curious about a neurology exam. It seems I got my wish now!
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