Bethany, raking leaves, wearing her favorite Rascal Flatts shirt
Polly and I took our 22 year old daughter Bethany to the see the ophthalmologist today. Bethany has Down Syndrome. She is one ornery, obstinate, funny girl.
Physically, I am at a pretty tough place. Over the past seven days I have made several road trips and have really punished my dilapidated body. Pain levels are at an all time high and narcotic pain medication is wearing off about 4 hours before I can take more.
When I am in this much pain I tend to want to be left alone. My nerves on on edge and I am mentally exhausted. I would shoot myself today if it didn’t take so much effort to do so. 
I definitely don’t want to go to the doctor’s office and interact with anyone. When I am in this much pain I can be a grenade with the pin pulled half way out. It doesn’t take much to cause a big BANG!
We had to register at the doctor’s office before Bethany could see the doctor. The woman doing the registration asked is Bethany had a driver’s license. Uh……….can you NOT she has Down Syndrome? Sure…….she drove us here. I said to myself, Bruce…….shut the hell up. Be nice. So I said nothing.
She then put all the papers that needed signed in front of Bethany to sign. Again, I thought……..Can you NOT see she has Down Syndrome? I took the papers and began to sign them……..finally the woman got the hint.
On to the doctor’s office we went…….And yes, we got to do the “can you NOT see she has Down Syndrome” all over again. Both the nurse and doctor started by ignoring us and talking exclusively with Bethany about why she was there to see them. After interrupting them a few times they finally understood that, yes Bethany is 22, but when it comes to her understanding why she is at the doctor’s office she is about 6. That why WE are there.
Recently, Bethany had her eyes checked at the optometrist’s office. Bethany has cataracts in both eyes and the optometrist told us they were to the place they needed to be surgically removed.
If you have a child with Down Syndrome you know how obstinate they can be. They tend to have a one track mind……they focus on something and they won’t let go of it.
Bethany is in love with Rascal Flatts. Left to her own devices she would move to Nashville and be a Rascal Flatts groupie. She knows all of their songs by heart, owns many of their cd’s, (even though we don’t play cd’s anymore) and has a Rascal Flatts poster hanging over her bed. She is Rascal Flatts number 1 fan. We actually have a rule at our house……….after Bethany has mentioned Rascal Flatts for the umpteenth time………we invoke the Rascal Flatts rule……..No saying the name Rascal Flatts the rest of the day. Unfortunately, showing that she can, at times, be 22 rather than 6, she has found ways to get around the rule.
When the optometrist checked Bethany’s eyes she used pictures instead of letters. Bethany CAN read a some words that she has learned by sight. However, getting her to do this can be quite a chore. Again……she is, at times, 22 going on 6.
So……..today at the ophthalmologist’s office the nurse started testing Bethany’s eyes using a conventional eye chart. She said to Bethany, “please read the letters on the chart.” I stopped the nurse and said “Bethany can’t read.” And not a nanosecond later………..Bethany read every letter on the chart. Such is life with a child with Down Syndrome. Never a dull moment.
Bethany will have surgery on both of her eyes in the coming weeks. Due to her inability to hold her head still she will have to be put under for the surgery.
As we left the doctor’s office………..I said to Polly, “I wonder who the nurse thought the mentally handicapped person was today?”
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