Grounded

 A month ago I had my biennial check up at the optician's. Since my emergency referral to the eye department back in 2023, I've endured the impairment of a large floater across my left eye and, rising to the occasion, it decided to play to the audience on the day of my eye test. Fortunately my right eye has almost perfect vision but it was a little disconcerting to discover how much I struggled to read the letters on the chart with its partner on the other side.

The optician was very thorough; he suggested a cataract was impeding my eyesight and then thought he could also see the beginning of age related macular degeneration. I went home determined to start learning braille and to await a call from the eye department after another referral.

A few days later, I was seen in the clinic. It seems, quite normally for my age, there are signs of early cataract growth in both eyes but nowhere nearly bad enough to cloud my vision in any way. As for macular degeneration, I was reassured that this was definitely not the case. Instead, the doctor detected what she described as leakage behind my eye resulting in a "very small puddle" with no obvious cause or need for treatment other than monitoring and blood tests to exclude obvious physical causes like diabetes or cardio-vascular issues. I am to be seen again in six months and have a free pass to return in the event of any eyesight deterioration or concerns.

Talk about frustration. With Mister E's hip op behind us, the world was meant to be our oyster and our penchant for travel resume. A quick check of the small print in the annual travel insurance revealed the inevitable need to contact the insurer in the event of any new treatment, hospital referral or investigation. A telephone discussion followed from which it was clear that there was no possibility of cover for this unknown albeit potentially self-healing condition and I could either continue with the policy in the knowledge that I would not be covered for any claim relating to it or cancel the policy and be refunded pro-rata. 

In another life I would probably have carved out a career for myself in the indemnity industry and because I am so risk averse, I cancelled!

One of the most exasperating experiences in retirement is having plans thwarted by circumstances beyond our control. It is fortunate that we have had the opportunity to wander the world at will in the past because the strings attached to travel insurance seem so irksome now when you sit down and read the small print. How I wish I could be one of those "let's just wing it" kind of people or even someone content to ignore the hardship of reading terms and conditions who can holiday without worry or concern.

On my part, I'm just hopeful that the eye situation will resolve itself shortly and at least I can already see well enough that staring at a computer screen is no longer the misty encounter of a week ago. In the meantime, there's rather a lot of the UK for us still to explore and enjoy - neither air ticket nor special insurance cover required.