After my crazy misadventure poking a hole in my cornea, I had my last eye doctor check up today. I was given the "all clear". Apparently the doctor can't even see a scar remaining. Whew.
As I was leaving the hospital, I asked the front desk where the nearest florist was. Figured I would have flowers sent to the doctor as a thank you. They said "across the street at the mall". Great, I figure 15 minutes tops to go there, order flowers delivered and be back on the road. Alas. I take my ticket as I enter the parking lot. Park the car and walk into the mall, only to find the florist has left the building. Must have been within 48 hours as there are still wilted flowers in the window amongst the debris left when they departed. I hop back in the car and try to exit the parking lot. Alas the pay station is back next to the McDonalds. You can't pay at the exit. Car's honking behind me, I back up, and find another parking spot. Find my way to the pay station only to find I need $6 Pesos (30 cents USD). I try to feed it a $20 Peso bill. But the bill intake is not working. Neither is the credit card slot. The young guy behind me hands me $6 Pesos. I try to give him my $20 Peso bill in exchange but he refuses. I depart. Sigh. The reason I have no coins is that we always give them to the people collecting for charity at the stop lights.
I head back toward home and locate a florist along the route. No trouble finding them, though maybe not the very best part of town. The teenager manning the store thinks I need directions to the hospital. Not a single word of English. And my Spanish wasn't cutting it. Eventually the phone translators allowed us to sort it out. Wrote out a card that said "So grateful. Thank you from my heart. And Eye." They promised delivery within the hour. $20 USD for a giant bouquet. Hope she got them.
My "quick 15 minute" errand has turned into an hour. Oh well. Still so very worth it!
In the end, brother Kelly estimates (assuming the plant didn't leave debris in the eye - which we believe is the case) that my odds were 1 in 60 of losing my eyesight had it gone untreated. Not the kind of odds you really want to test.