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23 | The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,N ovem ber 5,2020 theifp.ca As the First World War ended, Canadian amputee veterans returned home and banded together to assist each other in adapting to their new reality as amputees. United by the common bond of amputation, they created The War Amps and, along with those from the Second World War, were instrumental in pushing for advancements in prosthetic technology, confronting the stigma of disability, advocating for fair pensions for veterans and providing much-needed support to each other. Today, The War Amps remains a strong voice on behalf of traditional and modern-day veteran amputees, helping them access the benefits and services to which they are entitled. At the same time, the Association pursues legislative changes that seek to ensure the financial needs of veterans and their dependants are being met now and in the future. As a leader in advocacy for veterans' rights and legislation, as well as the driving force behind the National Council of Veteran Associations in Canada (NCVA), The War Amps has fought continuously for veterans. Since its founding in 1918, The War Amps programs have also grown from assisting war amputees to all amputees, including children. The Child Amputee (CHAMP) Program provides comprehensive services to child amputees and their families, including financial assistance for artificial limbs, regional seminars, peer support and information on life as an amputee. The War Amps long history - stretching more than 100 years - is a testament to the tireless efforts of the war amputee veterans who built the Association, and its many unique programs, from the ground up. There is still much to do to ensure all amputees have the artificial limbs they need to lead independent and active lives. The public's support of the Key Tag Service, which has returned more than 1.5 million sets of lost keys to their owners, makes all of The War Amps essential programs for amputees possible. The War Amps does not receive government grants. For more information, or to make a donation, visit waramps.ca or call 1 800 250-3030. Assisting Amputee Veterans Still Cornerstone of War Amps Work estatedonation@waramps.ca waramps.ca • 1 800 465-2677 with a charitable estate donation in your will. Together, we can improve the lives of all amputees, including traditional and modern-day veterans, adults and children. Make a lasting impact for amputees Y O U R F I F T Y - F I V E P L U S F I F T Y - F I V E P L U S N E W S S O U R C E www.foreveryoungnews.comY O U RY O U R F I F T Y - F I V E P L U S F I F T Y - F I V E P L U S F I F T Y - F I V E P L U S F I F T Y - F I V E P L U S F I F T Y - F I V E P L U S F I F T Y - F I V E P L U S F I F T Y - F I V E P L U S F I F T Y - F I V E P L U S N E W S S O U R C E N E W S S O U R C E N E W S S O U R C E N E W S S O U R C E N E W S S O U R C E www.www.foreveforeveryoungryoungryoungnewsnews The history of cataracts began well after the time when the average life span was only a bit longer than a bag of dried beans. People generally lived long full lives into their 20s and 30s, then succumbed to rotted teeth and mammoth attacks. Other ailments included gout, the vapors, biliousness and Saint Vitus Dance. Most people didn't live long enough to develop liver spots or ear hair. When life finally extended long enough to include cataracts, people didn't notice them. They were generally too distracted by the absence of indoor plumbing or reliable trash pick up services. Things just kept getting hazier or more discoulored or just downright disappeared from view. The first actual removal of cataracts occurred in Paris in 1748 (or, if one is a Republican, dur- ing the Trump administration). Nowadays, cataract surgery has become almost routine for those humans who remember Howdy Doody and shoes with laces. Life in the Boomer Lane had cataract sur- gery recently. The surgery was routine, went well, and there was no discomfort involved. After a warm blanket and some mighty swell meds, she breezily sailed through the proce- dure. A large patch was then placed on her left eye and she was sent home. LBL has what is called mono vision. This means that she uses her right eye for close vision and her left eye for far vision. The com- bination of eye patch on her left eye and face mask served to obliterate most of her sensory perception, creating a Helen Keller-like exis- Cataract surgery Renee Fisher LIFE IN THE BOOMER LANE tence for the next 24 hours. She went to the doctor's office the follow- ing day for her first post-op appointment. The doctor who conducted LBL's first post-op wasn't the surgeon who did the procedure. When the post-op doctor removed her patch, he began to laugh. A variety of thoughts ran through LBL's mind, none of them good. Most included a mix up of body parts that might have occurred during surgery. The doctor asked LBL if she had seen what her forehead looked like. She said she knew about her wrinkles and her unruly eyebrows but nothing else. The doc- tor handed her a mirror. Above her left eye, the surgeon had written in large capital letters with black Magic Marker the word YES, meaning that that was the eye to be operated on. The word was as big as her left eye. LBL left the doctor's office looking like a human Magic 8 ball. When the patch came off, LBL was aston- ished to note the variety of bright colours that surrounded her. She was even more astonished to note how her face had aged in the last 10 years and how filthy some places in her house were. She could have happily continued on with life without realizing those last two items. She also noted that the self-tanner she had been using for years made her legs and feet a variety of shades of orange, with darker orangey-brown spots distributed randomly throughout. The spaces between her toes were a splotchy dark rust colour. The result was something that looked like an entry in a medi- cal textbook. Since realizing all these things, he scrubbed off the self-tanner on her feet and the big YES above her right eye. She plucked her eyebrows. She cleaned the inside of her medicine cabinet. She stared at her paintings that had looked too dull before and appreciated that they weren't. She looks forward to having the other eye done. It's exhilarating to her that such a minor act can change the world in such a huge way. She's hoping that the same thing happens the next time she votes. (Written prior to the November 3 US presidential election) - Musings of a former hula hoop champion lifeintheboomerlane.com