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Views #779 | Low-Intermediate 4

Vision Concerns

Mike talks about why he has limited eyesight and steps he has taken to fix it.

Script
Vocab
Quiz


Mike	Todd

Todd: Hey, Mike, I heard that you went back to Canada and you had surgery.

Mike: That's right. I went back to Canada and I had an eye operation.

Todd: Get out of here!

Mike: Yep. I'd had complications. I'm diabetic, and I had complications with my vision, and so...

Todd: With both eyes?

Mike: Well, yes. Originally, seven years ago, I had an operation on my left eye, and following that operation, they couldn't save the eye so basically, I can't see anything out of my left eye.

Todd: Really.

Mike: Yeah.

Todd: I've known you for like five years. I had no idea.

Mike: Yeah, yeah. Well you can't really tell. yeah.

Todd: You don't have a patch or anything. You know.

Mike: Yeah, I don't have a hook on my right arm either. But, yeah, I'd lost my vision seven years ago but you can't tell.

Todd: I'm sorry. Man, I had no idea.

Mike: No, hey. It's all good. In fact, I was rather lucky because I lost my vision because of diabetic complications. As I said, I'm diabetic, and I was lucky because the vision in my left eye went but the vision in my right eye, the right eye was fine, so in fact they couldn't save my left eye but I still have completely good vision in my right eye and so this summer I went back to Canada to do an operation on my right eye and that operation was basically just to save the retina, the part of the eye that was affected, to save it from complications and the same thing happening that happened in the left eye.

Todd: Oh, well good to hear that things went well.

Mike: Yeah, things went great actually. LIke I said, I was really lucky I think in many ways, but yeah, so now I can see, you know, according to the doctors, my vision with my right eye will be fine. There might be minor things. I might need to get, you know, whatever, adjusted or whatever, but in general, my eyesight will be here to stay, so I'm really lucky.

Todd: Wow, that's good news.

Mike: Yep.

Learn vocabulary from the lesson!!

Get out of here!

Todd said "Get out of here!" when Mike told him about his operation.

'Get out of here!' Is a phrase that you say when someone tells you something that is unbelievable.

Notice the following:

Get out of here! I can't believe you're moving to Hawaii.
I didn't know he was married. Get out of here!

you don't have a patch or anything

I had no idea, you don't have a patch or anything.

If you 'don't have a patch or anything,' you have no eye patch or anything covering your eye.

Notice the following:

When you have laser eye surgery the procedure is so quick that you don't have a patch or anything.
You don't have a patch or anything, so you can't even tell that you have had anything done.

I don't have a hook on my right arm either

I don't have a hook on my right arm either, but yeah, I'd lost my vision seven years ago but you can't tell.

'I don't have a hook on my right arm either,' in this instance, is making a joke about how a stereotypical pirate wears an eye patch and has a hook for a hand.

Notice the following:

I don't wear an eye patch and I don't have hook on my right hand either.
Even though he is a pirate he doesn't wear an eye patch and he doesn't have a hook on his right hand either.

As I said

As I said, I'm diabetic.

'As I said' refers to something that you have spoken about previously.

Notice the following:

As I said before, I don't eat meat.
As I said, I think I will meet you there.

minor things

There might be minor things I might need to get adjusted.

'Minor things' are things that are not of major significance.

Notice the following:

There are lots of minor things that you can worry about, but I try not to.
I tried to get lots of minor jobs done today. You know, those little ones that you never seem to get round to doing?

Vocabulary Quiz

get out of • patch • hook
as I said • minor

They said that I can't use my contact lenses for a few weeks, but I don't have a or anything.
You don't have a wooden leg or a for your right arm either.
, it's really important that you arrive on time.
here! You're already 30 years old.
There are a few things that need to be worked on, but generally, it's a good car.