May 2nd – Two weeks ago, I was in an Uber heading to Oakland for emergency retina surgery. By now, I was mastering the art of “rest and recuperate.” The dark-rimmed bubble, now noticeably smaller, continued to shrink while appearing to move lower in my eye. As expected, my vision is limited to light and movement, which is disarming. I kept googling, and it was customary to have blurry vision, but this was getting worse.
I had no intention of rushing the process, yet I hoped to get the “all clear” to come home with this visit. Spring lilacs are only in bloom for a few weeks, and I didn’t want to miss them.
Uber to Oakland. “How many fingers am I holding up? I can’t even see your hand”. Vision test fails.
“You need another surgery” was not what I expected to hear. There is blood behind the eye, and the doctor could not see the source even with an ultrasound. She scheduled surgery for May 9th. My reaction was atypical for me; I started to cry. I was scared my vision would never return and wanted to go home. She discussed options again. What do you want me to do if the retina has detached again? The gas bubble requires another two weeks stay or silicone oil that allows me to fly home but has to be surgically removed in 90 days. I couldn’t breathe and wanted to run out of the office.
Once outside, I called my husband and let my guard fall away. He offered to come to California, but what would he do? I couldn’t go anywhere or do anything but rest.
As you may have noticed, my guardian angels have been working overtime, and here they come again. The doctor called a few hours later, telling me she could get me into surgery tomorrow.
May 3rd – Back in the Uber to Oakland. I sat in the waiting room and looked around the room. People were reading, eating, and texting, all waiting to hear the name of a loved one so they could deliver much-needed care. For the first time, I allowed myself to feel it. Here I was across the country, acutely aware I could lose the vision in my right eye, and I was all alone.
This surgery was more straightforward. Anesthesia was local and light. By this time, I was familiar with the process, but the drilling sound was creepy. It was lasers, but it sounded like drilling.
Once in the recovery room, my vision had noticeably improved. The surgeon fixed the broken blood vessel affecting my eye, and everything else was intact. The results could not have been better. Small gas bubble for a few days, and see you tomorrow.
May 4th – Uber to Oakland. I could see the eye chart, and my spirits were high. I can probably go home on the 11th.
May 10th – Today is my first grandson’s 4th birthday, and my gift was to get the clearance to fly home. I brought my suitcase to the final appointment and got the all clear. Normally she would request another visit again in a week, but I had scheduled an appointment at Wills Eye with a retina specialist, a referral from a friend at home. Ironically, they worked together during her residency. Angels at work again.
I handed her a handwritten card and a small gift for her children because, as a working mom, she left them on a Sunday night to take care of me. I can never repay her but promised to pay it forward and caught an Uber to the airport.
#retinadetachement
foursetsofeyes 