Thursday 4th January 2024
Saturday 30th December 2023 - I awake to find the left quarter of my left eye's vision is just black. I am understandably worried. I phone Specsavers: earliest appointment 8th January. The problem now comes and goes a little. I dither and decide to see how it goes. I ask myself, if this is optimism or stupidity?
Sunday 31st December (New Year's Eve) - Why do emergency problems seem to happen late on a Friday afternoon or on the eve of a bank holiday? Fortunately we have Primary Care at Kendal, a walk in centre for minor medical problems. I know they will have no eye specialist but it is like a back door into the hospital system bypassing the GP appointment and referral. There are many waiting and it is late afternoon, and note, New Year's Eve. I see the doc. The doc. makes a call to the ophthalmology department at Lancaster but they have all gone home but he secures a promise that I will receive a phone call next day (New Year's Day) which I doubt.
The evening passes with my son W as we find out how to use a new coffee machine, a present from W's sister. Brilliant results are archived combined with our new discovery of Booth's Black Coffee Beans. We continue with my de-luxe version of macaroni cheese followed by Eton mess. I am in no real discomfort and the problem continues to fluctuate. New Year is seen in with the Jules Holland hootenanny on the tv, a splendid show as always. New Year's day passes with no phone call from Lancaster.
Tuesday 2nd Januay 2024 I have an appoinment with the ophthalmology department at Lancaster in the afternoon and a detached retina is diagnosed. The doc contacts the Lancaster Eye Clinic at Chorley and tells me I have an appointment next morning at 9:00am. I phone the Eye Clinic to get some more information and they can't find the referral from Lancaster and tell me they have no record of my referral and without such from an optician or GP they can't proceed. They suggest the optician in Milnthorpe. I set off to drive there and halfway receive a call from Chorley to say they have now found Lancaster's referral and I have an appointment for 9:00am tomorrow (Wednesday.)
Wednesday 3rd January 2024. Up at 6:00 am - my son drives me to Chorley. On arrival they can't find my appointment and much drama and stress ensues as we are pushed from one department to another until eventually I am squeezed on to the list of consultant Mrs. Linton. At last order is restored and I start to calm down. Mrs. Linton is kind and soothing and in no rush giving me friendly and detailed description of the op and its potential consequences and an assurance that she particularly wants to get ME done today (for my sake, not hers.)- thank goodness for such folk. The op. took place on Wednesday. I had to go back to Chorley this morning for a post-op check up and saw Mrs. Linton again. All has gone well. I can partially see already and am assured that all is going well, and I have another followup on 17th January.
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There has been a lot of stress for me over these last few days, but even though there was some bungling the NHS have been positive and helpful and all the staff I have encountered have been so attentive and making one feel that you and your well being really matter to them - I can't speak too highly of them. The whole of the Lancaster Eye Clinic is buzzing with good cheer. At my follow up with Mrs. Linton on Thursday I said I was in awe of her skills. She said thank-you and added that she so much enjoys her work.
I’m glad you got in relatively quickly and hope all goes well.
ReplyDeleteI had what turned out to be a vitreous detachment some years ago, also on a Friday afternoon. Fortunately, the opthalmologist was still in his office.
Michael L - Time was critical and fortunately I was well aquatinted personally and with family members with Kendal Primary Care. I just did a little internet search about time and came up with this:
ReplyDelete"Time is of the essence - and I'm running out of essence." - Graham Hill.
Not sure if that was the racing driver or one I've not heard of.
Sorry to hear about the eye; V says this used to be quite nasty but things have improved since she was an SRN - the early sixties which now seems retrospectively like the Middle Ages. You seem to have been lucky in one respect by just missing the junior doctors' strike re. the important bit of your diagnosis. My problems you'll find ironic and concern the failure of the dishwasher. Normally I could have ignored this minor matter but it occurred when the resident population of the house was up to eight. No doubt the problem is due to under rather than over
ReplyDeleteuse. Current reading: the history of the lithium-ion battery. A techno must for me but not exactly a page-turner.
RR - I think I also benefited by seeing the consultant eye surgeon and having her doing the op - it could otherwise have been one of the trainees.
ReplyDeleteSo pleased it has gone well. Sorry you must have been so stressed out. Happy New Year.
ReplyDeleteAlan R - Thanks. As far as I can tell all is progressing satisfactorily as I chug on to the next f/up on 17th Jan. I woke up this morning able to see a watery outline of main objects, an improvement from yesterday, all as preficted by consultant Mrs. Linton.
ReplyDeleteAny idea as to the cause ? Most of such cases I've heard of seem to result from a 'violent' (as in ' sudden', not necessarily criminal) shock or impact. Waking with such an event must be terrifying - almost life (as one knows it) threatening. Thanks goodness it seems to be under control - your story seems (also) to reflect a general view of the NHS - the front line holds, but the 'System' fails or flounders.
ReplyDeleteKeep on taking the xeazanthins - and raw carrots, of course: people I know who had had s similar event say their sight fully recovers in a relatively short time - particularly if getting treatment quickly - you did well, as you say, at the worst time of year.
Bonne chance.
gimmer - I've no idea what was the cause. Even if there was some incident that may have been responsible that would still be just speculation. I have no recollection of doing anything strenuous in particular.
ReplyDeleteRather too dramatic a way to enter the new year. I hope the rest of the year goes more smoothly and the rest of your vision returns soon.
ReplyDeletePicking up the glove I hope you are well o the way to recovery from a scary scenario.
ReplyDeleteGsyle - I wonder if you thought I was trying to out-do you in terms of dramatic medical events?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how one would score to find the winner.
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BC - When I look out of the eye now imagine you are in a swimming pool with you eyes at the level of the water. I can see about the top quarter of the whole scene one would normally see above the water level and the three quarters below a sort of shimmering blur. As far as I understood that is what was predicted with a gradual increase in the ratio of the properly visible. We will see. I have a follow up appointment on 17th January.
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there is a very informative item on the RNIB website about both retinal and vitreous detachment - all sounds very positive assuming prompt attention - which you managed to do at the conventional and regulation time for such issues of late on the eve of a bank holiday: keep us all posted - I suspect most are thinking 'there but for the grace . . . .'
ReplyDeleteand our thoughts and best wishes are with you continually.