General Chat

the person of whatever sex sharing living quarters with you wanders into the kitchen late on a Saturday evening as you are busy making mushroom spinach quiche (and haven't even poured that rare glass of red wine you announced you were going to have, after whining loudly about BBC Canada dropping EastEnders for the summer, or so they say) ...

... and says "My eye is" and proceeds to say vague things about something going on with his eye and he can't see the computer monitor.

Well, what you don't do (this time) is whack him upside the head with a good solid chunk of British Columbia cedar 2x4 for having yet another medical drama late at night on a weekend. That's what you wanted to do a year ago when he went into diabetic ketoacidosis and was closer to dying than living (although it turned out that one really wasn't his fault).

Nooo. Because this time, you say: Sounds like a detached retina.

And hey nonny, 12 hours and two hospitals later, it turns out you're right.

So meantime, he says: What does that mean?
And you say: It means we go to the hospital right now.

But nooo, he had to eat his supper first. Then, arriving at the emergency room and being seen by reception immediately, and by a doctor within about a half hour, he has to complain repeatedly about waiting another half hour while that doctor tries to get a call back from the ophthalmologist on call at midnight to see whether he should go directly to the eye institute emergency place or go back next morning. No call back came by 1:00, so the doc said: go to the eye institute at 10 a.m. (today, Sunday).

10 a.m. was too early for old No.1, so they said as long as we got there by 11 it was fine. He was seen immediately by a young opthalmologist fellow. Hugely complete eye exam, everything you can imagine. (And then I horned in and got him to check my eye pressure because of my glaucoma, and I was right, it's too high and I need to see my ophthalmologist now, not in September.)

Not long afater noon, we see the bigtime retinal surgeon on duty. Unlike my retinal surgeon (there are only four in town who do these things; my guy and his partner are known for being rude jerks), this one is a cool guy and explains everything absolutely clearly and even treats me like somebody who knows what I'm talking about -- since I've been through it all, and all.

So No.1 gets admitted at about 2:30, and we start the waiting process. There's one operating room open on Sunday, and No.1's an emergency but he's behind every other emergency in the world. There are two ahead of him to start with, but any emergency Caesarian section or car crash who shows up bumps him.

I had to leave at 5:00 (an hour ago) to get tomorrow's work done, as I shall now do. Maybe he won't get surgery til the morning.

He's still whining about waiting. But dang it all -- you just can't beat a system where you show up at an emergency room at midnight and are being seen by the top surgeon in your specialty in town and prepped for surgery 12 hours later. All for the cost of a few taxi rides.

Now we just need to write a note to the receptionist at the first ER to tell her how it turned out. When No.1 announced (rather prematurely, granted) that he had a detached retina, she laughed and said Did you google it?

Of course he did. He's no idiot.

So if your POWSSLQ complains about some vague eye malfunction, even if it's nearly midnight Saturday and all you want is some quiche and a glass of red wine, do not hit them upside the head with a 2x4. That works for the diabetic not doing the diabetic thing right, but it very definitely isn't the correct treatment for a detached retina!

awww heck Janey, you do go through it don't you..

Hope No 1 gets his op quickly and successfully...and that you've had that glass of wine by now to calm your nerves lol

Oh dear - the best laid plans eh?

Being a legal person didn't you know that you're not really allowed to "whack him upside the head with a good solid chunk of British Columbia cedar 2x4" You may go to prison if you do:-))

Hope all goes ok.

Sue xx

"Being a legal person didn't you know that you're not really allowed to "whack him upside the head with a good solid chunk of British Columbia cedar 2x4" You may go to prison if you do:-))"

Is British Columbia cedar protected then Sue? ;)

Edit : oops how rude of me - I hope everything turns out ok Janey :)

Ha, being a legal perosn I know how to argue "provocation"!

He's nothing if not provoking, he is. Well, usually he's more nothing, but when he's something, it's usually provoking.

The nurse swore she'd call me when they take him down for the op. She's working on owing us one, because she tried 5 times to get the IV thing in his arm and blew the vein every single time. She called in another nurse and he got it on the first try. Just one of those things; No.1 apparently has very little delicate veins.

I shall have that wine ... once I get the 8 hours of work done ...

Do you still have those 2x4's? With the number of times your significant other has been threatened with them, it's a suprise he has left them laying around. :)

Hope he gets sorted quickly, and that you manage to get the work done by your deadline.

What a worrying time for you. I hope tomorrow is better. But what brilliant service you had.

Remember to look after yourself.

SRS - British Columbia cedar is a protected species:-))

Don't mean to be flippant Janey - a detached retina is a serious problem so I truly hope all goes well. Do look after yourself.

Sue xx

That explains it Sue, I'm sure Janey could argue away the whacking over the head business but obviously not the contraband she's obviously hiding.

Ha, SRS, if he wants to get rid of them, he'll have to dismantle the two aged decks and the connecting staircase that need dismantling, all made out of those 2x4s. Too much work!

Oh, speaking of which, he will of course not be able to lift a finger or anything else for well over a month after this surgery. I think there are going to be some very happy weeds in our gardens.

He also has to sleep sitting up (not completely, just partially), which will make him It's My Chesterfield full-time now ...

-edit- this just in: I called the nurses' station and apparently he's being taken down right now (7:30 pm our time).

There are videos of the surgery on youtube, for anyone interested. ;)

http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/eye-health-retinal-detachment

He is having the full works: scleral buckle, vitrectomy and replacement of vitreous fluid with air bubble, actual "gluing" of the tear in the retina.

How did he get a detached retina, I wonder?

Ah, I meant to say that.

At risk for cataracts to start with: diabetic, heavy smoker. For me, it seems to be: female, brown eyes, some heredity maybe. We both got cataracts before 55, which is early, statistically speaking.

Retinal detachment is a relatively common post-cataract complication. I was lucky I didn't get it -- most of my vitreous fluid was floaters, I'd say; I was looking through a swamp for two years after the original surgery. The floaters can damage the retina. I just had scar tissue, which was removed. (But I got glaucoma from the steroids used after the surgery.)

So he won the lottery, I guess.

Cataract surgery just isn't the miracle treatment / walk in the park "they" seem to like to tell us it is. Apart from the surgery itself (which was hell on wheels for me both times, although for almost everyone else it is fairly easy), there are loads of possible complications and I think people should be made more aware of those possibilities, myself.


... I know nobody would think it might be from being hit upside the head with a 2x4. ;)

lordy Janey

you two don't do things by halves do you?!


But that's quite incredible service. Wonder if we'd get it that fast here in BC???


I had cataract surgery in 2001, done 6 weeks apart. Everything went swimmingly, and changed my eyesight from coke bottle thick lenses because I was so short sighted to long-sighted, and needing glasses only for reading ............. and eating meals!


I've been lcuky so far (touches wood quickly!) ..... no glaucoma and no retinal problems.


Hope the surgery goes well for him, and that you survive the next 4 weeks or so without needing that BC cedar 4x4 plank


We'll be coming in your direction in December again ....... so I could throw another supply off the train if you like :))))


take care ............... and get your nose down into that work


It's my government you know!




sylvia

What, not volunteering to stop by and dismantle my decks? Even that fine cedar of yours rots eventually. ;)

A working holiday. Good for the biceps and the soul!

even rotting cedar must be good for something?!

At least you can't say life is dull Janey!
Hope all goes well with your powsslq and he isn't too bad a recuperating patient!

I was told a couple of years ago my retina was slightly detached at one small point and if ever I had a problem to go straight to a and e, which was why I was worried when I had the fall on the ice before Christmas but every day I wink with both eyes alternately to check all is ok and so far, yes. Last eyecheck in March didn't show any further problems but will steer clear of any planks, cedar or other.

Lizx

It's one of those things that you hear about vaguely -- and then when it happens to you (or your powsslq), people who've been there just start coming out of the, er, woodwork. ;)

Like that cone biopsy business.

I guess for you it's a matter of the risks of surgery vs the risks of leaving it alone. The surgeon today told No.1 he had to explain the risks before having him sign the consent, but this one was a no-brainer (as he put it). No surgery, and your eye shrivels up and dies, and they give you a nice eye patch to wear for "cosmetic reasons" -- i.e., so you don't scare small children and dogs. ;)

You do be careful now!

The optician, who has now retired, knew my parent's optical history too and said I didn't need any treatment as there was just a slight tear (I think that's what he called it) and it could mend itself. He just wanted to warn me that if I saw lots of floaters or anything untoward to get help immediately and explain what he had found. He only saw it when he examined my eyes even more thoroughly after I mentioned I sometimes seemed to see or sense a bright flash to that side when walking in a dark area, it was as if there was a light reflecting on my specs or something shiny nearby but only a tiny flash, almost easy to miss.
My Dad went to him for a routine check up and he asked Dad how long he hadn't been able to see out of one eye, Dad hadn't realised he couldn't till then lol (He was in his 70's) Seems Dad had had a vein or something burst behind his eye, he hadn't noticed so it had dried up and caused him to lost the sight in that eye. Hence me constantly winking to check both eyes are ok! I will be careful, don't worry. Don't fancy turning into a pirate at my age!
Not a flattering look. The hair loss was enough but that's been growing back since the vit d jab.
Lizx

And the good news is -- he's back in his room as of midnight (15 minutes ago from time of this post); nurse Julie Ann called to tell me. He was a long time getting out of recovery because of, yup, high blood sugar readings.

He's been eating and excreting and all the good stuff, and is feeling fine. Because his eye is still frozen, of course! Once that's over, they'll turn him over to me. Lucky me.

Oh, Janey, what a 24 hours you had. Hope he continues to get on ok.

Gwynne