Cruising Past Seventy: The Inner Journeys: Through Our Hugely Important Eyes

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Through Our Hugely Important Eyes

"Almost nothing need be said when you have eyes,” Tarjei Vesaas, The Boat in the Evening


Except in little posts like this with a few images. As travelers and bloggers, we know how hugely important our eyes are. They give us both the details and the grandeur of each landmark we visit. Then they help us put the thrills and excitement into a few words and images. So I had always hoped that I would enjoy the benefits of good eyesight until the day I die. Last year, however, I turned 70. And soon after, age-related problems started to catch up with me.

Last July, while I was on a five-week road trip. during mass in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, I noticed that, when I closed my left eye, the priest seemed so far away. It was scary. When I tried to read the words of the gospel songs projected on the screen, the letters were all distorted. That was scarier. I called my eye doctor in Phoenix, Arizona and told the clinic that, if I had to, even if I still had two weeks left on my road trip, I would go back. The nurse practitioner said that the doctor was not available until two weeks anyway. But she warned that if I see flashes of light, I should go to an emergency room right away. That was scariest.

When we got back to Phoenix, the doctor immediately referred me to a retinal specialist. His diagnosis: a full-thickness (Stage III) macular hole in my right eye. (The macula is the part of the retina responsible for detailed central vision). He ordered a vitrectomy and membrane peel. It is a delicate surgery that involves the suctioning of the vitreous fluid from the eye, repairing the hole with tiny instrumentation, and placing a gas bubble to allow the hole to close and heal and the fluid to refill the eye. There was only one catch. The four-month recovery period includes the first to second week must be done face-down. This is key to keeping the hole closed but anyone who knows me would say that is an impossible task for this Queen of Impatience. But that was the hand I was dealt. 


Vitrectomy Support Equipment

It is good that a company now rents out a Vitrectomy Support Equipment for $189 a week. It is a chair that allows face-down positioning to be bearable, even somewhat comfortable, seated or when taken apart, lying down. However, the surgery, which should have been done immediately the week after the retinal specialist saw me,  would have prevented me from flying (or even driving anywhere with an elevation greater than 4.000 feet, for three to four months because the atmospheric pressure may reopen the hole. Because I had to be in San Francisco Aug. 30-Sept.2, the surgery was

face-down recovery
to Sept. 4, the day after I come back,

The special chair arrived the day before we left so that I could have more time to set it up and get accustomed to it. My husband had it ready for me in no time. It even came with a system of reflecting mirrors so that I can watch TV face-down. That accessory let me enjoy the US Open from Round 1 to the Finals which my favorite Nadal won.

On the morning of Sept. 4, I was wheeled into the pre-operating room. My BP shot up to 160/85. It was a good thing that, when the anesthesia was delivered to my IV port, I fell into the twilight zone immediately. When I woke up, my husband was at my side, getting all the post-operation instructions and absolutely ready to take me home. We were ecstatic to find out that my face-down recovery was needed for only five days instead of ten.

Then the unimaginable happened. I survived the first day of face-down recovery on my chair and slept on my left side with my nose down. It required lots of discipline. But on the second to the fifth days, things became increasingly unbearable. My back started to hurt more and more. I could not sleep without the help of Xanax which my family doctor allowed me to take, together with Tylenol for the pain. 

Vitrectomy support equipment
My Facebook posts gathered hundreds of prayer warriors but it was my husband who was my angel. He gave me my round-the-clock medications and eye-drops. He kept me supplied with Redbox movies, his signature grilled cheese sandwiches,  fresh yellow flowers, and Ben & Jerry’s chocolate therapy ice cream (I finished five pints). Another angel-friend prepared additional dishes for me even if her house was very far from ours.

In short, I was well taken care of. But the boredom nearly killed me because I could not read well. After six weeks, when no further improvement in vision was expected, my optometrist took measurements for new glasses. I had read that patients usually improve to 20/40 but sometimes end up with 20/50 (20/20 is best). My bad luck is that I got stuck at 20/60. The hole repair unluckily left more scarring than expected. I now read with 12-14 font text against the brightest display.  And the distortion could not be eliminated.

But I am happy I did not lose my right eye's central vision. Statistics show that if you develop ailments in one, the other eye would follow, too. Our diet is now focused on eye health. I had eliminated eggs after my husband's cardiovascular problems, but I brought them back because they are great for our eyes. He also suffers from macular degeneration. And I have doubled our intake of fruits and vegetables, reducing meats at the same time. They are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants needed by the macula. Also important are foods like walnuts, wild-caught fish, and other foods that are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. 

Our eyes are hugely important, especially for travel-bloggers like us. I had intended to release my second book before the end of this year but now I think I will only be able to do it next year, a full five years from the time I published my first. This compilation of not only obvious but also inner journeys is being completed while I am under this difficult adjustment period. It's hard to put into paper my thoughts. It's even harder to process the raw images from my camera. But the difficulty also makes me more highly introspective. So I promise to make it extra special with these new eyes.

As Marcel Proust once said: "The real voyage of discovery lies not in seeking new landscapes but in seeing with new eyes."

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60 comments:

  1. My personal experience of ending up with damaged eyesight for the rest of my life.

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  2. Actually Carol was a pretty good patient! Can't imagine being facedown for five days and nights. Can't even think of 10 days!!

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  3. Wow, I can't believe you had to have your face down in that position for so long. I don't know how I could survice sleeping in that position. Our eyes are so important and I hope my eye sight will last as long as I live.

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  4. Wow, how scary! So glad you are okay. That chair for face-down recovery is pretty cool. I didn't know there was such a thing. But sleeping would have been an issue for me too. Eyes are definitely important for anyone especially travel bloggers!

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  5. Oh my goodness, that must have been a very trying and scary time. You did well to get through it (although you didn't have much choice). The recovery time would have felt like an eternity.

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  6. Wow that would have been a testing and scary time. You did well to get through it (although you didn't have much choice). The recovery time would have felt like an eternity.

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  7. Oh my god, this is the first I have heard about your eye problems and I never even heard of this problem before. My family have a lot of eye problems and I have problems also but I think when I get nearer to retirement age, I probably have to have some sort of surgery for some eye problem. But reading this, I got scared and think that this problem could occur with me! And now I am researching it more. But anyway, back to the blog post, I never even seen a chair like this as well and I do think I got the patience to sit like that all the time. You did amazing and I hope all is well now ;)

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  8. Thanks for all your concern and kind thoughts.Taje care of your eyes!

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  9. It was interesting following this in real-time on FB and even more so to read of your thoughts and insights!

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  10. We are so glad to hear that you caught the issue, before it became a permanent problem. The idea of having to remain in a state of rest must have been as frightening as the actual surgery. So glad to see you have rebounded.

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    1. Yes, I have evenbifvi did not regain my sight. Yes, I didn't go blind on that eye!

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  11. Whoa that was pretty scary to find out you have a hole in your eye. And I'm glad to know that your surgery was successful. Also kudos to you for going through five days of the face down recovery, though that chair seems to have made it easier. And I agree with you that we especially travel bloggers need to take good care of our eyes. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. That's why I wrote about it. We should not take our eyes for granted.

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  12. So sorry to hear you had to go through this, but glad to hear you recovered so well!

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  13. Every experience brings with it so many valuable learnings. Episodes like these teach us not to take things for granted. Eyes certainly are a huge blessing, and we never even realise it.

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  14. Kudos to you for gritting your way through the recovery period. I can't imagine the mechanics and personal discomfort of being face down for 1-2 weeks. Congrats on making it through it all.

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  15. Wow Carol, how scary! I'm so glad that you came through the surgery successfully and without any loss of vision - kudos to your discipline to be able to spend your recovery properly in the chair facing down - it does look like it makes it as comfortable as it possibly could be for you. Happy Thanksgiving!

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    1. Thanks, Neg! Happy Thanksgiving...but when is it in Australia?

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  16. I loved your fighting spirit and yes eyes are most important organ of body. It was really scary to listen hole in right eye and you were seeing distorted images but hopefully you found out its treatment. And it is great that your husband supported you a lot. After this painful treatment, it is glad that we are still reading your travel stories.

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  17. Waking up and not being able to see is my worst nightmare. We underestimate how much we use our eyes especially to enjoy our travels. I am so glad you found treatment and how wonderful to have such a supportive husband.

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  18. I had never heard of this eye ailment before. I am happy to hear that you have your central vision, although it is not as good as you had hoped. Interesting and happy to hear about the foods – eggs, Omega 3s, fruits, and veggies that contribute to eye health over meat. While my eating preferences when we visited you, may have been a bit difficult, it sounds like they are just right for eye health. I hope you continue to improve. All the best!

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  19. Hi Carol: My husband suffered from macular degeneration and glaucoma, so I completely understand what you have been through. What really saved him was purchasing a magnifier table that enabled him to read small print. He was then able to read the newspaper and that made him truly happy.

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    1. Right now I can still play with settings on my computer so I am happy. Macular degeneration is much worse plus glaucoma!!!

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  20. It is so important to not take our body for granted. So glad to hear you had a good recovery and incidences like these make us even more realize the importance of each and every organ in our body.

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    1. Most especially the eyes. It's the most important if the 5 senses.

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  21. What an unpleasant experience for you. So glad you've come through it and that you still have vision in your right eye, even if it is limited. A reminder of how important it is to look after our eyes.

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  22. Hi Carolina. What a scary and unpleasant experience!

    Glad you are recovering and thanks for sharing your experience. Our eyes are golden.

    Take care.

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  23. What a frightening expereince. You are so right to emphasize how important our eyesight is in everything we do! I can't imagine having to stay in that position for your recovery. Glad to see you are on the mend and still have vision in your right eye. I appreciate your sharing the whole challenge and the importance of looking after our eyes.

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  24. Good on you for being a good patient during recovery! I could NOT sit that long in boredom!

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  25. I can't even imagine going through this. There really isn't much fun about aging, is there? Except for the added wisdom and compassion it gives you. Plus I suppose your perspective also changes. Good on you for making the best of it!

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    1. All that you said is correct but I wouldn't exchange it for the alternative.

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  26. Oh my gosh- that sounds so intense. Your resilience is fantastic. Thank you for sharing your story.

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  27. You poor BRAVE thing! I applaud you!! I bow to you! I completely understand what you went and still going through. I have experienced something similar in my life and it re-ordered my whole life. All I have to say: life is precious! Life is fragile.

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  28. Goodness that must have been scary! I am very glad to hear you are on the mend, and that your diet can help to improve it. If your eyes need a rest now, can you listen to podcasts or audiobooks to help alleviate the boredom?

    My mother and grandmother both have macular degeneration like your husband, so it is pretty likely I will get it too one day. I do my best to wear sunglasses and look after my eyes as my mum has nearly lost her central vision from it.

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  29. Sorry to hear about all your eye issues! I sent this article to my mom. They thought she had macular degeneration, but luckily she does not. She was prescribed special areds eye vitamins though. Maybe your post will make her eat more healthy now because she doesn't listen to me ;)

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  30. I'm surprised I haven't had any eye issues yet considering both my parents were wearing glasses for near-sightedness by their mid-20s. Not to mention how much time I spend looking at a screen every single day! Though I'm sure as I age, I'll have to confront some issue with eyesight. It scares me to think about it much since eye surgery sounds incredibly unpleasant, especially the recovery. I hadn't realized some surgeries would require patients to be facing down for weeks afterwards. It's amazing that you can rent equipment for sitting and lying down though. I'm sure it would be difficult to maintain that downward-facing pose without it. Anyway, I'm sorry to hear you had to deal with all of this, Carol.

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    1. Would you believe I had to wear glasses since age 11? I have serious nearsightedness. Yes, better take care of your eyes!

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  31. I'm so sorry this happened to you. I agree that we often take things for granted and only realize how important they are until its too late. Your positive attitude throughout the ordeal is admirable.

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    1. You'll have the positive attitude. Blindness isn't an option!

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  32. Your article is very interesting with the images displayed. At first I didn't know the connection between eye disease and blue light on the screen. Thanks for your explanation and tips to protect the eyes while in front of the screen. Keep going!

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