Eyes Update

Saw the retina specialist on Thursday in Sioux Falls.  They had asked me not to eat or drink anything before coming, so with those instructions and the urgency they felt to schedule me right away, I went with the full intention of having some form of surgery that day.  My friend came along, as regardless of the outcome, I would be unable to drive afterward.

Once my eyes were dilated to the size of basketballs, the doctor came in and began his poking and prodding.  And by poking and prodding, I mean digging for gold.  I had no idea it was possible to palpate the back side of the eye with a stick.

He told me I have a condition called lattice degeneration that comes with being near-sighted.  Basically, my retinas have become so thin that they have torn in a couple of places, one on each eye.  He thinks they've been there probably three to six months already.  There's a 20-30% chance they will worsen at some point, which can be reduced to 3-4% if I have laser surgery to scar down the damaged areas.  Regardless, he wants to see me again in a few months to determine if these holes are growing or not.  I decided to wait until that time to see what he finds and make a decision about surgery then.

All in all, good news.  I mean, it's not good to have holes in my retinas.  But the condition isn't serious, and I feel like I'm in the care of professionals who know what they're doing.

I celebrated by having drinks from Sonic and Caribou.  Happy hour at both - can't beat that.

I deeply appreciate all the prayers and support.  I had no doubt I was being prayed for by many people.  From Wednesday night on, I had a sense of peace and no presence of anxiety or nervousness (until he was ready to deliver the diagnosis).  That kind of peace can come only from the Father, Who watches over us and cares about even my eyes.

Grateful.

That's how I felt this morning when I first opened my eyes as all three alarms were blaring at me to get out of bed.  That's how I felt as I watched a beautiful sunrise in my rear-view mirrors on my way to work.

Would it be the last one I ever see?

A routine eye exam last night revealed holes in my retinas that need immediate attention.  And while my vision this morning was the same as it was before my appointment, I woke up much more aware of how precious this gift of sight is.

I'm not in grave danger of losing my eyesight.  But I know enough to recognize my increased risk for retinal detachment, and that it can happen at any time without warning, or without anything to stop it.  So tomorrow I will venture out to see a specialist, who may or may not decide I need surgery.  I'm not too excited about all these unknowns, or the prospect of having sudden and unplanned surgery.  But I go in the care of the Father, the Great Physician, who has my days planned out and will keep me close.  I am in good hands.