“The RoseBouquet”

I’m late. I know. I’m just back from Ermergency and the Eye Care Dept. at City Hospital. That means a lot of waiting; it was a long day.

On Sunday I thought my glasses were dirty in church, so I wiped them more than once. On the way home I thought the windshield was uncommonly dirty and it wouldn’t clean with the spray washer. Once I got home and thoroughly cleaned my glasses I realized that they were not the problem. My left eye was seeing floaters. A little black spider with an extra long crazy leg, and some bits of threads and lint and some black and grey dots would float by but shift position every time I blinked.

Then I recalled what one eye specialist told me oh, maybe 15-20 years ago, and my current optometrist who last checked me in 2005. That I’m a prime candidate for macular degeneration, and if I ever saw floaters or flashes of light I should come in quickly so they could save my eye. Mom, her mother, and at least two of her brothers had it (Uncle Henry still does), so it runs in our family.

I tried calling my optometrist’s office on Sunday but got a recording, and it recommended calling the Eye Dept at City Hospital. i called there next and got a recording to say they were closed until Tuesday. Only doctors with crisis patients should call the next number. Monday was a new holiday here, called Family Day, so there was nothing to do but commit myself to God and wait until this morning to try again.

My optometrist was away on holidays this week, but they could give me an appointment with another doctor on Thursday but urged me to go to Ermergency and the Eye Dept. at City Hospital, and to take a driver because they would put dilating drops in my eyes.

So… I called my friend Shirley and she was good enough to drive me there, and to pick me up when I called her again. I spent from 10:30 to 1:30 in the Emergency Dept, only getting to see a doctor the last 10-15 minutes. Then I was sent up to the Eye Dept, where fortunately, things moved faster.

I called Shirley at 3 p.m.. and she came to take me home, but warned me to put on my sunglasses. I’m thankful I had my clipons in my purse! I still have them on, and although it seems like past dusk in my house, without the sunglasses, everything is fussy and bright, BRIGHT!

Happily, I know this will wear off in a few hours.

Oh, the diagnosis? My retina does not show signs of being detached - yet, but I’m to see another specialist in 6 weeks, and if I see bright lights, or curtains coming down shutting down my vision I ‘m to call right in fast. Otherwise, get used to the floaters. There’s nothing that can be done about them.