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As you all know by now, I visit a retinal specialist periodically and get an injection in my left eye to treat a condition known as wet macular degeneration. A couple of years ago the interval between injections was six weeks; now it’s up to twelve weeks. Which is not bad — that’s effectively once a quarter.
Today was the latest one. I’ve been doing this for more than eleven years now, and I can testify based on my experience with it that you really can get used to anything. It’s all still horrible, of course, but it’s horrible in a familiar way. I know exactly what to expect. I know exactly what it feels like when the needle goes in. I know I will lose sight completely in that eye for about a minute afterwards. I know it will burn horribly for quite awhile, but that will gradually recede. I know that I have a better than 50-50 chance of being forced to watch a dancing bubble for 24 hours after the injection.
Today I was lucky: No dancing bubble! Going grocery shopping and driving home is so much easier when the bubble isn’t jerking and jigging across my field of vision.
However, I did have to get my pupils dilated this time. That always makes the recovery take longer. I have to wear temporary shades on top of my prescription sunglasses, and even then I wince at every bright reflection that appears.
For the first six years of this ordeal I used to come out of the medical building, climb in the car, and sit back with my eyes closed while I talked to Dymphna on our old “candy bar” cell phone. It made the process seem less awful. But I can’t do that anymore, unfortunately. I just walk out into the parking lot, get in the car, and drive to the supermarket.
Even so, it’s not too bad. I really am used to it now.
My eye is doing pretty well at the moment, but I don’t feel like posting much this evening. I’ll just get the news feed together, and leave it at that.
Take care baron!
G_d willing, Baron, your condition will afford you no unpleasant surprises.
Baron, your devotion to duty is an inspiration! But take some time to heal yourself, you deserve it… We’ll be here when you are ready to start up again at status normal speed…
Bless you, Ned, and may God heal your eye problem. But I am glad that today’s treatment was better that the last ones.
I learned something today. Thank you.
It is harder to escape the enveloping pain when it is closer to your brain in my experience. Too bad it’s not just an ingrown toenail far away on your foot. I hope you treat yourself to a nice carton of ice cream at the supermarket on your odyssey home. May the Lord lessen the anguish and steady the hand of the opthalmologist.
I often get chicken tikka masala. I have a weakness for Indian food.
Steve Kirsh is having a retina problem — a serious one. Today there are many comments on treating eye problems. Some of these address macular degeneration. Worth a look as some of the comments relate to unusual treatments for eye issues. https://kirschsubstack.com/p/i-have-a-lot-of-blood-under-my-rpe/comments?utm_source=substack%2Csubstack&publication_id=548354&post_id=147080313&utm_medium=email%2Cemail&isFreemail=true&comments=true&utm_campaign=email-half-magic-comments