Fuzzy Feeling Fading

That escalated quickly

Thursday I posted a pouty tale of an artist with an eye problem.

My husband pointed out that there were multiple typos in my “Feeling Fuzzy” post. Cataract glasses make vision a challenge.

Well, the eye doctor referred me to a retina specialist and I was able to get in the next day.

Friday: My Bible verse for the day was encouraging. I tried to stay positive as I went to the new doctor. I'll admit, I was pretty nervous at the doctor office. As I sat and fidgeted in another waiting room. A lady with curly blonde hair came in and sat down across the room. For some reason, phones don't work in this place, so instead of hiding behind our rectangle people looked around a bit. The curly haired lady said she liked my outfit (it was kind of a silly outfit). That sparked a nice conversation that made me forget I was scared.

At the new doctor’s office, I went from room to room using all the same equipment the last doctor used. In between rooms, me and Christi would chat. We decided maybe we should be friends. Having someone to keep me company between rooms was nice. Before I went through door number 3, I gave her my business card. We smiled and parted ways. That’s when things got dark.

The third room was where I met the doctor. He shined the bright light in my eyes, like the last guy did, and I worked on my look up, look down look, all around skills He started asking me bizarre questions about international travel, raw meat, cats and what not. He said scary things about vision loss and then left the room.

This time he shut the door. I sat quietly in my chair staring at the double screen computer trying to decipher the data of my eye. Eventually the screen shifted to power saver mode and I realized how dark the room was. After quite a long wait the door slid open and the doctor turned on the light. I don't think he realized he left me in that state.

Keeping a distance from me he informed me that he was sending me straight to the emergency room in Charleston so they could take a sample of my eye. With both my eyes dilated, I implored him that I didn't know where to go. He had he nurse write the address on a long postcard and disappeared.

I’ll try to spare you the story of my terrifying journey south, but with Randy as my map and remote counselor I made it.

Comfy nook. Hey now you can see my outfit. It’s a romper.

For everyone who thinks this story is too bleak to continue, I would like to share that MUSC hospital is quite lovely. I carried my postcard up the the desk, waving it around it around like a golden ticket. Eventually someone told me that was just so I knew where to go.

At triage, I explained my plight, going back to Christmas in case that was pertinent, and got sent to a comfy nook quite quickly.

I updated Randy via text, thank you wifi. Eventually the nurse who stabbed me came to take me to the “eye room.” I followed the nice young man through a labyrinth of wooden hallways. We passed a nurses station and he had me take note of it in case it seemed like I was forgotten. He used the key pad to open a door at the end of a hallway and had me sit and wait for the eye doctor.

Oh look, another eye exam room.

It sat in solitude with no phone signal again. At least this room had light.

My solitude was short lived. A young man with a backpack came in and asked me about my plight. I started with Christmas and admitted I had eaten some undercooked meat. He dilated my eyes some more and I did the bright light exercise, again. He told me my dreaded fears were about to come true and he was going to stab my eye with a needle and take a tissue sample to see if what I had was bad, or really bad.

About to be left alone with my thoughts, again, I asked if there was some way I could make a call. I knew Randy would be wanting an update. As the doctor opened the door, there stood Randy and Alishanee. I was relieved. We all followed the doctor back to my cozy nook where we left the healthy ones to watch Captain America. I followed the doctor on yet another tour through the hospital to a different eye place. There we met the real doctor and got situated in a knew eye exam room. They dilated my eyes some more and we did the light game. She agreed. That's one yucky eye. The doctor in training numbed my eye and then he and his teacher went to the hallway to discuss a strategy. They used technical terms, but I got the jist. This was going to suck.

You know, sometimes it is good to learn you can handle more than you give yourself credit for. Sitting still while two people probe a needle into my eye is the stuff of nightmares. I held it together like a boss.

Back to Captain America and my two heros, we played twenty questions until I got discharged. The nurse noted that I got the full ER experience as she removed my IV port and bid me farewell.

Going back Sunday for status check, but for now I am home with antibacterial and anti viral meds. At least I made a new friend.