Thursday 29 January 2015

Update on Alan

Well, Alan has spent a couple of weeks since the retina operation. After a few days he became aware of seeing through what looked like the door of a washing machine as it slowly emptied. There was a clear line of liquid in his eye that was slowly 'draining down', and which sloshed about as he walked. Encouragingly, he could see some misty stuff above the 'water line'. Eventually, this liquid turned into a bubble, which bobbed about at the bottom of his vision, occasionally splitting in two, and then reforming. Today he woke up and it had finally gone.

It wasn't obvious at first, but what was happening was that the 'gas bubble' which was designed to press the retina against the back of his eye was starting to dissipate, and moved upwards in the eye. As we see the ground in the top of the eye, and the sky in the bottom of the eye what he was seeing was the gas bubble moving upwards as it dissipated, not liquid draining down. The bit he couldn't see through was the gas bubble at the top of his eye.

We went back to the JR in Oxford on Monday, and they were pleased with the progress of his retina, but the process has accelerated the slow forming cataract in his eye - this is what is causing the misty vision in that eye - he can see quite well at a distance, but not detail.  We go back again in three weeks time, and hopefully they will discuss with him the possibility of cataract surgery.

Today we went to audiology in Hemel Hempstead. Alan had hearing aids years ago, but didn't get on well with them, during his episode of severe depression eight years ago he left them out, the batteries deteriorated, and that was the end of them. However, it is not unusual for people to speak to him in public, and him to just not hear them. I've got quite used to fielding him on the towpath at festivals, "Alan, X just spoke to you!"

Not only that but I have become increasingly fed up with the conversations that consist mostly of "What?" So, I did what every good wife would do, and I nagged him to get his hearing tested again. Today we went to get the hearing aids. 

Alan drove both to Hemel and home, the first time that he was able to drive, because previously the bobbing bubble in his eye was far too distracting. On the way back he commented on the noise that the traffic going the other way was making. Then, back at home, "does the coffee machine always make that much noise?" 

This is going to be interesting... 

2 comments:

  1. Those vintage engines are going to sound well loud! Glad all is progressing well thus far

    ReplyDelete
  2. When I managed to get my mum to accept she needed hearing aids I had to stop thinking out aloud... LOL

    ReplyDelete

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