David's drama

Well, after a time of wonder, the day for David's cataract operation arrived - 3 delays in the public system had us decide to go private, working on the theory that we had put aside some money for the purpose of unexpected and necessary surgery that may be not considered urgent in the public system. (We believe that it is better to save the money ourselves rather than pay for health insurance, so that we have some cash available when required, and if we don't need operations, then we are quids in ...)

So yesterday was the day, and we set off from home at 5.15am so we would arrive in plenty of time at the Southern Cross Hospital in Wellington. On the way, strangely for David, he said it was the first time he'd ever felt car sick, so even though it was a bit chilly, we had the windows open. When we arrived, 45 minutes early, he spent the time walking up and down the street, to conquer the nausea. We put it down to nervousness - not surprising, as the eye to be operated on (his right - remember this - it's important) is his only good eye. His left eye only has 20% sight and is a bit useless. Nevertheless, the left eye was sore - as it had been a couple of other times over the last few weeks.

Because David was forcepped around the eye when being born, his eye muscles were damaged and his eyes wobble - it is most noticeable when he is angry, and kids he taught told me once that they never knew who he was growling at ... Anyway, back to the wobbling eyes: to make sure the right eye stayed still, David had to have a general anaesthetic for the cataract operation. Usually the operation takes about 15 minutes all up, but David was prepped early and then slept for about 3/4 of an hour afterwards. I wasn't surprised as he'd only had about 3 hours sleep the night before.

But when he came to, he told Keith, the ophthalmologist, that his left eye was sore. So Keith checked the eye wearing what looks like a space-age piece of headgear - lights, microscope, etc. Then he checked the pressure in David's eye, and realised it was very high. "OK"he said, "I am going to send you over to the public hospital immediately to get treatment started - this is very serious. You have acute malignant glaucoma in this left eye, and it needs to be attended to straightaway." AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

David was still feeling very dozy and quite unwell, so I helped him dress, went and got the car, and Janet, the lovely nurse, pushed him in a wheelchair to the front door. She then lent us the wheelchair so he wouldn't have to walk to the Eye Clinic from the public hospital carpark.

Once there, we only waited a few minutes before Ginny the ophthalmology nurse came to get David, and measured the pressure (69). Apparently, the pressure should be between 12 and 22... AAARRRGGGHHH!!! She gave David some tablets that are meant to help reduce the pressure, and then got Zak, one of the ophthalmologists, to see David.

There was a wait of a few minutes, followed by the first action to attempt to reduce the pressure:  using a laser to cut a slit in the cornea. Zak did have to wait though while David vomited into the wastepaper basket ... And the laser treatment didn't work and I think he vomited up the pills ...

So Zak moved straight on the the second action - more laser treatment: approximately 100 - 200 laser strikes around the iris to open up little holes and get the iris to move away from the cornea. Nope, didn't work.

There was then a hiatus while, after consulting Keith who had arrived for his public practice, Zak administered eye drops every few minutes (between other patients) to try and reduce the pressure. By this stage, David was lying down in one of the consulting rooms and drifting in and out of sleep, and quite distressed and disoriented. (I took the opportunity to walk the wheelchair back to the Southern Cross Hospital - do you know how weird it looks to be wheeling an empty chair??) Shortly after I got back they re-checked the pressure and still no change.

So a bit more of a wait, then another pressure test by Keith and the decision on a procedure (to be done urgently) wherein Keith inserted a needle into the back of David's eye and extracted some fluid, then inserted a needle into the front of his eye and pumped in some fluid to help the iris move away from the cornea. David did have the benefit of some local anaesthetic, but it all looked pretty scary from where I was watching...

Success - the pressure reduced to the mid-40s. And the change in David was quite remarkable - he brightened, could almost answer questions intelligibly, could walk unaided, no longer felt sick, was ready for food (that is a sure sign in a man that they are much better). So then it was a wait and see - measurements twice in an hour. It went down to the high 30s.

Keith's view was that David should stay in hospital overnight in case it climbed again, in which case,  surgical intervention would be required - by this stage it was after 4.30pm, and Zak had to come back after more operations in theatre to do a further measurement and write up the notes for David to be admitted. Ruth, another ophthalmology nurse, found a bed on a ward for him, and after a final check by Zak and Keith (who cancelled the Nil by Mouth ruling given the pressure was reducing, albeit slowly), Ruth and I took David in a wheelchair up to the ward - I pushed. Well, I had to get my 10,000 steps and effort in somehow!

By the time we got him to the ward and settled, it was after 6pm. All of the Eye Clinic staff had worked extended hours to get him sorted - what a magnificent team they are.

So he had dinner on the ward (the poached fish looked awful to me, but I would have eaten the mashed potato, carrots and cabbage) but David told me later he had eaten it all. Well, he hadn't had a meal for over 24 hours, so no doubt it tasted good, regardless!

I went to stay overnight with Errol and Adrian in Wilton which is close to the city, to save me the drive out to Waikanae. Chardonnay was waiting for me, as well as dinner. Such good and kind friends they are.

David rang while I was drinking my first chardonnay to let me know that the ophthalmology registrar had been and the pressure was down to 30. YAY!!!

My bed was warm and comfy, I had my own en-suite bathroom and Errol and Adrian found for me a Business Class toothbrush and toothpaste from one of their trips - of course, as I was only expecting to be away from home until about midday, neither of us had taken anything for an overnight stay ...

David texted early this morning to say he'd had a good night's sleep and that both eyes felt good. I was up by 6.30 and in the shower, then a cup of tea with Adrian who was already working, then off to the hospital in a vain attempt to be there before Keith and Zak came to check on him in their early morning rounds. Missed by about 5 minutes, I think.

But the upshot was the pressure was back down to 10 - double YAY!!! and David was allowed to come home.

Keith has decided that rather than just keeping a watching brief on the left eye, David needs a cataract operation on it without delay - the cataract is partially responsible for the growth in pressure inside the eye as it takes up space. And the left eye is smaller than the right because of the damage at birth. So the plan is that the left eye will be operated on as a matter of urgency, and it is intended that it will be done before we go overseas. Triple YAY if they pull that off!!!

So watch this space!

PS Had to go through and correct the spelling of ophthalmology - too many dipthongs in that word!