Looking Back To August 2006
Today at this time six years ago I was in Charleston preparing to have my first eye surgery. It was a cornea transplant on my right eye. I had a condition called kertaconas. The corna bulges out producing a cone shape. To do a transplant they take an instrument that looks like a buttonholer on a sewing machine and remove the old cornea and then put a new one in; stitches are required. Anyway, I could feel the prayers of people. I was nervous and afraid. I wondered if I could see any thing after this. Could I work? I had lots of questions.
I knew my eyes were getting worse. I associated it with age of more use of the computer. At work we had switched to a computerized system called SMARTS (small market accounts receivable traffic system) and I did the programming of it,until the day I was eliminated. More time on the computer was an eye strain. Then the General Manager made me mad, we were talking about building a website and I said I would like to maintain it. He actually asked the question if I could see well enough to do it. Of course I could, because maintaining a web site does not require speed. It takes accuracy. That hurt my feelings, because over the years, I have had those same comments asked. I've always managed to get the job done, my homework done and whatever else I need to do done. I got to thinking that I had an eye exam the year before, and the poor doctor that I had seen got caught up in drugs, so I thought I would make an appointment with a new one. When he examined my eyes, he said I had a condition called kertaconas. I had never heard of this before. But it explained a lot. I was having trouble telling the definition of steps and different things. One Sunday morning before heading to work I fell on my front walk. I busted both knees open. My walk consists of several steps leading up to the porch. There were other things as well that happened. My docter said they treat this condition two ways, the either prescribe contact lenses or surgery. We had tried contacts when I was 18 and my eye movement was so bad that they wouldn't stay in. He said that he would refer me to a specialist in Charleston. He said you will like him, he is a Christian , he does missionary work and he will know what to do.
That day I signed releases for medical reccords from all of the eye docters that I had been to. They made an appointment in Charleston for me. I went to Charleston and saw the eye docter there. He confirmed the diagnosis. He said that surgery would help this condition. It would roll my vision back maybe to the point it was five to ten years. I was scared, but I said that at the rate I am going that I would hurt myself so I agreed to the surgery. The next step was getting approval from my health insurance who wanted to make sure this was medically a neccessity. That was funny to me. Like I am going to have someone poking around my eyes for cosmetic reasons. No way. When we got the approval back, we scheduled the surgery for August 15, 2006.
It was a busy summer. We were working on a family reunion. People were working on a fund raiser for me for my surgery. I began to get people walking up and handing me money saying "The Lord said give you this". At the hospital, they gave me a local anesthetic. At first they couldn't find a vein. As I got groggier my doctor prayed with me and later I was wheeled into surgery. I could hear what was going on, but I was out of it too much to care. We drove home from Charleston and I made the calls to everyone and went to bed. I had to go back the next day for then to remove the bandages. That morning I had the radio on and I heard Gary praying and the song "Over and Over" from Jeff and Sheri Easter and I could feel the peace of God letting me know everything was going to be alright. When they took the patch off water poured from that eye and it scared me. They said that whats they wanted to see. They gave me eye drops and an eye shield to wear . I had an appointment the following week. I had to stay off from work until I was released. I had specific instructions, not to lift over five pounds, no bending down, no straining of the eyes.
Slowly the eye began to heal and I began to see things that I hadn't noticed in a while. God is truly amazing....
I knew my eyes were getting worse. I associated it with age of more use of the computer. At work we had switched to a computerized system called SMARTS (small market accounts receivable traffic system) and I did the programming of it,until the day I was eliminated. More time on the computer was an eye strain. Then the General Manager made me mad, we were talking about building a website and I said I would like to maintain it. He actually asked the question if I could see well enough to do it. Of course I could, because maintaining a web site does not require speed. It takes accuracy. That hurt my feelings, because over the years, I have had those same comments asked. I've always managed to get the job done, my homework done and whatever else I need to do done. I got to thinking that I had an eye exam the year before, and the poor doctor that I had seen got caught up in drugs, so I thought I would make an appointment with a new one. When he examined my eyes, he said I had a condition called kertaconas. I had never heard of this before. But it explained a lot. I was having trouble telling the definition of steps and different things. One Sunday morning before heading to work I fell on my front walk. I busted both knees open. My walk consists of several steps leading up to the porch. There were other things as well that happened. My docter said they treat this condition two ways, the either prescribe contact lenses or surgery. We had tried contacts when I was 18 and my eye movement was so bad that they wouldn't stay in. He said that he would refer me to a specialist in Charleston. He said you will like him, he is a Christian , he does missionary work and he will know what to do.
That day I signed releases for medical reccords from all of the eye docters that I had been to. They made an appointment in Charleston for me. I went to Charleston and saw the eye docter there. He confirmed the diagnosis. He said that surgery would help this condition. It would roll my vision back maybe to the point it was five to ten years. I was scared, but I said that at the rate I am going that I would hurt myself so I agreed to the surgery. The next step was getting approval from my health insurance who wanted to make sure this was medically a neccessity. That was funny to me. Like I am going to have someone poking around my eyes for cosmetic reasons. No way. When we got the approval back, we scheduled the surgery for August 15, 2006.
It was a busy summer. We were working on a family reunion. People were working on a fund raiser for me for my surgery. I began to get people walking up and handing me money saying "The Lord said give you this". At the hospital, they gave me a local anesthetic. At first they couldn't find a vein. As I got groggier my doctor prayed with me and later I was wheeled into surgery. I could hear what was going on, but I was out of it too much to care. We drove home from Charleston and I made the calls to everyone and went to bed. I had to go back the next day for then to remove the bandages. That morning I had the radio on and I heard Gary praying and the song "Over and Over" from Jeff and Sheri Easter and I could feel the peace of God letting me know everything was going to be alright. When they took the patch off water poured from that eye and it scared me. They said that whats they wanted to see. They gave me eye drops and an eye shield to wear . I had an appointment the following week. I had to stay off from work until I was released. I had specific instructions, not to lift over five pounds, no bending down, no straining of the eyes.
Slowly the eye began to heal and I began to see things that I hadn't noticed in a while. God is truly amazing....
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