Eye updates

I found out that my sister is now (as in right now, as I write this) being seen by a consultant in London, to try & get a final verdict on her status; shes been seen by 2 other guys in the last few weeks, and I suppose that the adage of the watch is appropriate – have 2 watches and you’ll never know the time & all that – but this guy is meant to be amongst the best in the country, so I suppose that his opinion wins.

 

I’m pleasantly surprised that shes being seen so quickly (especially by the NHS) and part of me (probably grasping at straws) feels that this might be a good sign, so I’m – not unreasonably – on tenterhooks. I keep on running the same things over & over in my mind: perhaps they can do something for her? Perhaps the reason they want her in so quickly (she was told last night to get to London) is that there’s the equivalent of a ‘golden hour’ where they can repair things more easily? I don’t know, but its weighing on my mind like a thunderstorm.

 

I hope & pray that they’ll be able to do something for her, but shes not hopeful. In fact, speaking with her was a quite an unpleasant experience; she was (not unreasonably) so bitter, angry & feeling so hopeless that after the initial conversational pleasantries were over, I didn’t recognise her – I thought that someone else had got the phone.

 

I don’t know how I’d react if I was told that I would have to be partially sighted for the rest of my life & its easy to be an armchair expert, but she was so angry it was shameful. Either way, we’ll get a verdict within 24 hours, and no matter how bad the results are, at least she’ll then be in a position to put her life back together; the threat of hope, or daring to expect anything other than the worst from this vanity* inspired operation must be festering in her. At least when the lightning strikes (assuming that its bad news & a miracle cure is not available) she can start to put herself back together.

 

Weight unchanged. 86 kilos.

 

S

 

*I appreciate that I’ve got a bee in my bonnet about this being a vanity operation, but I’ve come so close to doing it myself – on several occasions - that I cant help but think ‘there but for the grace of God go I’.

Waiting

Just spoken with my Dad; still no news from the consultants office as yet. Apparently when he tried to get information from my mum he said that she couldn’t talk just then & hung up pretty much immediately in a semi-whispered tone - which implies that they’re still in the consultation.

 

So… if they’re still in there, then this is a good sign, surely? I mean one glance and a ‘Nope, terribly sorry, nothing I can do for you’ is all it takes to dismiss a patient, but being in for 5 hours or so? Surely that’s a good sign? Even allowing for 4 hours of tests, surely this implies that they’re doing (or preparing for) another corrective operation on my sisters eyes? Which surely implies that they can do something for her? Which is ergo good news?

 

Surely?

 

S

3 posts in one day. What fun.

Right then, the word from the consultant appears to be that my sister can be helped, but its going to take time & effort & patience - though this message has been relayed via 2 parents & is heavily paraphrased & its all subject to them getting home & being debriefed later on tonight. 

From what the consultant told me mother told my dad, told me, Lucy is never going to have good eyesight ever again, but assuming she does the treatment & keeps on seeing the consultant (so to speak) he thinks that she will be able to retain a functional (albeit poor) level of eyesight within a few months, with steady improvements over the next 8 - 12 months. After this then they're going to look at other options, like operations, but at this stage, they dont think that another operation is in her best interests, as her eyes have been messed around too much recently & they want to give her a chance to heal. 

So no quick fix, and no car-driving for several months, but I have to say that I am quite massively relieved about this. Given the bad news from the first 2 consultants, we had all expected the worst, but this guy is meant to be the expert, so his opinions carry more weight. 

Right then. Time to collapse into a relieved heap.

S

PS. Big thanks to everyone for all your support, both on & off line. It really is most appreciated.