Settling down now...

Just another day in Ann Arbor putting Jan through the wringer.. ECP was at 11:00, so Ron had his preliminary bloodwork at 9:30. I like this schedule because we can move at a non-stressful pace at the Hampton. (very helpful when I have snow to remove from the car AGAIN) Ron's eye appointment was at 1:45, so I brought him lunch during the last part of ECP. So far so good.

I was glad that Ron was having his eyes checked because his high glucose at some point everyday affects his vision. The health of his right eye is even more important since he has irreversible complete loss of vision in his left eye. Mainly, I am thinking that I want the eye doc to reinforce how important it is to avoid foods that cause his glucose to go too high. The exam begins with the eye chart which is electronically projected, but even so, the E is still the largest letter. With his good eye, Ron cannot make out any of the letters until the solitary large E is projected. I had given him insulin at lunch as well as his Lantus after breakfast, but I know this is a time ..almost 2 hours after a meal when the glucose is high. The exam continued-- which includes a tear duct test, etc. For this, they attach small strips of paper to measure tear production.

Without trying to sound dramatic,it was gut wrenching for me. Over an hour passes before the main eye doc comes in, and he rechecks, and there is significant change since September's exam but not as bad on the recheck as an hour earlier. He would need a new prescription, but his vision is fluctuating, so we are in a holding pattern to change his glasses. The doc also tells us that he has a cataract, and in addition to the high glucose, that would appear to be the reason his nearsightedness has become worse. He can read okay. He will need cataract surgery when cleared by Dr. Mag. Personally, I think he needs a much higher platelet count, and I will insist it be done by a doc who does a lot of them every week.
To add to the stress, when the person who did the paper strip test removed the strip, it broke a capillary, and now as he puts it, his left eye looks like something you might want on Halloween. By this time, I am so relieved that he is not going totally blind that I find his comment very funny and break into hysterical laughter. His entire eye is bulging red, but as long as he can close his eye, I won't call the doc on call. Actually, something similar happened awhile back, and as long as he can close his eye, we can wait. It also helps knowing that we will be back in the clinic tomorrow morning. Indeed, through the wringer today.