Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Putting My Life on Hold ~ Cancellations

It's finally sinking in how serious my eye surgery was. I'v been told by my doctor I'll have at lest six more weeks of being still, quiet, and no focus work. I've had to cancel the May Day show in Santa Cruz. I've had to cancel going to Southern California for the the Create Retreat in May. I may have to cancel going to Missouri in June. It's very hard for me to lay around the house and do nothing, but I'm trying to stay positive and follow my doctor instruction so my eyes can heal properly.

I want to thank everyone who has sent me well wishes, I really appreciate it.

BTW my mom is not typing on the computer...It's still me Tony (her son) I hope I am scoring lots of brownie points for this..lol jkjk

Friday, April 15, 2011

Update on My Eyes

My son Tony is posting this message for me.

At my doctor visit on monday she told me I was bad to have been on the computer. I'm taking that to heart now-no reading, computer, or close work.

I had a small retinal tear on my right eye also that she lasered.
i get another check up on the 18th and go week to week to see how I'm healing.

Now for the reason this happened to me.... high cholesterol! Did you know that effects your eyes? (click here for more info) I did not and no one ever told me. I've known my cholesterol was high for years. My LDL(bad) was high but my HDL(good) was equally high so the percentage ratio was normal. My triglycerides were good and my blood pressure good and low. No cost for alarm as my heart seemed healthy. But not one doctor told me that it would affect my eye sight. ACK! I feel like an idiot for not addressing the high cholesterol sooner.

Before my eye issues became apparent and serious i had already gone on a diet-no wheat( gluten), no dairy, no refined sugar, no red meat or pork, no eggs. I lost 8 lbs. in a month. I've been on the diet for two months and it's a good thing because that will help get my cholesterol down.

Everyone please get your eyes checked regularly. Vitreous floaters are one thing you learn to live with but if sudden cobweb like floaters appear go IMMEDIATELY to an eye(retinal) specialist and have them checked! The floaters at this stage are most likely to be blood because your eye has hemorrhaged!

I'm not using doctor in santa cruz anymore. I and my family have been misdiagnosed too many times. I'm going to the Los Gatos area in search of a new family doctor-I prefer a woman for myself-if anyone who reads this has a doctor they can recommend please let me know.

It's hard for me to be inactive but its the only way my eyes will heal. An online art friend, Judy, called me out of the blue and said to "focus on the fact that I'm laying here to heal". I am keeping that in my mind because it's a positive affirmation, I am healing.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Off Blog for a While

Last Thursday I developed severe floaters in my left eye. I've had floaters for years but this was different. I went to see a doctor in the ophthalmology department at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation in Santa Cruz and was told I did NOT have a retinal tear, that I only had floaters and they would settle down within a week. I was told I could fly this week as I had plans to visit New Zealand with my husband for 3 weeks. By Monday my eye was not better and I felt it getting worse. I had told that doc this seemed different than floaters but he didn't seem concerned. So I went to see a retinal specialist who did extensive test on my eye and discovered several very large tear in my retina and did emergency laser on the eye. So now I'm pretty much bed ridden, no reading, no computer, only large screen tv and audio books. Sigh. I'll be getting weekly checkups to see how I'm healing and determine how long I have to rest my eye.

We had to cancel our trip to New Zealand, wah! But I am so grateful that Dr. Wu was able to address my eye and I didn't take that first doctor's advice. If I had gotten on a plane my retina would have detached and my eye would have bled. I could have lost my eyesight in that eye.

I do not know why the tears happened but am getting some further testing to see if we can determine that.

I won't be posting for a while again as I should be resting my eye. My son has been helping me with email messages and he may check back here for me for time to time.

Our eyesight is precious and do not take it for granted!!!