14) It's Always Something!

 April 8th, 2021: Today I'm working on the "It's Always Something" that came up last week and necessitated a call to my ophthalmologist, Dr. Janet Lindsey.  Dr. Lindsey had given me an Amsler Test Card a year or so ago for use in determining any visual field distortion that may indicate Macular Degeneration.  I usually pass by the card that I keep in a basket of stuff near the phone on the kitchen counter and conduct the vision test once in awhile: no wavering distortions so far...

Unrelated to Amsler testing in my mind, one day (3/27/21) I was sitting in my office (...after meeting with client...) daydreaming and gazing out the window and I notice waver distortion in the parallel Venation blinds.  So I rush down to look at my Amsler Card again and I notice the distortion in the graph on the card as well.  I am able to get in to see Dr. Lindsey right after we return from our Galveston trip, on 4/6/21.  Her Tech person gets my "story", takes pictures of the innards of my eyes and when I finally get to talk directly to Dr. Lindsey, she says two things: 1); referral to Dr. Mark  Levitan at Austin Retina and 2); she wants his consult before making her recommendation about next steps. I ask, what is it that is the problem? She says, "macular hole" and I respond (not having my hearing aid on) how do you spell that.  Her response, "H-o-l-e". I nod my head and repeat to myself, Hole.  She puts in a call to Dr. Levitan and he can see me right now.  

Off I go from north Austin to South Austin to get a consult from Dr. Levitan.  I had forgotten how difficult it is to drive with my eyes dilated! At Austin Retina they do a complete history (made me wish I'd brought my med folders with me.

Austin Retina does all the same eye tests, puts more dilation drops in my eyes, shoots some dye in my veins for contrast with small blood vessels in back portion of my eye, and I am wondering if they know about HHT.  The tech who is taking the pictures, background info and collecting everything Dr. Levitan needs to say, "Let's get this done as soon as we can" and "If you have any questions send them to me through the portal"

Dr. Levitan did explain that for a week afterwards I will have to be face down "to keep the gas bubble in place" (45 minutes per hour face down) and that brought me to ask about if HHT Epistaxis could complicate this "healing" process.  Dr. Levitan did not know because he doesn't know about HHT.  I found three med journal articles on "HHT & Macular hole" and forwarded them to a Tech at Austin Retina for sharing with Dr. Levitan.

Then, today I messaged Dr. John Battaile at Southwestern Medical Center's HHT Center of Excellence in Dallas to ask him about "cautions or research on recovery from Macular Hole surgery?" and put him in contact with the surgeon at Austin Retina: Dr. Mark Levitan.

In the meantime, Lizzie has been in touch with Cody at Austin Retina about details for scheduling this surgery amidst her Conferences.  I worry about getting into some sort of medical distress when she is at her conference, knowing how reluctant I would be to call her.  [Stand by friends]

Two weeks ago my big medical worries included scheduling my fistula removal and getting my docs who juggle blood pressure meds to adjust them (cause I think my ongoing BP is creeping up TOO HIGH!). Observing it increasing stresses me out as I observe it go higher!  Maybe I actually need anxiety medications instead! Other, longer term worries had to do with ongoing reports related to liver function, kidney function, heart function, and shortness of breath.  Here we have all these things to focus on and then right in the middle of it we find something ELSE that needs our undivided attention.  

Like an honest-to-God HOLE in the right eye's macula (center of the retina).  Drop everything! Lets do this now! Fix the HOLE. Fix the HOLE.  Fix the HOLE! 

As Roseanne Roseannadanna would say, It's always something!