15 March, 2020

One Eyed Pirate, that's me

15 March 2020
977

R. Linda:

As you and a few people know, I had an accident to me eye and have not been able to look at a computer or phone screen (without the night mode) because the brightness hurts me eye. Thus, no stories on the life Gabriel O.

In bits and pieces I have been putting together me story for you to be more thorough on how frustrating it has been to have one eye to see out of. Without getting into the particulars of what and how the "accident" happened, just know that something out of the ordinary happened and here I sit with one eye closed the other covered by gammer glasses that cut the blue light out, so I don't ruin me one good eye.

The day after the "accident" I went to the doctor and was told ripped cornea MAYBE though it didn't really look like it was that, and was given these brown drops that burnt like hell and was told to keep the eye closed and so on and it would heal up.

After a week I went back to be told the eye was recovering nicely, BUT the pressure behind the eye was up to a reading of 40 when it should be 20 or lower. Okay, well I didn't feel "pressure" but okay, so I was given drops for that. I could see perfectly, everything was sharp and clear the vision was 20/20. The next day after putting the drops in the night before, me vision in that eye was cloudy and blurry. I thought well, ok that will disappear as the day goes on. It did not. It was like having late stage cataracts from what me dragon-in-law told me, that I could hardly see out of the eye. I put the drops in again that night and same thing the next day.

I had to drive to Boston, so I took the back roads that save time, but as I was turning I hit someone's car. I never saw them. And why? Because my peripheral vision was gone! I called me eye doctor when I got home and they told me not to use those drops, but prescribed me something else. I started using those and my vision started to clear very slowly, but they really didn't help. I went for pressure check and was told me pressure was up to 44 and laser surgery was the next step.

So I go in, they zap me eye like a hundred times, and when they were finished, me eye felt really weird. I was like -- what just happened? They handed me a prescription for DROPS and told me to get them on me way home. Mind you I was the very last patient to get the surgery, and living in a rural state that rolls up the sidewalks around 5 and it being 6 p.m. I be wondering if I had time to drive an hour away to fill the prescription. Tonya (me designated driver) told me there was a small chemists (pharmacy) on the way home in a small town we had to pass through. Well, ok I thought, but will they have these drops? Usually little places don't carry everything, but we were in luck they did have the drops!

While we were waiting we picked up a few bottles of wine, chocolate covered cherries, and assorted small things. I went to the counter, the bill was rung up and I was charged $240.00! WHAT? The drops were $167 since me insurance covered a good deal, but I had to pay the $167. So that bit of shopping in a tiny village drug store was more money than I paid at the mall at Christmas. Geez!

I was told to put the drops in right away by the chemist and he walked away, no help, like let me do that for you since there is no looking glass. So looking I guess helpless, Tonya led me half blind self out to the car where she put the drops in me eye and we proceeded home.

The laser surgery helped clear the vision a little, but I still couldn't see anything on me right side. I could barely read, and light still hurt. Me post surgery appointment pressure reading was 35! Still too high. I was given more drops. This time I had the script filled by the large pharmacy and they told me my insurance would pay $149 and I'd owe then $386. WHAT, WHAT???

I told the pharmacist NO WAY. I had no guarantee the drops would do anything, like the first and second sets (which were not inexpensive), and would simply end up sitting on me shelf. She told me there were other drops and to call me eye doctor. I did. Miracle of miracles I got a free sample of the expensive drug. It burns when I put it in me eye and has helped not much. I was told I have a mild case of glacoma (which does not run in me family, is in only one eye and has me perplexed as to how this could be). One day I had perfect vision, and the next I had barely any, how does that happen?

I have been, for the past few months, going back and forth to the eye doctor. I was still using the samples while he investigated something else for me to try. Meanwhile, me insurance sent me an email that I could get a huge savings on the drug that I had samples of. Yes, a big savings of $214 and I get a co-pay of $3,459.12! WHAT, WHAT, WHAT?! Well, you know that wasn't going to happen and why did the price go up?

So I go back and complain and me doctor sighs and says to me, "I really don't know what is wrong with the eye. It isn't a ripped cornea, it isn't eye disease, it isn't glacoma. I don't know what this is, but I am baffled. I do know your pressure has been way too high, but we know the drops work to bring it down. So let's do this, I have a list from the pharmacy of like eyedrops. Lets start with the cheapest and see where we go. And I agree what your insurance is charging for the ones that do work is ridiculous. There are things I may be able to do to get them to drop that price, but let's see if we can find something else first."

Okay, so I got the $10 drops called in. I went to the pharmacy and was told that will be $30. Yup, I stood there in shock, I mean $30 compared to $3,459.12 be a gift from the eye gods, but I was told $10. I asked about it and the chemist informed me that I was getting a three month supply instead of a one month because the drops didn't come in smaller bottles. Great! Here I was with six useless bottles of eyedrops in me medicine cabinet at a cost well over $400 and now I might be adding to the collection. UGH!

There be a near happy ending. These cheap drops worked! Yes, I be a cheap fix I be. Me pressure reading was 18! Everyone be happy except I still can't see fully out of the eye, and one day the vision be sharp, the next not so much. I live in blue-light glasses. I will say they be me only saving grace because they sooth me eyes (both of them) when working on a computer or looking at me mobile.

I finally got me car back from being near totalled yesterday. I have yet to drive it and of course I got it back now because there be no place to drive to. Me work has me working from home as are a lot of me associates. So cool, a car that looks as good as new and . . . it looks very nice and shiney sitting out in me driveway. I sometimes look out and wonder if someone be here because I be not used to seeing a car parked out there. Yes, me car was a saga in itself of it being so old parts where hard to get. And once they started the bodywork they found the steering column had been bent, and a bunch of other problems. I tell ya, I couldn't cut a break and this started months ago. The car was in the shop awaiting parts for the longest time, and I had forgotten I owned one. As it was I was driven like Miss Daisy everywhere because of the eye, so now I can sort of see, and me auto be back, but there be nowhere to go. How's that for Murphy's Law or more accurately, O'Sully's having no Irish luck.

Gabe
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2 comments:

mobit22 said...

ROFLMAO welcome to the blind club. I do have peripheral vision in my bad eye but if you stand in front of me you disappear! At least you get to drive. I don't. So no more whining. I do enough of that for both of us!

Fiona said...

i'm sorry that happened to you. i was wondering why so few stories get better.