Five weeks ago I booked in to my usual optician for an eye test (I knew it was overdue) He asked me how did I feel about having the cataracts removed which were in both eyes. Fine, not a problem. He told me he could book me in to local hospital, 10 miles away. Fine, I can drive there. Bit of a shock his next words were "You should not be driving!!" so I have lost my independence for a while.
Reason for this post is that the speed things have happened. Assessment appointment after 2 weeks and then this Friday the first eye will be sorted. Thanks NHS. I reckon (hopefully) by end of January or beginning of February the car can come out of moth balls.
A lot wrong with the NHS but lots of good things too.So pleased you are being sorted.Good luck............Dad had his done years ago and all went fine :)
Good news Lorna, soon be done with and you will be back to normal!
At least it is winter so not missing out on good weather.
Good luck my MIL found it wonderful, but then started spring cleaning (not that the house was dirty! she could just see everything so much better!)
Glad they're sorting your eyes out so quickly, Lorna
Both of Ray's parents had both eyes done and so did my dad, it made an incredible difference to them all ;D
I think our NHS is fantastic and most of the people who work in it are amazing :)
Not so great in our neck of the woods :(
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-15993402
Great news Lorna,my parents have had both done and have benefitted no end,they are 77 and 87.
I am a Volunteer at our local NHS Hospital and have to say that the vast majority of patients I show around the place as a wayfinder back the service they or their family get,granted the papers are only too happy to highlight
failings that have been implemented as a result of budget cuts leaving wards "bone dry" of qualified staff to handle the influx of patients,and hence rely on part time bank staff who mean well, but are not of the calibre one hopes to see around critical care wards.
anyway,youll soon be back out driving around,hope all goes well for you.
Gazza
I think that the NHS service goes between brilliant and dire.
I recently saw a podiatrist and her treatment has been brilliant but she was the rudest most obnoxious person.
My daughter had a spine op some years ago in North Stafford and the staff there were so so nice, I regularly tell people they need to go there for an attitude transplant.
My handicapped daughter has had more than her fair share of dire, and so have I but my husband mostly seems to get a good deal.
I do hate those notices about not tolerating abuse from patients. I think they should be matched by ones saying that the staff should not be abusive either.
Cant knock the nursing staff at the NHS, treated me very well both time i was in. The problem with the NHS is the incompetant useless penpushers, they need sacking, the nurses given there salaries and put control back into the hands of the consultants.
Oh don't get me started. I have been working in and out of the NHS for some years, the problems are all created by managers and the politicians who tell managers what to do. Put the staff who were trained some ten or so years ago in charge and let them do what they want to do, that is, Nurse, Help, Treat and Care.
Rant over...
It would seem that we appear to be lucky in this neck of the woods. All I can say is that from my cancer operation and post op treatment at Addenbrookes (20 years ago) and then attending Addenbrookes in the past year for MRI scans I cannot speak highly enough of the way I have been treated. Now the way this small problem with my eyes is being dealt with makes me thank all concerned.
My father-in-law had his cataracts done, one eye at a time. (OF course this is France so the hospital system is nothing like UK's NHS!) When he took off the bandage, he realised that he could see so well that he no longer needed distance glasses! As he wears bifocals and stillw anted to wear his glasses all the time, they made him new ones with plain glass and just a bottom section for close up. He is 87 and has brilliant vision now. He doesn't regret it for a second, even though the medicines for 2 weeks afterwards (drops to put it many times a day) were a bit of a pain. For the surgery, he was in and out in the afternoon.
I think this is a highly successful op and brings folk a new lease of life with everything looking brighter and vision so much sharper! I hope it goes really smoothly for you Lorna. xxx
Thanks everyone. Apparently I will only be at the hospital for 1.1/2 hours, fortunately my son has once again come to the rescue, he has arranged his customer meetings in the time I am at the hospital. I have heard so many stories about people having so much better vision that I am quite looking forward to it. I don't think I will be fortunate enough to do away with glasses as I have worn them since I was 21. Then again as that was 56 years ago people probably wouldn't recognise me without glasses ;D
All the very very best, Lorna, it's amazing how things have moved on over the years. Once, one had to have a stay in hospital and then have a bandaged eye for 2 weeks. Now it's an in-and-out procedure and is classed as day surgery.
Good luck Lorna I have had both of my eyes done, just recovering from having the left one done don,t know if I will have to wear glasses yet, .hope all is well with you.
June.