Eye can still see

Some of you might be thinking I had have not updated my blog lately.
The reason - Detached Retina - this is a condition you can have (but you don't want to have) with your eyes. It normally happens to old people but it is quite common with youngish females with very short sighted eyes. I had a mild form of this condition on my left eye while I was still working in Japan (maybe 5 years ago now). It is as simple as the description - the retina in your eye comes loose and if it is very bad it detaches from your eye = you lose your eye sight.
When I had my left eye operated on in Japan they treated it with a laser (I found that this is the lightest treatment you can get for detached retina, laser < freezing < buckle scleral) and I thought I needed the laser treatment again this time.

But it was much more serious than I thought, and it was on both eyes. Thanks to my caring husband who was more worried than I was and took me to JPMC (nicer hospital here in Brunei) and straight away the doctor told me I needed to see a surgeon at RIPAS (the other hospital - free for Bruneian citizens) and made me an appointment for the following day.

I was very worried about going into RIPAS as lots of friends told me about their uncomfortable experiences they had there. But to our surprise everyone was very helpful, efficient and spoke very good English. I got to meet my surgeon who told me he could operate on my eyes that afternoon. So I didn't even have time to go home and see Oliver (I was worried I might not be able to see him again if I lose my eye sight), no lunch nor water as I had to go on full anaesthehtic. They took me to the ward and took all the details they needed to accomodate me for the surgery and keep me over night.

The time went by quite quickly while I waited on my bed. The nurses came and told me that it's time for my operation. They put me on the stretcher and pushed me around the hospital to get to the operating theater. You know when you watch movies and someone is lying on one of those, it was exactly like that. Very weird feeling, lots of thoughts go by while looking at the moving ceiling.

The last thing I remember was very bright lights in a clean & flash operating theater. Lots of nurses checking up on the last minute things. Next moment I was in my ward lying on my bed.
The surgeon came and told me everything went well and he would come and check up on me the next day to discharge me from the hospital. I was so glad we had him available on the day.

I could have gone back to Japan (if I could have flown) and shop around for a good surgeon but it might have taken too long and my retina got completely detached. Some friends told me I was very brave getting the operation done here in Brunei. I am very glad I was in Brunei and I met my surgeon and got everything treated before it was too late.

For the first few days I looked like someone punched me in the eyes. But surprisingly from day 3 the swelling was almost gone and I could focus quite well with my right eye and ok with my left.

Since the operation I went back twice to RIPAS for checkups -and thanks to my surgeon all recovering well. It will take few more weeks until I can wear contact lenses again (my glasses are not powerful enough to adjust my eye sight). But the important thing is I can see my little Oliver and Matthew of course!