Steve’s Retina

The vision in
his right eye gave out on a Friday afternoon, just like that. There was no warning.

It was an immediate loss.

He looked in the mirror but he didn’t see anything unusual. His ophthalmologist had mentioned he would need cataract work one day but it would be safe and routine and Steve shouldn’t worry.

He read using one eye before going to sleep that night, hoping his sight would be normal in the morning. It wasn’t.

Someone knew of an ophthalmologist who sees patients on Saturdays. It was brutally hot and many patients had cancelled, there would be an opening that same afternoon.

The ophthalmologist pressured Steve to go “immediately” to a far suburb to see a retina guy he knew but didn’t bother to explain why.

The idea of spending a Saturday afternoon in a cab wasn’t at all appealing so he signed into an emergency room instead. They told him that yes, he needed to get out to that retina specialist as quickly as possible.

Steve worried he had he squandered a critical hour.

The retina surgeon used a scarring technique known as “cryo” to staunch the spread of sub-retinal fluid. It was successful. But no guarantees.

Getting home was a nightmare. Storm-flooded arterials and seasonal construction were everywhere. A cabbie tried to refuse the long, difficult fare.

Steve didn’t read that night. He had been ordered to avoid the printed word. Nothing could be more painful for a man who has led book discussions for years and who devours the Times crossword puzzle every Sunday.

Steve’s body has been unusually resilient over his seventy-six years. Doctors say it may heal itself again. There’s nothing to do now but to wait, and to see.