Sunday, 03 March: My Eye Condition

It has been nearly two weeks since I last posted. Things have been happening, and I am glad to
report that I am doing well, including my right eye. But last weekend, I was beginning to wonder.
I have re-read my last posting and realised that I had not really called it right. What I had seen as progress in the healing of my eye was not actually taking place. I was confronted by the reality of
that when I visited the eye specialist the Friday before last, 22 February.

That Friday the specialist examined my eye. The pressure in the eye was dangerously low. The bleeding had stopped, but there was nothing to prevent it from starting up again. I was given the opportunity to have gas injected into my eye that very afternoon in order to increase the internal pressure in the eye. I had the sense that later would be too late to save my eyesight. I had not
had any idea that this would happen, but I agreed to do that and was immediately sent to the Eye
Ward at the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

So early Friday afternoon gas was injected into my eye. It was a three minute procedure done
under local anesthetic in an operating room. It was nowhere as bad as I had been imagining it
to be. I was told to bow over with my face to the floor for the rest of the day and to sleep on
my right cheek at night. This was done to keep the bubble of gas in the back of my eye where
it would do the most good. The procedure was judged a success when the eye was examined
Saturday afternoon. The pressure within the eye was rising. I was allowed to return home and
report back Sunday afternoon.

I did not preach or lead the service at church on Sunday. Even though I had expected to be able
to do so, I had one of my elders who is a lay preacher be ready just in case. He filled in for me
that Sunday and I rested. Later in the afternoon another one of the elders drove me back to the
hospital. The next morning more gas was injected into my eye. Again, I had to keep my face
down all that day and into the next morning. The specialist examined my eye Tuesday morning
and was pleased with the results: the eye pressure was good and I was released from the hospi-
tal. I will see her again in two weeks when the next course of action will be considered.

Since Wednesday I have been back to pastoral duties. I led the service and preached today. It
was so good to be back after not being in church for three Sundays. My eye and sight are con-
tinuing to be stable. I still have so much work to catch up with. Over the last two weeks I only
did what was necessary to do. I am grateful to the prayers of many people; the skills, talents,
and training of the eye specialists; and to God's gracious healing power. As always, I covet
your prayers.

Many blessings to you and yours,