It is inevitable, but the topics of being septuagenarian, illnesses and recuperation will likely be found in this blogs, apart from the travel, food and relationship (as if I were an expert, ha!), as I accompany my parents in the road to recovery. A quick background info: D has diabetes type-2 and apart from the pills, he has started on insulin injection a few years ago.
In early October, D complained about abdominal pain and finally went to see an internist. The doctor told him to get an X-Ray and a USG. In the X-Ray room, the radiologist took a good look at D and asked if he liked reading. D answered: yes, but now it had been hard to read due to poor eye sight. The radiologist told him to go to the ophthalmologist, in which he did after getting the doctor's referral letter. The ophthalmologist gave a quick check and then scheduled him for an operation in the upcoming week. The doctor told him that he should get the operation because the condition worsened and led to blindness.
What surprised me was: he later admitted that his bad eye sight had been happening for quite some time and he did not even complain about it. He only demanded that M accompanied him every time he went out. I guess parents have this habit of not wanting to make the children worried, unless we ask them. I have made this mental note to be more attentive and ask regularly M&D if they have any health issues.
Back to the operation news: D was shocked, and so were M and I. We thought that D would come home with a thorax/abdomen X-Ray photo, instead he told us he was going to get an eye operation after getting his sugar blood level checked. Long story short, his sugar blood level was low enough to get into the operation and he went to the operation room on Oct. 25 for his right eye. The operation was only between 20-30 minutes. There were two other persons getting the operation on that day.
After the operation, he went for checks up. In the following weeks, the other patients could already see, however, D's condition did not seem to improve. The other patients did not have diabetes. My uncle and my friend's mother also underwent the cataract operation, both could already see, and both did not have diabetes. We concluded that people with diabetes need more time to recuperate.
Some few weeks later, he could tell which was M and which was I, but he still had blurry vision on his right eye and it made him frustrated. We told him to be patient and continue praying for the best, as we waited for the second operation for his left eye, which should be held three months after the first operation. Lo and behold, on a random check up, his doctor told him to get his left eye operated the next week. And he went to the operation room again on Dec. 5.
Unlike his right eye, his left eye seemed to have better condition. D said that his left eye had been catching up to his right eye. It was interesting to learn how a human body could achieve different result on the same operation. Each body part is unique, but all should be treated carefully.
Anyway, the abdominal pain miraculously disappeared for the time being. Perhaps it was just his body trying to give a sign for him to get his eyes checked. Either way, I think I should be prepared on other news ahead. I only wish that God grants me the strength and patience to take care of my aging parents.
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