My caregiver stress has lessened somewhat. I'm sleeping better - that is a huge help. I've been able to spend some time with friends, and of course the best - keeping my eyes on Jesus. That's not always easy; I have to make that choice every day.
We went to our local optometrist Wednesday. He is a smart guy. He knew Doug's low vision wasn't due entirely to the glaucoma. He figured there was a problem either with the back of the eyes, or the front. He decided to try something we had never heard of - scleral lens. He fitted one on Doug's left eye ( a complex process) and had Doug try to read the eye chart. For the past couple of months Doug has not been able to read any of the letters. With the sample scleral lens he was able to read a few lines! Wow, that is exciting! The optometrist spent a lot of time fitting and measuring and taking 'pictures' on his high tech equipment. He is ordering custom lens for each eye. When they get here, Doug will have to learn how to work with them. One article I read said they are sort of a prosthetic for the eye; they float over the eye surface, without touching. They create a smooth corneal surface on eyes that have scarring. To learn more, go to the website sclerallens.org
Today was infusion #3. The drug protocol allows for increasing the rate of the drip on the third treatment if no problems have occurred on the second. This means 'only' six hours in the clinic - the infusion was completed by 2:00. We were pretty happy with that as it shaves two hours off the time. This should be fairly consistent from here on.
Doug is experiencing several side effects from the drugs. Fatigue continues; he just has no energy for anything. He's having some GI problems - I won't go into detail but you can imagine. Sleeping is not good. The doc is jugging some of the meds to try to get him more comfortable. Not the treatment drugs, the pills that are supposed to alleviate some of the side effects. We are thankful for the many excellent medical people who are caring for Doug.
Quote for today:
"When I trust deeply that today God is truly with me and holds me safe in a divine embrace, guiding every one of my steps, I can let go of my anxious need to know how tomorrow will look, or what will happen next month or next year. I can be fully where I am and pay attention to the many signs of God's love within and around me." Henri Nouwen
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