As
much fun as this last year has been with building a new studio, trips,
lining up several exhibits, and making a lot of art, I have been
battling some health issues. I have had sinus problems and a cough for
the past year that I think is due to living in close proximity to my art
space. I paint with oil paints and the fumes of the paint and the
mineral spirits make their way into my living space. I didn't realize it
at the time, but almost immediately when I moved upstairs to live (I
started renting out my downstairs), I started having sinus and coughing
problems. I began to suspect my studio this past fall. Once I had the
new studio space completed enough to move all the toxic materials, I
did. In the last several weeks my cough and sinuses have begun to clear.
I still have a cough and sinus problems and predict it will take months
to completely heal. But I feel like I am on my way.
The new studio has an exhaust fan for removing the fumes. I am also
letting my paint rags dry outside instead of sitting on my paint stand
until they dry. I feel much better about the new space, especially in
terms of my health. Hopefully, some of these issues are behind me. My
family has many members who have lived into their late 80's and into
their 90's. My hope is to set myself up to paint for another 30 years.
Ironically, it was while I was improving my health that my next health
issue popped up.
I joined a gym and started working with a trainer to improve my
strength, flexibility and general health (along with my tennis game).
One day after working with the trainer and pushing to new limits with
weights I tore the retina in my right eye. The tear crossed a blood
vessel and I had some bleeding in my eye. The doctor said it was
probably only a drop but, boy, can one drop of blood cloud up your
vision!
Of course, the incident happened on a Saturday morning and I couldn't
see a doctor until Monday. The doctor examined my eyes and informed me
of what happened to my right eye and that he would have to operate on my
retina the next day. It would be laser surgery to, basically, spot-weld
my retina so it wouldn't tear anymore. The procedure takes about ten
minutes. While he was in there he was also going to strengthen some
"lattice weakening" that could lead to some more retina tearing later. I
went home and rested my eye until the next day when my sister picked me
up to go to the hospital for the procedure. As crazy as all this
sounds, the doctor said I didn't need someone to drive me. My eyesight
would be fine right after the operation and there would be no drugs. I
still asked my sister to take me.
For fun, I found eight different times I had drawn or painted my right eye over the years.
I went the next morning for laser surgery on my right eye. The nurse was
very friendly and pleasant. She dilated my eye while asking me a lot of
questions. My blood pressure was a little high, understandably. When my
eye was dilated enough, a nurse escorted me to a room that looked like a
normal eye-examining room. Instead of the usual machine that doctors
examine your eyes with, there was a slightly different machine. The
doctor had me put my chin in the chin rest and lean my head against the
forehead rest. He attached a large lens to my eye that kept my lids from
closing and connected to the laser. He looked around in my eyeball to
find the problem areas and then began zapping his welds into place. With
each pulse of the laser there was a green flash of light. When he was
really in a groove, the constant flashing of green light caused me to
see the veins inside my eye as an after-image. A bit freaky, but cool.
There was some discomfort, but not much. While in there, the doctor
found another small tear and spot-welded that one, too. He looked around
some more, didn't find anything else that needed to be secured and was
done. He removed the lens from my eye and he led me to a room where the
nurse would do a final check with me before I was released.
I was glad to have my sister there because I could see nothing out of my
right eye. It was so dilated and dealing with the trauma of such
intense light and lasers that everything was a blur. I could have driven
home with one eye closed, but was very happy to let someone else do
that for me. Once home, I ate a sandwich we picked up on the way home
and then took a nap. When I woke up my eye was still dilated but I was
starting to see a little better out of that eye. The worst of it is that
the outside of my eye got scratched a little from the large lens. But
that should be better after a good nights sleep.
In a day my vision should be back to normal and then I have about 6 - 8
weeks of not lifting really heavy things or doing anything that could
inappropriately jostle my retina while the scars form properly. I trust
the next several weeks will go by without any problems. I'm sure I will
feel fine... until I get the bill.
UPDATE: Its been 3 weeks since my eye surgery. I still have days where there are a lot of floaters in my eye, but I would say my eye is about 90% and getting better everyday. Sometimes, in the dark, I see dull flashes of light where my retina was torn, but not like when it was torn. This is similar to dull flashes that I saw after I had Lasik surgery ten years ago. My eye is usually tired by the end of the day, but I can tell it is getting better. As for my coughing, it is still getting better and I had two great days in a row but, of course, the third day sucked. It comes and goes as it seems to steadily improve.
