Diabetes Eye Scanning
The author Penelope Lively once wrote that "every opinion we have in life or form in life can only truly be based on our personal experience." I think she was right, to a point, I think that whatever stance we take on any given subject depends on personal experience or the shared experience of like minded people. For example I couldn't possibly have any particular feeling towards Portugal as a country because I've not been there, I've not been to the U.S.A either, but having grown up in Europe I think that I have some idea how their particular brand of multicultural imperialism works and how their foreign policy dictates the domestic policy of many European countries.
Anyway, the point of the Penelope Lively quote was to lead into my ongoing experience of the NHS. I've nothing but good things to say about it, in particular the Bournemouth and Christchurch NHS Trust which, to use a football analogy, is in the Champions League whilst other parts of the country struggle to get out of the Blue Square Southern Division. Every year I have to have an eye scan as part of the monitoring on my diabetes, today was the day. The test was carried out at an opticians in Ringwood where I work and took about half an hour, unfortunately, as they used to say in the Smirnoff advert, the effects lasted a bit longer. In order to dilate the pupils, for the purpose of taking a series of photographs, drops have to be, well dropped, into each eye. You feel fine for about twenty minutes and then everything gets a little blurry around the edges. Once that starts to happen the photographs are taken, you are given the results, verbally, straightaway and you are free to go. Unfortunately the blurred vision means you can't see well enough to drive, operate a PC or even see further than the end of your nose and the effect lasts about four hours.
The review of the photographs confirms that there hasn't be any deterioration during the last year which is good. Now all I have to do is make an appointment for the results of my latest blood test and that's tests over with until the winter.
8 comments:
What's the eye test for if you have to wait for blood tests anyway?
You're lucky to have such good treatment and I have similar experiences of neighbouring Southampton where our Katie has been seen varios times (and where she had her operations etc)
The quote from Pen is perfect and unchallengable.
I wasn't challenging it merely expanding on it! I first read it about fifteen years ago and it often comes back to haunt me - so to speak.
The eye tests are to make sure that the diabetes isn't causing a weakening of the eyes in anyway, the blood tests are to test levels of blood sugar, kidney function, liver function etc.
Understood re teh eye test. I wasn't suggesting you were challenging the quote, I was just stating my opinion of it based on my experience ;-)
I know, only playing blog tennis.
Good news on eye front Paul(love the image you have found of Ray Milland)and here's hoping the other tests go as well.
My eyes are not so good these days...with glasses they are in focus and the colours fine but I suffer floaters and shiny things if I look at the sky so I try to stay indoors quite a bit or wear glasses outside that act like sunglasses to lessen that effect.
Though so far tests suggest this is not a problem and floaters are common(well, of late I have heard some tales of how bad they can get)Some can live with them,others it drives them crazy but you cannot get rid of 'em.
You have them, so you live with them. It appears that you can get them as a side effect of Rhemetoid Arthritis. Which as far as I know I don't have but since my health problems mobility has been affected so maybe there is a connection.
But hey, this about you...not me, so as I say good to hear your good news :-)
I also agree with the Penelope Lively quote that most of our views will be coloured by personal experince but the media more than ever must have it's affect on how we see the world. And depending on who is running it that is either a good or bad thing.
Mum on the other hand knows enough of what's going on but is out of the loop regarding many stories that most of us are talking about...I'm not so sure that's a bad thing as she is probably a lot happier just dealing with what happens in our daily life.
Gildy, the blog may be in my name but you're always more than welcome to tell us about your health. I'm sorry to hear about your eyes but glad that it's not too much of a problem for you.
I think your Mum is right - I went two weeks between ditching 5Live Breakfast and going back to Today last year and didn't notice that anything major happened and I wasn't aware of it through other people. Obviously because of my job I have to pay attention to certain Government stories but I get those via RSS feeds of e-mails.
In a work place or traveling in with someone being given a lift in car maybe things are talked about as they used to say by the Water Cooler but though we post on the net via our blogs and the forums we frequent, I have to say that I rarely seem to have anyone to talk to where I get into a discussion about national and world events and yet they jeep try to tell us in the media, this is what the man in the street is talking about. Is it though? I often think the media sets the agenda.
And they might be surprised to find out the opposite is true.
Post a Comment