The Eyes Have It: Part II

{This post is a continuation from "The Eyes Have It: Part I" }


It didn't take long for Dr. Boles to confirm I had glaucoma. The visual field test spoke volumes. If you've never had a visual field test, it is looking into a dark chamber while white dots of light appear all over the field of view. As they appear, you click a joystick button. The dots of light vary in position as well as intensity and they paint a striking picture of just what range your eye can see--left, right, up and down.



I asked how this could happen to me being only 37 at the time with no family history of glaucoma. He said while it was unusual for my case to develop so fast, it was not that rare for someone my age to develop the disease. I still don't know what that means (1 in 200 under age 50). I guess "rare" to him would mean he hadn't seen it before. Another thing more rare in my case is that glaucoma is usually detected by regular eye exams well before there are any symptoms and certainly before one notices losing any vision. I already had impaired vision and here's the kicker, the doctor also informed me eye damage from glaucoma is damage directly to the optic nerve and that damage is permanent and irreversible. Another strange thing to me was it was only my left eye with the problem. My right eye seemed to be perfectly fine both for vision and for eye pressure (intraocular pressure). The doctor kept asking if I remembered being injured in that eye at any time in my life as it could have resulted from an injury years ago.



The typical treatment for glaucoma is pretty straight-forward and simple. There are really only four levels of treatment. The first starts with drops. My eye pressure was so high when I visited the first doctor, she started me on drops right away. Dr. Boles even gave me more drops to bring down the pressure in his office before he thought it was safe for me to leave. On the next visit, the eye pressure still had not come down enough, so we needed to move to the next step which is the SLT. Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) for the treatment of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) uses a laser at low levels to basically drill holes into the trabecular meshwork of your eye to try to reduce the intraocular pressure.



We did that and it lowered the pressure only slightly. It would be time to move on the next step which was a more invasive surgery. We needed to schedule a trabeculectomy. In a trabeculectomy, or glaucoma filter procedure, an opening is made within the eye that allows fluid to leave the eye and travel underneath the conjunctiva, the clear membrane that covers the surface of the eye. If you didn't catch that, they were going to cut a whole onto my eye and put in a bleb or filter which would create a new path for fluid to drain in the eye. And yes, this procedure is done while you are awake with only local anesthesia. So I started with tons of different eye drops, had one laser-type surgery, and now, they are ready to cut me in the eyeball? What did I do to deserve this?



The operation was a success AND a failure. The physiological value of the surgery is to reduce the eye pressure to protect the optic nerve. That part worked. The failure? Well, remember I said any damage already done to the optic nerve is permanent? My vision in that eye did not improve. Because the vision is limited, that also throws off my depth perception so it is very hard to see exactly how close or far objects are. This makes some things challenging, like parallel parking, pouring a drink into a glass, golf (forget that one), catching a ball or anything thrown at me. In addition to my vision not improving, my eye had shifted about 45 degrees because it cannot focus on anything strong enough to keep it in proper position. So, I not only have severely impaired vision in my left eye, but now I'm frickin' cross-eyed (see pic below)? What else could go wrong? NEVER ASK THAT QUESTION.



Fast-forward two years to December 2008 and then things would get scary once more. I woke one morning near Christmas time and I could not see well out of my right eye. The GOOD eye. Things were very dim--that's the best way I can describe it. It was almost like trying to see through a frosted windshield (like picture of tree above). I could see shapes and colors, but nothing was clear. I had regular appointments checking both eyes and this just suddenly popped up out of the blue--I guess just like the left eye did two years earlier. I rushed to the doctor that afternoon and my eye pressure was so high, I again had to be put on drops right away and they even had to give me oral medication to bring down the pressure before they would let me leave. I hated the oral meds because it altered my sense of taste. All soda tasted flat and many things tasted strangely different and sometimes metallic. How high was the pressure? Well, normal intraocular pressure is a range between 10 and 21 mmHg. I was at 49 mmHg and this was after drops to bring down the pressure. I actually had a physical feeling like something was in my eye (can eyeballs explode?).


I was now losing vision in my "good" eye. I would now need to go through the same steps with my right eye and I was quickly scheduled for an SLT for the right eye this time. Just as with the left eye, the SLT did not lower the pressure to a safe range so there would need to be another trabeculectomy. There is a dark fear about having eye surgery on the eye you can see with when you know you cannot rely on the other eye any longer. For days after the surgery while healing, I would be technically blind. I would have to go with it. Not doing the surgery would be sure damage to my optic nerve with pressure that high. So, despite being at a new job and about to start the annual audit, the most important time of year for someone in non-profit finance, I had to opt for emergency surgery with a new doctor. My previous doctor had left the practice so I found a new specialist I liked very much, Dr. Alan Robin.



Because the situation was monitored closely, the surgery was again a success. My vision in my right eye is not perfect, but it is functional and I can drive and work and read and do most things normally. I can't see well from far away, especially people. I cannot read small road signs from the distances I used to (don't tell the cops), especially street name signs. GPS has helped with that immensely. If you come up on my left side unannounced, you are likely to scare the hell out of me. Other than that, the drama is over for now. No more drops and my eye pressures are well within the normal range (11-14 mmHg).

I thank all of you who have been helping me through this. Many of you offered prayers and well wishes and good vibes and positive energy and whatever you could do to wish the best for me. That is greatly appreciated.





Make sure you take care of your eyes. Get check-ups regularly. Make sure you get the "puff" test and make sure the tech administers it correctly. If you suspect anything in your vision is not right, ask about it. If the optometrist does not give you the answers you like, find your nearest ophthalmologist. If you have reached that magic age of 40 and never seen an ophthalmologist, it may be a good idea to check in with one. There are lots of eye conditions to check and monitor other than glaucoma and as we age, these things become more and more important. My eyes have it. Try to take care of yours.



My doc used to have some great FAQs on his website but they seem to be gone now. There is lots of info on the web. Check it out, or ask me if you have questions. Here are some things I've learned about glaucoma over the last couple of years:

• Glaucoma is not affected by diet (despite what you've heard in the past)


• Caffeine has no effect on glaucoma or intraocular pressure


• It usually runs in families


• African-Americans are more susceptible to the disease (6x to 8x more likely than Caucasians)


• There is no connection between high intraocular pressure and high blood pressure


• Those with diabetes often have problems with glaucoma although the link is not clear


• Marijuana does help reduce eye pressure but the other effects of marijuana far outweigh the positive effects of smoking marijuana


• Being hit in the eye can cause glaucoma/increased eye pressure


• Excessive eye pressure is a medical emergency and cannot be put off


• Damage to the optic nerve is permanent
• Depth perception accounts for a lot more than we give credit to
• After cancer and heart disease, blindness is America's 3rd top health fear

The most important lesson I learned is that my wife is incredible. She was there from the first eye drop to the first face I saw when the bandages were removed and the light beamed back in. She drove me to and from work 25 miles each way in heavy traffic every day for two months while my sight slowly made its way back. We said in sickness and in health and for richer and for poorer and we are testing the fringes of all those elements it seems. Thank you Swinitha for being the ultimate wife, cook, chauffeur, nurse, seeing eye-dog (I mean that with compassion) counselor, cheerleader, and friend.

The Eyes Have It: Part I

While driving at night I especially noticed it was harder and harder to read signs and see clearly. It had been two years since my last eye appointment and maybe it really was time for new glasses. If I closed one eye, I noticed it was even much more blurry than the other eye. I have worn glasses since age 15 and being slightly near sighted really only needed glasses in the beginning to drive and see the blackboard from far away (to younger audiences, a blackboard was a hard, stone-like surface in the classroom to write on with a white cylindrical piece of compressed powdered chalk. Much like a whiteboard).



As I got older, I needed the glasses more and more but still could function well without them. Well into my thirties, I'd even say I could survive driving without them, but it was much more clear with them. But, suddenly at thirty-eight, there was more difficulty seeing than noticed before. Now most people take that moment and decide to make an appointment to have their eyes checked. For me, I still put it off for a while because it was nothing urgent. One evening at work loading a box onto a dolly cart, the handle of the dolly sprung to my face cracking my glass frames in half. Now, I decided, was a good time to go to the eye doctor.



It was the typical optometrist appointment. The assistant sat me down for the dreaded "puff test" for glaucoma. The first blast, I thought she got me before I blinked, but she looked puzzled and said, "Let's do that again." She fired again, but I blinked, then two more times, dag nabbit...finally she got me again with the eyes open and she had a look of satisfaction. The optometrist did her thing, "which is better 1 or 2, 1...or 2?" and now 7 or 8....7?...8? or are they about the same?" She was striking in her appearance...an attractive African-American woman with long, straight, blond hair. You would remember that, right? I mentioned to her I was having difficulty with blurriness and especially one of my eyes watering excessively. She said everything looked fine and maybe to try some natural tear drops to help with the watering. Next, I picked out the coolest "Mack Daddy" frames I thought I could get away with...the kind with the magnetic clip-on shades attachment, and I was out the door. In about an hour, of course. I had to wait for them because my only pair of glasses were snapped in half by an angry dolly cart.



I picked up some drops at the local CVS and sported my new glasses, but they were taking a little longer than usual to get used to. I was accustomed to a day or two of stepping higher than the step and images looking much too oval in their shape, but this was different. It seemed after two weeks with the new glasses, I still had blurry vision and it was not much better at night than when I first had the concern before visiting the eye doctor.



This worried me a bit and I decided to set an appointment with the ophthalmologist...Yes, the "real eye doctor." The one with the M.D. I scanned my online health care directory for the closest "Ophthal" that would take my insurance and I had an appointment set. I told the doctor my issues and she seemed a little annoyed that I was wasting her time. She wasn't very friendly. As we got further into the exam, I started to get worried. I guess it was when she asked me, "Mr. Chandler, are you paying attention? Do you understand what you are doing?" I was just supposed to click the button when I saw the white light...it wasn't rocket science. I wasn't seeing anything so I wasn't clicking the button. To make a long appointment short, it ended with her telling me I had the signs of someone with advanced stage glaucoma and I needed to see a specialist right away. To kick my concern up a notch, she pulled out her Rolodex and started to call specialists that could see me in the next day or so...wow, she did mean right away. Sure enough, I had an appointment set for two days later with a local glaucoma specialist in Baltimore for a second opinion to confirm glaucoma.

I didn't know much about glaucoma. I thought it was the eye disease for old people. I thought I had heard: that African-Americans were more susceptible to it; people with diabetes would often get it; it dealt something with eye pressure and losing peripheral vision; you could get medical marijuana for it; there was a high rate of success in treatment.

What if I was going blind? Was this possible? Was Ellen G. White right? Wasn't I too young for this? What caused this? Diet, vitamins, bilberry, exercise, coffee...so many things running through my mind. What to do?

{to be continued in The Eyes Have It: Part II...}

To Terrorize Y'all's Neighborhood

Here's just a few pics from my kids from Halloween.

The Thriller and the Killer.

Michael Jackson:

Civil War Soldier:

(why a confederate? it's in the blood? long story)

Signs You've Been Out of Work Too Long

Top 10 Signs You Have Been Out of Work Too Long

10. You have evolved from the goatee to the full beard

9. You can't remember the last time you picked up something from the Dry Cleaners

8. Your water bill is noticeably lower from taking fewer showers

7. You know who Wendy Williams is

6. By the evening news, you know the lead stories better than the news anchors

5. Your friends and relatives no longer invite you out to restaurants for dinner (so they won't have to pick up the tab)

4. The unemployment check you used to laugh at is suddenly a boatload of money

3. Wal-mart! It's the new Macy's

2. Careerbuilder and Monster are offering you frequent-flyer miles

1. You click the remote for your BMW and there's no response

Relatively Speaking

There's an old saying that says you can't choose your relatives which is true. I am related to some amazing people. Some of them have even left or are leaving quite an impact on the larger society. Here is a list of some of my folks I just wanted to share with you and say I am very proud to be related to. I was going to write elaborate stories on each, then I realized with this type thing, people just want to see the picture, who they are and move on.

Probably one of my most renowned relatives, Anthony A. Williams.

Tony was appointed by President William J. Clinton as the first Chief Financial Officer for the Department of Agriculture under Secretary Mike Espy. After a brief service in that role, he was appointed by the Washington, DC Control Board and Mayor Marion Barry as Chief Financial Officer of Washington, D.C. He subsequently campaigned for office and served for two terms as Mayor of Washington, D.C. He is currently a businessman still living in Washington, D.C.

Tony's mother, Virginia Hayes-Williams and my mother are first cousins.

The powerhouse celebrity couple, Marc Clarke and Allison Seymour. Marc Clarke, Baltimore radio and TV personality and former host of the Marc Clarke BigPhatMorningShow. Marc is working on his next big business venture while on a mission to lose 100 lbs (WOW, go Marc!!). Marc is married to WTTG-Fox DC 5 morning news anchor, Allison Seymour.
Marc is my first cousin.

Ann Gregory [pictured above with boxing champion, Joe Louis] was a pioneer athlete in tennis and in golf and was one of the first Black Female Professional golfers. I remember being a boy and meeting her the first time at her home in Gary, Indiana. She took me to her trophy room which was a larger than standard sized room filled top to bottom with trophies, plaques, pictures, and awards. She told me to pick a trophy. I picked one that was about 4 feet tall (taller than me at the time) and that was one of my prized possessions for many years until my sister dismantled it for some reason.
Ann was my father's first cousin.

Music video link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ombaPdgP3PA

O.C. Smith, singer and songwriter
Most popular tune: "Little Green Apples"
"Little Green Apples" hit #2 on the Billboard charts in 1968
O.C. was married to my father's first cousin, Robbie Gholson

Music video link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnwlHnvWH4Q

Verlie Rice, Songwriter/Producer
Most popular tune (covered by many): "Shake Your Tailfeather"
Shake Your Tailfeather has appeared in the films:
"What's Love Got to Do With It", "Blues Brothers", "Chicken Little", "Hairspray"
and many other films
Verlie was a cousin on my mother's side

Verlie once told me she and her husband who produced bands in the 60's were approached by Joe Jackson about producing a bunch of kids from Gary, Indiana. She said the kids were wonderful but her husband would never be able to work with Joe Jackson--isn't that just funny? I love that story. She also told me that when her song was played in "What's Love Got to Do With It?" she made more money on a song than she had seen in a long time. She said she doesn't even remember Tina Turner ever singing the song.

Silas Chandler, Civil War Hero
Silas was my great-great-grandfather

Silas is the only African-American to be honored by the Confederate Sons of Veterans with the Iron Cross award. Fighting with his slave owner's son Andrew in the Civil War, Silas rescued the injured Andrew and carried him on a train to safety where he could be seen by a doctor saving Andrew's leg from amputation. Because there is evidence of Silas actually receiving a Confederate uniform, Saber, and pension, he has posthumously become famous as a Black Confederate soldier and has appeared in many historical books as such. There are disputing stories as to whether or not Silas was a free man when he served with Andrew in the war and if they were friends or Silas was simply performing loyally enslaved, but it is agreed that his actions saved the life and limb of his master's son.

I just thought it would be interesting to share these people with you. I hope you enjoyed learning a little about my family folk.

Bare Necessities

Many times I've wandered in the middle of the night down the stairs to the kitchen to get a drink of water or something quick from the fridge. If I stand at the counter, which is the most comfortable place in the kitchen to reach for a glass and pour a drink, sometimes I notice I am perfectly aligned with the dining room window in the front of the house. All the kitchen windows are in the back of the house and face only trees (or so my neighbors would have me believe), but the front of the house is on a very busy corner for cars and for walking since every car that enters our development has to drive by my house. Occasionally, I will glance over to the window and think, while in my boxer briefs and tee shirt (my pajama of choice), "Hey, I'm right in front of the window."

I'm only planning on being there for a moment and not planning to make an exhibition of it, but yes, if I knew my mother-in-law or the UPS man was going to walk by, I would make sure I was out of view or sporting my Nautica fleece bathrobe. In this same spot, near the kitchen counter, is also where we dump our laundry baskets when we are doing laundry since our washer and dryer are in the kitchen. Yes, like most people, many of us in the family will often undress right there to drop off our favorite dirty clothes we want to make sure get into the wash.

I don't usually walk around the house naked, but I do in my bedroom and bathroom frequently and I don't always take pause and effort to make sure the shades are closed. Again, I don't plan on being naked for long and it is mostly for convenience while I am on my way to the chest of drawers, or shower, or closet. I even think to myself, "Well, if someone can see me, so what? It's my house."

There is controversy this week over 29 year old Eric Williamson seen naked in his house in the morning making coffee. A pedestrian mother along with her 7-year-old son were out walking and took a short cut on a path between houses through Mr. Williamson's yard and peeped him in the buff walking around in his kitchen. I'm sure it has nothing to do with it, but since this pedestrian's husband is a police officer, Mr. Williamson found himself charged with indecency crimes and facing a $2,000 fine for being naked in his own home [pic courtesy of Fox 5 News via WTOP].

In order for the charges to stick, the prosecution will have to prove that Williamson knew someone was there and exposed himself with intent. The pedestrian says Williamson first appeared in the door of his driveway and then again in a front window and purposely made himself available to be seen.

Do you have the right to be naked in your own house? Can you skinny-dip in your own pool or hot tub? In the suburbs, there is rarely enough privacy that your back yard or an unshaded window won't make your bum a shiny beacon for all to see. I would like to think that I can walk around my house naked or in my underwear and that I can get my newspaper in my bathrobe like people on TV without being harassed by nosey neighbors with nothing better to do than to report clueless people minding their own business. If my kids weren't around so much, I'm sure that would increase my naked time (OK, my brain just brought up a pic of Terry Bradshaw's character in "Failure to Launch" where he had a whole "naked room" that he used to lounge around post-retirement au naturale).

I don't know if Mr. Williamson is a "perv" or not and this poor lady could really have had something to complain about. The authorities are canvassing now to see if there were more witnesses or if this is a pattern. There is probably more to come, but so far I am sympathetic to Mr. Williamson and want to have naked coffee right now just to celebrate my rights to freedom.

All I know is my neighbors are lucky I don't have a swimming pool.

I will end with a clip from Chris Core from his commentary on WTOP News Radio because I think he sums up my feelings about it well.

http://wtop.com/emedia/167029.mp3

Words of Wisdom from Ian #12

"Anyone can roast beef, but not everybody can pea soup."

Buffoon Boy

In my parent's house where I grew up, there is a room affectionately referred to as the "little room." When the house was built, the two smaller bedrooms on the second floor each had a walk-in closet with a window. The previous owners at some point decided it was a good idea to knock out the wall between the closets and make it an extra bedroom.

One Summer afternoon I was worn out from playing all day and decided I would take a nap. I believe at the time, the little room was not my bedroom though it has been at times. In the 25 years I lived in that house, I had four different bedrooms and only one was a "real" bedroom. My room was once a bedroom, the little room, the attic and the basement and three of those places had some real challenges with temperature control. In those days it was all about the space heater and the window air conditioner unit. In fact, it still is in that house which central air has not been fortunate enough to breach its sacred perimeter.

Anyway, back to the nap. So, I'm just sleeping away in my own world. Somewhere between being sleep and awake I hear my mother calling, "Haaaaaaarry!" I am just too sleepy to respond. Next, I hear my grandmother calling. I don't answer. My grandmother lived with us the whole time my siblings and I lived there. My father said once, "She just came for the weekend and that was 40 years ago." My grandfather died suddenly the year my parents got married and my grandmother came to live with my parents in 1955 until she died in 1998 a month after her 100th birthday.

I'm not sure how old I was at the time. I was probably somewhere between 6 and 10 because those are mischievous years for a boy. At some point I wondered, as I was a little more awake, "What would happen if I didn't answer?" By this time I could hear several voices calling for me inside and outside of the house. I heard people running up and down the stairs but nobody came into the little room which, though the doors were open, could not be accessed directly. You would have to go through one of the other bedrooms to get to it.

After all the hub-bub seemed to subside and my rest was adequate, I emerged from my quasi-slumber and made my way downstairs. I'm sure my Mom probably hugged me, but I don't remember that part. I do remember a very stern look, which only my Mom could give, asking me where I had been and why I did not answer her calling. She said everyone had been looking for me, they had called the police and thought I was missing or something bad had happened to me. In the back of my mind I was thinking that was kind of cool to have everyone looking for me but my more immediate thought was boy, am I gonna get a whoopin.' I think my Mom was so alarmed by the adventure that I skipped out on a leather belt or hickory switch that day, but I knew to my core that I was never to do that again. I knew this because my mother said, "Don't you EVER do that again." Nearby I could see my grandmother also upset because she was confused why I was escaping the whoopin' wishing she could get a few licks in also for putting her through such turmoil and grief. I think my sister wanted in on that too.

Today, everyone was searching for "Balloon Boy." Six year old Falcon Heene was reported by his brothers to be in a 20 foot mylar balloon that became untethered from the back yard and ascended in the heavens up to 9,000 ft all over Colorado. Falcon's father works on occasional weather experiments and the balloon is an experiment he was working on. The balloon few 30-40 miles per hour with tips and turns and the media and authorities furiously trying to track it down to rescue poor Falcon who surely must have been terrified.

Finally, two hours later the balloon came down to Earth in a neighboring town. There was no basket attached and no Falcon inside. Everyone feared the worst for poor Falcon, the 6-yr old. What had happened?

Then, somewhere as the media was catching up with the story today, it was announced the family once appeared on the reality television show "Wife Swap." That is when it clicked for me this "breaking news story" may have more to it than is coming out already. It wasn't long before the wise skeptics on Facebook and Twitter began doubting that Balloon Boy was ever actually in the balloon. The authorities continued their search because as standard procedure they had already searched the house. In fact, they searched the house twice.

I began to think back at my own story and wondered if little Falcon (why is his name Falcon?) was home asleep or hiding somewhere. Sure enough by the evening news, the head investigator with Falcon's dad announced that Falcon was found safely at home and never was actually in the balloon. He was not Balloon Boy, he was more like Buffoon Boy. Half of Colorado was out looking for a spattered body over at 60 mile path and this dude was at home hiding in the attic.

As I suspected, the late news reports have footage of the boy admitting it was done for "the show" he said. The father was still denying that the whole thing was a hoax on purpose but that is my guess based on the behavior of the family that seems to love being in the spotlight. I think the whole thing was a publicity stunt.

If Falcon was just hiding in the attic and playing a joke, I can understand. He's only six. If this was the dad's master plan to get fifteen more minutes of fame, wow, that is just sad. Sad he did it and sad we all fell so hard.

UPDATE

Four days after the above post authorities have now reported the whole "Balloon Boy" incident was a hoax and planned from the beginning. Colorado authorities plan to file charges as early as today or tomorrow.

Words of Wisdom from Ian #11

Swini: "Ian, what are you doing?"

Ian: "I'm cutting the cheese!"

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Achoo! Hello, Boss?

Most work places (and even more prevalent in schools) have a very clear policy. Do not come to work until you have been fever-free without medication for 24 hours.

Some less stringent policies read something like this: "Employees are encouraged to be courteous to their co-workers and stay home when ill to reduce the chances of spreading illness to other colleagues."




Well, that is easier said than done. Isn't it?





The rules and HR (Human Resources) say your health and the health of fellow employees is important and your work can wait or will be covered. In reality the policy is much more schizophrenic than that. Something like, well...you shouldn't come to work if you are sick, but of course you have to finish your project because nobody else can do it...but you better not get anyone else at work sick.





This is one of the biggest Catch-22's in the workplace. With flu season creeping up soon and the Swine Flu threat already surfacing all over the country, you or someone you know is sure to face this dilemma soon.





The best cure for the flu and the quickest way to beat it is REST. No matter what drugs you are pushing or how many times you go to the doctor or the hospital, rest is the best way to equip your body with what it needs to beat the flu and it usually will take several days. The problem is most bosses are selfish jerks. You know from calling in sick previously that your boss is assuming you are lying first of all, and thinks you are just trying to get out of work. Then when the guilt overwhelms you and you come into the office sick, you are scolded for coming to the office and "infecting" everyone--including your boss who looks at you like you are a leper or at least like you have a booger on your finger.





How can you win? If you come in to work you are thought to be inconsiderate to others and even insubordinate to the sick policy. If you stay home, you are considered lazy and a slacker and inconsiderate for not thinking of the impact your absence would cause.





As a supervisor I have always tried to be considerate and compassionate to sick employees so they can rest and be restored. Some of my bosses, on the other hand, have not been so considerate. Many times they don't say anything or bug you at home, but when you come back in, they sure make you wish you didn't stay home.



What do you think? Is my observation accurate? Is your employer totally cool when you need to stay home sick?



What if you run out of sick days and vacation days? Are you forced to go on Leave Without Pay?