Story Of The Day - The Doctor Visit

Grandpère and I got off to a late start for New Orleans, because of the broken water heater, the plumber arriving, our house guest departing to drive back to Connecticut, and my mistaken idea that the appointment was 15 minutes later that it actually was, so we arrived at the office of the optometrist at Ochsner Medical Center about 40 minutes late. The receptionist looked pained, and when she checked to see whether the optometrist would still see me, she told me he would, but that I would have to wait. I asked if she had any idea how long, and she said she really didn't know, but it could be hours. I told her that I wouldn't wait and asked if I could borrow her phone book. I chose Ochsner because I'd had surgery there already, my medical records were there, and I was familiar with the place, but I decided that I'd explore other avenues.

My optometrist here in Thibodaux recommended an ophthalmologist in New Orleans, so I called his office on the off chance that I could get a last minute appointment with him, but his receptionist told me that he was in surgery all day. Next I called the office of Dr. B., who performed my mother's cataract surgery, and to my great surprise, the receptionist gave me an appointment right after lunch.

When my mother had her surgery, I watched the procedure live on TV from a camera fitted with a microscopic lens. At the time, I thought that Dr. B. must be quite sure of his skills to permit a family member to observe, and I was impressed with his dexterity and speed in the operation. Just last year, in "New Orleans Magazine", Dr. B. was rated the best ophthalmologist in the neighborhood by his peers in the profession. He was a pioneer in our area with the small-cut cataract procedure, and I should have chosen him from the beginning. I believe that the mix-up at Ochsner turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

After lunch, GP and I headed over to the office (me driving), and, to make a long story short, my surgeries are scheduled for Nov. 9 and Nov. 23 by a doctor I know and in whom I have great confidence.

The bit of bad news is that I have early-stage dry macular degeneration in both eyes. For now, the treatment is a vitamin supplement, which I already take, and which obviously didn't prevent the condition from developing in the first place.

GP drove us home, because I couldn't see due to the drops in my eyes, but he did quite well, and we had an uneventful trip back to Thibodaux.