My eye

We are back in ilkley after an eventful journey home. Last,Thursday, the day before we left MrFF lit the bonfire in the orchard to burn all our pruning.  We sat out in the balcony for breakfast and my right eye started to feel sore, it  became more and more painful and watery. I tried washing it but that was too stingy.

Next morning with no improvement as we headed to the autostrada we stopped at the pharmacy and the chemist sold me cream which turned out to be anti biotic and steroid. I had to use it 3 times a day, it blurred my vision and made my eye sensitive to the light which according to the instructions was to be expected. So the journey wasn’t pleasant.

We had booked to break the journey with two nights in Bergamo so we could be tourists.  Bergamo is a beautiful little city with a walled medieval centre, I’ll post about it later. Sadly I spent most of my time with my head down avoiding the sun wearing my comfy top and baggy trousers amidst the beautifully dressed Bergamaschi.

In France I emailed my optician asking for an examination as soon as i got back.  They weren’t registered to deal with minor eye conditions but recommended Boots or Specsavers.  Back home I phoned Specsavers early morning, they did a full triage over the phone and gave me an appointment for 2 o clock.  I had extensive tests and a full examination after which the optician said I needed to go immediately to eye emergency at Bradford hospital as I had a deep abrasion on my eye.  Then I felt sick, they made me sweet tea and reassured me. However the optician was unable to get me an emergency appointment, she tried 5 times, got through to the department, heard a recorded message then the line went dead.

So she said I’d have to pitch up and wait, she gave me a referral letter with various reports on my eye and asked me to let her know how I got on.

At the hospital the eye department said I couldn’t be see without an appointment, I politely explained the phone line was cutting out so it was impossible to make one and she said she’d get the triage nurse.  I was offered an appointment for the next day.

Yesterday we went back to Bradford.  Despite the appointment system there was a permanent notice to say it could take 2 hours or more to see the doctor and it did. I could ask why the system isn’t made more efficient if they know it doesn’t work.  Eventually I was called in and given a through examination, the doctor said there was a foreign body embedded in my eye which he would remove with small tweezers.  Actually they were about twice the size of my eyebrow tweezers, I put on a brave face and wished I could close my eyes. The item removed was tiny, just a spec that could have been a piece of eyelash, a tiny seed from the garden or something blown up from the bonfire.   I was given anti biotic cream to use 4 times a day for a week but it’s much kinder than the Italian stuff and it’s clear so it doesn’t blind me for very long.  The doctor said I’d feel sore as the anaesthetic wore off but should be better in a couple of days and start to heal. This morning I feel fine, no pain at all and greatly relieved.

I am so grateful for the swift medical care and kindness I’ve received and overjoyed to be back in the UK.  Hopefully soon I can read my book again, I manage the iPad fine, I can knit and I’m in Ilkley.