80+ Aged Relative Cataract and Other Eye Surgery This Week

[sprknjc]

It is much important that this cataract and added eye surgery in both eyes gets done to maintain a future quality of life for an aged female relative locally. This is a follow up to the thread Transportation for 80+ Age Relative to Specialist Surgeon Appointment Tomorrow Friday which appreciate your continued prayers for. The first eye surgery in one eye scheduled for this Thu 03/21 very early afternoon. It is a two stage surgery then, so some risks more than 1%, perhaps a few to several percent, and a bit more so given her age, and it has to be done in two separate rooms in the local surgical center (same floor, maybe around 50 feet apart), due to different equipment needed for each part of the surgery. To emphasize, it is more than the standard cataract surgery, which probably tens of millions around 99% have with no issue and an improvement in their quality of their eyesight and life. I have shared with dozens of relatives and friends (some with the Church) praying for her, sharing hope that the surgery turns out of well for her, but also my heavy heart concern that it will vastly change her life and myself as a primary care giver 1 Timothy 5:4-8 , if it turns out more negatively for her. If not so well, loss of her driving.

The logistics are becoming a little overwhelming, one local family friend helping with the trips for the date of the first surgery, while I am tending to her in the family friend car that afternoon immediately after surgery, with a temporary patch over her eye post surgery and in protecting her from sunlight. Some Lyft/Uber trips involved for the follow up appointments (see details in link/URL above of earlier prayer request). Hoping and prayer for Lyft/Uber drivers who are patient, with her slow load into vehicles, perhaps 3-4 minutes, but not 2 minutes, which have Lyft extra wait time waiver previously approved, which a fall would be very bad if she rushes right after eye surgery. Also just handling the post surgery communication, many text messages (not group) as better to share what is best with each relative or friend, most across the miles, keeping Ephesians 4:29 in mind, though a few older relatives not local are not tech savvy so phone calls will be needed. More importantly with this extent of eye surgery, the first 24 hours at home she must be still as possible so extra care I will need to provide for her.

That all said, would consider this a rock size prayer request, not sand or pebbles.

 

[linux.poet]

Dear Lord, Please be with this older gentleman as he cares for this lady, and help all of these complex logistics to go well. I pray for wisdom for the doctors who are treating this woman, and Your hand of healing for this woman’s eyes, that she may see well enough to drive. In Christ’s Name, Amen.

 

[sprknjc]

First appreciate much all of your prayers! For the most part, the eyesight of my aged 80s female relative one eye has been restored, which saying that cautiously optimistic some normal healing yet to be done, which appreciate your continued prayers. The other eye is scheduled to be done next Thu 4/4. Thankfully her eye surgeon scheduled these two surgeries so our Easter holiday would be not be as much impacted.

Her eye surgeon is in extreme demand. Given my relative's previous doc/patient relationship with him and the severity and complexity of her eye situation including age related factors, he prioritized her case. Others can wait months to see him, but once an established patient, appointment waits are shorter, though can still be days or weeks unless an emergency.

Some challenges with the upcoming other eye surgery including lessons learned from the first one:

1. Her next office appointment between the two surgeries is scheduled for this Friday. For this trip, will have to use Lyft or Uber. Her eye surgeon does surgeries on Thursdays and has office appointments on Fridays for this office location. I have a long time 5.0 rating with Lyft so matched with like rated drivers depending on availability as poor parking situation at medical building. So praying for a safe trip to and from, with a seasoned driver who is also patient as relative at 85yo is a bit slower.

2. A medical complication, though not life threatening, increased surgery time on the first eye surgery and almost stopped it. Though not a new condition, this time will need a highly and even more experienced nurse prepping on surgery day. Am praying.

3. Keeping in mind 1 Timothy 5:4-8 , concurrently 1) post surgery care of my aged female relative in her house i.e. she cannot bend down to aid in eye recovery, so I must help if something she drops on or needs to pick up on or near the floor, plus 2) keeping up to date all the blood relatives (none real local, and some older not tech savvy and must be called), friends, and those at church using individualized text messaging Ephesians 4:29 , so am exhausted. Prayers needed for strength.

 

[sprknjc]

Surgery day 2day midday for 2nd eye. Ptayers for surgeon's hand and laser, female relative patient including nurse and staff surgery prep, transpo to and from with family friend in area, other logistics, communications especially afterwards to others, and her and our safety are all appreciated.

 

[linux.poet]

Dear Lord, I pray for strength of mind and emotions for this man and the 85 year old woman he is helping, that You would guide the hands of the surgeon, that all of the needed linguistics and nurses would be in place, and that he and the other people who are helping would hold all of necessary things together to fully restore this woman’s vision. In Christ’s Name, Amen

 

[Rescued One]

Prayers for your relative. Sorry I am just now seeing this. I'm in my late seventies. I live in America and use Council on Aging for transportation (M-F).