My Xanadu

It is always a difficult time for us when we receive word that a close relative has been injured in an accident, especially when we’re half a world away.

This is what happened to my mother last weekend in Cebu. We were shocked and apprehensive that she had an eye injury that required her being transported to the hospital. She was initially brought to the neighboring hospital in Damolog, Sogod, about 30 minutes from my hometown but the hospital advised my family to bring my mother to the city hospital where she could receive better care and attention. As what my sister described, my mother’s eye was pretty swollen and bloody. She said that they could not see clearly whether it was just a cut on the eyelid or if there is any interior injury.

After the almost two-hour drive, she was admitted at Perpetual Soccour Hospital by 7pm, was seen by her primary doctor and rested the night at the hospital. The next day, her primary care physician referred her to an ophtalmologist and the diagnosis is that she had lacerations in her right eye that needs Canalicular Laceration Repair operation.

Unfortunately, none of my family members are in the medical field, so we have no idea as to how dangerous, involved or simple this procedure was. Based on the text messages my sister sent me, the procedure involved inserting a silicone tube on my mother’s eye and will not be removed for six months in order to prevent her eye from drooping and more. Just the thought of it scared me and made me feel so uneasy. Not to forget that my mother has heart problem that I am just worried of her but I know that she is a fighter.

To gather more information, I texted some of my high school and college classmates who are now doctors and asked for their opinions. They are always a big help to me in times like these. In addition, I immediately googled the Canalicular Repair operation and was amazed to find on YouTube a video of the operation from start to finish, including the required tools.

The main reason why I am not in the medical field is because I can not stand the sight of blood. Although it’s a bit gory to view the video, I had no choice but to see it. It sounds silly but I viewed it with two hands covering my eyes with only a little gap between them so I can see a little of the video but I did turn the volume high, so that I can listen to the voice-over during the procedure.

It occurred to me after watching this video that what a wonderful way of using online technology or YouTube this way. This is such a helpful tool given the hundred if not thousands of medical procedures that are freely available online for anyone to view, even in the most remote locations in the world, provided of course that they have internet connection. One can easily imagine that in the near future or maybe even now, these YouTube medical operation videos and presentations may have helped many medical students to study these procedures or regular people like me, a better level of understanding about a certain operation.

Aside from the benefit mentioned above, I personally benefited from watching this procedure, in as much as it lowered my anxiety about what my mother had to go through. If I had to judge the situation solely on the text messages received from my sister, I would have had a higher level of emotional state. So my mother had the operation and is back at home recuperating. I am just praying and hoping for speedy recovery…so that she can see me clearly when we see each other again….maybe in a couple of months from now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=390eN2QDaLs

Filed under: Health & Beauty and tagged Canalicular Repair, eye injury, eye operation, injury