Eventually sunlight evaporates the ink of pre-dawn as I lie awake. I don’t think I slept at all. We shower and dress and catch the 1 train to our destination. We enter the tiny clinic. Introduce ourselves and fill in the forms. So many forms. After pre admission checks, scans and a thousand questions, we get to see the doctor.
Dr Nissen. Michael is his first name, introduces himself. He is a gregarious man, bald, chubby and in love with surfing in Australia and VB! Although he’s never been nor tasted VB. We chat about beaches, surfing, drinking and Aussie culture. He’s easy to talk to.
Then he gets down to work. From the outset my confidence level increases. This is a man who knows his shit. He has all the whiz bang tools, including a mini ultrasound device that he runs over my eye. Even Mardi can tell what’s going on the image is so clear. She describes it as a spinnaker on a yacht flapping around in the wind. Dr Nissen agrees.
He then confirms I’ll need surgery. He’ll do it tomorrow. There is no hurry. The damage is done. Its stable. Sit tight for 24 hours and let’s get this fixed for you.
Mardi then asks about costs, insurance. She asks if the surgery is expense, like three or five thousand dollars???
Dr Nissen, says: “No nothing like that. It’ll be around $30-$35,000.” He says this without batting an eyelid.
Without missing a beat Mardi says, “We don’t care, whatever it takes.”
“Do you have insurance?” he asks.
Yes, we do thankfully. But will the surgery be covered? We have some work to do. Dr Nissen’s team prepare some paperwork for us for the insurers and book me in for surgery the next day.
The rest of the day I see my wife go to work. She is a marvel. Phone calls, emails, research, negotiating with banks to transfer money in case the insurance doesn’t come through. I’m not much help. I can’t see to do anything, I have no functional vision at present. So I let her do what she does best, organise.
We venture out for some dinner and a wander around, just to break the monotony of the day and try and live normally for a while, knowing that tomorrow will answer some questions for us.
That night I call my parents and tell them the news. They offer to send money, dad even says he will jump on a plane and visit us! Parents will do anything for their kids, it’s a measure of how strong and important family is.
I end the call with tears in my eyes. I don’t know what is around the corner for me. My life may change forever. It then hits me that I don’t have a job either? Who is going to employ an almost 50 year old blind person! What can I do, what will I be able to do?
Mardi as always is optimistic and reminds me that Dr Nissen said he has done hundreds of these surgeries. It buoys me a bit and I give her a hug. She has been so strong, so resilient. I don’t think I could have done this on my own.
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