This year I figured I needed to see what was needed...My appointment with my optometrist (whom I've known for many years since he used to be my customer) was late last Monday...He said new glasses won't help because I can't see past a big obstruction in my right eye, although my left needed a small correction in my prescription...He again urged me to see an ophthalmologist...

I said OK this time, and even though it was late in the afternoon, he called Retina Consultants in Houston and got me an appointment at their nearby Woodlands facility for yesterday morning for a thorough exam...I didn't know how long I would be away, so I deposited my two puppies with their vet where they got pampered by all their adoring fans...I was interviewed and examined by a string of technicians who took a series of photos with several machines...

They injected a dye in my veins (which made me throw up) then took more pictures...The doctor read my case file, looked at my eyes and the pictures while rattling off unintelligible gibberish to the nice young lady who was typing everything into a laptop, then said I didn't need any more laser work except for two small cataracts which could be done later...He said I have a large sac of fluid caused by my diabetes, which is lodged between my right retina and the outer lens causing my obstructed vision...

He said, "I can fix it with a series of fluid injections in which I'll poke a needle in your eyeball, but trust me you won't feel a thing"...After my expected "say what?!" moment, he explained the procedure in detail, and said he could do the first injection on the spot right then...I then asked the big question of, "Can I afford it on just Medicare alone?"...

His assistant had already looked it up, and said Medicare covers it, plus the subsequent exams and more injections...Feeling brave, I said "Do it," and true to his word, I never felt a thing...He said I should see some improvement in a couple of days...I managed to drive home safely even though my eyes were dilated, and the sun was bright (it seems not many drivers want to venture very close to the mighty Dodge/Cummins anyway)...

Today the dilation is gone, and I can see out of my right eye clearly...They warned me of possible side effects of redness, itchy eyes or irritation from mild to severe...I had none of those symptoms, and I'm able to see much more clearly today...It's even improved somewhat since I got up this morning...

My total out-of-pocket expenses were $85.67 including the doggy daycare...I have a followup exam next week, and an indeterminate number of monthly injections until I revert to regular exams again...What a difference five days and less than a hundred bucks makes!...Dr. Major is a specialist that has jumped on the Truckman Highly Recommended List, and is likely to stay there...I'll only add that he also has the most attractive team of medical assistants anywhere, one in particular...

My advice is, if your eye doctor asks to poke a needle in your eyeball, just say, "Do it!"...