A 59-year-old Plympton man has praised staff at the Royal Eye Infirmary at Derriford Hospital for prompt treatment he received after a torn retina and the subsequent restoration of his sight.
Mark Cawley who is a sous chef at the Royal Citadel in Plymouth first became aware of a problem when a blood clot developed in one of his eyes after he banged his head. Following a referral to a consultant he was diagnosed as having a torn retina.
Mark was part of an early group of patients to be treated in the new Ophthalmic modular theatres, which opened last summer at Derriford Hospital. The theatres were part of an investment from the NHS Elective Recovery Fund to address the pandemic’s impact on ophthalmic waiting times in Devon and Cornwall.
Mark was very grateful that he was able to have operations on each eye within nine weeks, for a torn retina and cataract removal. He said:
“I was sightless for two weeks and that was really scary, so I could do nothing but praise the NHS.
“I can’t believe I can see, and when you don’t have sight, people within the general public don’t actually understand how scary it is. But now I can read, and I can work, I can write menus, I can read menus.
“I go in with a big smile and people don’t get it because they haven’t been there. I tell every man and his dog, guess what? NHS is awesome. They hold my hand and guide me, and do things that you didn’t ask. All the staff were sympathetic, and you were treated as an individual, not as just a number.
“I’m profoundly grateful for the NHS, for their back-up, for their funding – I am really truly grateful.”
(Story courtesy of the Plympton Podcast)
