...health-wise, as I'm sure Gary can confirm. Yesterday (Sunday here, and my last day off before going back to work) I was practising a little off-hand shooting with the Falcon, when a dirty great reddish worm appeared inside my left eye, squirmed around and slowly spread across my vision in the eye, leaving it a useless blur. It was, as I found out from a quick trip over to the Doc, a suspected vitreous haemorrhage. That was confirmed today after spending most of the day at the hospital where my eyeball was poked, prodded and had lights shone in it. Tomorrow they will try to repair, by laser, a small tear in the retina which appears to have caused the bleeding, provided they can see past the blood, a better option than full surgery. I have to sleep sitting up tonight to help the blood settle lower in the eye. That will be easy
At least it wasn't my shootin' eye!!
Cheers
Neil

Darn! Best of luck and best wishes for talented treatment! I'm really sorry to hear this, I'll be looking forward to positive reports ASAP.

Hello Neil,

This is a routine proceedure Neil. Have no fear.

Me old Mum, used to go get the eyes zapped with lasers, quite often. Over a very long period of time. As she aged, and she continued to need this ... her eyesight actually improved!

I'm always sorry to hear of a mate with something to deal with. I am pretty sure, though, that they will be able to keep you in good shape.

I said a prayer for ya. Rest now.

Gary

All the best Neil. Sounds like you caught it early. When I was reading your description I thought you were going to describe the Loa Loa worm infecting your eye! I guess I need to be a little less literal.

I sure you found the straightest shooter of a doc to laser your eye. Heck how hard could it be, there's no drop to figure on a light beam!

Get well soon. Glad you have a no recoil falcon to shoot while you heal up.

Kent

Thanks for your concern and kind wishes Jerry, Gary and Kent. Just to update, I spent Tuesday afternoon in at the hospital while they had two goes at lasering the retinal tear, but were unsuccessful due to the presence of too much blood. So they froze the offending area (cryotherapy) using a probe inserted down the outside of the eyeball (after putting my eye to sleep!). I was a bit knackered after that afternoon's torture! So now I go back Tuesday for a check up to see if it has done the job. The vision in that eye cleared somewhat on Monday and Tuesday, to a stage that I have named after the David Bowie album "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars". There is a haze (Stardust) which I can see quite well through but not well enough to read, and a dirty great Spider from Mars which hangs around just above or on the middle of the vision, rising and falling to obscure it at times. I'm told that the blood causing this entertainment should clear but may take months. However, apart from taking it a bit quietly for the next few days until my check up, life is returning to normal and I managed to get a few hours in at work on Thursday and Friday. Next, some shooting will be on the agenda, weather permitting....I will resume that offhand practice with the Falcon that was so rudely interrupted!
Regards
Neil
Postscript: While still logged on and having just watched Jim's fine offhand shooting on the old video Gary posted, I wandered out to the kitchen to make another cup of tea and spotted a bunny on the front lawn. A quick trip to the garage to get the Falcon, a sneak along the back deck, and "ping", I'm back in business! That bunny had ben annoying me for a few days....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/2011 06:15PM by neilmcp.

Hi Neil,

I wish you the best of healing.

Hey - just a thought came to me. Ya might want to consider passing on anything with "recoil". Probably wouldn't be a good time to get "scoped!"



Gary

True Gary...I'll give big bore a break until next weekend at least.
Regards
Neil

Good luck, and a speedy recovery.

Wait a minute, it wasnt your shooting eye right? Heck, you don't need the other one...lol.

Seriously, just joking. I have horrible vision and i rely on contacts and or glasses. So i know how serious eye issues can be.

Take care.

Thanks Tofaz, not my shooting eye which is a relief! It is slowly clearing, which is also a relief. Just looks like a semi-transparent jellyfish is floating around in there at the moment.
I shot a magpie out of the big gum tree across the valley yesterday, around a 50 yard shot with the Falcon .22. I was toying with brushing the cobwebs off my SamYang .45 and shooting a few Barnes Raptors downrange, but thought I would wait till today when there might be less wind. But of course, there is more Maybe next weekend...

Cheers

Neil