I Have a New Problem. Maybe someone has an idea?

[JTC]

I have severe cataracts and I need surgery. The problem is the surgical center is insisting I have someone accompany me there. They want the person to come in and wait. It's only supposed to be a 2 or 3 hr thing and then I leave. I can get Medicaid transportation there and back but that's no good. The Doc doesn't care it's the surgery center who wants someone with me. I have no family or friends that can come with me. I don't belong to a church bc I can't find 1. I've tried. Maybe there are organizations that have volunteers that will help? The Doc gave me the # of a woman who supposedly will go with me. I called and left a message she hasn't called back yet. Maybe she will on Monday. But I hate to think what she will charge. This is so unfair. I've been fighting depression all weekend bc of this. I'm 64 and a disabled Sr. Citizen. The woman I'm waiting to hear from calls herself the fairy godmother. If she asks for gas money and an extra $20 I can handle that. Any more and I have to beg to borrow money. The surgery isn't urgent but it's necessary bc the cataracts keep getting worse. Anyone have any ideas?

[other one]

31 minutes ago, JTC said:

I have severe cataracts and I need surgery. The problem is the surgical center is insisting I have someone accompany me there. They want the person to come in and wait. It's only supposed to be a 2 or 3 hr thing and then I leave. I can get Medicaid transportation there and back but that's no good. The Doc doesn't care it's the surgery center who wants someone with me. I have no family or friends that can come with me. I don't belong to a church bc I can't find 1. I've tried. Maybe there are organizations that have volunteers that will help? The Doc gave me the # of a woman who supposedly will go with me. I called and left a message she hasn't called back yet. Maybe she will on Monday. But I hate to think what she will charge. This is so unfair. I've been fighting depression all weekend bc of this. I'm 64 and a disabled Sr. Citizen. The woman I'm waiting to hear from calls herself the fairy godmother. If she asks for gas money and an extra $20 I can handle that. Any more and I have to beg to borrow money. The surgery isn't urgent but it's necessary bc the cataracts keep getting worse. Anyone have any ideas?

I wish I could come up and help.....  you do need someone with you.  I had both of mine done last August and needed my wife.  The procedure itself isn't that traumatic on your system, but they do put you to sleep and you can easily hurt yourself for several hours. They are looking out for you.

Are you a veteran? 

[wingnut-]

1 hour ago, JTC said:

I have severe cataracts and I need surgery. The problem is the surgical center is insisting I have someone accompany me there. They want the person to come in and wait. It's only supposed to be a 2 or 3 hr thing and then I leave. I can get Medicaid transportation there and back but that's no good. The Doc doesn't care it's the surgery center who wants someone with me. I have no family or friends that can come with me. I don't belong to a church bc I can't find 1. I've tried. Maybe there are organizations that have volunteers that will help? The Doc gave me the # of a woman who supposedly will go with me. I called and left a message she hasn't called back yet. Maybe she will on Monday. But I hate to think what she will charge. This is so unfair. I've been fighting depression all weekend bc of this. I'm 64 and a disabled Sr. Citizen. The woman I'm waiting to hear from calls herself the fairy godmother. If she asks for gas money and an extra $20 I can handle that. Any more and I have to beg to borrow money. The surgery isn't urgent but it's necessary bc the cataracts keep getting worse. Anyone have any ideas?

 

I wish I lived closer so I could take you myself.  Will be praying the Lord makes a way for you, God bless brother.

[Willa]

You need someone because your vision will be blurry for about a week.  You can't drive.  

Sometimes there are Sr. citizen chore services or chaplaincy services that can help for free.  You might contact a local hospital social worker to see if they have any ideas.  Even public health might come up with an answer.  Each area is different.  We even have people who take people grocery shopping and to appointments.  

I had lazar surgery and was not put to sleep at all, but they did give me something to calm me and drops to calm my eye.  Vision is better than ever now.  

[Absolem]

That's bullcrap you gotta pay to have someone with you. Just go to a church and explain your situation with the head pastor. Jesus will help.

[other one]

20 hours ago, Willa said:

You need someone because your vision will be blurry for about a week.  You can't drive.  

Sometimes there are Sr. citizen chore services or chaplaincy services that can help for free.  You might contact a local hospital social worker to see if they have any ideas.  Even public health might come up with an answer.  Each area is different.  We even have people who take people grocery shopping and to appointments.  

I had lazar surgery and was not put to sleep at all, but they did give me something to calm me and drops to calm my eye.  Vision is better than ever now.  

All of the doctors I checked with say that you have to be asleep when they get ready to remove the old lenses for they have to totally stop all eye movement and no one would want to be awake during those shots.  It is highly painful and dangerous if you move or even flinch. But you have to be awake when they remove the old lenses and replace with the new so one is not out for more than 5 minutes.

The only actual pain for the whole thing is when they put in the IV thing.  And if the nurse is really good, that doesn't Burt much anyway.

Had to wear a hard clear patch far a couple of says when asleep to keep from rubbing your eye in your sleep. It took two days to get the eye muscles to give me coordinated eye movement.  I had double vision for a couple of days.   Very interesting.....  Would not want to drive.

[enoob57]

On ‎6‎/‎4‎/‎2017 at 10:58 AM, JTC said:

I have severe cataracts and I need surgery. The problem is the surgical center is insisting I have someone accompany me there. They want the person to come in and wait. It's only supposed to be a 2 or 3 hr thing and then I leave. I can get Medicaid transportation there and back but that's no good. The Doc doesn't care it's the surgery center who wants someone with me. I have no family or friends that can come with me. I don't belong to a church bc I can't find 1. I've tried. Maybe there are organizations that have volunteers that will help? The Doc gave me the # of a woman who supposedly will go with me. I called and left a message she hasn't called back yet. Maybe she will on Monday. But I hate to think what she will charge. This is so unfair. I've been fighting depression all weekend bc of this. I'm 64 and a disabled Sr. Citizen. The woman I'm waiting to hear from calls herself the fairy godmother. If she asks for gas money and an extra $20 I can handle that. Any more and I have to beg to borrow money. The surgery isn't urgent but it's necessary bc the cataracts keep getting worse. Anyone have any ideas?

If your $20 is not enough and no other solution arises... I will make up the difference. Love, Steven

[simplejeff]

On 6/4/2017 at 10:58 AM, JTC said:

Anyone have any ideas?

IF  you get to talk with others and verify or for future use or for others with possible less severe issues,

this information may be helpful (and is usually not offered in the untied states) >>> (but has been proven often, and is offered more often in other countries) >>>

EXCERPT from online webpage:

"WebMD defines cataracts as a clouding of the lens of your eye that generally causes vision impairment. The condition is quite common and is believed to affect more than 50% of Americans over the age of 65 alone."

........ ..... ......

Many medical professionals claim surgery as the only option for treating cataracts. While this treatment is often the only or at least the best option for treating a progressive, advanced case of cataracts,

if you catch the condition early on,

you can implement a number of natural cures to treat cataracts effectively.

Three of the most effective natural remedies for cataracts are alpha lipoic acid, phytonutrients, and lutein. " ...

... ... (more at site and other sources/ doctors/ clinics/  for research)

https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/cataracts.html

[JTC]

Thanks for replying everyone. No, I'm not a veteran and I don't own a car so I won't be driving. I just thought I could be picked up by someone else and that would have been good enough. But they're saying someone has to be with me. The doc said I'm going to be awake during the surgery. That doesn't make sense to me. I'll be sedated but not under anesthesia. Once I get home I'll be alone anyway. I'm always alone. That's my biggest problem in life. Everyone needs alone time but to always be alone all the time is not good. I didn't speak to the woman yet so I don't have a price yet. Thanks for responding everyone.

[Willa]

2 hours ago, other one said:

All of the doctors I checked with say that you have to be asleep when they get ready to remove the old lenses for they have to totally stop all eye movement and no one would want to be awake during those shots.  It is highly painful and dangerous if you move or even flinch. But you have to be awake when they remove the old lenses and replace with the new so one is not out for more than 5 minutes.

The only actual pain for the whole thing is when they put in the IV thing.  And if the nurse is really good, that doesn't Burt much anyway.

Had to wear a hard clear patch far a couple of says when asleep to keep from rubbing your eye in your sleep. It took two days to get the eye muscles to give me coordinated eye movement.  I had double vision for a couple of days.   Very interesting.....  Would not want to drive.

As I said, I had Lazar surgery at a large clinic, Pacific Cataract and Lazar Clinic..  They are staffed by Christians and have branches in many western states.  Was always awake but asked for a tranquilizer.  No problems at all as the eye and muscles were numbed.  Better than having a tooth filled.  Yes, I forgot about the patch.  Had the other eye done 2 weeks later.  No longer need glasses but for some drug store cheap readers but It did take a couple of weeks for vision to become clear and eyes to work together.  I definitely recommend lazar surgery, but not in a small office.  All this clinic does is dozens of cataract lazar surgeries a day so their equipment is the latest and this is their expertise.  Medicare coved it all, but I chose a lens that also corrected astigmatism and I had to pay a lot more for that.