| After emerging victorious after a fun and | | | | crowd had gathered, as two of the elevators |
| refreshing bodyboard session at Ocean Beach | | | | were out of order. Finally, the middle one |
| yesterday, I turned to watch my husband, Mark, | | | | descended, opened, and we all crowded in, after a |
| catch some more waves. As I stared out at the | | | | large man wheeling a woman in a wheelchair. |
| surf zone which was strangely gray and foggy, | | | | When we arrived at the third floor, a woman in |
| even as the beach was bathed in sunshine, I | | | | the back wanted to get out, so a few of us |
| noticed that my vision was filled with small black | | | | moved aside to let her through. She said in a |
| dots. When I blinked and the dots did not | | | | panic-stricken voice, "I need to get off on this |
| disappear, a fear rose up in me. I turned to look | | | | floor!" It seemed like the man wheeling the |
| at sunbathers on the sand, and the dots seemed | | | | woman was trying to hem her in and not let her |
| to dimish; but they were really stark and obvious | | | | get off; she stood there, a little cowed by him. He |
| when I again turned towards the fog. | | | | said, "Have some patience. There are more of us |
| I've had floaters in my eyes for years, and have | | | | who need to get off here." She stepped off, and |
| paid visits to the eye doctor because of them. He | | | | then he followed with the woman in the |
| has said they are something I'll just have to live | | | | wheelchair saying, "Although there are those who |
| with, and explained how as we age, the viscous | | | | feel they're more privileged than others, it |
| gels in our eyeballs get thinner and more liquidy; | | | | appears." |
| thus, the floaters are more noticeable. I've gotten | | | | There was a man in green scrubs who looked at |
| used to the floaters and try not to concentrate | | | | me as the elevator doors shut. "Well, look who's |
| on them, or they simply drive me crazy. A deep | | | | talking! That seemed like the pot calling the kettle |
| blue sky unfettered with clouds is like a canvas | | | | black, didn't it?" The look on his face was so |
| for the various shapes - like dust particles - that | | | | classic, and his timing was so brilliant, I broke up |
| live within my eyeballs. | | | | laughing until tears came to my eyes. We both |
| Well, these small black dots were nothing like the | | | | got off on the fifth floor, and I told him, "Thanks, |
| floaters I to which I had grown accustomed. This | | | | I really needed a laugh." Then we both went our |
| was something else. I thought about what could | | | | separate ways. |
| have caused it, and realized that I'd been rattled | | | | I was called into the exam room almost |
| pretty good by a major wave that broke right | | | | immediately where a female technician asked me |
| over my head. I decided to relax and let the dots | | | | some background questions and applied eye |
| subside. | | | | drops. |
| Later in the evening, when night fell and I walked | | | | And then, the doctor entered. It was none other |
| outside, I noticed a slight flash that seemed to | | | | than the man in green scrubs who had made me |
| occur every time I blinked my left eye. With that | | | | laugh on the elevator. When I saw him, I knew |
| cold fear once again gripping my heart, like one of | | | | everything was going to be all right. |
| those squeeze balls, I went on the Internet and | | | | As he examined my eyes, he said that the retina |
| googled "eye black dots flashes". After reading | | | | was not yet detached, but that it was poised to, |
| that these are all symptoms of a detached retina, | | | | so if I could lay off any jostling activities for the |
| and that ignoring the problem could lead to | | | | next six weeks, and let this trauma settle down, |
| blindness, I resolved to call my eye doctor first | | | | I'd be okay. He said, "Give peace a chance." |
| thing in the morning. | | | | Apparently the symptom of floating black dots is |
| Dr. Newman got right on the phone with me, and | | | | something that occurs in many people as they - |
| suggested that I see a retinal specialist | | | | ahem - get older. So heads up, everyone. Keep |
| immediately. | | | | your eyes open (pun intended) for such |
| About an hour later, I stood on the first floor of | | | | symptoms, and then if and when they occur, pay |
| the medical building waiting for an elevator. Quite a | | | | a visit to your friendly opthamologist. |