By Crystal Hayduk
Lisa Allmendinger, owner and publisher of Chelsea Update, wrote a short message last week about her eye surgery. (See story here.)
Lisa has asked me to fill you in on how she’s doing and to let you know the plan to keep bringing you “all the news that’s fit to post about Chelsea, Michigan.”
Last Monday morning, while most people were looking forward to viewing the solar eclipse, Lisa noticed some unusual changes to her vision. An urgent visit to Cherry Optometry led to visits to not one, but two retinal specialists/ophthalmologists to diagnose the problem. She ultimately chose Specialty Eye Institute because it was close to home, making multiple appointments easier.
Lisa missed the solar eclipse. Instead of standing in awe of a celestial event with her dogs by her side, she was in a dark room with artificially dilated pupils, petrified at the loss of vision in her left eye. Testing and painful exams revealed a detached retina. (The retina lines the back of the inside of the eye and is necessary for sight.)
Lisa underwent extensive surgery to repair the retina. The surgery reportedly went well, but to optimize restoration of her vision, she needs to follow Dr. Purohit’s orders during her recovery. For someone who is normally active and involved, the enforced rest is difficult. She must lie on her right side most of every hour, with only short breaks to manage her personal needs.
She’s also been instructed to avoid screens for a time. Even though her professional life revolves around her mission to keep Chelsea informed, taking care of her health and long-term ability to keep working is a priority. To accomplish both of these important things, I’m helping Lisa by reviewing and posting crucial stories to Chelsea Update.
I know nothing about running websites, but Lisa can visualize her computer screen in her head, along with the movements of her hands on the keyboard, and she’s been talking me through what to do. Even so, some stories will wait until she’s back to full-time work. Freelance writing is only one of my jobs, so I can’t spend nearly the amount of time at this as she always has. This is what we’ll be doing until the doctor gives Lisa the all-clear to resume her normal work schedule.
Please add your positive thoughts and prayers for Lisa’s recovery. She is always thinking about this community and its people, even during her own health crisis. Thank you for being loyal readers, and for your understanding during this time.
And as regular readers can well imagine, Buzz and Aidan have added private duty nursing care to their usual faithful companion duties.
