r r 19.11TRSIL I-1 Okr11"1FITN t55 -nlr,Trir=r7TN4 ESS H EALTH Affording the best is not the question...finding the best is. A first .. . Apartment living in a Skilled Nursing Facility For the discriminating person requiring an elegant environment Bortz Health Care Family owned and operated for over 33 years Medicare approved CALL 363-4121 For our limousine to pick you up for a personal tour of our facility. 6470 Alden Drive, Orchard Lake DIETS DESIGNED FOR YOUR LIFESTYLE THE DETRO I T J EWIS H N EWS eS F20 • individualized counseling • permanent weight loss, low cholesterol, low sodium, diabetic • sensible, non-fad approach Farmbrook Medical Two Southfield 354-4450 Gail F. Posner, M.S. Registered Dietitian Bring this ad for a free initial consultation The Bright Idea: Give a Gift Subscription THE JEWISH NEWS J WE'RE FIGHTING FOR YOUR LIFE American Heart Association FITNESS HEALTH FITNESS F-1 EALTI-1 A NEW LOOK my prescription and the de- gree of my myopia (near- sightedness), as well as the state of my healthy corneas, would likely yield good re- sults. He also explained that all patients do not obtain 20-20 vision. Many end up with 20-30 or 20-40 (good enough to obtain a Michigan driver's license). I might need glass- es for driving at night or even for reading. R-K while improving nearsightedness has no affect on the lens' de- clining ability to focus on near objects as we age. Also, because doctors must be careful not to over- correct the nearsightedness (and thus cause farsighted- ness in the patient), about 20 percent of the surgeries performed require "en- hancements." Once the eyes have stabilized, if the de- sired degree of correction has not been obtained, the doctor can go back in and make adjustments with ad- ditional incisions. I scheduled my surgery for a Thursday in December. Although most of Dr. Mill- man's patients have both eyes done at once, my in- surance company required me to have the surgery done one eye at a time, one week apart. On a snowy morning my husband drove me to the eye care center. We entered the surgical waiting room. Soon I was called in to be "prepped." There were four cots lined up. The woman next to me was from Liverpool. We talked about the Beatles. Sheila, the doctor's assis- tant; is from Wales. We talked about the break-up of Charles and Di. The man on the other side of me was a sports "junkie" and felt ham- pered by his glasses. It was an upbeat crowd. I was given two Valium and a pain pill. The nurse checked my temperature, blood pressure and pulse. She proceeded to put vari- ous drops in my eye — some to numb the eye and some to constrict the pupil. Before I knew it, it was my turn. I walked into the operating room. The lights were bright and classical music was piped in. An eye clamp was placed on my up- per and lower eyelids to keep the eye open. My oth- er eye was taped shut. I was told to focus between some lights in the microscope the doctor was using. He made eight radial incisions to cor- rect my nearsightedness and two "T" cuts to correct my astigmatism and said I was done. The whole oper- ating room procedure took less than 10 minutes and I hadn't felt a thing. I was given sunglasses, some pain pills, various eye- drops, and a couple of sleep- ing pills for that day and evening. I had spent just over two hours at the center and was on my way home. I spent the first day keep- ing my eye closed. Once the numbing drops wore off, I did experience some pain. But the pain pills, lubricat- ing and antibiotic drops and cold compresses helped. When I woke the next morning, for the first time in memory, I didn't have to ask my husband what time Dr. Millman verified that my age, stable prescription and degree of myopia would likely yield good results. it was. I could read the alarm on his side of the bed. The mild scratchiness I felt was less bothersome than the discomfort I'd had with my contacts. That night I made spaghetti for dinner and wore no glasses to get fogged up. Later I attended my daughter's school play. On Sunday I went to the market and had no trouble finding ingredients on the shelves. On Monday I re- turned to work and was able to do my job with my one \i corrected eye. Later in the week, I would have R-K per- formed on my second eye. I know that my vision will fluctuate for several weeks, sometimes getting blurry in the morning, afternoon or evening. I know that I may experience a "starburst" ef- fect from lights at night for a while. But I expect, as oth- er R-K patients have told me, that these minor incon- veniences will disappear with time. At least for me, as far as R-K is concerned, the "ayes" have it. ❑