[LINK] Australia has an updated government style manual

[Antony Barry]

On Sun, Aug 2, 2020 at 7:00 PM Stephen Loosley <stephenloosley at outlook.com>
wrote:

>
> From personal correspondence we have had over the years I am aware that
>
> you are now almost functionally blind and have some difficulty reading
> Link.
>
>
>
> Please just know the Aussie Internet has benefited greatly from your
> efforts
>
> and those of us aware of your valuable contribution remain deeply thankful.
>

Fortunately, my eyesight is better than you describe. I have had cataract
operations on both eyes the first on my right eye when I was 42. The
techniques then were not as sophisticated as they are now for the operation
and vision in my right eye has therefore been a little limited. Over two
years ago I suffered a fall which caused a haemorrhage in my right eye.
Initially, the treatment for this was successful but gradually the eye
became fogged and I was close to blind in that eye. The diagnosis was that
the endothelial cells were dying off <
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endothelium>. These cells drain excess fluid
from the eye and keep the vision clear. They do not reproduce. I would be
blind in that eye without a transplant.

I was given two options, the first,  a full corneal transplant which would
not only restore vision but, by replacing the implanted lens correct the
deficiency in my vision and it would be back to normal. The second option
was to only replace the layer of cells that had died. This layer is one
cell thick covering an area about the size of my little fingernail. My
vision would be restored to close to what it was. The first option had a
risk of failure, ~10%, and I could lose the eye. The second was safer but
my vision would not be as good. I chose the second as I had coped with poor
vision in the right eye for over 30 years and another ~10 should not be a
problem whereas coping with the care of a glass eye in my 80s and perhaps
90s was not a good prospect <
https://services.nhslothian.scot/artificialeyes/YourArtificialEye/Pages/Caring-for-your-Artificial-Eye.aspx
>.

The end result is that my vision is good for reading but not so good at a
distance but enough to keep my driving licence (I have to be careful
watching to the right - poor peripheral vision). There was a bit of a
hiccup along the way. My ophthalmologist had referred me to a specialist
corneal surgeon to do the surgery. The surgery for the transplant succeeded
but I developed a bleed in the vitreous humour. That surgeon then referred
me to a retinal surgeon and 10 days later I had a second operation to
remove the clots and stop the bleeding. The day after the surgery I went to
Canberra Hospital and together, both surgeons examined me where they are
consultants. Also, they both teach at the University of Canberra. I was in
good hands. So all is well that ends well.

Stephen, thank you for your kind comments. I decided on my 70th birthday
than after 17 years I had probably looked after Link for long enough and it
was time for somebody younger. In February I shall be 80 and expect to be
hiding from Covid-19 for some years!

Tony