A Kind Soul

    It was just like any other day on the 11th of June, 2019. The morning alarm played the usual melody into my ears at 6:00 am. The first thing I did after I swiped the screen to switch off the alarm was browsing through my emails. This had become my routine ever since I returned from Canada in May 2018. I never miss out on an email or a text as my phone has always been a part of me. If it pings, I am sure to peek immediately. But it is always in the silent mode at night from 9:30 PM. One thing that Canada taught me was early supper and early to bed habits. It was more than a year since I returned from Canada, but I was continuing to receive regular updates from the University of Montreal (UDEM). I lived in Montreal for about thirteen months but my French comprehension is close to nothing, so I always use Google translate to understand the content of emails received in French. It was when I was trying to read one such email I came across the above photo of Umit, the picture of a guy with a lovely smile. I only saw the year 2019 and étudiant en maitrise laboratoire des neurosciences de la vision. I immediately assumed that Umit had successfully completed his masters and was happy for him. I truly enjoyed that moment which unfortunately lasted only for a few seconds. What Google translate showed next came to me like a thunderbolt and shook me out of my bed.

A screenshot of Google Translation 

    This was the phrase above his photo - 

    "C'est avec une grande tristesse que nous annonçons les décès de deux étudiants de l'École, leurs départs nous ont profondément affectés et nous offrons toutes nos sympathies à leur famille respective."

    And the translation read - 

"It is with great sadness that we announce the deaths of two students of the School, their departures have deeply affected us and we extend our sympathies to their respective families."

    With my heartbeat raising, I quickly switched back to the picture on my email and noticed that it was written 1992 - 2019. So, it was real, Umit was no more. The photo of the other student in the email was of Sara Hmouz who I didn't know. I immediately sent the above image to my friends and batchmates via the WhatsApp group. They did not know until I told them. Everyone was shocked. After a little digging, we found that he passed away more than a month ago due to a complication of congenital illness.

    I wondered why I was heartbroken to know this. I did not know Umit personally. He was not my friend at UDEM. It was just that his desk was behind mine in the study room, and every time he entered the room, he smiled and wished. He had a fancy arrangement on his table, with a custom desktop computer and a few books. All other desks in the room were either empty or barely filled with sticky notes and occasionally a few books. Other than just wishing good-mornings, hellos, and byes there was not much interaction with him. Then, why did I feel shattered? Why was I crying? My memories went back to the first week at UDEM. 

    I was forty-three years of age in September 2016 when I joined Masters in Vision Science -Visual Impairment and Rehabilitation program at UDEM, and did not have absolutely any previous experience living in any country other than India, had no friends in Montreal, and more than everything had lost my beloved son about a year ago. Moreover, it was more than twenty years since I went to a formal college. My brain was completely rewired to a practice mode from a learning form. Reading the syllabus, the examination schedules, and seeing French everywhere around was overwhelming for me. My only companion those first days was my laptop. 

    I think it was during the middle of the first week when I was struggling to connect to the health library website through the UDEM WiFi at the Jean Brilliant campus. When I enquired, I was guided to an IT technician who had her office in one of the many rooms. After a lot of struggle walking around the deserted look-alike corridors with no one to guide or even to ask, I managed to reach her room. I don't remember her name but I do remember how approachable she was. She apologized for not being very good in English, which I found funny considering my poor French. She walked with me to the study room and the moment she saw Umit, all that she did was raise her eyebrows. 

    "You have Umit! You didn't have to come to me. He is the best in computers," she quickly introduced him and left.

    Umit was such a lovable boy. His approach was kind and his speaking was very sweet. He carefully took my laptop and checked the WiFi settings, did everything he could but couldn't fix the problem. I was worried if my laptop was too outdated. However, he reassured me by describing all the advanced features on my laptop in a simple language that I could understand. I also remember how amazed he was to see that the touch-enabled display of my laptop. But in the end, he felt bad that he couldn't be of help. So he didn't stop there. After checking the UDEM website, he contacted the IT person on the main campus and explained everything in French. He then asked me to take my laptop to them and was sure that I will be able to connect to the WiFi after that. Although the problem wasn't fixed, the way he made me feel is something that I remember to this date, the support that he provided to a newcomer, the reassurance that he gave when I was tensed, and the kindness that he exhibited is unforgettable. I wish he was still there. 

    Umit you were a great soul gone too soon. The world misses you. But you will always be remembered by me who lives on the other side of the earth! 

Rest in peace, Umit

Veena Rao

Cataract.. Care & Act

Mr. Swami (name changed) visited Jaya Eye Care where he was sure to find a solution to all his vision problems. His very close friend had strongly recommended the center. Mr. Swami was an interesting personality. Soon after he entered he announced, “I heard you have one-stop-solution for my eyes. I am a very sweet person, I am diabetic!”. He stole everyone’s heart from the time he stepped in. He was happy to see the welcoming staff and the center’s ambiance. He cracked a lot of jokes and was a center of attention. Not only did he have fun but he also made other patients’ visits memorable.

After a detailed eye examination that included a vision test, refraction, Intra Ocular Pressure measurement, anterior segment evaluation, and retinal examination, he was diagnosed to have a cataract. He is a known diabetic for about 5 years and his blood sugar levels are under good control. A detailed retinal examination revealed normal retina in both eyes. However, he was educated about possible problems that can occur in the eye due to diabetes especially if it was not under control. He was applauded for his care about his own health. Mr. Swami had no clue that diabetes could also affect his eyes. He was glad that Jaya Eye Care educated him on that aspect!

Mr. Swami was counseled about cataract and its treatment. Again, he never had a clue that it can be treated at this stage. He had assumed that he will have to wait until it was ‘ripe’ to undergo surgery. The same myth was reinforced by the optician who had earlier sold the progressive glasses to Mr. Swami. Jaya Eye Care believes in a consultative selection of best Intra Ocular Lens (IOL) meaning, it believes in understanding the lifestyle of its patients before recommending the type of IOL rather than ‘selling’ a type of IOL.

A detailed interview was taken to understand his lifestyle. “I have quite a busy schedule. I travel a lot. Luckily my driver takes me around. Chennai’s Sun really bothers me. I always wonder how the Uber eats and Swiggy motorcyclists spend the whole day supplying food to those who don’t cook at home! Ah! When I go out during nights, the dazzling lights from the cars really bother me. Talking about technology, these days it is very convenient. Many years ago, I remember how I used to do all my banking activities by visiting my bank, stand in long ques, eagerly wait for that ‘Ding’ sound so that it is my turn to withdraw money. Thanks to online banking, I can do all my banking using my laptop. I spend a lot of my time on computers, mobile and I enjoy watching TV. I attend ‘Kacheri’ at Narada Gana Saba at least once in a week. Of late, I have trouble driving, sunlight bothers me, I have trouble working for long hours on my computer. I recently spent almost forty thousand rupees for my progressive lenses. The optician said it was the best that would suit my lifestyle. Unfortunately, it is not helping me” said Mr. Swami.

Based on Mr. Swami’s lifestyle and Optical Biometry measurements, it was concluded that he would do well with Micro-Incision Cataract Surgery with implantation of Aberration-Free, UV blocking, Toric Multifocal IOL. This IOL has the advantage of resulting in a good vision for distance, near & intermediate by its inbuilt optical properties, and correcting astigmatism.

Surgery was done within a couple of days and Mr. Swami was surprised that he spent only about two hours in the center and could also get his other eye operated within two more days. He was extremely happy with his visual recovery which was just 4-5 days. He is very happy to be able to see without his glasses. He continues to be a cheerful person and manages his lifestyle with ease and without any more strain!

Jaya Eye Care is happy that Mr.Swami ‘Cared and Acted’ about his cataract and continues to live his active life!!

Beware mobile users!

Beware mobile users!!!

In this era of the digital world, the biggest question concerning our eyes is, “Will extensive use of mobile phones affect my eyes?” and the answer is “YES!” While mobile companies have been working really hard to market new models that have a better display, large screen, blue light filter, antireflection screens, etc., it becomes rather confusing to decide if or not to use mobile phones. A while ago, people were concerned about the radiations that affect one’s health with messages traveling across the globe about how we are not supposed to put our cell phones in our shirt pocket that would affect our heart and not place it next to our pillow while we sleep that would cause sleep disturbances or brain cancer. However, presently with the global increase in the number of people wearing glasses, it has become an utmost need of the hour to spread awareness about the proper use of mobile phones. The following points have to be kept in mind while using mobile phones.

1.       Distance – Longer the distance, lesser the eye strains. Ideally, it should be placed at a distance of more than 40 cms from the face

2.       Duration – Longer the duration greater the eye hurts and results in eye strain followed by a spasm of eye muscles.  This will result in visual disturbances during near work. Take at least a 30-seconds breaks for every half an hour by looking at something far distance

3.       Position – Never bend too much while looking at the phone; especially avoid looking at it while lying on your belly. By doing so you not only strain your neck but also give way to increase in refractive error

4.       Blinking – It is important to blink your eyes frequently so that there is an equal distribution of tears on your eyes. Normally we should blink at least 10-12 times in a minute but when we are engrossed in an activity that requires more concentration, we forget to blink. This results in the evaporation of tears resulting in dry eyes. Dry-eyes cause a burning sensation, increased tearing, itching and irritation. Prolonged dry eyes will damage the cornea and hence will affect vision.

5.       Font size – Always make sure you are able to read the font without any extra effort at a distance of 40 cms. If not increase the font size such that it is readable at that distance.

6.       Brightness – Make sure the auto-brightness adjustment is enabled on your phone. This ensures the brightness is optimum with respect to the surrounding light.

7.       Blue light filter – Make sure the blue light filter is on. Those who use mobile phones for prolonged periods and are experiencing eye strain will be able to appreciate instant relief when they activate this filter. Apart from eye strain, increased exposure to blue light is known to affect ganglion cells on the retina that would allow age-related retinal degeneration to set in at a much younger age. If the phone does not have a blue light filter feature, the same effect can be made by using special glasses that filter blue light.

8.       Surrounding light – Many people have a habit of looking at their mobiles during night hours with the room lights off with a good intention of not disturbing others who are sleeping in the room. However, this practice is not ideal as this does not allow the diffusing of blue light resulting in the harmful effects of blue light exposure.