From Cuiaba Brazil: Bump in the road

Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein

Saturday morning, October 25, I sat at my laptop to do some work, when I realized my vision was impaired in my left eye. I held a card over my right eye and discovered that my vision was dark and blurry and had dark blotches that prevented me from seeing images with clear definition. in my left eye. Needless to say, this alarmed me.

I called Laird Swensen (actually via Face Time) the Church's medical adviser for Brazil, who was in my same mission group when we studied together at the Language Training Mission, traveled together to Brazil, served in the same mission and traveled home together after the mission. I explained my symptoms and he advised me to come to Sao Paulo as soon as possible. We arrived in Sao Paulo on Sunday night and checked into the Church's lojamento (temple lodging) that is adjacent to the Sao Paulo temple and church office building for Brazil. On Monday morning we checked into Einstein Hospital through the emergency outpatient services.

I was examined by an ophthalmologist who told me that I had suffered a clot in a main vein that supplies blood to the eye (vascular occlusion). He referred me to his partner who specializes in retina conditions. She examined me on Tuesday and explained a treatment that has been found to be effective in treating this condition. She said I should not plan on my vision being restored to normal, but that by injecting two medications into my eye I could get some help in preventing further loss and might even regain some of my diminished vision. She showed me on a computer image what my eye looks like. It has lots of blood in it which needs to be reduced or eliminated. The medications she suggested should help get rid of some of the blood.

Most often people who have this condition have a history of diabetes, heart trouble, or high blood pressure, none of which I have. Fortunately, I have been blessed with excellent health throughout my life. I trust that my healthy lifestyle, and, more importantly Heavenly Father's blessings and healing will restore my eyesight. I received a blessing from Moacir Macedo, the Sorriso district president, before traveling to Sao Paulo and I received a blessing in the Sao Paulo temple, from two senior missionaries on Wednesday night after I had received my treatment. In that blessing I was promised that my vision would be restored to normal. I have faith that will be the case.

On Wednesday morning, October 29, I was wheeled into the operating room and received injections in my eye of Lucentes and Cortisone. The Lucentes is fast acting and will last for about 30 days and the Cortisone will continue to act for up to 4 months. My eye had been anesthetized so I didn't feel much pain. I did feel a little as the needle went in, but it was not bad. For the most part I have not felt pain since. The days right after the injections my eye was full of dark webby designs that resulted from the medication. In spite of this, a test on Thursday morning revealed that my eyesight was actually better than it had been when I was first examined on Monday. I was able to read both letters on one chart and two out of five smaller letters one out of two rows of letters on a second chart. This surprised me and seemed to maybe surprise the specialist.

I so much appreciate Laird Swensen who was at my side through all examinations and in waiting rooms, etc. from Monday morning through Thursday afternoon. His Portuguese is much better than mind and he understands the medical terminology. I would not want to have been without him. Lou Ellen and I received so very many blessings and tender mercies throughout the trip. I refer to it as a miracle trip. So many things happened to bless us just in the moment we needed them. They were by no means coincidences. They came from a tender, loving, Heavenly Father.

This is the second time Laird has come to my rescue. In the end of December, 2000, I had a skiing accident and the biceps tendon became detached from the bone and receded to the muscle. Dr. Swensen came by the examination room where I was and agreed to perform surgery. I didn't know he was in that group of doctors, and he didn't know I was in the clinic at that time. Fortunately, the examination room door had been left open. This was another tender mercy "non-coincidence" blessing in my life.

Photos that follow are from our Sao Paulo trip. It was fun to be in Sao Paulo where I served a year of my mission as a young man in 1965-66.

Thanks to Laird's relationship with the hospital two facilitators were assigned to us (Lou Ellen was with me all the time--thankfully). They even brought us a snack from the cafeteria and helped expedite our processing as a new patient. We truly received VIP treatment.

Elder/Dr. Laird Swensen, Sister Romrell, and Elder Romrell prior to Elder Romrell's surgery (eye injections in operating room).

View from Einstein Hospital

Church office building in Sao Paulo

Last evening in Sao Paulo at the Feijão da Corda Restaurante, near the temple.

The House of the Lord in Sao Paulo, Brazil. We had the wonderful blessing to live in lodging at the side of the temple for 8 days and to attend the temple. We loved being there.