Dear family, brethren, and friends,

I hope this note finds all of you well with your family and loved ones.

By God’s grace I had a safe return from the Philippines to my home in Shepherdsville, Kentucky.  My total travel time was about 30 hours.

In recent years I have had a few floaters especially in my left eye (for more information on floaters, see http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/benign-eye-floaters#1).  Floaters are often small fragments, dots, or lines which appear for a time in the field of vision and gradually disappear.  They are called floaters because they are in constant motion.  This comes with the aging process for some people and is not generally dangerous.

Occasionally, someone will have a large floater develop which tears the edge of the eye’s retina.  Surgery is required to repair this tear or a person might go blind.  A couple of weeks before I left for my April Philippine trip, I had a large floater in my left eye which required laser surgery.  The doctor said the surgery was successful and the tear was repaired.

A few days before I left for the Philippines I developed another floater, but the doctor examined it and cleared me to travel.  He strictly cautioned me that if I had another large floater, it would be critical to be examined by a retina specialist to learn whether the retina had suffered another tear.

While presenting my last lesson in Angeles City Friday afternoon, I had another large floater appear in my left eye again.  Not only do I see something dark and large floating in my field of vision, but also there is a fog or cloud which dims my vision. Attempts were made to contact three retina specialists in the Philippines, but all of them were away from their offices and unavailable over the long Labor Day holiday weekend.  I was advised by Dr. Teresa Toreja in Manila to return home as soon as possible for an examination and not to risk doing damage which could not be remedied.

This afternoon I was able to make a follow-up visit to the retina specialist doctor who performed the laser surgery.  After a thorough examination, he explained that what I am experiencing is some blood coming from the wound created by the laser surgery.  This bleeding can occur in some cases but is not a matter of great concern. He wants me to prop my head up when sleeping and he predicted the fog or cloud dimming my vision would gradually clear up and normal vision would return.

I had previously been scheduled to have cataract surgery on the left eye May 8 and on the right eye May 22.  The doctor approved me to go ahead with the planned surgeries.  A newly developed lens will replace the natural lens in my eyes, and it will not be necessary for me to wear glasses any longer if all goes well.   I request your continued prayers in the hope these surgeries will be fully successful.

I send this update with relief, joy, and much thanksgiving to God and to all who have prayed for me on this occasion.

In Christian love,
Ron Halbrook

To see good Bible study material, go to:
http://www.HebronChurchOfChrist.com
http://www.biblework.com
http://www.truthmagazine.com
http://www.CEIbooks.com