I got in contact with the Associated Vetreoretinal Uveitis Consultants through google search and I…read morecannot overemphasize how fortunate I was especially when they assigned Dr. Giuliari as my doctor for the retinal problem that I had. At first sight, and with his cool composure, he listened attentively to what I had experienced. He took his time to re-explain my problem with textbook images and what may likely happen during my treatment. He was well composed, very articulate, and reassuring. It appeared that he has done similar interventions before and had long years of experience. I felt very comfortable though remained worried at the mention of getting a few injections in my left eye that had the problem during the treatment.
I remember taking injections on my buttocks many years ago and the thought of having similar injection, with the long, pointed, and sharp needles in my eye gave me goose bumps, sleepless nights, and fearful imaginations in the days leading to the first injection.
The clinic is very clean, well-organized, and a trained staff that knows exactly what to do at every turn. After the preliminaries on the first visit, I returned a week later for the first injection. My blood pressure was taken, restated my date of birth, and read the chart with each of the eyes. The second stop, in another room, was to have images of my eyes taken, and the third was the biggest encounter with the doctor, the injection.
Fearful that I won't be able to drive back home, my 24-year-old son, a Purdue University graduate, drove me to the clinic. In order not to let him notice how panicky I was, as his dad, his hero, I asked him to go back home and would call him when everything was done.
In a few minutes after the images were taken, I was led in another room where I was to meet Dr. Giuliari. Another Assistant did the preliminaries with liquid drops on my eye. Now came the drama. Dr. Giuliari went through the images, explained what will happen during the treatment, and the goal.
He came over to the right side of the chair, explained every step that he took: this medication is for this, look up straight and follow my fingers, this is to keep your eye open, etc. I did as he instructed. I remembered from my High School biology days that the heart beats 70 times a minute. I realized that mine was more than ten times that rate with shallow breaths, and probably the Doctor realized it too. I grabbed the arms of the chair very tight and had they not been securely screwed; they would have come out.
And then he said this one will put a little pressure on your eye, a pressure that I did not feel in anticipation of the needle. After that, he tapped me gently on the right shoulder, saying, "you are done". What! Where is the injection? I took a very deep breath, trying to control the palpitations. Is the nightmare over, for real!
He was professional, friendly, caring, as he looked to our next appointment. I left the hospital feeling good but a bit ashamed that I had imagined things different. Arriving back home, everyone expected to a gauze or a bandage over my left eye. They were afraid for me. How then would I explain that it was like 'liking a cone of ice cream' but still had to pretend to be brave like coming from a battlefield unscathed. Subsequent injections were like a walk in the park, relaxed, while my eye continued to heal.
Dr. Giuliari is one of the best in his field, highly experienced, well-educated, and does his work with passion.
