An NHS employee has praised an optician he credit with saving his life after he went for his first appointment in additional than 40 years — and discovered he had suffered a mini-stroke.
David Cullen, a healthcare assist employee for the vaccination programme, was on his approach residence from work in March when he felt a “coating” come over his proper eye, rendering him utterly blind in a single eye for about 10 minutes. However by the point he bought residence it had cleared up.
His spouse Ann steered he ought to see his GP, which Mr Cullen declined – however finally he reluctantly agreed to have his eyes checked at Specsavers in Airdrie on his method to work the next morning. The 64-year-old, from Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, had not had his eyes examined in additional than 40 years.
READ MORE: Candy second holidaymaker meets lifeguard who saved her life
Through the eye take a look at, optician Mark Gunn discovered that Mr Cullen had suffered a mini-stroke and shortly made contact along with his GP, who referred him for additional medical remedy.
Mr Gunn mentioned: “The best way he described it was that he misplaced his imaginative and prescient for ten minutes. Every thing went utterly darkish. And as a person in his 60s, it seemed like one thing critical was occurring, resembling diabetes, hypertension and so forth.”
The additional checks revealed that he had a blocked artery, which may have led to a deadly stroke. Mr Cullen underwent surgical procedure to repair the problem.
He mentioned: “I’m so grateful to Mark and the remainder of the Airdrie Specsavers staff, and the numerous healthcare professionals that tended to me at College Hospital Monklands.
“It’s so reassuring to know that there’s such an environment friendly system in place. Pace is so usually the important thing to those sorts of issues.
“That fast morning appointment with Specsavers saved my life, and I’d plead for anybody that has sudden eye points to get to their opticians as quickly as they’ll, as it could possibly usually be a precursor to one thing worse lurking that wants addressing.
“It’s not usually you learn a constructive story about public healthcare, however my expertise was spectacular from begin to end. I can’t thank all of them sufficient.”
Mr Cullen underwent a collection of checks on the hospital, together with a CT, ultrasound and CTG scan. It was later concluded that his carotid artery had a 70 per cent blockage, which may have stopped blood move to the mind, leading to a deadly stroke.
He had surgical procedure on April four and was in a position to return residence the next day, sporting an eight-inch scar from his ear to his collar bone.
He has visited the Specsavers staff in Airdrie twice since his surgical procedure, handing them a thank-you card and a few candies. Mr Gunn mentioned: “It’s a satisfying feeling that we managed to assist him. It makes you admire the job you do and serving to individuals.”