Blind but not defeated

Sharon McLeay
Times Contributor

 

Sometimes there will be an event, twist of fate, decision or a moment that brings an immediate change of path to an individual’s life journey. For Mel Foat, a local farmer, the decision to have his cataracts removed impacted his life more than he could ever expect.
Foat was the inspirational speaker at this year’s Senior Power conference, held at Hope Church in Strathmore on Sept.11.
In March 2015, Foat went into Calgary for a routine operation to remove cataracts from his eye, a procedure that usually takes about 15 minutes. Foat said it should have been about the same amount of time to round up cows and send them down a shoot, but for Foat the eye surgery morphed into a 1.5 hour stress laden session, with a year’s worth of life-changing complications.
He said he never gave much thought about the procedure, even though he went home with some pain behind the eye, similar to a pain one might feel from a hammer whack to the thumb. Foggy vision to loss of vision, loss of balance and pain led to examinations by specialists and in the following days and months. His eye pressure elevated, the broken cataract had leaked fluid into the eye and his lens dislocated pressing on his optic nerve. He needed additional retinal surgery and when infection spread to both eyes, doctors finally determined that he had Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) disease, a vision robbing culprit. Mel was blind.
“The doctor reached over and touched my hand and said … ‘Mel, I am so, so sorry but you have lost your vision’,” said Foat.
Legal blindness scales start at 2200. Foat was assessed at 2800. He said people don’t realize how much they take their sight for granted.
He still has the images of end of summer fields, horses running, the city landscape, the birds flying over the land, cars on the highway, mountains and the doctor’s masked face in his mind’s eye. These were the last images he saw.
He said the hardest part of losing his sight was not being able to drive; and when his daughter gave birth to a grandchild, he could only hold it in his arms, but realized he would never see the face.
Scientists have found that the human cytomegalovirus is related to the AMD and are working on drugs to counteract the virus. Foat said that he was placed on a regime of antibiotics, prednisone and a special drug that was available from Britain but not in Canada.
The specialists put Foat on a list for a seeing-eye dog, but the wait was over 2.5 years. A local Lions club member suggested Foat apply through the Lions Dog Guide foundation. Foat qualified and was given his yellow lab named Walker after three months wait. Foat said Walker is indispensable to getting around, and Foat spent time in Ottawa training with Walker to become a team. Walker is more than man’s best friend, he is a member of the Foat family and when he is not working, he is the family pet.
Foat said people ask how he can keep up such a good attitude.
“I had to make up my mind whether to take the high road or the low road,” said Foat.
He said he tries to be positive, lightening situations with a sense of humour. He has his faith in God that things happen for a reason, and family and friends were by his side as he went through the dark times. He said the illness has given him a chance to talk to others going through hard times and led him to his role as a motivational speaker.
While learning to cope has been hard, technological aids have helped Foat read and voice-activated software lets him use the computer.
“I am living proof that you can take the DIS off disability and utilize your ability,” said Foat.
Foat said that he is gaining some traces of light, shadow and colour back, and accepts that whatever happens next will be part of the journey.