AN APPOINTMENT with an optometrist saved a Dursley man's life.
Fred Palmer, 77, noticed that the sight in his right eye had become a bit blurred so he visited his local optician. He had no idea that the consultation would prove to be a lifesaver.
He noticed the problem with his eye in August this year, whilst enjoying a relaxing break with family and friends in Scotland. 
“One morning I woke up and my eye felt blurry. I went to remove what I thought was some sleep from my eye but there wasn’t anything there.”
Fred, a retired garage worker, already had difficulty reading with his left eye so, concerned that the sight in his right eye was deteriorating, he prudently made an appointment with Armstrong and North Opticians on Parsonage Street in Dursley, where he was attended to by optometrist Julia Green. 
After routine testing Fred was given the now common Ocular Coherence Tomography [OCT] Scan. 
This scan can detect defects at the back of the eyeball and helps diagnose, for example, degeneration of the eye or diabetes related problems.
Julia, concerned about an abnormality at the back of his right eye, arranged a hospital referral for the following day. 
“After reading Julia’s notes the hospital doctor referred me to an ophthalmologist at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital the next day," Fred recalled. 
“That’s when I started to worry, I didn’t think it was an emergency at this point.”
A blood clot in the carotid artery was discovered at the hospital.
“The consultant took one look and said ‘You’re a very, very lucky person’ - that was his exact words.”
Fred had suffered a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) caused by disruption in the oxygen rich blood supply to part of his brain. 
He was next seen by a cardiologist at Cheltenham Hospital, who advised that immediate surgery was required to remove the blood clot.
Fred said: “If it had gone to my brain instead of my eye it would have been a full-blown stroke.
“The doctors didn’t waste any time. Usually hospitals make you wait for six months before you get an operation so this must be a record. If I’d had to wait for weeks I’d have been too frightened to move.”
His wife Brenda explained the pros and cons: “It was basically a mini-stroke. If he didn’t undergo the operation there was a 30-per cent chance of having a major stroke within three years and a two per cent chance that the operation would not be successful. So the odds were better that he had the operation.”
During an operation lasting several hours Fred’s blood pressure became dangerously low so afterwards he remained in intensive care for 27 hours.
Brenda stayed at a B&B near Cheltenham hospital to be as close as possible. She said: “I kept asking to see Fred and they let me see him in intensive care and in recovery. They just looked after him brilliantly.”
As he recovered he was shown the removed clot which was “really quite big” and had caused an 80 to 90 per cent blockage.
Fred found it “annoying” that he was unable to speak for four weeks after the operation. But five weeks later and recovering he said: “I’m delighted now to be clear. My recovery has been fine. I’m so grateful to the NHS and to Julia for picking it up.”
He is unable to drive for now and doctors’ orders are to rest until his follow-up appointment on October 18.

Though, despite a history of thrombosis in the family [his father died suddenly of a stroke], Fred is eager to resume his active lifestyle.

In his younger years Fred was an accomplished water-ski enthusiast, winning the Scottish championship several times. He was a strict but fair swimming coach and keeping fit for all this entailed many half marathons and weekend fun runs. The Great North Run was a particular favourite.

Whilst he is unlikely to match the exploits of his younger years he looks forward to a return to the Pulse Gym.

Fred, perhaps paying lip service to the advice, quotes his wife: “Brenda keeps telling me to take it easy and to slow down.”

Brenda meanwhile describes her husband as ‘very stubborn’. “Now he’s feeling better he’s becoming awkward again.” But she is trying to stop him doing too much.

Fred and Brenda have missed out on their big holiday this year but with trips to Australia and New Zealand already under their belts they are eying up another fun vacation next year. Fred of course, with heartfelt thanks to optometrist Julia Green, is particularly grateful to be able browse the holiday brochures at all.