Detached Retina

Today I found out I have a fully detached and torn retina in my left eye. This was discovered during my annual eye appt when you cover one eye, look at the little light etc. everything went fine with the left eye covered/right eye working but when I covered the right eye and the tech said to look straight ahead into the light, I said I don't see any light. She said let me adjust your chin and head position against the machine, which she did, but still no light. she pushed the apparatus away and began waving her hand in front of my left eye. I said all I could see was movement and shadows. Turns out I've been living with this for months (even driving!), but didn't notice it because I already have peripheral loss of vision to my left. I thought the things I couldn't see clearly were somehow impacted by the peripheral problem when in reality I can't see anything in front of that eye AT ALL! My right eye has done a good job of compensating so fortunately I've been able to proceed as if I had better vision on the left. Fast forward: I spent most of the afternoon in a vitreous retinal ophthalmologist's office in Mt View (a friend drove me). The condition is operable, although of course there is no guarantee of significant improvement. As Dr. Boldery said, "With luck you'll be able to see the large E on the eye chart." He did advise the operation might be worth it because in the event something happens to my right eye (God forbid), I would want as much use as possible out of the left one. The drawbacks? Lots of pain and swelling following the surgery (under local in a hospital) and weeks of eye drops and follow up visits Oh for joy... Next I will be seeing a colleague in Dr. Boldery's office who specializes in precisely the kind of reparative surgery I need. If we all agree, which I suspect we will, I will go to Good Samaritan in Los Gatos for the procedure. It is covered by Medicare so I might as well let them pay before they go bankrupt or are bought out by John Deere