This is
the true story of my eyes. We must go back to Oct 2005,
when the Latin Legends band performed on the Salas
Cruise out of Puerto Rico into the Caribbean. About half
way through the cruise, I was waiting on line for the
dining room to open, when I suddenly started seeing
flashes of light in my left eye. This went on for about
fifteen minuets and then my eye went blank. All I could
see was a white cloud. It frightened me, for I had never
experienced anything like this in my life. We continued
the cruise, having fun and playing salsa music. I could
see fine from my right eye and was able to function, but
I was very concerned for we had a few days left until
our return to San Juan and a connecting flight to New
York.
Upon my return to the big apple, I went to my regular
eye doctor , who referred me to a retina specialist
named Sergio Marcus. Dr. Marcus, a brilliant doctor,
examined me are diagnosed a hole in my retina. After
about 20 laser blasts, he closed the hole and I could
see again. This was not fun. I had had no depth
perception or peripheral vision and it was difficult
time for me. I continued performing and playing around
the world..
We now pass to Feb 14th 2007,Valentines Day. I was
leaving for San Juan to perform for Frank Ferrer’s
Festival de los Soneros for two shows. There was a very
bad ice storm in New York and Jimmy Sabater, Mr. and
Mrs. Tito Allan and Frankie Vasquez and I were flying
together on Jet Blue to the island. We boarded our
flight, taxied out to get de-iced and waited 3 hrs until
the pilot announced that JFK airport was being shutdown
due to icy runways.. We remained on the plane another 3
hrs until we taxied back to the terminal. There we
waited to see if we were going to take off again. No
luck, all flights were cancelled. Now we went to get our
bags and the baggage belt was frozen. We waited 4 more
hours until they were delivered by hand. I taxied my way
back to the city and waited for PR promoters to get us a
flight for the next day. At midnight I was told we would
be on a Delta flight in the morning. So after a brief
sleep taxied back to JFK where there were thousands of
people trying to get on flights that were cancelled the
day before.. The lines were so long thet I could not get
on my scheduled flight.. After 3 hrs on line I was put
on a 5;30pm flight on standby. I did not know if my bags
would make it.. So we had to wait a few more hours.
Frankie, Jimmy and I went to a restaurant to get some
food. As I was sitting there I rubbed my left eye and it
went blank again.. What to do??? That was the question.
In was in no pain and had had these symptoms before, so
I decided to go to PR. When I arrived I took a cab to
the hotel in Old San Juan and found out I was on a 4th
floor walkup in a boutique hotel. My suitcase was 60 lbs
and I could not lift this for 4 flights.. One of the
hotel staff carried it up for me.
I played the 2 concerts without sight on my left
side. . I made my way back to NYC and made an
appointment with Dr Marcus for Tuesday, for Monday was
Presidents day and no respectful doctor would be
working. After my initial exam , I was told that I had a
massive hemorrhage in my eye and that there was no
retinal damage, just broken blood vessels. My eye looked
perfectly normal but inside there was a lot of blood. I
continued treatments and doctor visits weekly, and was
told that the body will absorb the blood naturally in
several weeks.. I went about all my daily chores and
business with one eye. After 3 months of no relief and
no exercise, I was tired of waiting and elected to have
surgery on the eye to clean it up. I was assured that
there was no retinal damage and that the operation was
fairly simple. By inserting 2 large needles on either
side of the eye, one with a light and suction and the
other with a laser he can fix it up. We scheduled May
22nd for the surgery at Mt. Sinai Hospital in NYC.
After all the paper work at 11am, I was admitted for
out patient surgery. I was prepped, stripped of my
clothes and given drops in my eye. This is all after
taking blood tests, urine tests, EKG and a chest x-ray a
few days before. Then I waited for my turn. At 2 PM I
went into the operating room. I had a blood pressure kit
on my right arm and the intravenous drip on my left arm
and was strapped on the table. I could feel no pain,
some pressure on the eye ball but was awake and hearing
everything that was going on.. This simple operation
turned into a 2-1/2 hr production, during which there
was some equipment failure not once, but twice. I was
bandaged and told that there was a hole in my retina,
probably from the same tear as the year before. The
blood in my eye was almost yellow and almost hard . It
was old blood. Dr Marcus said all went well. I went to
recovery and waited for Wendy to get me and take me
home.
I slept ok and tried to rest up . The next morning Dr
Marcus and his nurses removed the bandages and cleaned
up my eye. I was given several different drops to put in
several times a day and was told that a gas bubble was
injected into my eye to hold everything in place and I
was not able to fly on a plane or go anywhere where
there is high altitude. Well I almost fainted for I was
scheduled to perform in San Juan in 2 weeks time and
then in Bogota and Medellin Colombia. What do I do now.
There were contracts to fulfill. I was in a panic, for I
had a contract to perform at the So Street Seaport, on
Thursday June 7th for the opening of the PR parade
weekend, and was supposed to fly with the band to San
Juan the next morning to play the 10th Anniversary of
the Museum of Art at the Ritz Carlton on Sat June 9th..
Then back to NYC and fly out again Thursday to Bogota
and on to Medellin with the Latin Jazz Encounter band. I
decided to find alternate passage to San Juan. I
searched the internet for cruises and boat
transportation to the island. Brother Andy and cousin
Albert were helpful in finding a Carnival Cruise that
left NYC on Monday afternoon and arrived in San Juan on
Thursday afternoon at 3pm. If I booked this I would get
here on time and stay a week in San Juan hoping that the
gas bubble would be gone by the time I had to to
Colombia fly and Bogota, 8000 ft above sea level. BUT, I
would have to miss the Seaport show on Thursday June
7th. I immediately Called Ralph Paniagua, the producer
of the show and explained the situation. He was NOT
happy. The advertising was already released and the
public wanted to see me perform with Yomo, Adalberto,
Michael Stuart and the Latin Legends Band. I pleaded
with him and tried to make him understand that I have
NEVER in 42 years of performing, missed a show. This was
a medical emergency. He did not understand but was kind
enough to let me out of the performance and keep the
musicians, minus a few thousand dollars. I immediately
booked a cabin on the Carnival Miracle, leaving NYC for
San Juan and told them that I would be leaving the ship
in Puerto Rico and not returning so they did not think I
fell overboard .
So here I am writing this chapter about these weird
few months of my life. I am in my 3rd day at sea and
tomorrow I will disembark in San Juan. Have to get my
land legs back. The bubble is about 15% and I believe it
will be gone by the time I have to fly next week to
Colombia... What a three months! All will be well and
EYE can see again! The EYES have it!!!!!
Larry Harlow
