Eye Test

We duly attended the hospital at 9am - you would think we wouldn't have to wait long having an early appointment, but no we still had to wait 20 minutes! Then when we went in to the first test it just didn't work at all. They were not aware Pete had no speech so then had to go off to get a special chart - Pete had to look into a mirror whilst the girl pointed to letters and then he had to use his chart to point them out, for some reason he couldn't grasp the concept of this, so off she went to talk to someone (who?). That test was abandoned and off we went to another room which went better - Pete had to look into a machine and press a button when he saw an orange light, I think this worked fairly well although the girl did say, a couple of times, to only press the button when he saw the light (obviously he was pressing it when the light wasn't on at times). Then on to another room where an Optometrist (I think that's right) had a booklet and Pete was given a chart to hold and then she pointed to letters and asked Pete to point to the same ones - yes, he surely can hold a chart and point at the same time!! So I took over holding the chart for him. This test then went off superbly, he got it right every time. Then on to see the consultant, who was very nice, but again did not know he had no speech and only the use of one arm. He asked Pete to cover one eye and then tell him how many fingers he was holding up - ????? So we decided I would cover his eye and then Pete would hold up the same number of fingers. Again this worked and he got it right every time. However, the outcome was that, although Pete is within the distance requirements for driving, some other part isn't. I'm not sure which. This may or may not improve, we have to wait and see and then go to an Optician for any further tests. Pete wants to do this straight away, but my feeling is that we should wait a few months (he certainly couldn't drive yet anyway) so I will probably have to make up some story to delay him a while.
This decision has, of course, upset Pete and the rest of the day has been a bit tense.
Our communication problems seem to be getting worse. After a day when he filled a hot water bottle himself and also wrote a word - his brain seems to have packed up again. Not even a first letter can be written at the moment and, if I don't understand him straight away, he gets very cross which makes me cross - a vicious circle unfortunately. It seems very hard at the moment. No day passes without tension at some point.
Well, tomorrow it is the first meeting of the Aphasia Group. I'm quite nervous about it and how it will go - but it will probably be fine, I hope so.