Got an email when I fired up the ‘pooter this morning, demanding an update on that expensive and much-anticipated eye surgery.
Truth is, the jury’s still out. So far I’m underwhelmed at the “improvement.” I’m still spending most of my time with a patch over the newly-sculpted right eye, because that’s the only way I can see to read or do much of anything else. The inflammation has gone down and I can see out of the eye, sort of, (that took two days) but the new implanted lens doesn’t seem to have any point of focus at all. I can’t focus far, and I can’t focus near. Overall the unaided eyesight is actually much improved: My left eye can’t read the clock on the wall without my glasses, and my right eye sort of can. But jumping for joy, I am not.
As I was warned ahead of time, the difference between the two eyes is so dramatic that I simply can’t function with both eyes open. The left lens on my glasses is so strong that if I uncover both eyes and put on my glasses (I’ve removed the right lens) I have double vision so bad I can barely navigate the inside of the Lair – which is about four steps. So I must cover one eye or the other just to get by. But I can only read with the left eye
and the lens in the glasses.
What worries me is that this Thursday I’m supposed to go and have the same thing done to the left eye, and now I’m wondering if that’s a good idea. Maybe I should go have a lens made for the right eye first. If I don’t I’ll hardly be able to do anything at all.
There must be some way you can talk to the eye doctor about this. Every person is different, of course, and your situation is complicated with the glaucoma, so you really need to be in touch with the doctor for any problems. Your concerns are absolutely valid, and you may actually need to wait a while longer before doing anything with the other eye. As for a lens for the right eye, let the doctor decide. It would probably take at least two weeks for it to be made and mailed to you anyway.
Hang in there. You knew this was going to be tough from the start. Don’t lose heart, my friend. I am very sure that you will see much better soon. 🙂 Just be patient with the doctors and yourself.
Oh, and more on the lens… If you need them, glasses will be prescribed later. It will take a little time for your eyes to settle into their more or less permanent configuration after the healing process is done, so it won’t be right away. If you have lenses made in the meantime, it will be a waste of money unless you’ll be willing to live with the less than good correction. Try to be patient…
That’s the thing, ML. I’m wondering if I shouldn’t back off on surgery for the left eye and exercise a little patience while waiting to see what’s going on with the right one and get it corrected. I have a follow-up scheduled Thursday morning before the next surgery, and I plan to go with the notion of canceling the surgery if that seems prudent.
Keep the Faith, brother.
Chin up, & all that.
All good advice from MamaL. Sounds like you do need to wait longer for the second surgery.
I’m more worried about the inflammation you had, but glad to hear it’s improving.
Try not to strain the left eye in the meantime ― it has enough problems of its own. I know life will be boring, but reading and computer work are not good for either eye right now.
Thanks for the update Joel! 4 days may be a little soon to have too much dramatic change given that it was the worst eye. Perhaps the lens dilema could be dealt with short term by getting some dollar store reading glasses or a big magnifying glass or something. Still sending lots of positive thoughts for healing and patience.
Not sure if it’s applicable here but I know that in some cases it’s actually your brain that has to adjust. More time working the right eye (as maddening as it probably is) may do wonders.
A psychologist did an experiment in the 1890’s where he wore glasses that reversed his vision. When he wore for a few hours a day nothing changed and it was merely (extremely) annoying. When he repeated it wearing the glasses all day long he found that on the fifth day he suddenly started perceiving everything as “normal”.
Might be that switching between the two eyes is leading to a situation where neither is “right”. Hopefully the second surgery and a bit of time will help…
Wishing the best for you.
Hang in there, man. Unless I am mistaken, cataract surgery means replacing your lens with an implant (I have two) which means you no longer accomodate (focus) and your eye acts sorta like one of those old el-cheapo cameras that more-or-less focus at all distances at once.. Dunno how glaucoma complicates things. Keep us posted.
I have to agree with all of the above.
I had forgotten exactly how long the wife went through recovering,so I just asked her. She said that she only had to wear the patch at night for a week[to keep her from scratching it while she slept] but they gave her a pair of really dark wrap around no-script sunglasses to wear over her regular glasses. She did as you did and removed the lenses in her regular glasses. At the least wearing the dark glasses when outside forced her brain to adjust to the corrected eye. I was surprised that you didn’t get them after the surgery.
She also waited 2 months before getting the second eye done. By then the first eye had settled in and she could see pretty well out of it. She still has to wear glasses though even after having both eyes done, but she wore coke bottles before, and now her lenses are just a slight correction and very light. PITA to have to buy a lens just to see for a couple on months. The Doc should check out the eye to see how well the correction took, and give you a script for a new lens for that eye. They are pretty cheap where I’m at, but out there where you are who knows.
Still rootin for ya, so keep the faith, the waiting for anything medical when you get older becomes a pain. The medical system is shot, and really don’t give a damn about the individual any longer.
If it were me I wouldn’t do the second eye till the first one was working pretty good.
I do not know if your glaucoma is causing a problem with this or not. If it is not…you should not be having these sort of problems, I assume that you took all the eye drops prior and after the surgery. I had Cataract surgery about five years ago at 61 years old. I had some problems (pressure in the eye was too high), but nothing like you are having. If you haven’t been back to see the doctor get an appointment soon. My Brother in law had cataract surgery about two months ago and he had major problems also. They found that they did not get the cataract completely removed when they did the surgery, he had to do the surgery all over again. Hopefully that is not your problem. As far as seeing close up with that eye, unless you had them put in a lens that would allow you to read…forget it, you arms aren’t long enough. Just figure that you will have to have reading glasses and if you had trifocals you will most likely need your glasses ground for intermediate vision also. Your distance vision in that eye should approach 20/20. My doctor did not cover my eye at all after surgery…in fact when I left the hospital I could see out of my eye pretty good. Good luck to you…keep us updated.
Well, it’s Thursday and time for your next scheduled appointment. Thinking of you and eagerly awaiting an update on what’s been decided and hoping that you’re at least having a checkup appointment to update us on the progress.
Dude, did you just make the big-time blog-wise and get spammed by a robot named synthia at 11:04pm?
I don’t know about big-time, but that was spam all right. Gone now.