Friends,
Last year I had cataract surgery. My vision had slowly degenerated over a couple of years and I finally decided to have the surgery. It was as close to a non-event as I thought possible. The whole procedure for each eye took just a few minutes, but the appointment was for a few hours because it was necessary to wait and wait in the appropriately named waiting room.
For the right eye, once in the prep room, they put a series of drops into my right eyes to dilate it and numb it and whatever else they needed. A "tranquilizer" pill then was given to me and after it took effect, I was rolled into a surgical room and shortly thereafter my right eye had its natural lens replaced with a plastic lens that matched my eyeglasses lens correction. Two weeks of not stooping over or lifting anything heavy and I was ready for the left eye operation.
For the left eye, I decided that my reaction to the "tranquilizer" was problematic, so I declined it. Otherwise the procedure for the left eye was exactly the same as for the right eye, except that the tranquilizer includes a drug to suppress memory as well, so I not only learned about the surgeon's recent vacation, but remembered the conversation as well.
After the 2 weeks of recovery for the second eye, my vision was wonderfully perfect for distance vision and I only needed a slight correction for reading. Wonderful. I got used to waking up in the morning and not groping for glasses before getting out of bed for the first time since third grade.
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http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/cataract-complications.htm
Then, the first week of February this year, about a year after my surgeries, I noticed some blurring of my vision. I usually read to Hubby after lunch or before bedtime, and even with readers, reading started to be a little difficult. The next day, I noticed while driving that there was some unexpected blurring. Each day for the next week my vision -- both distance and reading -- had deteriorated noticeably from the previous day. By the end of the week, I had bought a lighted magnifying glass so that I could continue reading. And I was afraid to drive.
I went to the eye doctor and he recommended immediate follow-up surgery on my cataracts. It seems that the epithelial cells behind my artificial lens were becoming cloudy. It is a complication that occurs in 20% of cases.
But, I had planned a trip to California for the father-in-law's 90th birthday, so I put it off until after we returned. Unfortunately, I contracted a respiratory and ear infection after the trip, so we put it off again until I could sit still without coughing during the follow-up surgery.
So, 2 months and 2 weeks following the day I first noticed any blurring, I had laser surgery on both eyes. By that time, my vision had already deteriorated to the point that I could not read at all -- even with large print, readers, and the magnifying glass. I could not see the floor well enough to mop or sweep it. I could only fill a glass with water by putting a finger inside it and feel the moisture reach my finger. I was quite literally too blind to be left alone.
I was led into a room with the surgeon that had a machine to look into, much like all the other machines that I had been looking into for the examination. "Watch the four bright lights," he said. I found the lights and stared at them with my right eye.
Zap, zap, zap -- 27 times.
Then he shifted the machine to my left eye. That's when I looked at the surgeon with my right eye. I could see his face. I could see his name embroidered on his jacket. It was amazing.
Zap, zap, zap, -- I didn't count.
"OK, you're done."
I could see everything. It was wonderful. I could see the fingers on my hand. (Dirt under my nail.) I could see the floor. I could read the clock.
S M I L E.
Last year I had cataract surgery. My vision had slowly degenerated over a couple of years and I finally decided to have the surgery. It was as close to a non-event as I thought possible. The whole procedure for each eye took just a few minutes, but the appointment was for a few hours because it was necessary to wait and wait in the appropriately named waiting room.
For the right eye, once in the prep room, they put a series of drops into my right eyes to dilate it and numb it and whatever else they needed. A "tranquilizer" pill then was given to me and after it took effect, I was rolled into a surgical room and shortly thereafter my right eye had its natural lens replaced with a plastic lens that matched my eyeglasses lens correction. Two weeks of not stooping over or lifting anything heavy and I was ready for the left eye operation.
For the left eye, I decided that my reaction to the "tranquilizer" was problematic, so I declined it. Otherwise the procedure for the left eye was exactly the same as for the right eye, except that the tranquilizer includes a drug to suppress memory as well, so I not only learned about the surgeon's recent vacation, but remembered the conversation as well.
After the 2 weeks of recovery for the second eye, my vision was wonderfully perfect for distance vision and I only needed a slight correction for reading. Wonderful. I got used to waking up in the morning and not groping for glasses before getting out of bed for the first time since third grade.
-----
http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/cataract-complications.htm
Then, the first week of February this year, about a year after my surgeries, I noticed some blurring of my vision. I usually read to Hubby after lunch or before bedtime, and even with readers, reading started to be a little difficult. The next day, I noticed while driving that there was some unexpected blurring. Each day for the next week my vision -- both distance and reading -- had deteriorated noticeably from the previous day. By the end of the week, I had bought a lighted magnifying glass so that I could continue reading. And I was afraid to drive.
I went to the eye doctor and he recommended immediate follow-up surgery on my cataracts. It seems that the epithelial cells behind my artificial lens were becoming cloudy. It is a complication that occurs in 20% of cases.
But, I had planned a trip to California for the father-in-law's 90th birthday, so I put it off until after we returned. Unfortunately, I contracted a respiratory and ear infection after the trip, so we put it off again until I could sit still without coughing during the follow-up surgery.
So, 2 months and 2 weeks following the day I first noticed any blurring, I had laser surgery on both eyes. By that time, my vision had already deteriorated to the point that I could not read at all -- even with large print, readers, and the magnifying glass. I could not see the floor well enough to mop or sweep it. I could only fill a glass with water by putting a finger inside it and feel the moisture reach my finger. I was quite literally too blind to be left alone.
I was led into a room with the surgeon that had a machine to look into, much like all the other machines that I had been looking into for the examination. "Watch the four bright lights," he said. I found the lights and stared at them with my right eye.
Zap, zap, zap -- 27 times.
Then he shifted the machine to my left eye. That's when I looked at the surgeon with my right eye. I could see his face. I could see his name embroidered on his jacket. It was amazing.
Zap, zap, zap, -- I didn't count.
"OK, you're done."
I could see everything. It was wonderful. I could see the fingers on my hand. (Dirt under my nail.) I could see the floor. I could read the clock.
S M I L E.
