Cataract surgery

Thanks, Joanne, that spells it out very nicely, and I imagine it is much the same here.

Needles in eyes: Back in '81, I had shingles on my eyeball. On my eyeball, in my cornea & iris, down the optic nerve...

Back then, then treatments we have now we're only being trialled and I wasn't lucky enough to get the new treatment. What I did get was daily intra-ocular injections to reduce swelling and save my vision. 

The only scary thing was seeing the large hypodermic they used then approach; it's vastly different now. (Oh, and the age of the doc! But really, he was very very good)

good grief, Joanne, I felt faint just reading about what happened to you!

Saw the eye surgeon yesterday, and the ball got rolling. However, it may be a month before the operation can be scheduled.

Am so glad you made that appointment! Well done!

Back then, I was nervous but 'Joan of Arc' brave to start with. Then resigned. By the end of the first week or 8 days, I was totally over it, I think I started to cry when told to make my appointment for the next day. From memory, I think it was 2 weeks I had to come in, or until the blisters went. I didn't drive and no-one I knew could drive me in, so it was public transport most of the time: an hour on the bus each way. Height of Melbourne's summer, too, so you can imagine what heat and glare felt like people who have shingles now have it easy!

I have residual scarring on my eye, and my iris doesn't open or close properly. It's so much fun when new people try to test my eye reflexes without bothering to listen to me!!! ("Anything older than 3 years isn't relevant, thank you") smirk 

I would give a lot to have seen the look on my face when my ENT mentioned they could perhaps stop the nystagmus in my eyes with injections of Botox into my eyeballs.

Um, HELL no.    At that point I almost preferred to keep dealing with the low-level nystagmus forever. Which is kind of what I am doing now.

Needle in eyeball, actually, I have had that experience. I got a fleck of metal embedded in my cornea from using a bench grinder without proper safety goggles. The doctor put anesthetic in my eye and then started scraping with a needle. Except the anesthetic hadn't taken effect yet. When I said it hurt, he said, "You can't feel that." Don't you love being told what you feel?

My mom had both eyes done a few years ago in her late 70s and she's thrilled.  She wore very strong RX glasses her whole adult life - now she has almost 20/20 vision - no glasses.

Eliz, isn't it just magical to be with someone who has brand new eyes?    The wonder and delight in my Mum's face when she finally didn't need glasses anymore... That was so worth going through the ops, 20 years ago! 

now I can get really nervous! Surgery date is set in June.   

What date? We wish you happy success.

Don't be nervous. It seems you have great things to look forward to!

June 1st!     

Woot! It will all go perfectly, and you will come out of it with x-Ray eyes for your superpower.   

Day 3 after my 2nd eye was done.  Things are looking Super Great!!!

Yes, you get a pre-op something to calm you down.  They did this during the stage where they dilate you eye, a lot!!!  In fact, my left eye was slow to respond so it put me back one in the surgical order.

Then when you enter the Laser room they give you something more, you are fully awake just can not feel anything much on your eye.

Then when they put the ring on your eye to keep the eye lid open they put a topical numb on your eye and keep it flooded during the entire Laser part. 8-12 minutes.

Then they give you something when you are in the surgical room for the removal and insertion of the lens and the replacement.

No pain at any time.

After op and cleared to go by the team my wife drove me home.  Snaked on some light things and took a 4 hour nap.  Woke and had dinner, watched TV and then slept the full night and woke up at 9am.

Went to my Post Op exam and all is good, went to work on light lifting duty.

All is good, no pain.

Would do it again except I am out of eyes to fix.

That's a fantastic testimony, jgberkeley.

I am just getting a new lens and I don't believe a laser is involved. As a caregiver, I am wondering about the lifting or bending over issues. I'll mention it to my doc and perhaps I'll need a backup at home for a few days.

A visiting nurse or friend or family member would be a good idea, I think, to make sure you can take it very easy, mtierney. Just to be on the safe side, and NOT because I think you will be wiped out.   

lots of water under the bridge since my last post!.

All our attention has been focused on my husband's medical issues. Three years ago, he was told he had Parkinson's Disease by his primary care physician. Last week, we consulted  a neurologist due to the severe complication that hospitalized him in May. Almost immediately this specialist cast doubt on the PD!

Today my husband is having two of four MRIs scheduled, along with others tests.

However, he insists I go ahead with my cataract surgery! So, it has been rescheduled for 8/10.

Wonder what the chances for another rescheduling are?  

My mother had both eyes done (3 months apart) a couple of years ago.  It was so easy, and the results so phenomenal, that she couldn't wait to do the second eye.

Zero pain. Zero anxiety. The affected eye was watery the first day.

She has perfect vision for the first time since she was 6. She doesn't even wear glasses to drive.

Main concern is apt to be being unavailable to help your husband while the surgery is being performed and need for you to go for some follow-up visits after surgery is completed.  Plus side is that you will have much improved vision once the surgery has been completed.

well.blogs.nytimes:  With cataracts, my own private light show

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/06/28/with-cataracts-my-own-private-tivoli/

A bit of follow-up;   I keep testing my eyes against each other and I don't notice any great loss.  Yes that eye is less sharp and yes I need reading glasses to read; while I can read some things w/o glasses.  OTOH, I can see twigs on shrubs across the street- about 75' away- using 'bad' eye only.  

So, I am not convinced I NEED surgery.  I've scheduled a second opinion for next week.

No worries Apollo, you'll soon know when you are going blind. Mine started with not being able to see rain fall without angling my head to view it against a brick wall. Then the halos started to appear while driving and then halos especially against a full moon. Then I went to  correct my lens on my glasses and it was not doable. This took about a year for me but now that I have replaced vision in both of my eyes, I don't regret waiting because the vision I have now is so fantastic it is a pleasure to have the comparison.

@mtierney, I'm sorry you and your husband face so many challenges. I wish you both easy healing and comfort.

thanks so much,Tom

mtierney, how are you and your husband doing? 

More follow-up;

Went for second opinion this AM.  This doc says not urgent-  I can certainly do it now or wait 1, 2 or 3 years... depending on progress of condition.  Given that I don't feel a great or any real need for the surgery would it surprise you that  I've decided to wait until next June if not later?

Good move, Apollo T. But in my case, I feel the need to do the surgery - every day. I was told I had a cataract several years ago and had been told to wait. I now am looking at 8/10 and am eager to get it over with!