First of all. the surgery itself went very well, but I re-affirmed my belief that the squeaky wheel DOES get the grease. For months, the V.A. tried to tell me that my blurry vision was a simple problem that could be solved by using eyedrops. I insisted that it was much more than that, and finally went to an outside opthemlogist who informed me that I did indeed have a cataract! I went back to the V.A. with the proof and they finally did a more detailed exam, confirming the cataract and finally scheduled me for the surgery.
So anyway... the doctors were reluctant to do the surgery because they didn't feel that my cataract was big enough yet. I informed them that it WAS indeed, big enough and insisted that they do the surgery. After the surgery they informed me that it was bigger and thicker than they thought it was and I was CORRECT.
So...now to the present. I have a plastic clear shield have to wear over the corrected eye while I sleep so the implanted lens doesn't slip or get forced out of it's position. I also was given a pair of VERY unattractive full coverage sunglasses/sunshields to wear while I'm in recovery mode. These things could be used for yard work while weed eating because they are more like thick work glasses.
My vision is no longer fuzzy although colors are VERY sharp and bright, almost painfully so. The vision in the corrected eye was, before surgery, 20/30. It is now 20/25 and is expected to reach 20/20, so that's definitely a plus. My other eye is forever at 20/70, with no prognosis of correction. It's not so much that my vision in that eye is bad...it's more that, for some reason, that eye never learned how to read, believe it or not. I CAN read print if it's very large and dark, but extended use of that eye for reading leads to headaches and frustration.
Finally, after all this stuff, I can FINALLY drive my new (to me) car! I found a one owner, 1994 Ford Crown Victoria with only 73,000 miles on it, and it looks like it just came from the showroom! Yes, I did find and buy the car owned by the proverbial little old lady who only drove it ocassionally! She was 91, and the car was garaged whenever it wasn't being driven. I refused to drive it while my vision was impaired. Too scared I'd either hurt someone else or myself... or damage my new land yacht! LOL
I really thank all of you who responded to my blogs with information and encouragement. It truly helped me deal with this whole eye/cataract thing much better. I do still have folllowups scheduled until I'm fully healed, but I'm following the doctor's instructions VERY carefully, so I anticipate no post-op problems.
Sight is a beautiful thing!
Eyeing you all MUCH better, I am,
Catherine Linda Michel
Comments
Excellent news!
And yes, the squeaky wheel always has gotten the grease.
It's so nice to hear that the surgery was so successful.
Abigail Drew.
Big Hugs!
I'm so glad it's going so well. Soon, you and your new car will be tooling all over the place. Like so many here, I'm a compulsive reader too. Not being able to see is the things of nightmares for me. Being mostly deaf is bad enough thank you so very much! Just don't push things and follow the Doc's orders. As for the VA, well, sometimes you have to be the pushy bitch to get what has to be done, done!
Big vivid hugs!
Grover
Day 4 after Surgery
Thanks for telling us. And looking forward to your full recovery
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
Fantastic, Catherine
Glad to hear you broke through the fog and mirrors of the VA to get your eye unfogged.
And prayers and wishes from your friends here and elsewhere may have helped, too.
Holly
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.
Holly
Colors
I read somewhere recently - it may have been Slashdot, on the other hand it may not - that someone else with a replacement lens after a cataract could see an enhanced color range as you report.
Now of course the replacement lens will be made of different stuff than your original Mk I eyeball, so there is a good possibility that the range of color it lets through is going to be greater than you had before.
In other words, it is possible you can now see a short way into the ultra-violet.
This extended range may make colors seem brighter, slightly different somehow. It can only be to your benefit, of course, but you will have to allow for e.g. food looking slightly different.
You might experiment with a blacklight or such to see if you can indeed detect what you couldn't before.
One warning from the other report is that the light may seem stronger in that eye. For good. So, you might need stronger sunglasses outside/dimmer lights inside to avoid stressing that eye.
Good luck with your recovery.
Penny
That's wonderful news! I'm
That's wonderful news! I'm so glad to hear that you worked your way through the bureaucratic tape and got the surgery you needed, and that the results are so positive.
Kris
{I leave a trail of Kudos as I browse the site. Be careful where you step!}
Kris
{I leave a trail of Kudos as I browse the site. Be careful where you step!}