The eyes have it

Wednesday was a perfectly good day to go and get my other eye done. The finish, the grand finale in the quest for sight.

Far Guy and my Dad accompanied me, Chance was once again left safely at home. We waited and waited once we got there, they were running really late. Finally at about the time I was scheduled to have my surgery they called my name. I think I was the last patient of the day...things were going really fast, the Anesthetist came in, a different guy this time..not old and wise looking like the last time..and no moustache. I was old enough to be this young mans mother, in fact he graduated from UND School of Nursing in the class after my daughters. I asked him to stay with me during the entire procedure, and that I would like to be asleep just a little longer this time...he said "No, problem" The nurses barely finished my IV and then Dr. B came in, he started squirting stuff in my eye..the Doctors are just not as neat as the Nurses are about these drops..I asked him why in the world it took him two hours to make the drive this morning....the Nurses began to chuckle...he apparently had told them that the roads were bad. Anyway, he wanted me in the OR, saying "Let's go! " ..so the Anesthetist walked me there.. Mavis was on vacation..but there were some other very nice Nurses there. The Doc comes in and says "Lets do this" ..I saw some lights..far away..and didn't walk towards them..then the Doc talked about the lens folding ..being too warm or too cold, then he said he was done and the time was 12:04 as he ripped the drape from my face. Done, Yes!! I told the Anesthetist " That was really good for me, how was it for you?" I believe he replied "Truly memorable." He did a great job! 

He took me to recovery, they got Far Guy and my Father from the waiting room. My nurse brought me a sandwich and a soda. I began to feel a little faint, some spots whirling madly in my one good eye..then I guess I kinda passed out. Which caused just a little excitement..those poor nurses..somehow they got me into the bed with my feet up. As it turns out Far Guy diagnosed my problem..fluids..he simply pinched the skin on the back of my hand..and the skin clung together. He went in search of some water for me. The nurses came back in and speeded up my IV and in a little while I felt much better. I also drank two huge glasses of water. Doctors were parading in and out, I must have been the excitement of the day.."Let's go talk to the lady that passed out in same day surgery." I told them of Far Guys diagnosis..they all agreed. Last time I was welly hydrated by the IV before the surgery, this time it was a hurry up situation with the IV just started and my body finally just protested. The handsome Duke, the older Anesthetist with the moustache, came by and said I was all better and could go home now that I had finished all of my IV fluids and drank lots of water.

This time, I was more numb ..my nose was even numb. I got to fore go the massive headache this time. Although I do have some pain and some swelling that I did not have last time. I might end up with a black eye. I rested after getting home, and had a nap. Thursday I went in and got off the fancy bandages, I can see really good far away, but absolutely nothing is in focus close up. I could not read. This is all totally foreign to me, I knew it was going to happen..but I still was not prepared. The whole not reading thing was complicated because Far Guy insisted that they check out my eye from two weeks ago..so they dilated it..wide open..and found no problems..only floaters.


Far Guy found me some reading glasses in the grocery store, but they didn't fit my face. He just wanted to get home, so we missed breakfast and other reading glass shopping options. I am using an old pair of his reading glasses today. Today I can drive myself to town and look as long as I want, of course I won't be able to read any of the tags on the glasses..so I will have to try lots of them on. I feel like crap..extremely tired and very cranky. I just woke up from a nine hour nap and I am still exhausted. I can report that my left eye is happy again, it is my dominant eye..and the two weeks of fighting for "top eye" status is finally over.


As for my sight, it is extremely clear and colorful..whites are white, and colors are once again like I remember long ago. So I can scratch off cataracts from my things to be endured when you get older list:)

Chance Reports on Far Side

Far Side had her other eye surgery yesterday, no big problems just a few little ones..she needs to have several naps.today.  She is having a real hard time reading.  She never had that problem  before..so she is in a fairly bad mood. She has been to the Doctor this morning, I had to wait a really long time in the car, but now we are home safe and sound:)

Cats

I like these kind of cats. This one happens to be Uncle Archies mouser. I took it last Summer before my vision started to become blurry.

I have Cataracts in both eyes. My right eye has become particularly fuzzy. I no longer drive at night, and if it is a sunny day I don't drive either. I drive on cloudy days only...Far Guy loves to be my chauffeur anyway. Christmas was pretty interesting the nighttime lights were awesome..when you have cataracts every little light at night takes on a starry appearance..and appears larger than normal, sometimes a half a dozen lights seem to appear...it is like your eyes have gone nuts with lights.  Shopping inside a store with overhead lights is almost painful, the light bounces around so much that I have to squint to see. It has been very frustrating for me not to see the television clearly...I have become a good listener..often times just "watching" TV whilst my eyes were closed. I know, I know, I should have been on top of this situation but I had to wait six weeks for an eye appointment, then I had to wait four weeks to see the specialist..then I have had to wait four weeks to be scheduled for the surgery, so from the time I said "I cannot take this anymore" ..three months have passed.  I am looking forward to tomorrow and the beginning of seeing properly again..hopefully. I have heard more positive reports about this Doctor than I have heard negatives..only one negative..it was a big bad negative in that the individual lost her eyesight totally in one eye. I guess that is why they only do one eye at a time.

Doncha just love this green foggy photo..I took it last June. My winter weary eyes search for green.

Am I scared..not really. I am a little freaked out that they are going to remove a part of me that I was born with and replace it all shiny and new.

I was curious what the risk factors were ..of course the first one is diabetes..nope. Family history..yup..both of my parents have had this same surgery, just so happens that this Doctor did their surgeries too.  Working in the sunshine, duh..the years in the greenhouse follow me everywhere. Smoking..yes I guess the free radicals that it creates helped to cause the cataracts, and just because I guit..it doesn't make a difference.   Age..now what can I do ABOUT THAT ONE? None of the other risk factors apply to me ..corticosteroids use..nope, previous eye injury or eye surgeries..nope. Exposure to ionizing radiation..I am not sure what that is..but I probably have not done it. I was first diagnosed with one cataract in 2004.  In 2008 I wrote about cataracts..in a blog post called OLE ( Old Lady Eyes).  

  This is about what I see..everything is blurry.  Good thing I don't drive anymore  ..eh??

The good news..half of you out there in blog land will be joining me by the time you are sixty-five. You probably don't consider that good news..oK OK..I will go first and l give you a full report. I understand that I should see better the day following the surgery.  In time I possibly won't need glasses..except for reading. I have never been able to see without glasses, I am blind as a bat.  They used to call my glasses coke bottles.  Plastic Lenses were such an improvement for me.  I sleep with my glasses on..I have done this for years..Glasses 24/7 ..so this could all be an adjustment for me. My surgery will take place sometime tomorrow..they haven't even called with a time yet.   I will catch you all on Thursday..Wistful Wednesday will go on as usual, thanks to the delayed posting options!  I am going to be just fine..:)