I C U

[susandennis]

I forget to be grateful for my cataracts.

I had perfect vision until I hit 45 and then I got old age eyes and couldn't see without readers. I had cheap, drugstore glasses all over the house. Then I did contacts - one eye close vision, one eye far vision. And then I got cataracts.

I had one beginning one and one ready to come out one. I signed up to have the bad one removed.

I remembered well when my grandmother had her cataracts removed in the 70's. She was not allowed to move her head for something like a week. No sneezing or coughing allowed at all.  It was gruesome and terrifying. I was afraid she would sneeze and die. They have since made some changes.

There was about a week of eye drop prep and then, one morning, it was knife time. They didn't knock me all the way out but I remember nothing. My eye felt kind of gritty for the first 24 hours and then... VOILA! I could see out of it! Perfectly. They put in a replacement lens for far vision.

For the first time ever, I saw that they were running the pitching speed in that tiny box at the top of the TV in baseball games! Who knew??!!

In a month I went back and begged to have the other one done. For reasons I never noodled out, I really had to beg. That doctor was not into it. But, she finaly relented and this time put the replacement lens in for near vision. Again, gritty for a day and then, pefection.

That was about 3 years ago. I need nothing now to see everything I want. I can read fine print, I can read Chuck Lorre's vanity cards that he slaps up at the end of his sitcoms.

It's really amazing and I really do forget to be grateful.  I went for a checkup last year and the doctor spotted some early signs of macular degineration which runs rampant through my family.  So I need to remember to be grateful for all I can see now and for as long as I can see.  

Comments

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

Pretty much every time I go in to see my eye doctor, someone in the office makes a comment about how lucky I am... and that people have surgery to make their eyes like mine, which I find so funny. I naturally have one nearsighted eye and one farsighted eye.

[susandennis]

How funny. And way cheaper than paying for surgery!

[tx-cronopio.livejournal.com]

Yep, I remember my grandmother going thru cataract surgery about that same time, and the whole "don't move" thing -- terrified me, too!

Oh, the Colours!

[(Anonymous)]

I do relate to you about having "new" eyes. Mine were done, one at a time, 4 years ago at age 71. The biggest surprise and bonus for me was how blue the sky was. I really didn't know that colours were not as I was seeing them. For instance I bought what I thought was a Black pullover and after surgery and recovery discovered it was Navy Blue. Looked through all my clothes then, and did some better co-ordinating. I don't need glasses for anything but the smallest print. Also I can drive at night now. Yay! Mar, from Oshawa.

[gwendally.livejournal.com]

Are you sure the "don't move your head" thing was cataract surgery?

I got a detached retina once and I had to hold my head in a specific angle - sitting up - for several very long and memorable days.

[susandennis]

Oh yeah - back in the olden days, cataract surgery was a BFD. They put you in this head contraption and you had to lay flat on your back with no pillow for days.

Back then, I'm pretty sure, there was no treatment for a detached retina. You were just SOL. Another LJ friend of mine had one of those last year. NOT something that I'd really be interested in :) Yikes.

[gwendally.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the treatment for a detached retina turned out to be stapling it back into place in my eyeball.

That is exactly as horrifying as it sounds. I had never understood the term "insult to my body" as well as I understood it that day.

On the bright side, I am not blind.

I share your gratitude in this matter. I actually did go blind from cataracts when I was as about 40 and for some stupid reason it took about nine months of doctors visits for it to occur to anyone that rapid onset early cataracts might be the issue.

I also have modified mknovision, although mine is not as wholly wonderful as yours apparently is.

But, hey, not blind. It is all good.

[susandennis]

Wow. And yeah, not blind is excellent.

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

It wasn't all that long ago that cataracts would slowly and progressively blind folks. What an amazing thing!

[susandennis]

Actually, what brought the entry to mind was hearing a story about third world cataracts that still do blind people. It gave me extra appreciation, that's for sure.

[rsc.livejournal.com]

Every time I hear a story like this -- my brother had pretty much the same experience 5-10 years ago -- I keep hoping my cataracts will get bad enough for surgery. The eye specialist this time said "almost, but not there yet". jwg finally got the go-ahead for his this year, but because there needs to be about a two-month window to do both eyes he can't schedule until at least the summer, because of our travel plans. Yeah, I know, first-world problems.

[susandennis]

I do not 'get' the waiting until they are bad enough. They aren't going to heal themselves! I had to beg and beg my doctor to do the second one. Why not fix now - what's gained by waiting?! She couldn't answer me and finally folded.

[rsc.livejournal.com]

Well, maybe I'll try that next year. Although there may be an issue about insurance coverage.

[susandennis]

Yeah I get that about insurance but, again, I still don't get why they hold off. Seems like the younger you are for any surgery, the better chances you have for fewer complications and so, cheaper. It's just so curious to me.

Especially since life with embedded serial numbered lenses is just so much better!!

Macular Degeneration

[ctgstr8.livejournal.com]

About 5 years ago my husband was warned of the start of macular degeneration. The ophthalmologist told him to take a multivitamin called Vitalux, which is specifically for early AMD. My husband's vision has not become worse so we wonder if thanks is due to Vitalux.

Re: Macular Degeneration

[susandennis]

Interesting. I'll have to ask my doctor about that. Thanks.

[colestainedpage.livejournal.com]

My mother has cataracts. She just mentioned this evening that she's finally almost ready for me to contact the eye place here for an appointment to start the process. She's terrified though, that if they have to shine a bright light in her eyes she'll end up with a migraine as she's had that happen before.

It's good to know it's a relatively quick and easy procedure.

[susandennis]

I totally get how it might be terrifying. Especially if history delivered a migraine.

My experience was a week or so of a bunch of eye drops that were a pain to remember but painless otherwise.

Then on the day, I went in and they took blood and then gave me pills. And I got all snoozy and then they wheeled me into the room where they Did The Deed. I remember the chair going back (like the dentist) and then I remember waking up back where they took blood. The whole thing took 10 minutes. They made me rest for an hour and then I went home and back to work.

My money says if your Mom can get past her fears, she'll be delighted. In the long run she'll be delighted anyway! :)