Having Eye Surgery.. second eye done & update

[Laura's Babies]

Over the last 3 years, I have had a decline in my vision to the point that I have had to get new glasses about every 6 months. They would work when I first got them, then after about 2 months I would have problems again. I have been SO frustrated with the doctors NOT paying attention to that and my eyes have gotten worse and worse to the point that my eyes hurt all the time and I can hardly see to drive anymore. I see better without my glasses than I do with them now for far away things. The last 2 months have been totally miserable because of this.

Soon as I got off this time, I called my eye doctor back (just saw her 2 months ago and told her all that and it was like she didn't hear a word I said) This time I said "SOMETHING is WRONG and we got to FIX it or I am going to loose my job and have to quit driving!"..

She referred me to the surgeon and I saw him yesterday. It is time to remove my cataracts! YES! No more glasses afterwards except for reading. We are doing one eye on the 14th and the other on the 22nd... and get this, they said I can go to work the next day! Cataract surgery has been so fine tuned that it isn't the big deal it use to be. I just have to wear a clear protective shield the first 48 hours afterwards, not bend over or pick up more than 20 pounds for several weeks... Don't know what the company would say about that...? So far, my dispatcher has not returned my call. (Crew change is on the 22nd..)

I am SO excited about finally getting something done and getting this problem fixed that I was jumping for joy when he said "lets do surgery and fix this"!

I am just getting SO outdone with doctors that don't listen and brush you off so easy, requiring you to set up another appointment to handle something else other than what you are there for that day. I keep finding that kind of doctor everywhere I go! :rolleyes:

I had to take a company physical Monday, a very detailed physical that included a eye exam and I only passed it by the seat of my pants. Actually I should have failed it. (The examiner knew I had that appointment with the surgeon yesterday and that is why she passed me).

Just wish me luck that all this goes according to plan!

[Grace]

No personal experience, but several friends who have this surgery.

It's just as easy as you were told. Mary Ann had it done in February, and she felt well enough to drive home from the hospital. Of course, she didn't, but was driving again the next day. The no bending over is important. I hope your job lets you take an extra week off - to fully mend.

Keeping you in my prayers.

[lvpets2002]

:love: Wishing All the Best of your Surgery going Well.. Sending Prayers & Huggss..

[pomtzu]

Yay!! Congratulations!!! You are going to love it!!!

I had mine done last year - one at the end of May and the other 3 weeks later. It was done at an outpatient surgery center, and I wasn't even in there for much over an hour from the time of check-in until I left.

I had worn glasses from the time I was 9 years old - and I'll be 65 next week :eek: and just love not having to wear them anymore! I need them for reading only, and those you can just buy over the counter and don't have to worry about an expensive prescription pair.

Believe it or not, it took me a while to get used to not having to wear glasses, and found myself hunting for my glasses that I thought I misplaced! :D

[phesina]

Oh, best wishes with the cataract surgery, Laura. I hope that clears up the vision problems as well as others are saying their surgery has.

[beeniesmom]

Good luck with the surgery.
I know it scary but the results will be SO worth it.

[Daisy and Delilah]

I'm so glad to hear you're finally getting this problem resolved, Laura. Good for you!! Best wishes with the surgery. My Mom had both eyes done and she sees like a kid. You'll be very happy with it.

You are so right about doctors these days. I am also tired of leaving the offices, shaking my head. It's very tiresome to get home and try to figure out what they did , or didn't do, while you were there. I wish there was something we could all do about it. It's a huge problem from everybody I talk to. To have to make an appoinment, pay a co-payment, pay for the gas it takes to get there, etc etc, just to get brushed off.......I'm so over it.:mad: :mad: :mad:

[Medusa]

I'm glad, too, that you're having the surgery done, Laura. I just had my license renewed and, of course, took the eye exam and I don't know why she passed me. I could hardly read a thing. I do wear distance glasses so I'll wear them from now on when I drive. It's awful not being able to see well. Good for you, girl. It'll be so wonderful for you. :)

[Laura's Babies]

Pomtzu, I am already having the problem with not wearing them now. I see better without them and take them off, next thing I know I am reaching for them again and putting them back on! They are on and off every 3 minutes. I too, have wore them most of my life. I think getting use to not having them is going to be a big problem for me too.

I was real tempted to get those new implanted lens that have the far away and close up vision and not have to wear any glasses but they are $2000 EACH and insurance don't cover those.. LOL! I asked if I could get one this year and come back next year and get the other one but she said it confuses the brain to much... my brain is confused enough without adding to it. :rolleyes:

I can't wait. They said this has happened slowly over the years so I do not realize the colors and things I am missing. Since this will happen and will be cleared up so fast, I will be amazed at what I have missed, especially with colors. This has me more excited than Christmas and the idea of the pain being gone (from eye strain) has me ecstatic!

Thank all of you for your well wishes! I can use all of them I can get.

[K9karen]

Geez! How could they miss cataracts?? I'm so happy you finally got to the problem! Yep, it'll be a piece of cake. They do wonders these days. You're right about lifting and bending. Unfortunately, when my mom had her 2nd cataract surgery, she felt so good, she must have bent down and it caused such a huge problem that she was legally blind in her eye. Nothing they could do. Oops.

I'm waiting until they perfect laser surgery to correct severe astigmatism because I'm not eleigble for lasic surgery.

I know you'll be so thrilled! I'll be thinking of you! Get yourself a well deserved high tech sports car so you can drive to your heart's content!!!!! :love:

[Laura's Babies]

K9karen- They knew I had craracts but for some reason couldn't/didn't assosciate the problem I've been having with them. They've told me every year time I go and got checked "yep, they are getting worse".... end of story... :rolleyes:

[krazyaboutkatz]

Good luck with your surgery. I hope that everything will go well.:)

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

GOOD LUCK Laura!!!:):love::)

[Barbara]

I am interested to hear how it goes because cataract surgery is in the future for me as well. My eye doctor says in his opinion it happens to everyone- just at a different age. And some die earlier :rolleyes: He says the earliest he has seen are under 40. Right now all is fine and it progresses slowly (I wear the same strength of glasses now for 7 or 8 years- that was when I got the ones with - how do you say- sliding vision )I am sure that's NOT how to say it).
As I am scared by hospitals I wish you all the best. I am sure they know what they are doing though.

[Laura's Babies]

Barbara- This will be done in the doctors surgery center at his office.. No hospital involved.. I too, hate hospitals. Plus, the word "surgery" of any kind scares me to death but I am jumping for joy over this because of how bad my vision is and the pain of the eye strain that I have lived with for the last 2 months.

Just got off the phone with the company.. I can't go back to work until there are NO restrictions. DRATS! I would rather work than be on short term disability ANY day! I understand how hard it is to get someone off the boat if there were a problem but I LOVE my job! :(

[pomtzu]

And another wonderful thing about this surgery is that it's absolutely painless!!!! :D

[Randi]

Laura, I wish you the best of luck with your eye surgery! I know how frustrating it is to have change glasses all the time. I have my normal far distance glasses and then screen glasses. When I read, I don't wear any.

Best wishes that all goes well! :)

[Laura's Babies]

Surgery is done and I am back home! Gee, that was SO simple and easy.. I am ready to have the next one done NOW! No pain, no discomfort at all during the procedure. I can take this patch off at 4pm and not wear anymore until nights while I sleep..

And she told me the restrictions are only for the first 48 hours and after that I can do ANYTHING I want to do so I should be able to go back to work a lot sooner than I thought.

[Sirrahsim]

Yay! I'm so glad to hear that everything went well!

[lvpets2002]

:) Well thats Great that all went good.. Glad your back home & feeling so good.. Now when is the other eye to be done??

[pomtzu]

Yay!!! Glad it went well. See - I told you it was a piece of cake!!! :D

[Laura's Babies]

The other eye gets done next Wednesday the 22nd, and I can't wait!!!

[Barbara]

That sounds fantastic! And can you see well?

[Randi]

That's great news - I'm so happy for you! :D Take it easy the first few days though. ;)

[phesina]

Hoooray!!!!! That's wonderful news, Laura. I'm so glad for you!

One more to go...

[Grace]

Wonderful news!! So happy that all went well. And I'll bet the girls will love having you home for a few extra days :)

[Laura's Babies]

I have the patch off now and I am SO lopsided now.. LOL! Half the time, I seem to be walking sideways.. My brain is so confused, one eye sees well, one eye don't and it throws everything off. If I could see what I am doing without my glasses, I would take that right lens out of my glasses..

One thing I may have a problem with is close up when just walking without my glasses, below, things are SO blurry from about waist down... That's going to take some getting use to..

I see my regular eye doctor in the morning at 10 so we'll see what she says...

[Medusa]

I'm glad you're doing well, Laura. You'll be seeing A-OK in no time at all. :)

[mrspunkysmom]

My two cents worth.

I was 32 when I had cataract surgery. Even with severe astigmatism I can see better than I ever did in childhood. I got the implants. I thought those were standard for modern cataract surgery. There is some distortion on size of objects if you use contact lenses or glasses, as much as 25% for glasses.

I can't believe your insurance won't pay for implants.

As for your lopsided ness, my doc told me the brain is wired for both eyes to see far or both near, not one of each. Right now the eye with the cataract removed is a far sighted eye. It drove me batty trying to grade papers.

Good luck with your next surgery and be and see well.

[cassiesmom]

I am just reading this now --- thinking of you with a positive thought and prayers!

[K9karen]

Another medical miracle of scinece! YAY! I'm SO SO happy all went well and that, except for some loopiness, you're doing great, Laura! What great news!

[krazyaboutkatz]

Laura, I'm glad to hear that everything went well.:) Maybe you should cover up your bad eye now so that you can see better with your new good eye.;) I hope that your next surgery will go well too and that you'll be very happy with your new vision.:)

My mom had cataract surgery done but I don't know exactly which kind of implant was used. One eye she's very happy with but the other eye she can't see as well out of. I'm not sure why. She still wears glasses a lot so it may be due to her one eye not seeing as well.

[Laura's Babies]

I went to the doctor today for my post op check up...Vision in that eye is 20/20 now ! She was amazed that it was that good already. It was my first time driving since the implant and by the time I got there, I was SO excited!!! I could read road signs from a distance and everything was so pretty and colorful. I had to ask her why we waited so long.... (We're talking a differance like between analog and HD!!)

The wavy thing to the side is the insision she said and will go away as it heals. I will see her next Thursday after my other eye is done and she will recheck that one too. I laughed and told her I LOVED that sedative they gave me, "gimme MORE!"... She said that surgery on my left eye could help my astigmatism in that eye.. I have only developed that since the cataract started so I am hoping and keeping my fingers crossed she is right.

[Barbara]

Wow- this is wonderful news :)
I just can't believe how successful it was!
Congratulations!

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Congrats with the great results, Laura!!!:love::)

[Laura's Babies]

I had the second one done yesterday. Post op shows 20/30 vision but my eye is STILL dilated! :eek: The first one cleared up by 10pm the night of the surgery.. this one is taking longer for some reason and they used less drops than the first time before surgery. I think they had some super charged dilation drops or something..:confused:The pressure in my right is is up so my regular doctor wants to see me back in another week... needing to watch that. She called the surgeon and they agreed that needed to be watched. IF it comes down, I will be released in a week to go back to work with written instruction on how to taper off the steroid drops..

[krazyaboutkatz]

Laura, I hope that the vision in your second eye improves and that your pressure in your right eye will also come down to normal. Take care and I'll send some positive vibes your way.

[Catty1]

My mom is having cataracts surgery in the next couple of months. The specialists she is dealing with are a husband and wife team.

She went to see the female op for a pre-op exam. One of her eyes would not dilate...so my mom is now having her surgery done by the male op, as he has more experience in this surgery.

That one eye had something called "Exfoliation Syndrome ", which meant it could very well develop glaucoma, although there is NO glaucoma there at present. The wife of this couple wanted her husband to do the surgery, as he has many more years experience with this.

This doesn't sound like your situation at all, but just thought I would mention it. This quote below will be more helpful, I think:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/571405

However, a known side effect in the early postoperative period, especially within 24 hours of surgery, is a rise in IOP.

I expect you will be just fine very soon!:love:

PS - I told my mom that when her surgeries are done, she will really be able to see how much more beautiful my cats are compared to hers!:p

[Laura's Babies]

PS - I told my mom that when her surgeries are done, she will really be able to see how much more beautiful my cats are compared to hers

http://bestsmileys.com/lol/1.gif OMG! That caught me off guard and I almost choked! Your family sounds exactly like MY family!

I DO have glaucoma and they do expect the pressure to go up and said that sometimes the cataracts can even cause it or make it worse. However working the schedule I work and each bottle being a 30 day supply, and insurance only allowing a refill but once a month.. I have had major problems, lots of time returning for my 28 day hitch with only a 1 week supply. This time off, I went to see the doctor and got the 90 day supply Rx with refills for a year PLUS had to get my last refill filled locally. I got a letter back from them saying I had to WAIT for the time to refill as I had filled it soon as I got home. It use to be they told us to get the 90 day Rx, plus one for 30 days to have enough to last us until the mail order came in.. I guess they do not do that anymore.. :rolleyes: Hopefully, that WILL be here before I go back to work or I will have to go another 2 to 3 weeks without... (I have never had a doctor that would work with me in giving me samples of these drops to tide me over)

[Catty1]

Hmmm....why not contact the mfr of the drops directly? Sometimes they can work things out when doctors can't!

[Laura's Babies]

I finally got Dr. Acord to understand my delima of how I work and these eye drops. It usually takes me about a year to get a new doctor to understand and grasp the concept of MAILORDER, 90 day suppy WITH refills! Without refills added on the Rx the program is useless..

I get off the boat, call in to make an appointment, that usually takes a week to get in. Mail order takes 2 to 3 weeks from me mailing it to recieve it. I may get it before I go back to work, I may not. Somewhere in the doctors instruction it has to be written not to give but 3 months worth of refills, and requiring the patient to come in for refills. Now I can call it in and have it delievered WHERE i need it if I am out on the boat or it can be here waiting for me when I get off.

You have to meet requirements with the drug companies (low income) and then again, it is only a 30 day supply at a time. Samples from the doctors would fill the bill to the "T" but they just will not offer them to anyone WITH insurance. LOL! I had one eye doctor that would tell his nurse to give me 3 bottles of samples but guess what? They NEVER had any! :rolleyes:

[Catty1]

I thought the drug companies might help to smarten up your doctor! lol

But now that he UNDERSTANDS, maybe that will help? I hope so!