Hello! I'm back online for a few weeks! Thank you all very kindly for your prayers and well wishes on round #1 of my glaucoma and cataract eye surgery. ( If you missed that blog post click here to read)
All went well during surgery on my right eye, and I am now looking forward to having the same surgery on my left eye at the end of the month. I'll admit my vision is a little confused right now. I am still healing from surgery and remain on physical restrictions, such as no lifting or bending. So far the vision in my corrected right eye is 20/40--better than I expected! I had to take the lens out of my glasses on the right side, otherwise, my old prescription would be overwhelming. So for now, one eye is corrected by an external glass lens and the other internally by a new lens inserted in my eye to replace the cataract affected lens. It can be a challenge focusing, because of the differences in perception I have presently. I find I have to close my eyes often and rest them. I will also eventually have to be fitted for reading glasses, as my corrected lenses will be corrected for distance vision only.
To correct my glaucoma condition, the surgeon did a trabeculectomy -- which means he made a small "bleb" on the top of my sclera which allows the extra fluid to build up in my eye to seep out inside and be absorbed by my body. I do not feel any discomfort from this and I'm totally unaware of any drainage. My eye pressure went down drastically to a normal reading post-op, so my doctor is very pleased. I was not responding to pressure-lowering glaucoma medication any longer so this surgery was really imperative for me to have. My doctor told me that in 25% of cases the bleb will scar over and stop working, however, so future surgery might be needed. I am hoping and praying that I'll be in the other 75% category!
One dramatic difference I've noticed after surgery is that I see colors brighter and more natural. My left untreated eye sees things with a yellowish-brown cast and the post-op right eye sees bright whites and blues--all colors, in general, are true colors. It really is amazing! You can read about cataracts, and why this occurs, on this link. My major symptom pre-op was glare and loss of visual detail. I did not even know I wasn't seeing colors correctly any longer. It was hard to see individual leaves on trees, for instance. I would see more of a blur of leaves. When my other eye is corrected I am going to enjoy seeing the detail and true colors again!
What a miracle it is to come out of the fog and to see more clearly!
My husband has been wonderful, helping me this past week by doing all chores that require lifting or bending, and reminding me of when to use my antibiotic and steroid eyes drops that I'll need to use for a short while post-op. We have a good laugh every morning as he helps me to put on socks.
We bought a smaller Christmas tree this week so that he could carry into the house unaided, and we are slowly decorating the house for Christmas. I will probably cut back this year on all my usual preparations, but that's OK--it is nice not feeling pressured. My granddaughter, that we babysit for most days, has been a little confused why "Pop-Pop," as she calls her grandfather, has to do all my lifting and bending, but we are still able to have fun together. She was very excited to see she was taller than our Santa Claus decoration this year!
We bought a smaller Christmas tree this week so that he could carry into the house unaided, and we are slowly decorating the house for Christmas. I will probably cut back this year on all my usual preparations, but that's OK--it is nice not feeling pressured. My granddaughter, that we babysit for most days, has been a little confused why "Pop-Pop," as she calls her grandfather, has to do all my lifting and bending, but we are still able to have fun together. She was very excited to see she was taller than our Santa Claus decoration this year!
I hope to get back to a regular blog schedule until my next eye surgery at the end of December. At that time I will again be unable to use a computer, read or watch TV for five days post-op, so I will be taking another break for a week at that time.
Please keep me in your prayers, as I continue on this journey towards better vision. I truly appreciate all your encouragement and I hope my experiences will help others facing the same surgery one day.
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