Can You See Me Now?
Well I knew it would come one day, but who would a thunk it would be so soon! The eye doctor had told me that I had fast growing cataracts caused by steroids that I take to keep my asthma under control. In New York the doctor decided that I could go without having them removed as long as I could see and they weren’t really bothering me too much. All was well and good. No in Michigan I went to have the eyes checked as I was getting more frequent headaches and eye pain as well as occasional blurring vision. The verdict .... have them removed. First thought-- YIKES!!!
SO I prepared myself to have the surgery expecting as things usually go to have to wait two to three weeks. Little did I know the doc was talking in days not weeks! Well the day comes to be at the outpatient surgery center at the crack of 8 am and the nerves are going faster then the body is moving. I get to the center and its zip right into the pre-op area to get put into one of these gowns, but at least if I were to go I was able to keep my pants and boots on so it wouldn’t be that embarrassing. Now I lie down on the gurney and they check the vitals, name rank and serial number, which eye as only 1 gets done at a time. and the numbing eye drops begin. After about 20 minutes of numbing drops and staff introductions it is into the OR for the slice and dice of the old eye lens and in with the new. In the OR I’m given more numbing drops and an IV cocktail to calm me down for the operation. Here I am thinking that I’ll be out cold for this, but unbeknownst to me you need to only be in a twilight condition. This is so you have some control over your eye muscles. So the doc starts the water flowing to the eye to keep it moist and lubricated and they have the speculum keeping the eye lids spread wide open. Then its slice and a sonic blast to the lens and then they suck it out. Then they place the new one in and use the water to help set it in the right spot. After a few minutes, about 25 to 30 minutes the doc says look up, look down, look right and finally look left. Then its insert the antibacterial goop and you hear those lovely words… OK it looks great take him to the recovery area.
So you breathe the longest, deepest best deep breath you’ve ever had and next thing you know your wheeled over to an area in the prep room where your better half is waiting and they give you some crackers and juice and tell you to hold the cotton ball over the place where you just had the IV yanked out. Then with one last check of the vitals and a quick change you receive the parting gift of new meds to put into your eye 4 to 6 times a day, the new “Old fogey” glasses, as my daughter and wife called them, the directions and signs to watch for trouble and the dos and do nots for the next month or so, you make the next appointment for the following day and it is homeward bound only to get there and pass out, on and off, for the majority of the day.
I have to admit that once you get the first one done it is really awkward until the second one gets done! Thankfully all went well for the first one and perhaps tomorrow I’ll recant the saga of eye number 2 and what transpired until that one was completed.
Comments:
I have heard Sire that the second surgery also went well. I glory at the fact my Ruler is no longer four eyes! I have marveled every day since my surgery at the fact that glasses are only needed for tiny print (the 2.75’s from the drug store). That after years of making sure my glasses were in my pocket when I left home I am free to wander without them now.
I’m sure your Queen looks lovelier than even before, that the light in your castle is brighter, and that your vast holding are a comfort to view.
Posted by momma on 05/13 at 08:51 AM
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