The joys of cataracts [Archive]

Psycho Penguin

04-08-2009, 06:25 PM

A couple of months ago, I went to the eye doctor thinking I need a new presciption, and found out I probably have cataracts. My insurance FINALLY got me into an eye exam today, and I am going next Thursday. Since then, my vision has completely fallen apart. I can't read any more, I can barely see long distances, and everything is a blur. I don't wish cataracts on anyone.

sumi

04-08-2009, 06:43 PM

Hi Psych
I have had cataract surgery on both eyes lately. One in December, the other in Feb. In the first eye, I had become legally blind very quickly (luckily the other one was not too bad). Just thought I would let you know that the surgery is almost always a piece of cake. It was such a relief to get up from the operating table and be able to see (although some people take a few days). Also no pain or even that lovely medical term "discomfort". Hang in there.

Psycho Penguin

04-08-2009, 07:10 PM

I am wondering how a surgery that involves removing lenses from an eye can be so painless, but posts like yours helps reassure me a little more. Thanks.

lorilei

04-08-2009, 07:25 PM

hi steve..been wondering how u r....sorry to hear visual issues are really getting in the way..hope u finally get this taken care of..

Psycho Penguin

04-08-2009, 07:43 PM

Hey Lori, things are ok besides the vision thing.. my son is 8 now and I am working a lot so keeping busy with that.. just tired a lot and vision isn't helping. Was hoping to see you in chat tonight, but maybe another night! I'm off this weekend!

lorilei

04-08-2009, 07:47 PM

might be in in a bit..after I chase the kids to bed and reclaim the computer...glad u r well otherwise, stevo...where r u working?

Psycho Penguin

04-08-2009, 07:58 PM

A bagel shop since February 16th.. actually I cut my finger pretty bad today cutting a bagel, it was pretty bad. And the boss lady keeps getting on me because sometimes I'm a bit slow cos I CAN'T SEE ****.. I am good with customers so she tries to have me do everything but customer service.. and I'm only getting minimum wage.. but it's a start and it keeps me busy. And I like my co workers a lot. They know I have diabetes and watch out for me. I got low a few times at work and it scared them.

sparrow1

04-08-2009, 09:36 PM

I back up what sumi says. I had cataracts removed a couple of years ago from both eyes one week apart. No pain, minimum discomfort, and great great sight. Before surgery my sight was -10 and -9 and now I only put on glasses for reading. One of the great miracles of modern medicine in my opinion.

sumi

04-09-2009, 07:15 AM

Hi Psyche,
Just thought I would add to the cataract surgery description. When I got my pre-surgery instruction sheet, there were no pain killers listed. Looking on line, I seemed determined to scare myself by finding all the worst case scenarios. By the time I got to the clinic, I may have acted calm but was pretty wary. I was offered a tranquilizer, I think it was atavan, a tiny pill that melts under your tongue. It didn't seem to do anything. They put a couple of different drops in my eye, one of which was apparently the freezing. How would they know if it was working??? When I lay down on the operating table, my Dr. put a large paper towel sized drape over my face then got out a roll of duct tape and wrapped it around my forehead and the operating table several times. I really had to fight to keep from bursting out laughing. At that point I realized that the tranquilizer had indeed done its job. ( No duct tape the second time, so maybe it was all my imagination). The machine he used made many and varied interesting sounds, and watching the operation from the 'inside' was like an advante garde movie with a cool sound track. The whole thing took about 15 to 20 minutes. Arriving home, I waited for the anesthesia to wear off and the pain to begin. It never happened. The next morning I called his office to complain about the wrinkles that had suddenly appeared on my face. For my second surgery, I did not take the tranquilizer, it wasn't nearly as much fun.

Mich

04-09-2009, 09:06 AM

Hey Penguin,

It happens to all of us who spend time in the sun.

Buck up! The surgery sounds terrible, but really isn't. Before it, I was a total eye wimp, but it made me a believer. Recovery is quick, eyes feel a little scratchy, like allergies for a few days. They give you drops that help and so does a little ice.

I drove myself to the eye doc the next morning for the post-surgery check-up, enjoying the NEW BRIGHT CLEAR COLORS the whole way through my brand new lens.

Mich

Psycho Penguin

04-09-2009, 09:57 AM

Thanks Susan and Mich. This surgery isn't sounding so scary now. I am a big surgery wimp.

yannah

04-16-2009, 02:50 PM

PP, we are eyesight soulmates now! Hurray for bonding!!
what should we do first?

jillrapp

04-16-2009, 05:57 PM

S,

I know you are going to do so well next week. You know my heart is with you and I will be saying prayers just to 'make sure' you have perfect vision when this is all over. As far as being a wimp??? Naw, you're the brave bad boy with all the moves (wrestling) - and wil kick cataracts a** :)

Let me know if you need anything!
Jill

Psycho Penguin

04-16-2009, 06:36 PM

Thanks yannah and Jill. =)

yannah, we are going to form a tag team called Kataract Killers and kick these cataracts straight in the ***. They are such minor things to get us down for long. =)

Had my evaluation today at my official eye doctor, my cataracts in the left eye have spread badly or whatever and I can barely see out of it.. I did an eye test and couldn't see a big E with just my left eye.. so I am getting surgery on it ASAP.. I'm a bit nervous but the tests didn't freak me out as bad as I expected

yannah

04-17-2009, 06:15 AM

I am going to practice today for the tag team! i am so excited
but don't we need a sponser and T-shirts?

just remember that I love you and that i miss you when you don't come here for weeks on end!

Psycho Penguin

04-18-2009, 09:13 AM

Actually, I am pretty sure I can find a good sponsor if need be.. but I don't think we do necessarily, we just have to have THE FIGHTING SPIRIT!

YouTube - Joe Esposito - You're the Best Around (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qae_TUTeGo)

Hoo-RAH!

I love you too yannah.. hang in there, you'll get through everything because you are strong!

yannah

04-23-2009, 06:56 PM

YOU crack me up!

Psycho Penguin

05-01-2009, 07:04 PM

Still no date for my surgery and I am starting to get real mad about it, because I am really losing vision in my left eye, it's pretty much all cloudy at this point. I keep calling them and telling them it better be Tuesday or Thursday at the very latest, but we'll see if they can even fit me in this week. BLAH. BLAH I SAY.

genie86333

05-02-2009, 11:48 AM

When I lay down on the operating table, my Dr. put a large paper towel sized drape over my face then got out a roll of duct tape and wrapped it around my forehead and the operating table several times. I really had to fight to keep from bursting out laughing. At that point I realized that the tranquilizer had indeed done its job. ( No duct tape the second time, so maybe it was all my imagination).

LOL, Sumi! Interesting that they didn't use duct tape *both* times, but it may not have been your imagination - I know as a former EMT, sometimes you need to stabilize a person's head better when they're on a backboard & used duct tape - sticks HORRIBLY to latex gloves however, becomes a real art learning how to immoblize the patient without immobilizing yourself - we couldn't believe it in class when the instructor pulled out a roll of duct tape!

Psycho Penguin

05-07-2009, 08:33 PM

5 more days til I get surgery!

yannah

05-07-2009, 08:45 PM

are you scared?

Psycho Penguin

05-08-2009, 06:33 PM

Yes I am, but I know I need to get it done. But man I am scared.

Oh well. I'll live and will be way better after.

I'm still scared ****less.

yannah

05-08-2009, 06:55 PM

I am scared. I am in a wait and see phase of eyes. he said the catarct will need surgery. but we are waiting .... I try to focus on blood sugar and forget about it. I think this is why my partner got me a puppy though.

bookwormy

05-08-2009, 07:11 PM

I had cataract surgery last September. Was very, very scared because I only have one eye but it was a piece of cake. Was only off word 4 days and the doctor told me that I had to go back. LOL
Barb

jillrapp

05-08-2009, 08:55 PM

You both will do great :) I know, I have an in with the eye doc boss, and I made sure you would get the best doctors possible :) I will be praying for you both!

Holly

05-08-2009, 10:02 PM

I have to tell you of my DH's cataract experience. We both are diabetic with cataracts. He was having the visual deterioration that he couldn't ignore. He was extremely short sighted to begin with - wore "coke" glasses from age 7. When he reached about age 40, he switched to contacts. (He had a burn withgrafting around his eye at age 18mo to complicate things - he was legally blind in this eye). The ophthomologist took out the lens with the cataracts and replaced them with one set up for distance and the other for reading. He now has 20/30 vision without contacts or glasses. For the first time in over 55yrs, he sees without any assisted device. In his words - "miraculous". Despite apprehension going in for the first eye, he felt no pain - during or after. He was given a clear eye patch to wear overnight and seen the next day. His vision improvement was almost instantaneous. His only complaint was that everything was bright and it took a second or two to focus initially. He had drops (steroid & antibiotics) four times a day for two weeks and then twice a day for the next two weeks.

The other thing he got was a letter from the MD for the Department of Transportation to the effect that corrective lens were no longer needed for driving.

After his experience, I'm less afraid of my impending cataract surgery whenever that comes. I just hope I still have someone around to help me with the drops. I'm really jealous as I hate wearing my glasses.

Psycho Penguin

05-09-2009, 04:24 PM

Thank you for sharing your husband's story, Holly. The more I read such positive stories, the less scared I feel.

You see that Kelli, we can stop being such scared babies about this now! Or we can just hold each other until the fright goes away!

YouTube - ~Hold Me~ Live Fleetwood Mac (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zw4TU_HeERY)

mell1682

05-09-2009, 04:56 PM

5 more days til I get surgery!

Thank you for sharing your husband's story, Holly. The more I read such positive stories, the less scared I feel.

You see that Kelli, we can stop being such scared babies about this now! Or we can just hold each other until the fright goes away!

YouTube - ~Hold Me~ Live Fleetwood Mac (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zw4TU_HeERY)

Aww Steve, that is a really awesome song (one of my favorites actually). I can't imagine how scared you must be right now. ANYTHING involving me eyes scares the **** out of me and surgery, well I'm having a panic attack and a half over my impending one so I know that fear well. I know you'll be fine and probably feel much better after it's all over, I'll be thinkin happy, positive thoughts for you!!

Psycho Penguin

05-09-2009, 05:12 PM

mell1682

05-09-2009, 05:39 PM

Thanks Mell (and Jill, I did not mean to not include you in this lovefest! Sorry!). Yeah, it is scary as ****, I was scared just doing the eye test and that was just them blowing a puff of air into my eye and me placing my eyes onto a laser thing so they can shoot ligjt into my eye.. I don't know how scared I will be Tuesday morning, I bet they will need to give me medicine and that's why I am supposed to be there 2 hours before surgery.

I'm thinkin about callin' the doctor and asking for anti-anxiety meds cuz both surgeries I've ever had were emergencies and I didn't have time to think about them...this time I have over a WEEK to freak! :eek: :eek: :eek:

yannah

05-09-2009, 05:45 PM

Psycho Penguin

05-09-2009, 06:10 PM

I'm thinkin about callin' the doctor and asking for anti-anxiety meds cuz both surgeries I've ever had were emergencies and I didn't have time to think about them...this time I have over a WEEK to freak! :eek: :eek: :eek:

Wait you are having surgery too mell? I thought your visit went fine!

mell1682

05-09-2009, 06:17 PM

Wait you are having surgery too mell? I thought your visit went fine!

Not eye surgery...another type. But OMG if it WAS my eyes, I'd be scared outta my mind even more than I am now. My surgery is May 20th. My fears are more like OMG what if I never wake up from anesthesia?! :laugh:

Psycho Penguin

05-09-2009, 06:30 PM

Oh well good luck to you, at least you will be asleep for it and there's a great chance you will wake up =)

mell1682

05-09-2009, 06:43 PM

You are a much braver person than I. I cannot even imagine having to be AWAKE :eek:. Nuh uh. Nope. You and Kelli are inspirations. :)

Psycho Penguin

05-09-2009, 06:54 PM

Hey when I make a big whiny angsty post on Wednesday, you can call me an inspiration then =P

YouTube - Chicago - You're The Inspiration (1998) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCJ-Yb-p6UI)

yannah

05-09-2009, 07:04 PM

hey PP, I have a morning after catarct surgery song for ya!

ya know I did.... of couse i do.

yeah but this is really really good.

YouTube - Jewel - Morning Song (Live 2006) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH8qz9ovkJY)

Psycho Penguin

05-09-2009, 07:27 PM

This is going to be me before, during, and maybe after

YouTube - Boy George The Crying Game (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOgv-UuTgac)

yannah

05-09-2009, 07:33 PM

are you going to have blush and eyeliner on?

Psycho Penguin

05-09-2009, 07:38 PM

no, I'm not that kind of guy!YouTube - Patty Loveless - I'm That Kind Of Girl (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yrrBhtdgvg)

yannah

05-09-2009, 07:46 PM

ya wanta mess around with gender roles? I think that is a perfect thing to do with surgery stress going on, and I know how to do it. I am good at this game. ( I distract myself from stupid life in about a million ways)

and then we can plant gladiolas randomly all over the big city.

here ya go.

YouTube - James - Laid (live) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol-KrTTta4g)