Stupid Eye Tricks Two: The Sequel

[techie-13]

Yikes! I'm glad she's doing better this morning.

[hobie16]

Tell Bru we're all thinking about her and hope the problems pass fast.

[BRWombat]

Tell Bru we're all thinking about her and hope the problems pass fast.

What he said.

[Whazzup]

Oh my, the things that woman has gone through. Pain worse than childbirth? And focused in one eye!

So glad she's doing better and can SEE a little better. Hopefully it will all be downhill (meaning an easy roll) from this point on.

[DisneyMom]

Sounds very scary what she went through- I hope no more pain or complications!

[joanna71985]

Aww, poor thing! That sounds horrible what she went through.

Glad she is feeling better though.

[GaTechGal]

Poor Bru. Hugs and prayers for continued healing. :D:

[February]

hey guys, just a quick update here and a big thank you for all your well wishes, they have helped keep my spirits up during a rough week.

Man, that eye pressure thing. Never saw that coming. I asked my surgeon how often they have this complication show up and she said maybe two out of a hundred cases. There I go again, always in that friggin two percent!

Still feel like I've got a shish kabob skewer through my eye so this is gonna be a short message but just trust me when I tell you that eye pressure of 44 is extremely bad and when that pressure pulls on your surgical incision and where your eye has been previously introduced in office to a 25 gauge needle to try to take that pressure down (which it did for an hour but it went back up) even three doses of Fentanyl won't kill the pain. Adding sedation and Darvon only makes you care less that you are in pain but it still hurts like a son of a...

Fortunately I had a great anesthesiologist the second procedure (and some of the world's finest nurses who kept me in warm blankets and a quiet corner bed until they could take me back to the OR). I don't remember the second surgery but the first one a week ago sadly I do (and you wouldn't believe the things the assistant to my surgeon was saying...among other things "I don't operate very often."

and I couldn't get up off the table! I wanted to, in fact I protested with a loud moan to which my surgeon shushed him and said "Be careful what you say." Needless to say at follow up appointment I mentioned to her that it was pretty distressing to hear him say that when I couldn't do anything to get him away from me! (and before you say you think he might have been joking, sadly he was not).

but the upshot is, the eye WORKS! with my Big Ugly Glasses, we found out that the balance lens in the right side does help a little so I'm not totally blurred out in it while I wait for it to heal, which is like a revelation.

without lenses of any kind it's pretty scary, imagine how your windshield looks when you drive into a blinding rainstorm, with the water coming so fast that you can still vaguely make out some light from the sky but everything else is totally blurred. that's what I see without anything on now and will for the rest of my life. but it still beats the hell out of being blind all the time because...when I put the special glasses on (and eventually when i get all the rest of my new gear) i can see stuff. Really see stuff. Like books. Man, I have missed books. and the faces of people I love.

first thing I said when they took the patch off the first day after surgery was "It's really bright." that was the best feeling ever, for the world to be too bright.

For seven years, my vision had been declining until finally last year when I was completely blind on the left and legally blind on the right the whole year.

So to have anything back like this, prosthetic contacts/glasses/aphakia all told, is still worth it.

The sky does still have stars on both sides.

I found that out two nights ago.

The sky is still really blue, left and right. The moon is truly lovely, and it's not just a faint, muted blur. It's bright and full and brilliant.

Wallaby, I cannot WAIT to see those lights and trees and if not this year, next for sure. And I am going to insist that you drive me all over in your Monorail even if I can't ride in the cab :)

follow up appointment tomorrow morning, will be asking her why this thing still hurts so bad a week out I think the second surgery to remove the visco-elastic is why. I've got wicked floaters too but hopefully those will settle down in time as well. hoping that the drops they put me on (glaucoma drops) as a temporary measure to help keep pressure regulated will be discontinued but not holding my breath for now. hoping the stitch(es) will come out (not sure how many there are this time).

My daughter is so pretty.

Her little braces shine like jewelry when she smiles.

I can't believe how much there is to see- after having spent so long in such darkness.

love you guys, will let you know how the doc visit goes tomorrow.

take the time to look around the world today. appreciate your sight. you just don't know what it is to try to live without it until you have to.

I wonder if there's a book in this experience...I think there may be. i can tell you one thing for sure, there is just nothing fun or romantic about losing your sight. so take care of those eyes. I had no control over what happened to mine--and i'm only grateful that even if not the perfect solution, that they could be helped.

I love my surgeon...and I love everyone at U of M Kellogg Eye Center.

Go Blue.

Hail the conquering heroes, indeed. The leaders and the best.

xoxo
bru

[techie-13]

Glad to hear from you. Your messages always make me smile, especially when you describe seeing things again. You have a wonderful way of writing.

I wonder if there's a book in this experience...I think there may be.

If there isn't, you should write one. You would probably be able to sell at least one copy to all of the regulars on SGT.

[hobie16]

It's good to get an update from you. It all sounds very positive.