I had my cataract surgery on Monday, as planned. I have to say, although it was mostly painless (the THREE injections into my eye beforehand to paralyse it were 'uncomfortable' rather than painful) it most certainly wasn't my idea of fun. I could 'see' the various instruments inside my eye as the surgeon was working, which was really disconcerting. Thankfully it was over relatively quickly, and my eye was bandaged and covered with a rather fetching protective plastic guard.
After 4 hours I had to remove the eye guard and instill the steroid/antibiotic drops. The eye had been bleeding and was completely bloodshot on one side.... think zombie crossed with vampire. Not a good look.
I'm now three days on and slowly coming to terms with my new visual landscape. Initially, my vision in the operated eye was very cloudy, but it's clearing now, and sure enough, for the first time in my life, I can see things in the distance without my glasses. However, as predicted, if I wear my glasses I can't see with the new eye, and if I don't, I can't see with my old eye, although it's good for close distance.
This visual mismatch is making me feel dizzy, queasy and disorientated, and I'm alternately covering one eye or the other, depending on what I need to see. My depth perception is all skew-whiff and flat surfaces look alternately concave or wavy/wiggly. The surgeon had said that my brain might compensate in time, but I don't think it's got that message yet. I suppose you need to have a reasonable degree of brain 'plasticity' to overwrite neural pathways, and knit two such different visual fields together.
The operated eye is extremely light sensitive, so I've been lurking in the twilight of darkened rooms, away from the blinding sunshine, donning sunglasses when I have to step outside into the unaccustomed heat, now that summer has finally decided to put in an appearance.
Work isn't on the agenda this week. I was hoping to get back to it today, but after 30 minutes trying to thread a needle using only my good close vision eye I abandoned the attempt as I obviously need both eyes to work in harmony. There are myriad other things I could be getting on with, but the heat is both searing and energy-sapping so I'm going to call it a day and retreat to the coolest spot I can find.
Thankfully the temperature is forecast to start dropping tomorrow, so I might get out of sloth mode over the weekend.
Stay cool if you can.......
4 comments:
Although everyone's eyes are different, I have had monovision and no need for glasses in the 10 years since my surgeries. I see distance with my right eye and near with my left. The eyes automatically switch back and forth and do not work as a team. I never notice it or need to think about it. I purposefully chose different levels of correction after trying monovision with contact lenses and finding it quite comfortable.
On the plus side, I wake up seeing and never need glasses. On the minus side, my depth perception is gone. I live in a flat world. Due to macular degeneration, it is also fuzzy. Can't thread a needle or pluck my nearly invisible blonde brows. Assuming that your eyes are healthy, this last part shouldn't apply to you. So, don't fight the monovision. Let your brain do its thing. Even with MS, like we have, brains are amazingly resilient structures. And, I say this as someone whose eyesight was -13 diopters. Yours was probably much better.
Take care. Heal.
Pat.... I think I'm being too impatient. I have to remember that I only had the surgery on Monday and it will take time for my vision to stabilise and things to settle down. It will take time too for my brain to readjust to the new 'normal'. I definitely need help with my close vision... I'm sure that the optician will sort that out when I see him/her in 4 weeks time. In the meantime I'll just have to accept that some things will have to wait workwise. Can't help thinking that long-sighted people probably have less trouble adjusting than we myopic types!
I am happy that you are now on the other side of the procedure. I hope that heeling will be swift.
I have been to two doll conventions in two months. I am definitely experiencing doll bliss.
Thanks Dorothy :) Good to hear that real life doll conventions are a 'thing' again.
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