D
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A couple of years ago I had a bugger of a time with multiple (and I mean multiple) surgery on my left eye for retinal detachments. I had about three lots of laser surgery: the immediate urgent stuff with a table and then the strapped on a table whilst a consultant looking like a cyber man fired stuff from a helmet.
Then I had the cryotherapy where the sealed the rim of my retina with a lance thing. Then the insertion of a gas bubble to hold it all in place. Some ‘posturing’ followed which means a period of holding you head facing down so gravity helps the bubble seal the retina. Mine was only 24 hours. That was the worst bit of the whole ordeal. If was bloody awful.
Took a month for the bubble to disappear. Bit disconcerting - it was like a 60s pink floyd or lava lamp experience in my eye.
But the retina redetached. So I had to go back for more surgery. Heavy oil was inserted this time to hold it in place. A while later the oil was surgically flushed and I had a cataract operation (cuz the probability of needing it had risen to 100%). The prescription for the new lense was based on tests whilst I had oil in my eye- So it was guesswork you an extent. But I have sight in my left eye. Not great but sight.
Another lot of laser surgery was required to cut a cross in the scar tissue that was costing large parts of the Inside of the eye - so the laser cuts enabled the tissue to open like the petals of a flower and give me some added clarity.
And I’ve got another eye right?
A week ago I had some symptoms that I recognised were suggestive of a problem in my right eye. I got straight to the opticians and they referred my to the hospital again
On Thursday they found two tears in the retina of my right eye. Immediate laser surgery was unsuccessful but the attempt to access a rather difficult region at the very periphery of my eye created corneal abrasion. I was in f***ing agony. Excruciating pain.
I had to endure the pain until was returned the next day (yesterday) for cryosurgery. I was told that a layer would need to be removed from my cornea as the damage would it make it difficult to complete the other surgery. Which would mean continuing excruciating pain for another week while it healed. On top of the other pain following the cryosurgery. It was worse when I closed my eye as the eyelid exacerbated the pain. Think about that for a second
The anaesthetic injection to the eye that preceded the eventual surgery was a blessed relief. And as it turned out the corneal damage wasn’t sufficient to require another slice to be removed. The damage was mainly related to manhandling, pressing against the eyeball with all the equipment and extreme dryness cause by the riving about.
So I came home with a numb head, a huge pad and a plastic lid on my eye. I have three loads of drops and I stocked up on painkillers with the advice to overdo it and that “pain is and indication that healing is taking place”. So that’s ok then.
I had a bad, but not awful, night and this morning my eye, as expected, looks like chopped liver.
But I can still see.
I only hope that after all this I don’t get any more rips in the retina - but I suppose that’s too much to hope for.
You really get to appreciate the gift of sight when it’s threatened.
Anyway.
This message is therapy for me because I find whinging and complaining unnecessarily very relaxing.
The fact I can do this on my phone using one finger and my left eye is indicative of the brilliance of our NHS. Gawd bless em. (Except for the senior consultant who had the bedside manner of Ghengis Khan and a rather rough approach that resulted in so much pain.)
I’d be useless under torture me.
Then I had the cryotherapy where the sealed the rim of my retina with a lance thing. Then the insertion of a gas bubble to hold it all in place. Some ‘posturing’ followed which means a period of holding you head facing down so gravity helps the bubble seal the retina. Mine was only 24 hours. That was the worst bit of the whole ordeal. If was bloody awful.
Took a month for the bubble to disappear. Bit disconcerting - it was like a 60s pink floyd or lava lamp experience in my eye.
But the retina redetached. So I had to go back for more surgery. Heavy oil was inserted this time to hold it in place. A while later the oil was surgically flushed and I had a cataract operation (cuz the probability of needing it had risen to 100%). The prescription for the new lense was based on tests whilst I had oil in my eye- So it was guesswork you an extent. But I have sight in my left eye. Not great but sight.
Another lot of laser surgery was required to cut a cross in the scar tissue that was costing large parts of the Inside of the eye - so the laser cuts enabled the tissue to open like the petals of a flower and give me some added clarity.
And I’ve got another eye right?
A week ago I had some symptoms that I recognised were suggestive of a problem in my right eye. I got straight to the opticians and they referred my to the hospital again
On Thursday they found two tears in the retina of my right eye. Immediate laser surgery was unsuccessful but the attempt to access a rather difficult region at the very periphery of my eye created corneal abrasion. I was in f***ing agony. Excruciating pain.
I had to endure the pain until was returned the next day (yesterday) for cryosurgery. I was told that a layer would need to be removed from my cornea as the damage would it make it difficult to complete the other surgery. Which would mean continuing excruciating pain for another week while it healed. On top of the other pain following the cryosurgery. It was worse when I closed my eye as the eyelid exacerbated the pain. Think about that for a second
The anaesthetic injection to the eye that preceded the eventual surgery was a blessed relief. And as it turned out the corneal damage wasn’t sufficient to require another slice to be removed. The damage was mainly related to manhandling, pressing against the eyeball with all the equipment and extreme dryness cause by the riving about.
So I came home with a numb head, a huge pad and a plastic lid on my eye. I have three loads of drops and I stocked up on painkillers with the advice to overdo it and that “pain is and indication that healing is taking place”. So that’s ok then.
I had a bad, but not awful, night and this morning my eye, as expected, looks like chopped liver.
But I can still see.
I only hope that after all this I don’t get any more rips in the retina - but I suppose that’s too much to hope for.
You really get to appreciate the gift of sight when it’s threatened.
Anyway.
This message is therapy for me because I find whinging and complaining unnecessarily very relaxing.
The fact I can do this on my phone using one finger and my left eye is indicative of the brilliance of our NHS. Gawd bless em. (Except for the senior consultant who had the bedside manner of Ghengis Khan and a rather rough approach that resulted in so much pain.)
I’d be useless under torture me.
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