Goodness, I'm sure you were the ideal Patient. Glad it's over.

Gayle

Glad everything went so well. Take care of yourself and get better soon.

good news!

Now,do as the doc told ya for a bit

I'm glad that you had even less discomfort than so many others. Now enjoy your enforced 'relaxation' time and heal quickly.

That's great news. I'm glad it all turned out good for you!

See? We told you so!!

Glad to know it went well and that you are doing well.
Did they give you some sunglasses? My mom had a real problem with glare right after her cataract surgery.

Great for you. I'm glad it is over.

They must allow driving sooner than they did 4 years ago when mine was done. I had to wait a couple of weeks.
I saw someone the other day with a see through patch on. Is yours like that? Mine wasn't.

You ,may find when you go outside that the light bothers you and may need sun glasses.

We were at St. Jos yesterday, as well, from 8:30 to about 9:30 but didn't see you. Maybe you came in a different door.

It is going to be hard for you to obey the rules, when you see the weeds growing and the beans ready to pick but the end result depends on you being a good boy. Unfortunately it is so easy to do things without thinking.

All the best.
ivamae

Great news.

Ron

I'm glad all went well, your home and back to your old self. Also glad you are behind the wheel again. It would be hard for us to loose our independence. Good going, kiddo. Dottie

Thanks for the update!
I'm glad to hear the discomfort has been minor.

This is happy news, Joyful. thanks for letting us know. And don't worry about the beans, find some high school kid that needs a dollar or two to help out.

glad things went well! repost again in a couple of days...

Glad to hear the good news! Take care.

What good news! So happy for you!

~Carol~

So happy that all went so well!

sooey

Glad it went well. Make sure to use any drops they give you. My husband had cataract surgery in May and he had to use 3 kinds of drops for weeks. He made a full recovery. He can read newspapers without glasses but still needs glasses for driving.

LOL...I thought I needed both my eyes fixed when I saw this post...Just as I saw it, someone must have posted on it...and it flashed then I saw mine...

It really confused me...I thought I had seen the word eye then it was car....

I thought maybe I was loosing it...Then about 15 minutes later I saw this post...LOL

patti

Great news!

Read right through to the end, Pattico ... sometimes when you leave a movie in the middle ,,, you miss the good parts!

Sorry to have confused you ... I thought that your title fit my situation well ... with amendment, of course.

When the lady gave me the card with the specifics of the implant, she commented that there was only minor (amendment? correction?).

When I went out of th south-facing door of the hosp. about noon, it was some glarey, but I just shut that eye for a while, till under trees, etc.

Slept again at Bruce's - and I goofed - forgot to put in drops (2 kinds, at least 5 min. apart) till after midnight. Just put in some more a couple of hours ago.

How easy it is to transgress ... I bent over to pick up a coin at Bruce;s ... we warned me.

Looks like I need a second pairiof eyes ... and brain ... to keep me in line.

Thanks for your good wishes.

ole joyful

P.S. I'm frustrated ... last night, and this morning, I'm having trouble with seeing duplicate letters (amd on a strange/split keyboard) ... and then I hit some wrong key and my story disappeared.

Both times!

Bruce says to compose on "Notepad" ... but can't enlarge it - or " Wordpad" ...don't know how to find it.

Ggr-r--r.

'Bye.

o j

Yaaaaa, and be good!!! remind yourself to be good!!!
Hugs to you and prayers that all will continue to go perfectly!!

That is what concerned me, Ed.

It is so very, very easy to remember AFTER, that you weren't supposed to do something.

Years ago I told my mother-in-law that I was going to take the fly swatter to her. After that she did try hard to remember. She hadn't realized that she had some tiny stitches that could tear. Things were much different then - abbout 30 years ago, but you still need to be careful.

I'm glad you are still with Bruce.

I would still say, TAKE IT EASY, Ed!

Joyful...at the time I didn't read your post...I just saw the post title.

Joyful, Boy, are you a STAT keeper!
I enjoyed reading all about your adventure, mostly because I have had that surgery too.

Warning! Be sure you don't get the kinds of drops mixed up.

I had a hard time seeing through that patch, but isn't it amazing how good you can see already.

Be a good boy, and follow the Doc's directions.
I'm glad it went so well for you.

Glad its over for ya!!

Yippee

Donna (^_^)

Glad all went well!!

WooHoo, Ole - that IS wonderful news - the best is yet to come!

I am happy to hear all went well!

Everything's great with the eye - hard to believe that there was no different feeling after last evening.

Still at Bruce's, having a good visit ... and discussing the existence (or lack of) God.

The guy who brung me's ... to pick me up in the morning and take me home.

ole joyful

Great news, Ed! I'm glad you are still at Bruce's. Take care!

Sheryl

OJ, yours sounds even easier than mine was. I had a "lazy eye". Mine was fixed while I was in my 40's.

I also had to keep more upright for a short while, and not lift heavy.

But, my brain was so used to compensating for the way my eyes saw stuff, that for a long time I saw every thing double. Once were it really was, from my good eye, and once way over from my now fixed eye.

Eventually both images melted together and I see normal again. Well, cept late at night, when I am really tired I sometimes see double again.

For me the nice thing is, when I look in the mirror I have two eyes look straight back at me.

I also had some peeps telling me I should not mess with my eyes as long as I saw well. Thus, when the double vision happened I got really worried.

I hope, your vision remains well, no, I hope it gets even better.

Moni

Glad to hear that you and your eye are fine, oj!

Glad to hear the good news!! Take care

Hi again, everyone.

Home on Fri. morn., some shopping on the way, bought a pie to share with my driver, and some tarps for his pool.

He's impressed with the size of my garden. I picked some snow peas - from staked lines - for him ... he picked zucchini (from near ground) and I gave him some pole beans (picked before Wed., in the house - which he plans to keep to allow them to ripen, use them as seed next year: he's gardened for years, so I trust his judgement that it'll work).

My shield is clear, I leave it on much of the time, and am happy that the sticky tape sticks several times, allowing me to pull off the lower tapes, flip up shield to instill the med drops.

I've developed a system of instilling the drops that I want to discuss with them - think it disperses material to top of eye better, less loss through runoff.

Instead of facing mirror, pulling open lower lid, dropping in material, making it necessary for the liquid to flow uphill to get to top of eye ... I turn face upward to near horizontal, lift upper lid, lower squeeze bottle dispenser top to touch middle of eye, raise slightly, squeezing one drop will fall directly on to middle of eye, feel cool on eye, you know that it's received one drop. Med runs down the eye, rotate eyes, let upper lid return to its place, keep face horizontal for a couple of minutes to allow liquid to irrigate eye completely, not slide out on to cheek.

First drop in drop of Zymar (antibiotic, I think), wait at least 5 min. (and I prefer more, or some of the combined fluid with the addition of the second load tends to slip away), then add one drop of the Maxidex (to aid in controlling swelling, discomfort, I think).

Can't you feature just any old jackass off the street suggesting to a surgeon how he can improve his performance??

My monitor is old style, closer to my face, print larger - can read it easily ... no duplication. When I look at it with right eye only (through glasses) see screen well, with a bit of indistinct material in a spot or two in the middle.

Landlord and worker pleased with my news - especially that as of about midnight on the day of surgery, my eye felt no different from the other.

I'm a happy camper, at this point.

I offer my sincere thanks to everyone for her/his concern, good thoughts and prayers.

ole really joyfilled

Glad to hear you're back to your Ole Joyful self!

What does STAT mean, please?

o j

Figured that I needed to do wash, as prior to surgery thought I had more underpants with fairly new elastic, but not so/couldn't find 'em.

I think that I'm going to need to get a bigger belly ... or shorter belt/tighter elastic. Sure glad, when belly 40 and underpants 48 ... that I'm not wearing a dress ... can handle them dragging around knees, held up by crotch of pants ... even though I don't like it much. Three days of it gets a bit much!

What's your remedy for such a problem, ladies?

Anyway, needed to do a wash.

Usually carry large cardboard box from garage to clothesline to set washbasket and pins on it ... but it weighs upwards of the 20 lb. limit.

But - I shouldn't put basket of clothes, plus can of pins, on ground - too much very careful squatting, etc. to get the stuff hung.

In the back porch, found one of those collapsible tray-tables that we use for company to hold mug of coffee, snack, etc. Just what I needed ... but when putting it together ... the other leg fell down ... so had to squat, slowly, carefully, not stoop, to retrieve it.

Only a small load of wash at a time.

Picked some peas, strung up on lines, added another line, as they'd fallen over ... careful about stooping, lifting.

Pulled some small weeds between rows of peas - only a slight pull. If I thought one might require some extra pull, grabbed it right at the ground, instead of pulling directly, left little finger end of hand on ground, twisted wrist to lift the plant, using hand as a lever.

Next post here deals with a bit of a delicate subject, relative to delayed bowel movement, so if you're somewhat squeamish, you may choose to pass it over.

ole joyful

On a rare occasion in the past I've had a delay in having the bowels want to move, resulting in a rather large, hard stool, that resisted moving out the usual door. Trying to squeeze the column, around the anus, helped some ... but not much. Once I used a small stick to break it up some.

I'm not sure when I had a bowel movement prior to the surgery, but one of my concerns was lest such happen again, as it involves a good deal of pressing down ... which is precisely what I've been warned not to do.

Not my idea of a good time ... to blow the new system at the top end while trying to blow waste out the other end!

I've wondered whether trying to take on those 8 glasses of water daily that some recommend would help. I hadn't had any of that for half a day prior to the surgery ... and took on more than usual water shortly after it. But wasn't as careful as maybe I should have been to take on extra water after the event, though I did make an effort, part of the time.

I tried to encourage the body to bring off a bowel movement a few times - with nil cooperation.

About 7:30 this evening, after instilling one of the drops, my bowel said that it was ready.

The column that it was ready to produce was too large ... plus too hard. Squeezing around the anus didn't work.

Wasn't willing to exert heavy pressure - and figured that it wouldn't work, in any case.

I'd wondered whether I should have sought out a kit to let one give one's self an enema, in case such a situation developed ... but hadn't.

I have a small, squeezable bulb with a tube out one side, like what one can use to irrigate wax out of one's ears, so used that to shoot some water up from below. Trying to retain the water for at least a short while, to let it go to work on the resistant column ... but without exerting too much pressure. Over an extended period, it did enable breaking the hard column up and moving the stuff out, bit by bit, slowly but surely.

Messy.

It took about three quarters of an hour ... and I've wanted to go two or three times since, producing very little, with some liquids and some gas.

And the rear end is doing some major complaining about the insult. You've heard parents say, "Don't let that happen again!" kind of message: I think that it learned it from them.

Sort of a general PITA.

Anyway ... that pretty well completes the story.

I think that the upper end situation is still intact.

ole joyful

What a story!

Not much fun, either.

Better luck to-day.

Glad you are trying to remember to take care of the eye.

This won't last forever - just seems that way.

Very happy to hear that your surgery went well. I have printed off your follow-up care for my husband for use say in about 2 years when he develops a cataract. FIRST, on Sept. 30 he has to undergo a Vitrectomy for repair of a Macular Hole in his left eye - this is NOT going to be pretty. We live in Toronto and he will be having procedure done at St. Michael's Hospital. He is 59 and apparently is young to be having this procedure without a related health reason (diabetes) or having been involved in an accident. His eyes are extremely myopic (his lenses cost $1,200 to get "thin" ones so that he doesn't appear to be wearing Coke bottles on his eyes). I fortunately found a lady whose mother just went through the same procedure in Ottawa and she outlined the dos and don'ts and the general horror of it all - which was exactly what was needed as my husband was searching the Internet for "easy" recovery solutions. Their aren't any. The big thing was finding the place that rents the face-down equipment needed for recovery - easy to do in U.S. or Europe, but Canada, well the usual. For those who might need to know who live in the Toronto area or London area (the company covers both areas) the company is called Care Chairs (www.care-chairs.com). They seem to be the only rental provider of the "real" chair, sleep pillow etc. There is another company but they only sell foam pieces - and they aren't nearly as effective. Basically he will have to keep his eyes looking face down - kind of at his belly button for a week. The chair has a 3 way mirror to help him see what is going on. The pillow for sleeping will be attached between the box spring and mattress - unfortunately both beds in this house have footboards so will have to move to floor. I will also have to board our dog - a very claws and Jaws American Eskimo who loves to jump up and I know he would hit my husband right in the eye - not to mention the taking my husband back and forth. He will have to return for a follow-up day after surgery - so a special neck piece for trip in car. At least he is good at putting eye drops in as he wore contacts for many years. I am dreading it - and asked if they could keep him overnight in hospital - apparently not these days - not "medically" necessary. I am sure people who have undergone this procedure would disagree. I even thought of renting a hotel room downtown for first night, but then the equipment will be at home. Ed, yesterday I bought a pair of sunglasses at Shoppers that are designed to be worn over regular prescription glasses to help with the glare. The lady whose mother had the surgery had to wear them for 2 months to help with glare and the effects of the eye drops. My husband has the custom made clip-ons to wear with his glasses but they won't do the trick. They were $24.95 and I think worth every penny. I also bought a speaker phone, a "customer service" bell to put by his hand in case of an emergency and also found by chance a laptop cart that will work perfectly to place in front of chair for taking of meals - best to keep movement to a minimum and we will have to deal with the bathroom issue. I have threatened to sneak Immodium into his food. His main focus is watching TV - this should be the least of his worries. And because he is so mypopic, without his glasses on, he won't be able to see out of his "good" eye! I am thinking books on tape. Heck I was in the hospital several years ago for a week - TV didn't work and I was stuck in the bed hooked up to a catheter and other wires so if I can do it, so can he. But then I am a good patient - he is not. Even he admits it would be a lot easier on him as a caregiver than on me, because I can be trusted. He continues to work on his IBM Thinkpad - without a larger monitor - I told him years ago to ask for one at work and to up the font size - and to stop reading books with such small print. I turned 58 last week and still have 20/20 vision and I have my font at 125 and won't read the books he buys - and I always have my sunglasses on (hazel eyes, light sensitive - I don't squint, hence fewer wrinkles). He is also worried about washing his hair - Jeez - I have a lot of hair, if I could go a week, so can he and there are those "shampoo" caps at SDM Heathcare shops - or I could just run a facecloth over his head. Forget shaving - and he can't get water near his eyes anyway. He will have to wear pajama tops - and since he absolutely cannot roll over onto his back I am going to clip Chip Clips to his top - one person told me the tennis balls didn't work for him. He won't be able to do any heavy lifting either - much as in your case and this will go on for a few months. He won't be able to fly for 6 weeks or until the gas bubble disappears. He has a business trip in Sept., returning on the 21 - and then another Dec. 5 so hopefully he won't get bumped, sick etc. or anything else will happen to delay the surgery. Originally the surgeon had thought the surgery could be posted for 2 years - by that time he will/would have developed a cataract and they would have taken care of everything. But in the past 3 months the deterioration has been far greater than anticipated so will be having the surgery to try to prevent loss of vision in his eye. The cataract will still develop though. He has his father's grey/blue eyes - and he also developed cataracts, but he was 76 and had both removed at same time in hospital. Now if only his company insurance plan will pay for the rental of his rehab equipment. I am not optimistic. They wouldn't pay anything towards his $1,000 sleep apnea mouthguard or his $150 per visit eye tests with the super surgeon (OHIP doesn't cover these tests either) - and these tests cannot be claimed on Income Tax so that you get $2 back - BUT, if anyone is interested, apparently Hair Transplant surgery can be claimed on income tax. But we will try - apparently eyes fall into a different category, but at some point your eyes have to be considered a major part of your body for heaven's sake - it isn't as if he wants a pair of glasses to match every outfit. I did call the insurance company and they didn't point out how few claims we have made for family coverage - well I am allergic to most meds and he doesn't take any and they won't pay for anything he needs! It is going to be a very unpleasant experience for sure and he won't even be able to pick up the 22 lb. dog or do anything outside (which he prefers I am sure). Forget trying to find anyone to help - already did that re snow shovelling - stood at door on Hallowe'en and asked anyone my size or bigger if they would shovel for generous rates (I am 5' 8" - so wasn't asking 6 year olds) - but no takers. Kids around here don't shavel, rake leaves - zip. Apparently the easy way to earn money is to offer to walk people's dogs - as if that is going to happen. My little terror being walked by a 10 year old with no training. We have no relatives in Toronto to help - SO ED, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO PLAY NURSEMAID! My husband just came upstairs so I will read him the account of your experience. Again, I am very happy that all turned out well for you. I sure wish this was over.

Hi eccentric,

Thank you for sharing your experience, concerns, etc. ... for "unloading" (if you'll pardon the expression).

I felt a lot better after the unload ... even though my rear end didn't, for a while.

Hope you did, too .

I think that I have a bit of stomach upset, for I've passed small issue, plus liquid, plus gas ... and my rear end isn't complaining too seriously ... so I guess things are on the mend.

There's a rumour around that males make rather unco-operative patients ...

... and it's so persistent ...

... that I have a suspicion that there's likely some truth in it!

Your reply makes me feel that my having taken the risk in sharing that rather unpleasant experience was, after all, worthwhile.

I hope that your husband becomes more realistic about the issues that he faces ... and learns to live within them. Without too much rebellious spirit, one hopes.

I have a certain measure of rebellious spirit about me, as well, and your story causes some self-reflection on my part, as well.

Good wishes to the two of you through the coming weeks.

ole joyful - thankful to be as fortunate as he has been and is

Just how did you pull weeds without lowering your head????

I sent you an email

ivamae

Thanks, ole joyful - and I too want to know how you pulled the weeds without lowering your head! He has now read your account of your cataract surgery and is scared - although not quite as scared as he is after reading the lady in Ottawa's account of her Mother's Vitrectomy. Definitely men can be more difficult patients - even he admits that. Apparently he will have to have LOTS of mini meals - otherwise he will suffer extreme stomach discomfort due to the position in which he will have to sit. And since he doesn't gain weight, I think we are probably talking 12 mini meals a day! He has a light build - actually, sort of like the picture I saw of you! I hope you continue to improve and let's not forget to follow the doctor's orders. I keep reminding my husband that a week or two of living heck will seem like nothing after the fact - okay then the following few months - but compared to completely losing sight in his eye? Tomorrow I am going to call a place in Toronto re books on tape. I used to love to listen to the old radio shows - Boston Blackie, The Shadow etc. I liked to have the room completely dark so I could concentrate. Much better than TV these days.

Hi eccentric,

Have you checked the library? They have books on tape, I think. Can you play CDs ... they may have them.

Try CNIB, also.

Do you have an MP3 player?

Son downloads a lot of those old radio shows, especially the mystery shows, and puts them on MP3 player.

He could show you how, if you have a player. They get a little flat stick that slips into some of them, that holds about 300 songs or something like it, I think.

I took mine with me on my trip west, to use if radio stations died near Lake Superior (they didn't, but I think that they do going north of L. Superior in Ontario).

ole joyful

P.S. Still haven't found out what "STAT" means.

"Sincerely/Steadily Thirsty After Termination"??

o j

Ya pick up a stick.

Use it as support while getting down on knees - same as to pick peas, beans, etc.

Put hands around weed plant.

If it's small (or experience has shown it to be small-rooted) ... pull.

If it's a bit larger ... or large- or bushy-rooted, let your small finger part of hand sit on ground, twist wrist to pull thumb and index-finger part of hand (with weed enclosed) upward.

That should work, with minimal exertion, to pull weed up a couple of inches ... which should loosen it enough to allow pulling it out without substantial exertion.

Right?

If not - let it go.

Make sure to bring means-of-support-stick along as you travel.

When it comes time to get up, put one hand on ground, other hand part way up stick ... rise. Gently. Not major exertion required.

Eyes are important. Intact eyes even better.

ole joyfoul

P.S. Again ... what *does* "STAT" mean???

I'm getting really curious! Could that be (one of) my besetting sin(s)?

o j

Follow-up check-up Tues. afternoon.

I could read the small letters satisfactorily, she said.

Microscope showed the eye is healing well, it appears.

Everyone seems happy - so, I'm happy.

One kind of drops, 4 times daily, for another 3 weeks.

I still can't get over the fact that, 10 - 12 hours after the surgery, there was almost no difference in feeling between the operated eye and the other one.

There was a potential problem ... I was to sleep on my back,. or the non-operative side, for a week after the surgery. When I awoke on Tues. morning (operation last Wed.) ... I was lying on my belly (with operative eye to the upside, where head lying on pillow).

I prefer to sleep on left side, so will have to figure a preventive measure, before the left eye is to be done on Sept. 10.

ole joyful

If I put a fairly large pillow behind my back, when lying on the proper side, I find that helps me keep from turning, usually. Glad you are coming along so well. Just don't be too smart!!!
ivamae

Stat means fast - or right away, or immediately ... along that idea.

Thanks, everyone.

I have fewer restrictions, now ... but still being careful.

Don't want to mess up the eye situation.

Sort of like jumping out of a 10th storey window ...

... you can only do it once.

Not quite the same - one can live with vision all screwed up ... or blind ... but, with good eyesight for almost all of my life ... I'd rather not.

ole joyful