Sunday, February 10, 2008
Three week follow-up...good news!
Well, I had my three week follow-up two days ago. After I arrived and the nurse did a quick overall vision check, my eyes were dilated and I waited about 30 minutes. Once I saw the doctor, he used his hand-held lens to examine my retina ("look up..left...down and left...down...." etc.) He then said, "Well, your examination looks great and your retina has completely re-attached. Also, your eye is healing better than I expected." Those were some wonderful words, and those two sentences validated all my choices of doctor, type of surgery, etc. throughout the entire process.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Recovery
It's been a while since I last posted, and it has been even longer (2.5 weeks) since the surgery. The recovery has gone well, it really hasn't been that bad. The first week, my eye was changing rapidly. Three things seemed to be going on: the redness in the white part of my eye was subsiding, my pupil was becoming less dilated and my vision was getting better and better. During this time, it seems that my brain was also learning to use my right eye almost exclusively, as the double vision that I experienced shortly after having the patch removed at my post-op visit started to subside.
If I had to give a week by week summary, week 1 was about gradually reducing my need for any pain medication and recovering enough sight to be able to go back to work. Week two was about building up the endurance to maintain a cognitive focus through long meetings and engage in my typically heavy computer usage. I imagine week three will be about more of the same, culminating in my 3-week post-op visit with my ophthalmologist.
More later.
If I had to give a week by week summary, week 1 was about gradually reducing my need for any pain medication and recovering enough sight to be able to go back to work. Week two was about building up the endurance to maintain a cognitive focus through long meetings and engage in my typically heavy computer usage. I imagine week three will be about more of the same, culminating in my 3-week post-op visit with my ophthalmologist.
More later.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Post-Op visit
The day after my surgery, at 4:00 in the afternoon, I had my post-op visit with the ophthalmologist. At this point, my eye was achy, and I was taking Vicodin for the pain.
Footnote - the day before, in recovery, the ophthalmologist had asked what pain medication I would like. I said that I believe I had been prescribed Vicodin previously, but that I never had the prescription filled. After doing a little research, I learned that Vicodin is hydrocodone, which is significantly weaker (and less addicting) than oxycodone (Percocet). So, if your doctor asks which pain medicine you would like...you might want to pick something a little stronger. I'm not recommending you abuse pain medicine, but in a controlled environment...well, you see what I'm saying. In my case, there was one time later when I wished I had said "Percocet". I should mention that in parallel, I decided to reduce my caffeine intake, in order to help my eye heal as fast as possible. I was up to about 3 big (16-20oz) cups of coffee per day, and had cut back to about 1. The Vicodin helped with the caffeine withdrawal symptoms as well.
So, I arrived for my appt a few minutes early and entered the waiting area with my wife and daughter. I had a big bandage and clear plastic shield on my left eye, and I really didn't feel very comfortable in public. Even through the bandage, I could tell that my left eye was very sensitive to light, and so I asked my wife if we could sit in the darkest part of the waiting area. This proved more difficult than you would imagine, as the Wheaton eye clinic is a really big, beautiful building with lots of light.
After perhaps 5 minutes of waiting, I went in to see the doctor. I sat down in the chair, and faced opposite an enormous, wall-sized mirror. That's when I realized that I looked like death warmed over. I hadn't showered or shaved, and I had an enormous, which bandage on my eye.
Soon, the nurse removed the bandage, and I got the first look at, and through, my eye. It looked like I had been in a good brawl. Above and below my eye, it was bruised - purple, blue and a little yellowish. My eyelids were swollen and nearly shut because of the swelling. The white of my eye was red. Next, she put some drops in my eye, which I assume were either antibiotic or pupil dilating. I am thinking the latter, as I then waited about 10 minutes in the chair, stairing at myself, until the doctor arrived.
The doctor arrived, and took a look. He said that I actually looked really good. Then, he used his slit lamp and a magnifying instrument to look at my retina. "Your retina looks beautiful, Michael," he said, "and I am optimistic for a smooth and speedy recovery." His statements reminded me how doctors must always have to curb their enthusiasm a bit. I wonder if this has always been the case, or whether they are less outwardly hopeful to their patients, in order to prevent unrealistic expectations and therefore possibily litigation.
The doctor gave me a small bottle of TobraDex, a combination of an antibiotic and a steroid in an ophthalmic solution. He asked me to drop 4 drops of the stuff into my eye each day: morning, lunch, dinner and bedtime. In order to remind me how often to administer the drops, he drew a huge "4" on the side of the box. Hilarious.
The visit was over pretty quick - maybe 10 minutes tops. I walked back out to the waiting room...which was weird: I could now "sort of" see out of my left eye.
My wife and daughter and I got back in the car and went home. The ride was not pleasant - I had double vision, sensitivity to light and I was understandably a little sad at my crappy vision.
We got home, and I took a nap.
Footnote - the day before, in recovery, the ophthalmologist had asked what pain medication I would like. I said that I believe I had been prescribed Vicodin previously, but that I never had the prescription filled. After doing a little research, I learned that Vicodin is hydrocodone, which is significantly weaker (and less addicting) than oxycodone (Percocet). So, if your doctor asks which pain medicine you would like...you might want to pick something a little stronger. I'm not recommending you abuse pain medicine, but in a controlled environment...well, you see what I'm saying. In my case, there was one time later when I wished I had said "Percocet". I should mention that in parallel, I decided to reduce my caffeine intake, in order to help my eye heal as fast as possible. I was up to about 3 big (16-20oz) cups of coffee per day, and had cut back to about 1. The Vicodin helped with the caffeine withdrawal symptoms as well.
So, I arrived for my appt a few minutes early and entered the waiting area with my wife and daughter. I had a big bandage and clear plastic shield on my left eye, and I really didn't feel very comfortable in public. Even through the bandage, I could tell that my left eye was very sensitive to light, and so I asked my wife if we could sit in the darkest part of the waiting area. This proved more difficult than you would imagine, as the Wheaton eye clinic is a really big, beautiful building with lots of light.
After perhaps 5 minutes of waiting, I went in to see the doctor. I sat down in the chair, and faced opposite an enormous, wall-sized mirror. That's when I realized that I looked like death warmed over. I hadn't showered or shaved, and I had an enormous, which bandage on my eye.
Soon, the nurse removed the bandage, and I got the first look at, and through, my eye. It looked like I had been in a good brawl. Above and below my eye, it was bruised - purple, blue and a little yellowish. My eyelids were swollen and nearly shut because of the swelling. The white of my eye was red. Next, she put some drops in my eye, which I assume were either antibiotic or pupil dilating. I am thinking the latter, as I then waited about 10 minutes in the chair, stairing at myself, until the doctor arrived.
The doctor arrived, and took a look. He said that I actually looked really good. Then, he used his slit lamp and a magnifying instrument to look at my retina. "Your retina looks beautiful, Michael," he said, "and I am optimistic for a smooth and speedy recovery." His statements reminded me how doctors must always have to curb their enthusiasm a bit. I wonder if this has always been the case, or whether they are less outwardly hopeful to their patients, in order to prevent unrealistic expectations and therefore possibily litigation.
The doctor gave me a small bottle of TobraDex, a combination of an antibiotic and a steroid in an ophthalmic solution. He asked me to drop 4 drops of the stuff into my eye each day: morning, lunch, dinner and bedtime. In order to remind me how often to administer the drops, he drew a huge "4" on the side of the box. Hilarious.
The visit was over pretty quick - maybe 10 minutes tops. I walked back out to the waiting room...which was weird: I could now "sort of" see out of my left eye.
My wife and daughter and I got back in the car and went home. The ride was not pleasant - I had double vision, sensitivity to light and I was understandably a little sad at my crappy vision.
We got home, and I took a nap.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
The surgery
OK, so let's talk about what the surgery was like. I arrived at 8:30am, checked in and had a seat. I was expecting to wait about an hour (my procedure was scheduled for 9:30, but I was asked to arrive at 8:30). 10 minutes later, I was called in for the surgery, and asked to remove any metal objects - belt, keys, watch, etc. Next, the nurse introduced herself, and asked me on which eye I was having surgery today. I told her that it was my left eye, and she stuck a little sticker above my left eye. Then, I was given a consent form to sign which said I was having surgery on my left eye - scleral buckle and cryopexy.
After having dismissed with these formalities, we got down to some more medical stuff. I used the restroom, then came back and had my temperature and blood pressure recorded. I was asked to lay down, and warm, heavy blankets were placed on my torso. A monitor was placed on my right index finger, and my left arm and hand were tucked under the heavy blankets.
Soon the IV was introduced to my hand. I asked what the sedative that they would be using today and the nurse told me that it would be Versed. Within a few minutes of the administration of the Versed through the IV, I began to feel very calm and relaxed. A few minutes later (or so it seemed), my surgeon came to say "hi" and began to wheel me into the operating room. Soon after (I think...by this point I was a bit disoriented, but not unpleasantly so) I was given three injections of local anesthetic into the area around my eye. One of these must have gone towards my optic nerve, as I soon realized that I could no longer see much out of my left eye.
During this whole time, the only pain I experienced was the bite of the local anesthetic, and that really wasn't that bad. The Versed made it all totally doable. Also, I was completely able to converse with the surgeon and the assisting nurse. I believe I actually told a joke about something cute my three-year-old daughter said the other day. I also asked if it would be OK if I closed my eyes. The doctor said that was fine, and that my left eye was now paralyzed, so it would stay open.
He was right - it "felt" like I then closed both eyes, but I was vaguely aware that my left eye was open. I could see some shapes, although the best way I can describe what I could see out of my anesthetized eye would be "embossed". It was if everything was dark gray in color, but I could see some outlines of things as if they were run through Adobe Photoshop's "emboss" filter. So, I could see the surgeon "paint" my eye with something, and move it around a bit, but I couldn't really comprehend all of it, because of the sedative.
The rest of the surgery progressed like that. I was aware of what was happening, but just accepted it and I think dozed off a few times. I asked a few questions here and there. I could hear the cryoplexy being applied, and asked if that's what I heard. My brain recorded that the surgeon was using a "220" buckle, and that it sounded like they hadn't used it at this (new) surgery center yet. I heard him ask for assistance with sutures, etc. It was all really very interesting.
Near the end, I commented that I was almost "enjoying" the experience, and said that I felt comfortable and understood what was going on, but that I didn't feel like I had to comment on anything out loud. The surgeon made a joke: "Good! I'm glad you didn't feel you had to tell us how to do the procedure : )". I joked back: "well, I was wondering if you were going to go with the 220 or maybe something different!". He and the nurse started cracking up, and I was then wheeled out to recovery.
In recovery, my vitals were checked, and I was inclined so my back was more upright. The nurse brought my wife in, and I was offered orange or apple juice (I chose apple). Even though I was on an IV, I was still thirsty (although I found my lips were no longer chapped!). My nurse then said something very surprising: she said that my surgeon was "brilliant" and asked me how I found him ("he's the best."). Now, I work in healthcare, and I have /never/ heard a nurse speak this way about a doctor.
I recovered for another 15 minutes or so (or so it felt), and my wife went to get the car. A nurse held my arm and I walked with her to the car. I got in to the passenger seat and drove home with my wife. To tell you the truth..I can't remember what happened for most of the rest of the day. I think I took a nap, but there are a few gaps, probably due to the sedative.
So there you have it. A first hand account of a really great outpatient eye surgery experience. Next up, I'll blog about the post-op visit and what my recovery was like.
After having dismissed with these formalities, we got down to some more medical stuff. I used the restroom, then came back and had my temperature and blood pressure recorded. I was asked to lay down, and warm, heavy blankets were placed on my torso. A monitor was placed on my right index finger, and my left arm and hand were tucked under the heavy blankets.
Soon the IV was introduced to my hand. I asked what the sedative that they would be using today and the nurse told me that it would be Versed. Within a few minutes of the administration of the Versed through the IV, I began to feel very calm and relaxed. A few minutes later (or so it seemed), my surgeon came to say "hi" and began to wheel me into the operating room. Soon after (I think...by this point I was a bit disoriented, but not unpleasantly so) I was given three injections of local anesthetic into the area around my eye. One of these must have gone towards my optic nerve, as I soon realized that I could no longer see much out of my left eye.
During this whole time, the only pain I experienced was the bite of the local anesthetic, and that really wasn't that bad. The Versed made it all totally doable. Also, I was completely able to converse with the surgeon and the assisting nurse. I believe I actually told a joke about something cute my three-year-old daughter said the other day. I also asked if it would be OK if I closed my eyes. The doctor said that was fine, and that my left eye was now paralyzed, so it would stay open.
He was right - it "felt" like I then closed both eyes, but I was vaguely aware that my left eye was open. I could see some shapes, although the best way I can describe what I could see out of my anesthetized eye would be "embossed". It was if everything was dark gray in color, but I could see some outlines of things as if they were run through Adobe Photoshop's "emboss" filter. So, I could see the surgeon "paint" my eye with something, and move it around a bit, but I couldn't really comprehend all of it, because of the sedative.
The rest of the surgery progressed like that. I was aware of what was happening, but just accepted it and I think dozed off a few times. I asked a few questions here and there. I could hear the cryoplexy being applied, and asked if that's what I heard. My brain recorded that the surgeon was using a "220" buckle, and that it sounded like they hadn't used it at this (new) surgery center yet. I heard him ask for assistance with sutures, etc. It was all really very interesting.
Near the end, I commented that I was almost "enjoying" the experience, and said that I felt comfortable and understood what was going on, but that I didn't feel like I had to comment on anything out loud. The surgeon made a joke: "Good! I'm glad you didn't feel you had to tell us how to do the procedure : )". I joked back: "well, I was wondering if you were going to go with the 220 or maybe something different!". He and the nurse started cracking up, and I was then wheeled out to recovery.
In recovery, my vitals were checked, and I was inclined so my back was more upright. The nurse brought my wife in, and I was offered orange or apple juice (I chose apple). Even though I was on an IV, I was still thirsty (although I found my lips were no longer chapped!). My nurse then said something very surprising: she said that my surgeon was "brilliant" and asked me how I found him ("he's the best."). Now, I work in healthcare, and I have /never/ heard a nurse speak this way about a doctor.
I recovered for another 15 minutes or so (or so it felt), and my wife went to get the car. A nurse held my arm and I walked with her to the car. I got in to the passenger seat and drove home with my wife. To tell you the truth..I can't remember what happened for most of the rest of the day. I think I took a nap, but there are a few gaps, probably due to the sedative.
So there you have it. A first hand account of a really great outpatient eye surgery experience. Next up, I'll blog about the post-op visit and what my recovery was like.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Frist Post
Two days ago, I had some eye surgery. In particular, I had a scleral buckle applied to my left eye. After hearing that I was finding it difficult to find an account of a positive recovery, a very talented employee of mine suggested I blog about it. I hadn't previously considered blogging to me actually helpful to anyone but the blogger, but perhaps someone will find this blog "out there" (on the intertubes) and be comforted.
First, some background. I am currently employed as an IT manager for an outpatient physicians group. I have always been pretty darn near-sighted, and was diagnosed with lattice degeneration of the retinas sometime in high school. I am currently 31 years old. Two weeks ago, I was having a routine eye exam, and was offered an automated visual field test for $15. Usually, I pass on additional "for profit" kinds of tests like these (tests which were not explicitly ordered for me by someone who went to medical school and graduated). Really not sure why I decided to pay the extra $15.
Anyhow, it was pretty clear after having taken this test that a good chunk of the peripheral vision in my left eye (from about 1 to 3 o'clock) was pretty much...gone. I was given a new prescription for contacts, glasses and a referral to an ophthalmologist. I was urged to see an eye-md rather quickly, just in case.
So two days later, I saw an ophthalmologist at the Wheaton Eye Clinic. He referred me to a retinal specialist, who he described as being the person to whom he would send his family members if one of them ever had a retinal issue. Later that day, I go in to see the retinal specialist, and after several minutes of "look up. up and left. left. down and left....." etc. etc., he said: "well, you have a retinal detachment". The detachment was located in the lower, peripheral part of my eye, and would require surgery within the next week or two to achieve the best possible outcome. So, we scheduled the surgery for 1/17/2008, and that's how I got to this point. More to come soon.
First, some background. I am currently employed as an IT manager for an outpatient physicians group. I have always been pretty darn near-sighted, and was diagnosed with lattice degeneration of the retinas sometime in high school. I am currently 31 years old. Two weeks ago, I was having a routine eye exam, and was offered an automated visual field test for $15. Usually, I pass on additional "for profit" kinds of tests like these (tests which were not explicitly ordered for me by someone who went to medical school and graduated). Really not sure why I decided to pay the extra $15.
Anyhow, it was pretty clear after having taken this test that a good chunk of the peripheral vision in my left eye (from about 1 to 3 o'clock) was pretty much...gone. I was given a new prescription for contacts, glasses and a referral to an ophthalmologist. I was urged to see an eye-md rather quickly, just in case.
So two days later, I saw an ophthalmologist at the Wheaton Eye Clinic. He referred me to a retinal specialist, who he described as being the person to whom he would send his family members if one of them ever had a retinal issue. Later that day, I go in to see the retinal specialist, and after several minutes of "look up. up and left. left. down and left....." etc. etc., he said: "well, you have a retinal detachment". The detachment was located in the lower, peripheral part of my eye, and would require surgery within the next week or two to achieve the best possible outcome. So, we scheduled the surgery for 1/17/2008, and that's how I got to this point. More to come soon.
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