They suggested a sushi place but neither Thomas nor I eat sushi - but they assured us that we would be able to find something. They were right - Thomas had Teriyaki Pork and rice and I had Super Crunch (shrimp tempura wrapped with shrimp and avocado). The new trick came when I decided that I had to learn to use chopsticks. This would be my first time - and after a short lesson by Thomas' cousin I actually got the hang of it. I actually made it through the entire meal and did not drop one piece of food. So you see it is easy to teach an old dog new tricks.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Old Dog, New Trick
Last night Thomas and I had dinner with his cousin and her husband. Nothing unusual there except for the fact that they live in Albuquerque and we live in Santa Fe and we don't actually get to see each other very often. It just happened that we had to take our friend Regina to the airport at 4:30pm and pick up our friend Donna at 7:30pm - so we had four hours to kill. Thomas' cousin has food allergies and it is always a little difficult to find a place that she can eat at. 
They suggested a sushi place but neither Thomas nor I eat sushi - but they assured us that we would be able to find something. They were right - Thomas had Teriyaki Pork and rice and I had Super Crunch (shrimp tempura wrapped with shrimp and avocado). The new trick came when I decided that I had to learn to use chopsticks. This would be my first time - and after a short lesson by Thomas' cousin I actually got the hang of it. I actually made it through the entire meal and did not drop one piece of food. So you see it is easy to teach an old dog new tricks.
They suggested a sushi place but neither Thomas nor I eat sushi - but they assured us that we would be able to find something. They were right - Thomas had Teriyaki Pork and rice and I had Super Crunch (shrimp tempura wrapped with shrimp and avocado). The new trick came when I decided that I had to learn to use chopsticks. This would be my first time - and after a short lesson by Thomas' cousin I actually got the hang of it. I actually made it through the entire meal and did not drop one piece of food. So you see it is easy to teach an old dog new tricks.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Detached Retina (Update #4)
This is going to be a quick update, since the check-up with the doctor was quick. Essentially everything is good. 
The retina is completely attached and healing well. My eye feels great - no pain, redness or tearing. I still have blurred vision but that is due to not having a lens in my left eye. The doctor told me I could contact my regular eye doctor and be fitted with a contact lens to temporarily replace my lens until I can have surgery to replace the lens (which can't happen until three to four months following the last surgery). I have also been totally released for all normal activity without fear of causing more problems to my eye - that sure made me feel a lot better. I also am done with all eye drops. So basically I am back to normal (I know some of you are thinking I wasn't all that normal before), so at least to my normal self except for the blurriness.
Detached Retina (Update #5)
The retina is completely attached and healing well. My eye feels great - no pain, redness or tearing. I still have blurred vision but that is due to not having a lens in my left eye. The doctor told me I could contact my regular eye doctor and be fitted with a contact lens to temporarily replace my lens until I can have surgery to replace the lens (which can't happen until three to four months following the last surgery). I have also been totally released for all normal activity without fear of causing more problems to my eye - that sure made me feel a lot better. I also am done with all eye drops. So basically I am back to normal (I know some of you are thinking I wasn't all that normal before), so at least to my normal self except for the blurriness.Detached Retina (Update #5)
Monday, July 21, 2008
Detached Retina (Update #3)
Here is the latest news regarding my detached retina saga. With each doctor visit I become more and more optimistic that I will have a full recovery. Since my last update I have had two doctor appointments and they were both positive.
My first appointment was with Dr. Levy on Wednesday, July 16th. He did the YAG Laser procedure on Friday, July 11th. He felt that my lens membrane looked great and it was totally clear. A good sign if you want vision that isn't blurry. Anyway, the procedure was painless and quick and worth it on this journey to getting my eyesight back.
Then today I saw Dr. Wyant for a check-up on my retina. He was pleased to note that the retina is fully attached and that my vision in that eye is 20/60. It is still a little blurry but at least I can see. He changed the frequency for my eye drops. I am still using the Pred Forte for infammation, but now only need to do them three times a day for five days and then reduce them to two times a day. He also cleared me for work and back to my normal activity level beginning August 4th. This was extremely good news. I will be able to get some hiking in before the summer is over. This still leaves the matter of removing the oil from my eye and replacing my lens. He informed me that he would not do this until at least three months after the last surgery. The last surgery was June 17th and that means that we won't do anything until at least September 17th. But all of this depends on the retina and how well it is healed. I can deal with this. Things are so much better now and I can literally see the light at the end of the tunnel. He did give me some other good news. On my next visit (August 18th) we will try a contact in my left eye as a replacement for my lens to see if that helps my vision until we can actually replace the lens. The last few weeks have been good and I have been moving in the direction of more normal activity - I am doing things around the house, driving, running errands and doing light exercise. And the last two doctor visits have given me encouragement and eased my concern. I also want to thank everyone for all the comments, cards, encouragement and visits. It has really helped my recovery and made all of this more tolerable. I will be back in about a month to let you know what is happening.
Detached Retina (Update #4)
My first appointment was with Dr. Levy on Wednesday, July 16th. He did the YAG Laser procedure on Friday, July 11th. He felt that my lens membrane looked great and it was totally clear. A good sign if you want vision that isn't blurry. Anyway, the procedure was painless and quick and worth it on this journey to getting my eyesight back.
Then today I saw Dr. Wyant for a check-up on my retina. He was pleased to note that the retina is fully attached and that my vision in that eye is 20/60. It is still a little blurry but at least I can see. He changed the frequency for my eye drops. I am still using the Pred Forte for infammation, but now only need to do them three times a day for five days and then reduce them to two times a day. He also cleared me for work and back to my normal activity level beginning August 4th. This was extremely good news. I will be able to get some hiking in before the summer is over. This still leaves the matter of removing the oil from my eye and replacing my lens. He informed me that he would not do this until at least three months after the last surgery. The last surgery was June 17th and that means that we won't do anything until at least September 17th. But all of this depends on the retina and how well it is healed. I can deal with this. Things are so much better now and I can literally see the light at the end of the tunnel. He did give me some other good news. On my next visit (August 18th) we will try a contact in my left eye as a replacement for my lens to see if that helps my vision until we can actually replace the lens. The last few weeks have been good and I have been moving in the direction of more normal activity - I am doing things around the house, driving, running errands and doing light exercise. And the last two doctor visits have given me encouragement and eased my concern. I also want to thank everyone for all the comments, cards, encouragement and visits. It has really helped my recovery and made all of this more tolerable. I will be back in about a month to let you know what is happening.Detached Retina (Update #4)
Friday, July 11, 2008
Detached Retina (Update #2)
This morning I went to the doctor for the YAG Laser Capsulotomy. The procedure was done by Dr. Renny Levy. It was a very simple procedure and the waiting and prep time actually took more time than the procedure. Dr. Levy and the staff at the Surgery Center of Santa Fe were very courteous and professional. After I checked in and filled out all the necessary papers they took me back to an exam room. The nurse checked my vitals and put two drops into my left eye. I then had to wait for ten minutes and then the same two drops were put into my left eye again. And then another ten minute wait. A different drop was then put into my eye to numb it. After five minutes Dr. Levy came in and started the procedure.
Detached Retina (Update # 3)
Detached Retina (Update # 3)
Monday, July 7, 2008
Detached Retina (Update #1)
Today I had a follow-up doctor appointment with Dr. Wyant. He is the doctor that performed my second vitrectomy. He had good news for me today. The best news is the retina is completely reattached and looks good. I am still on lifting restrictions and I am unable to do anything strenuous. He is now allowing me to do some walking as long as it is just casual. I can also do more things around the house. 
I no longer have to worry about the eye getting wet. I can spend as much time reading or working on the computer as I feel up to. I no longer have to use Atropine (drops to dilate my eye) or Zymar (antibiotic). I am still using Pred Forte (for inflammation) 6 times per day. I am excited that I no longer have to dilate my eye - the light was just killing me. It should be more tolerable now.
We talked about why I still only see shadows out of my left eye. He explained that with the first vitrectomy and the use of the gas it caused a cataract in my left eye. When he performed the second vitrectomy he had to remove the lens of my left eye in order to see into my eye to complete the surgery. The lens had clouded over due to the gas bubble. It would have had to be removed later anyway - so he just did it earlier. Well with out the lens the sight is more blurred and can be corrected with glasses. But the other problem is that the lens membrane (which is still in place) is also clouded. I will be have a YAG Laser procedure on Friday, July 11 to make a space in the membrane that isn't clouded. After a few days I should start having some vision in the left eye. It won't be perfect, but with my glasses at least I will have some sight. Eventually I will have to have surgery to take out the oil and replace it with salt water (which the eye will replace naturally with vitreous fluid) and have the lens replaced.
So all in all today was a good day and it finally seems that I am on the road to a full recovery. The doctor told me that hopefully by the end of July I would be released back to work and normal activity.
Detached Retina (Update #2)
I no longer have to worry about the eye getting wet. I can spend as much time reading or working on the computer as I feel up to. I no longer have to use Atropine (drops to dilate my eye) or Zymar (antibiotic). I am still using Pred Forte (for inflammation) 6 times per day. I am excited that I no longer have to dilate my eye - the light was just killing me. It should be more tolerable now.We talked about why I still only see shadows out of my left eye. He explained that with the first vitrectomy and the use of the gas it caused a cataract in my left eye. When he performed the second vitrectomy he had to remove the lens of my left eye in order to see into my eye to complete the surgery. The lens had clouded over due to the gas bubble. It would have had to be removed later anyway - so he just did it earlier. Well with out the lens the sight is more blurred and can be corrected with glasses. But the other problem is that the lens membrane (which is still in place) is also clouded. I will be have a YAG Laser procedure on Friday, July 11 to make a space in the membrane that isn't clouded. After a few days I should start having some vision in the left eye. It won't be perfect, but with my glasses at least I will have some sight. Eventually I will have to have surgery to take out the oil and replace it with salt water (which the eye will replace naturally with vitreous fluid) and have the lens replaced.
So all in all today was a good day and it finally seems that I am on the road to a full recovery. The doctor told me that hopefully by the end of July I would be released back to work and normal activity.
Detached Retina (Update #2)
Monday, June 30, 2008
Detached Retina (Part III)
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
So today I had my second vitrectomy. Even though I had already been through the surgery and knew what to expect I was still extremely nervous and anxious. The thought of having my eye cut again terrified me. My surgery was scheduled for 10:00 and we arrived at Albuquerque Ambulatory Eye Surgery Center about 15 minutes early. After getting all the paperwork out of the way it was just a matter of waiting. I was nervous so I decided to just sit and stare at the floor and take deep breaths. I wanted to be relaxed when they called for me. Eventually the nurse came for me and took me to the prep area. She did all the things she did last time – blood pressure, temperatue, EKG, started an IV and then put drops in my eyes. The wait for the actual surgery was longer this time. I was in the prep area for a good hour before they took me to the surgery area. One thing that helped me today was that it was the exact same staff as the first surgery. There was a lot of comfort in the familiarity of faces. The staff had done such a great job the first time that this made me feel a whole lot better. They got me prepped by covering my right eye with a protective patch to make sure that they operated on the left eye and the anesthesiologist started to put me under. I don’t remember much about the surgery although I was aware of something going on. I do remember the doctor talking about silicone oil at one point but wasn’t sure what it was all about. Today’s surgery was done by Dr. Wyant. Click on the photo below to what he did.
Silicone oil
Although the majority of uncomplicated retinal detachments can be corrected with standard surgical methods, a small percentage of patients develop severe retinal scarring which does not respond to ordinary treatment. Some of these patients can be helped by the use of silicone oil to fill the vitreous cavity of the eye. Silicone oil is a clear inert liquid which may help hold the retina in place after it has been surgically repaired. Although in some cases silicone is left inside the eye for many years, most surgeons prefer to remove the silicone oil approximately four to six months after surgery, unless the threat of retinal re-detachment is great. Removal can usually be accomplished as an outpatient procedure. Silicone oil removal may help avoid potential complications of silicone oil, which include corneal clouding and glaucomaI also remember the doctor asking if I was okay and he stated that he was done and would come talk to me in the recovery room. Once in the recovery room the nurse checked all my vitals, sat me up into a chair and gave me some water. This time around I didn’t feel as out of it, the pain wasn’t as bad and I wasn’t nauseated. The nurse then went and got Thomas and we waited a few minutes for the doctor. He explained that he used the oil instead of the gas bubble thinking that it would be better this time around. He also told me that the oil would have to be removed later on. My discharge orders were pretty much the same as last time with a couple of minor changes. We didn’t have to stop at La Bajada since I didn’t have the gas bubble and I didn’t have to worry about car travel above 7500 feet. Here were the orders I was given:
Since I had all the equipment I needed for the face down position I was ready to do what the doctor told me. When we got home I went straight to bed. I felt so tired. I rested for a couple of hours and when I woke up Thomas made me some dinner. Later my eye really started hurting so I took some Percocet and went back to bed. I was anxious for my appointment the next day. I really was hoping for better news following this second surgery.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
My appointment was at Eye Associates in Santa Fe at 8:00 with Dr. Mark Chiu. I wasn’t feeling very good this morning. I was tired and my eye had a lot of pain (6 out of 10). Dr. Chiu examined my eye and I was so relieved to hear that the retina was flat and completely attached.. He also noted my eye pressure at 28. I was so happy at this point. Now I could follow the doctors orders with some optimism for the overall outcome. The doctor gave me some more meds and more instructions to follow and I was to return on Friday, June 27 for a follow up. Here were my instructions ;
I was to continue my face down position as much as I could tolerate. Take my Percocet as needed. And put eye drops in my left eye three times a day (Atropine, Zymar) and I had to put Pred Forte in my eye every hour for inflammation. I also had to put Istalol drops one time a day and take my Diamox one time per day for my eye pressure. I was also to wear an eye shield at night to protect my eye.
This time when I returned home I felt so much better. And I vowed to be a model patient and stay in the face down position as much as possible – I didn’t want bad news when I returned on June 27. My eye was still hurting so I took some Percocet and went to bed. When I woke up the pain was much better but still there (3 out of 10). I could tolerate it so I didn’t take any more medicine. All in all I was in better spirits and seem to be able to tolerate all the restrictions a little better,
Thursday, June 19, 2008 to Sunday, June 22, 2008
I am lumping days together now since the days seem to be about the same. They are pretty boring – almost all I can do is watch TV. The doctor did allow me more time reading and working on the computer. I did still have pain but it gradually got better and by Sunday it was gone except for just some general discomfort. I have been using this time to journal all of this and I have had plenty of time to think about all sorts of things. I won’t tell you about all I have been thinking about because I think you may all get the feeling that I may be losing my mind.
Monday, June 23, 2008 to Thursday, June 26, 2008
So, by far, this week has been my best. First, I didn’t have to have any more surgeries. And second, because some friends came to visit. This really helped to lift my spirits and deter some of the boredom. On Monday, Diane stopped by with iced coffees and we just sat and chatted. For those who know us, we have been known to have days slip away from us while we drank coffee and talked. It was nice to have some distraction from the face down position and the TV. Then on Tuesday, Diane and Peggy came by for a visit and brought lunch with them. Lunch was from my favorite sandwich shop – Mucho’s – I had a New Mexico BLT – my favorite sandwich. I really enjoyed the visit and was glad they took the time to visit me. And finally on Thursday, Diane and Chris came for another afternoon visit. It was relaxing and a welcomed relief from me being alone during the day and just thinking about my eye. Diane worried that the visits were making me tired – she was right – but that was okay. I have all day to sleep and rest so I didn’t mind being tired from the visits. All I can say is I am thankful for good friends. It has also been nice to get phone calls from family and friends that don’t live nearby. I enjoy the phone conversations because they also help break up the monotony.
This week has also been better with pain – it has subsided and all I have now is occasional discomfort. The one big issue I have is with light. One of the drops I use is to dilate my eye. So my left eye is constantly dilated and the light really bothers it – some days are worse than others. I do use an eye patch or sunglasses to help but there are days when it doesn’t matter. The other problem I am having is my sleep. I sleep at odd hours. Sometimes I can sleep through the night but more than not I end up getting up because it is hard for me to sleep on my stomach. So I end up taking naps whenever the mood hits me. All in all I am feeling better. I do have worries and I am looking forward to my doctor visit tomorrow and hoping for good news.
Friday, June 27, 2008
ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC NEWS! My retina is still attached and looking good. The doctor seemed very happy and I was estatic. Everything is looking up. The doctor lifted the face down position. So now I can sit and sleep in whatever position is comfortable for me. I still have to take it easy. I am still limited in my activities and can do nothing strenuous. I think I can live with this if it means that my retina stays attached. There are other issues that will need to be dealt with but all that is on the back burner until the doctors are totally satisfied that the retina has healed into position. So I will just do what I need to do and think positive thoughts.
So today I had my second vitrectomy. Even though I had already been through the surgery and knew what to expect I was still extremely nervous and anxious. The thought of having my eye cut again terrified me. My surgery was scheduled for 10:00 and we arrived at Albuquerque Ambulatory Eye Surgery Center about 15 minutes early. After getting all the paperwork out of the way it was just a matter of waiting. I was nervous so I decided to just sit and stare at the floor and take deep breaths. I wanted to be relaxed when they called for me. Eventually the nurse came for me and took me to the prep area. She did all the things she did last time – blood pressure, temperatue, EKG, started an IV and then put drops in my eyes. The wait for the actual surgery was longer this time. I was in the prep area for a good hour before they took me to the surgery area. One thing that helped me today was that it was the exact same staff as the first surgery. There was a lot of comfort in the familiarity of faces. The staff had done such a great job the first time that this made me feel a whole lot better. They got me prepped by covering my right eye with a protective patch to make sure that they operated on the left eye and the anesthesiologist started to put me under. I don’t remember much about the surgery although I was aware of something going on. I do remember the doctor talking about silicone oil at one point but wasn’t sure what it was all about. Today’s surgery was done by Dr. Wyant. Click on the photo below to what he did.
Silicone oilAlthough the majority of uncomplicated retinal detachments can be corrected with standard surgical methods, a small percentage of patients develop severe retinal scarring which does not respond to ordinary treatment. Some of these patients can be helped by the use of silicone oil to fill the vitreous cavity of the eye. Silicone oil is a clear inert liquid which may help hold the retina in place after it has been surgically repaired. Although in some cases silicone is left inside the eye for many years, most surgeons prefer to remove the silicone oil approximately four to six months after surgery, unless the threat of retinal re-detachment is great. Removal can usually be accomplished as an outpatient procedure. Silicone oil removal may help avoid potential complications of silicone oil, which include corneal clouding and glaucomaI also remember the doctor asking if I was okay and he stated that he was done and would come talk to me in the recovery room. Once in the recovery room the nurse checked all my vitals, sat me up into a chair and gave me some water. This time around I didn’t feel as out of it, the pain wasn’t as bad and I wasn’t nauseated. The nurse then went and got Thomas and we waited a few minutes for the doctor. He explained that he used the oil instead of the gas bubble thinking that it would be better this time around. He also told me that the oil would have to be removed later on. My discharge orders were pretty much the same as last time with a couple of minor changes. We didn’t have to stop at La Bajada since I didn’t have the gas bubble and I didn’t have to worry about car travel above 7500 feet. Here were the orders I was given:
1. Walk carefully, depth perception will be affected.Again, the professionalism of the staff at AAESC was incredible. I felt so comfortable that I was being taken care of true professionals and it made the ordeal more tolerable.
2. Resume usual diet and meds.
3. Percocet for pain as needed.
4. Face down position.
5. No vigorous or jarring activities.
6. Do not remove eye patch until next doctor appointment.
7. Do not get operated eye wet.
8. May do light reading and a little TV watching.
9. Follow up doctor appointment Wednesday, June 18, 2008.
10. Diamox for eye pressure once per day.
Since I had all the equipment I needed for the face down position I was ready to do what the doctor told me. When we got home I went straight to bed. I felt so tired. I rested for a couple of hours and when I woke up Thomas made me some dinner. Later my eye really started hurting so I took some Percocet and went back to bed. I was anxious for my appointment the next day. I really was hoping for better news following this second surgery.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
My appointment was at Eye Associates in Santa Fe at 8:00 with Dr. Mark Chiu. I wasn’t feeling very good this morning. I was tired and my eye had a lot of pain (6 out of 10). Dr. Chiu examined my eye and I was so relieved to hear that the retina was flat and completely attached.. He also noted my eye pressure at 28. I was so happy at this point. Now I could follow the doctors orders with some optimism for the overall outcome. The doctor gave me some more meds and more instructions to follow and I was to return on Friday, June 27 for a follow up. Here were my instructions ;
I was to continue my face down position as much as I could tolerate. Take my Percocet as needed. And put eye drops in my left eye three times a day (Atropine, Zymar) and I had to put Pred Forte in my eye every hour for inflammation. I also had to put Istalol drops one time a day and take my Diamox one time per day for my eye pressure. I was also to wear an eye shield at night to protect my eye.
This time when I returned home I felt so much better. And I vowed to be a model patient and stay in the face down position as much as possible – I didn’t want bad news when I returned on June 27. My eye was still hurting so I took some Percocet and went to bed. When I woke up the pain was much better but still there (3 out of 10). I could tolerate it so I didn’t take any more medicine. All in all I was in better spirits and seem to be able to tolerate all the restrictions a little better,
Thursday, June 19, 2008 to Sunday, June 22, 2008
I am lumping days together now since the days seem to be about the same. They are pretty boring – almost all I can do is watch TV. The doctor did allow me more time reading and working on the computer. I did still have pain but it gradually got better and by Sunday it was gone except for just some general discomfort. I have been using this time to journal all of this and I have had plenty of time to think about all sorts of things. I won’t tell you about all I have been thinking about because I think you may all get the feeling that I may be losing my mind.
Monday, June 23, 2008 to Thursday, June 26, 2008
So, by far, this week has been my best. First, I didn’t have to have any more surgeries. And second, because some friends came to visit. This really helped to lift my spirits and deter some of the boredom. On Monday, Diane stopped by with iced coffees and we just sat and chatted. For those who know us, we have been known to have days slip away from us while we drank coffee and talked. It was nice to have some distraction from the face down position and the TV. Then on Tuesday, Diane and Peggy came by for a visit and brought lunch with them. Lunch was from my favorite sandwich shop – Mucho’s – I had a New Mexico BLT – my favorite sandwich. I really enjoyed the visit and was glad they took the time to visit me. And finally on Thursday, Diane and Chris came for another afternoon visit. It was relaxing and a welcomed relief from me being alone during the day and just thinking about my eye. Diane worried that the visits were making me tired – she was right – but that was okay. I have all day to sleep and rest so I didn’t mind being tired from the visits. All I can say is I am thankful for good friends. It has also been nice to get phone calls from family and friends that don’t live nearby. I enjoy the phone conversations because they also help break up the monotony.
This week has also been better with pain – it has subsided and all I have now is occasional discomfort. The one big issue I have is with light. One of the drops I use is to dilate my eye. So my left eye is constantly dilated and the light really bothers it – some days are worse than others. I do use an eye patch or sunglasses to help but there are days when it doesn’t matter. The other problem I am having is my sleep. I sleep at odd hours. Sometimes I can sleep through the night but more than not I end up getting up because it is hard for me to sleep on my stomach. So I end up taking naps whenever the mood hits me. All in all I am feeling better. I do have worries and I am looking forward to my doctor visit tomorrow and hoping for good news.
Friday, June 27, 2008
ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC NEWS! My retina is still attached and looking good. The doctor seemed very happy and I was estatic. Everything is looking up. The doctor lifted the face down position. So now I can sit and sleep in whatever position is comfortable for me. I still have to take it easy. I am still limited in my activities and can do nothing strenuous. I think I can live with this if it means that my retina stays attached. There are other issues that will need to be dealt with but all that is on the back burner until the doctors are totally satisfied that the retina has healed into position. So I will just do what I need to do and think positive thoughts.
* Since there is really not much going on now I will just post updates as things change. So if I don’t post you can assume all is well.Detached Retina (Update #1)
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Detached Retina (Part II)
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
I was up early today (actually I really didn’t sleep much last night) and I was really worried about the surgery. Every time I thought about them operating on my eye I just got more freaked out. Once I finished my bath and was dressed I sat down and tried to relax. I wasn’t able to eat anything – 1. because I was too nervous and 2. because I was told not to eat anything after midnight. Finally at about 7:45 Thomas and I headed for Albuquerque. I had to report to the Albuquerque Ambulatory Eye Surgery Center by 9:00. We arrived a little early and I got all the paperwork filled out. From then on it was just a matter of waiting. Thomas called his cousin Ruth and she and her husband, Chris were going to come and keep him company. Eventually, a nurse came to get me. I was taken to the preparation area for all the necessities before surgery. First stop was the bathroom. They wanted to make sure my bladder was empty so I was comfortable during surgery. I was put on a stretcher and made very comfortable. I would be on this stretcher all the way to the recovery room. The nurse asked lots of questions including what eye they were operating on. She put a dot on my forehead above my left eye and put a patch over my right eye so they couldn’t get to it. She checked my date of birth and a few other minor things. She took my temperature and blood pressure, ran an EKG, started an IV and put 12 drops into my left eye (4 drops each of three different medicines). After all that it was a matter of waiting again. After what seemed like an eternity I was moved to the holding area. Here the nurses again asked questions and checked things – all to make sure they were operating on the correct eye. The anesthesiologist showed up and explained all that would happen. He made sure to let me know that I would be aware of what was going on although I wouldn’t feel anything. At this point I was thinking – please, please, please just knock me out – I didn’t want to be aware of anything. He talked to me about mundane things like what I did for a living and how long I had been doing it. I realized at some point that whatever he was giving me was working – I seemed to be mostly out of it and I wasn’t totally understanding everything he was saying. Around this time I assume they started the surgery. I really don’t remember much but I was aware that things were happening in the area of my left eye. I do remember the doctor talking about laser and gas bubbles but that is about it. Today’s surgery was done by Dr. Reidy. Here is what he did . . .
Once the doctor was finished he asked me if I was okay. Through the haze I told him I felt okay – just a little woozy. Shortly after that I was wheeled into the recovery room. The nurse checked my vital signs, asked me a few questions and finally sat me up into a chair. I drank a little water – my mouth was really dry. I was also having some pain but not enough to take any meds. My eye was completely bandaged and I was still a little out of it. The nurse removed my IV and then Thomas and I waited for the doctor to come talk to us about discharge orders. We only had to wait 5 minutes for the doctor. Here were the orders I was given:
Once we got home all I wanted to do was sleep. But remember I had to do it face down. So I got a couple of towels and arranged them so I could lay face down – it wasn’t very comfortable and I didn’t get to sleep. While I was trying to rest Thomas went and filled my prescriptions. He also made a phone call to get some equipment. There is a place in Albuquerque that rents chairs and tables that help to position you correctly so that you can maximize the benefits of recovery. Albuquerque Support Systems rents this equipment for one to two weeks. So we made plans for them to deliver what I needed the next day. Until then we were able to get a massage table that I could lay on. Thomas’ cousins, Ruth & Chris brought the massage table to us. That evening and night I only slept about one hour. Lying face down and being on my stomach was so uncomfortable – my back ached and my face hurt. Also my eye was killing me – I had about 6 out of 10 pain and on top of that I felt like something was poking me in the eye and it was burning. I was also having a little nausea. Thomas called the emergency number – the person that answered assured us that all of my complaints were completely normal and not to worry. She told me to take the Percocet and then talk to the doctor in the morning. So I made the best of it – I tried staying face down as much as possible but I had to get up a couple of times and walk around. Three Percocet and one hour of sleep later it was time to go to the doctor for my follow up appointment.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
My appointment was at Eye Associates in Santa Fe at 8:20 with Dr. Mark Chiu. I wasn’t feeling all that good. I was tired, my eye had a lot of pain (4 out of 10) and I was still nauseated. Dr. Chiu examined my eye and the first thing he said was that there was still fluid behind the retina in the lower part of my eye. He also noted my eye pressure at 31. Upon hearing that there was still fluid behind the retina I felt this overwhelming disappointment come over me. I had just gone through this major surgery (which for me was very traumatic) and it didn’t seem to have worked. The doctor told me to relax and he gave me some meds and more instructions to follow and I was to return on Friday, June 13 for a follow up. Here were my instructions ;
I was to continue my face down position as much as I could tolerate. Take my Percocet as needed. And put eye drops in my left eye three times a day (Atropine, Pred Forte, Zymar). I also had to put Istalol drops one time a day and take my Diamox one time per day for my eye pressure. I was also to wear an eye shield at night to protect my eye.
So I returned home disappointed but resolved to follow the instructions to the best of my ability. Amanda from Albuquerque Support Systems delivered all the equipment I needed to maintain the face down position. I received a Seated Support with pads, a Bed Support with pads and two reverse view mirrors. I was happy to receive this equipment because it made the face down position a little more tolerable. So once all the equipment was positioned and Amanda left I put myself in the Seated Support. It was pretty comfortable and with the reverse view mirror I was able to watch TV and that helped to pass the time. Unfortunately the Bed Support was not as comfortable. I found myself in the same predicament as the night before – uncomfortable and unable to sleep. Again I only got about an hour of sleep. My back was really bothering me – I realized that I very seldom sleep on my stomach. I continued with all my meds including the Percocet for pain – both for my eye and my back.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Today was extremely boring!!!!! I maintained my face down position as much as possible alternating between the massage table, the seated support and the bed support. My eye continued to bother me (3 out of 10 pain) and I continued with my all my meds. The nausea had subsided quite a bit but my appetite was not very good - I ate very little today. I also got very little sleep. I was anxious for my appointment in the morning to see if there had been any changes.
Friday, June 13, 2008
I arrived for my appointment at 8:30 at Eye Associates. I was seeing Dr. Reidy today. He did the usual examination and informed me that there was still fluid behind the retina. He said he thought that by today all the fluid would be gone. He also told me that sometimes more than one surgery has to be done and he felt this might be the case for me. He wanted me to continue with all the instructions and to come in again Monday, June 16 for another check up. My eye was feeling better, the pain had subsided but apparently it wasn’t healing. I was so disappointed and decided to really follow all the instructions until Monday and hope for the best. I really wasn’t looking forward to another surgery.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Another boring day! Just hanging around – going from my seated support to the bed support to the massage table. Having trouble getting comfortable. Although I didn’t have any eye pain today I was still uncomfortable. And since I am not able to do anything all I did was worry about having to have another surgery.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Today was pretty much the same as yesterday. I feel pretty good, just uncomfortable being in the face down position. And again all I did was worry about the possibility of surgery.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Today my follow up appointment was with Dr. Wyant at 8:00. I can tell you I wasn’t very optimistic. All signs pointed to another surgery. And since I had been thinking about it all weekend I was concerned that another surgery wouldn’t help. I felt like I had followed all instructions to the best of my ability. If the first surgery hadn’t fixed the problem and if following all the instructions hadn’t helped what would the purpose be of putting me through another stressful and traumatic surgery. I didn’t feel that I could do any more than I had already done. So after the doctor completed his exam he confirmed my fears. Another surgery would be necessary. He tried to explain that it was nothing I had or hadn’t done – it was just the nature of the injury. I have to say that at this point I was really freaking out. I really didn’t feel like I could endure another surgery and another two weeks of all those limitations for nothing. I kept telling the doctor that I just couldn’t do it. He spent over 30 minutes with me explaining that this is the way things go sometimes. He noted that I was too young and healthy to just blow off my eye. He had every confidence that the eye would be fine. It was just that sometimes patients needed more than one surgery. He asked if Thomas was around and he wanted the two of us to talk about it. So Thomas came into the office and the doctor left us alone to talk. There really wasn’t much of a discussion – Thomas felt that we needed to just do it if the doctor thought it was necessary. So with a very heavy heart and much fear and concern I agreed to the second surgery. It was scheduled for 10:00 the next morning with Dr. Wyant at the AAESC. My concerns and stress level have skyrocketed and I have trouble relaxing the rest of the day. I decided to ease up on the face down position since I had to have the surgery again and that helped me to get a little sleep tonight.
I was up early today (actually I really didn’t sleep much last night) and I was really worried about the surgery. Every time I thought about them operating on my eye I just got more freaked out. Once I finished my bath and was dressed I sat down and tried to relax. I wasn’t able to eat anything – 1. because I was too nervous and 2. because I was told not to eat anything after midnight. Finally at about 7:45 Thomas and I headed for Albuquerque. I had to report to the Albuquerque Ambulatory Eye Surgery Center by 9:00. We arrived a little early and I got all the paperwork filled out. From then on it was just a matter of waiting. Thomas called his cousin Ruth and she and her husband, Chris were going to come and keep him company. Eventually, a nurse came to get me. I was taken to the preparation area for all the necessities before surgery. First stop was the bathroom. They wanted to make sure my bladder was empty so I was comfortable during surgery. I was put on a stretcher and made very comfortable. I would be on this stretcher all the way to the recovery room. The nurse asked lots of questions including what eye they were operating on. She put a dot on my forehead above my left eye and put a patch over my right eye so they couldn’t get to it. She checked my date of birth and a few other minor things. She took my temperature and blood pressure, ran an EKG, started an IV and put 12 drops into my left eye (4 drops each of three different medicines). After all that it was a matter of waiting again. After what seemed like an eternity I was moved to the holding area. Here the nurses again asked questions and checked things – all to make sure they were operating on the correct eye. The anesthesiologist showed up and explained all that would happen. He made sure to let me know that I would be aware of what was going on although I wouldn’t feel anything. At this point I was thinking – please, please, please just knock me out – I didn’t want to be aware of anything. He talked to me about mundane things like what I did for a living and how long I had been doing it. I realized at some point that whatever he was giving me was working – I seemed to be mostly out of it and I wasn’t totally understanding everything he was saying. Around this time I assume they started the surgery. I really don’t remember much but I was aware that things were happening in the area of my left eye. I do remember the doctor talking about laser and gas bubbles but that is about it. Today’s surgery was done by Dr. Reidy. Here is what he did . . .
Vitrectomy
Vitrectomy is an increasingly used treatment for retinal detachment in countries with modern healthcare systems. It involves the removal of the vitreous gel and is usually combined with filling the eye with a gas bubble (SF6 or C3F8 gas). Advantages of this operation is that there is no myopic shift after the operation. A disadvantage is that a vitrectomy always leads to more rapid progression of a cataract in the operated eye. In many places vitrectomy is the most commonly performed operation for the treatment of retinal detachment.
Scleral Buckle
Scleral buckle surgery is an established treatment in which the eye surgeon sews one or more silicone bands (bands, tyres) to the outside of the eyeball. The bands push the wall of the eye inward against the retinal hole, closing the hole and allowing the retina to re-attach. The bands do not usually have to be removed.
Once the doctor was finished he asked me if I was okay. Through the haze I told him I felt okay – just a little woozy. Shortly after that I was wheeled into the recovery room. The nurse checked my vital signs, asked me a few questions and finally sat me up into a chair. I drank a little water – my mouth was really dry. I was also having some pain but not enough to take any meds. My eye was completely bandaged and I was still a little out of it. The nurse removed my IV and then Thomas and I waited for the doctor to come talk to us about discharge orders. We only had to wait 5 minutes for the doctor. Here were the orders I was given:
1. Walk carefully, depth perception will be affected.I have to say that the professionalism of the staff at AAESC was incredible. Everyone was so nice, attentive, knowledgeable and caring. I haven’t seen that in a long time. The entire staff made me feel comfortable that I was in good hands.
2. Resume usual diet and meds.
3. Percocet for pain as needed.
4. Face down position.
5. No car travel above 7500 feet – due to gas bubble.
6. Stop at La Bajada Hill for 10 minutes for pressure adjustment with gas bubble.
7. No vigorous or jarring activities.
8. Do not remove eye patch until next doctor appointment.
9. Do not get operated eye wet.
10. May do light reading and a little TV watching.
11. Follow up doctor appointment Wednesday, June 11, 2008.
12. Diamox for eye pressure once per day
Once we got home all I wanted to do was sleep. But remember I had to do it face down. So I got a couple of towels and arranged them so I could lay face down – it wasn’t very comfortable and I didn’t get to sleep. While I was trying to rest Thomas went and filled my prescriptions. He also made a phone call to get some equipment. There is a place in Albuquerque that rents chairs and tables that help to position you correctly so that you can maximize the benefits of recovery. Albuquerque Support Systems rents this equipment for one to two weeks. So we made plans for them to deliver what I needed the next day. Until then we were able to get a massage table that I could lay on. Thomas’ cousins, Ruth & Chris brought the massage table to us. That evening and night I only slept about one hour. Lying face down and being on my stomach was so uncomfortable – my back ached and my face hurt. Also my eye was killing me – I had about 6 out of 10 pain and on top of that I felt like something was poking me in the eye and it was burning. I was also having a little nausea. Thomas called the emergency number – the person that answered assured us that all of my complaints were completely normal and not to worry. She told me to take the Percocet and then talk to the doctor in the morning. So I made the best of it – I tried staying face down as much as possible but I had to get up a couple of times and walk around. Three Percocet and one hour of sleep later it was time to go to the doctor for my follow up appointment.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
My appointment was at Eye Associates in Santa Fe at 8:20 with Dr. Mark Chiu. I wasn’t feeling all that good. I was tired, my eye had a lot of pain (4 out of 10) and I was still nauseated. Dr. Chiu examined my eye and the first thing he said was that there was still fluid behind the retina in the lower part of my eye. He also noted my eye pressure at 31. Upon hearing that there was still fluid behind the retina I felt this overwhelming disappointment come over me. I had just gone through this major surgery (which for me was very traumatic) and it didn’t seem to have worked. The doctor told me to relax and he gave me some meds and more instructions to follow and I was to return on Friday, June 13 for a follow up. Here were my instructions ;
I was to continue my face down position as much as I could tolerate. Take my Percocet as needed. And put eye drops in my left eye three times a day (Atropine, Pred Forte, Zymar). I also had to put Istalol drops one time a day and take my Diamox one time per day for my eye pressure. I was also to wear an eye shield at night to protect my eye.
So I returned home disappointed but resolved to follow the instructions to the best of my ability. Amanda from Albuquerque Support Systems delivered all the equipment I needed to maintain the face down position. I received a Seated Support with pads, a Bed Support with pads and two reverse view mirrors. I was happy to receive this equipment because it made the face down position a little more tolerable. So once all the equipment was positioned and Amanda left I put myself in the Seated Support. It was pretty comfortable and with the reverse view mirror I was able to watch TV and that helped to pass the time. Unfortunately the Bed Support was not as comfortable. I found myself in the same predicament as the night before – uncomfortable and unable to sleep. Again I only got about an hour of sleep. My back was really bothering me – I realized that I very seldom sleep on my stomach. I continued with all my meds including the Percocet for pain – both for my eye and my back.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Today was extremely boring!!!!! I maintained my face down position as much as possible alternating between the massage table, the seated support and the bed support. My eye continued to bother me (3 out of 10 pain) and I continued with my all my meds. The nausea had subsided quite a bit but my appetite was not very good - I ate very little today. I also got very little sleep. I was anxious for my appointment in the morning to see if there had been any changes.
Friday, June 13, 2008
I arrived for my appointment at 8:30 at Eye Associates. I was seeing Dr. Reidy today. He did the usual examination and informed me that there was still fluid behind the retina. He said he thought that by today all the fluid would be gone. He also told me that sometimes more than one surgery has to be done and he felt this might be the case for me. He wanted me to continue with all the instructions and to come in again Monday, June 16 for another check up. My eye was feeling better, the pain had subsided but apparently it wasn’t healing. I was so disappointed and decided to really follow all the instructions until Monday and hope for the best. I really wasn’t looking forward to another surgery.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Another boring day! Just hanging around – going from my seated support to the bed support to the massage table. Having trouble getting comfortable. Although I didn’t have any eye pain today I was still uncomfortable. And since I am not able to do anything all I did was worry about having to have another surgery.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Today was pretty much the same as yesterday. I feel pretty good, just uncomfortable being in the face down position. And again all I did was worry about the possibility of surgery.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Today my follow up appointment was with Dr. Wyant at 8:00. I can tell you I wasn’t very optimistic. All signs pointed to another surgery. And since I had been thinking about it all weekend I was concerned that another surgery wouldn’t help. I felt like I had followed all instructions to the best of my ability. If the first surgery hadn’t fixed the problem and if following all the instructions hadn’t helped what would the purpose be of putting me through another stressful and traumatic surgery. I didn’t feel that I could do any more than I had already done. So after the doctor completed his exam he confirmed my fears. Another surgery would be necessary. He tried to explain that it was nothing I had or hadn’t done – it was just the nature of the injury. I have to say that at this point I was really freaking out. I really didn’t feel like I could endure another surgery and another two weeks of all those limitations for nothing. I kept telling the doctor that I just couldn’t do it. He spent over 30 minutes with me explaining that this is the way things go sometimes. He noted that I was too young and healthy to just blow off my eye. He had every confidence that the eye would be fine. It was just that sometimes patients needed more than one surgery. He asked if Thomas was around and he wanted the two of us to talk about it. So Thomas came into the office and the doctor left us alone to talk. There really wasn’t much of a discussion – Thomas felt that we needed to just do it if the doctor thought it was necessary. So with a very heavy heart and much fear and concern I agreed to the second surgery. It was scheduled for 10:00 the next morning with Dr. Wyant at the AAESC. My concerns and stress level have skyrocketed and I have trouble relaxing the rest of the day. I decided to ease up on the face down position since I had to have the surgery again and that helped me to get a little sleep tonight.
* I will continue with Part III beginning with the second surgery. It may take me a week or two to get it posted.Detached Retina (Part III)
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