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So . . . Eyes



Through the common ordeal that was (let's face it -- IS) a pain for us all. For me, there was the additional problem of dealing with a detached retina. The swelling was finally cleared last January, after seven months. I am thankful to my Florida retina specialist who dealt with the problem aggressively after three months of my VT doctor doing the "hmm, come back in a month." I was going to say "wait and see" but then thought that was kind of a sick pun.

So, my eye is healthy, but the invasion of surgery does leave a certain amount of distortion in my vision. Apparently my brain is having some difficulty in compensating for this.

One funny thing is that there are floaters just in my right eye now. This results in my jerking my head to the right in a startle response to seiing 'spiders'  scurrying up the wall. What can I do but laugh? I mean other people my age have real physical problems. And what can others do but learn not to sit on my right side if they don't want me slapping imaginary bugs off their shoulders?

The more concerning thing is that there is still some vision distortion im my left eye. I used to have monovision -- using right eye for distance and left for reading. My right eye still works fine and I have no problem with driving. It took a while for me to read and do other kinds of close work. Since seeing straight lines is a problem, quilting and other craft activities have taken a big hit though. What kills me is screens -- phone, tablet, computer, television, all that vibrating light gets to me fairly quickly. Tired eyes, but also a queasy stomach.

All this to say that if I am not as diligent about reading and commenting on your posts there's a reason.

I am working with my ophthalmologist who is tweaking my glasses prescription with prisms. I am afraid I am going to have one very thick lense again. Oh, vanity!

Comments

  1. I certainly the ophthalmologist finds the correct prescription for you. Not being able to do the things one enjoys doing, is discouraging.

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  2. That's sad. I hope your visual problems clear up soon. You're lucky you don't have arthritis like me. Gigi hawaii

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    1. That is true. My problems are not as bad as many my age have.

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  3. Sure hope he can find the right fix for you. My brother had double vision from vertigo and prisms really set him right. Hope they work for you.

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  4. I'm so sorry for the vision problems you are experiencing, Olga. I hope you can gradually get accustomed to the changes. I started having a floater in my right eye a few years back and it was annoying because it was close to the center of my eye. Gradually, my brain learned to ignore it. If I think about it, I can see it. Otherwise, my brain disregards it. It's like my tinnitus. Sigh...

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  5. Hope your vision gets straightened out asap. I've had floaters for years. I've gotten used to them so they don't really bother me anymore.

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  6. We want to do the things we always could do in younger days. Age takes some of those things away from us. We mourn their loss and hope there is some medical remedy for it. hope there is for you.

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    1. Who ever said aging is not for sissies knew! I try not to complain, just give a realistic look at what is.

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  7. Hope the docs can minimize the changes. I've learned to ignore my floater most of the time. Linda in Kansas

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  8. I understand, yet no one really can. The floaters cracked me up. When I first got them I would swat at them. Rick would tease me when he saw me swatting at nothing, or 'no see 'ems' as he referred to them. Thankfully they are gone now. I hope you get relief and better sight soon!

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  9. I had a macular hole repair surgery. It closed and I think I am ok now. For quite a while after my surgery is had tiny black floaters. That was strange. I was always thinking I saw gnats flying and then realizing it was just the floaters. After a while there were less and less of them, I think they might have just been teeny bubbles from the gas bubble. Then they were gone. And then I had a floater that would happen late in the evening and after sleeping at night, I would wake up and it would be gone until it came back late the next day. Finally that went away. I still haven't changed glasses. I have had several other things that came up that I needed the money for. Glasses are so expensive, and I have never even priced whatever special kind I may need now.
    I still have visual distortion from the macular hole because I didn't realize I had it for quite a while. And then I was worried I wouldn't be able to do the face down surgery recovery. Finally I had the surgery. I managed the recovery well enough that everything healed fine. I advise others to get the surgery and follow the after surgery directions as close as you can. Discuss with the surgeon if you have problems with face flat down.

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    1. I have a friend who went through that with amacular hole. I also had to be face down after retina surgery. Not much fun, but you do what you have to to heal.

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  10. One possible bit of good news for you, after my cataract surgery I had one floater in my left eye. I, too, was swatting at and jumping away from bugs. I realized recently that it is no longer there. Maybe you will be this lucky too. I can believe that these eye problems could affect you physically. I hope it keeps getting better, even if it seems to be improving slowly.

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