blurry vision

I went to the optometrist for the first time in about 2 years today. My eyes are doing pretty good, not as good as right after my Lasik surgery, but pretty good. 20/20 and 20/25, can't really complain. However that slight bit of near sightedness has been hard on me when I'm using the computer, so after 2 years of glassesless bliss; I now have 'computer glasses' to help my afternoon computer screen headaches. They were very accommodating and helped me find a pair that looked decent, didn't cost an arm and a leg, and called me on my cell when they were ready only 40 min later. I"m really hoping that they do the job!

I had forgotten how long it takes for the dialation to go away, it's been about 1.5 hrs since they put the drops in and my eyes are still almost totally black and the world is a very blurry place indeed. I feel like I'm looking at everything through a piece of plastic wrap. It is rather disconcerting to say the least. I wonder what my Son' s daycare is going to think when they see my eyes... I don't have a history of erratic behaviour with them so it *should* be OK, but one never knows. LOL

I was going to do a mini reading lesson with Son, review some letter sounds and tracing of letters, today. I may have to put that off till tomorrow, or just do the parts that have *BIG* print so my eyes don't have to strain so much. Somehow I don't think he'll mind the slight reprieve. :D

New Eyes

It seems that the quest for clear eye sight without the benefit of glasses is catching. Hubby goes in Thursday to get his eyes fixed. He is sooo looking forward to this, especially since Son kissed his glasses the other day. Hubby has Photoshop Podcasts and Sci Fi Audiobooks all ready for the few days that he is not allowed to read or watch TV.

In Focus/Out of Focus

It’s interesting that the thing I tried to avoid when I got my last glasses prescription, which was having to *work* to focus my eye, is exactly what I have now. If I am looking at something or thinking about focusing everything is fine, but if I let my eyes ‘relax’ then it’s all blurry. I’m still not sure if this is a good or a bad thing. But I know it has to do with the fact that my left eye is 20/20 and my right eye really isn’t. I think that I am having to ‘work’ at making the 2 eyes work together to focus. This is resulting a few headaches which I had just gotten use to not having. *sigh* the things I do to myself eh?

I know that my vision can and will continue to improve over time, up to 3 months at least. It’s only been 3 weeks since my surgery was done and there is lots of time for my right eye to come into focus as well. But it is still annoying right now.

On the positive, I’ve been able to set my screen resolution back to where it was before the surgery. I had to make everything bigger for the first week so that I could read it, and after about 2 weeks I was able to set it back. This of course makes my eyes work harder… wonder if I should set it back? Or just live with it? Hmmmm, things to ponder.

Not Boring

I had quite a scare on Thursday when I discovered that I couldn't read the screen of my laptop from the couch. I had been able to read it from that distance on Wednesday. I found that if I put drops in my eyes and rested them for a bit I could see clearly for about 10 min, and then I would have to put more drops in my eyes. So I took a sick day and had a nap before my appt with the optometrist. I drove to my husbands work place because I knew the route well, and had him drive me downtown for my appt so that I wouldn't have to deal with crazy traffic and parrallel parking.

It turns out that I have really really dry eyes right now. They gave me an eye gel to lubricate my eyes and suggested I get some eye plugs put in to keep the tears in my eyes longer. I went ahead and got the temporary plugs put in and things seemed better. The only down side is that by the next day I had already lost 1 plug, and as of Monday I had lost the other. :( After doing some reading it seems that about 50% of the plugs are lost in the first 3 months (mine were suppose to dissolve after 3 months) and if you loose the plugs once you are more likely to loose them again. *sigh* So getting more temporary plugs is really not an option. From what I've read there is a fancy new kind of permanent plug which conforms to the exact size and shape of the punctum so that it won't fall out or be expelled or be rubbed out. I just hate to spend more money on it. Then again, they are my eyes, I gotta take care of them.

We went to the Island to see the In-Laws this weekend. It was actually pretty stress free. Cole is old enough now that we don't have to be watching him every second and he can entertain himself quite well with the toys Grandma has for him. She has lots of books there for us to read to him as well. Also, for once hubby didn't spend most of him time in the computer room. This meant that we both watched Cole instead of just me.

Cole got to go on his first ever boat ride on a fishing boat. The trip out he stayed right beside me and held on the whole way, even when we stopped to drop the crab and prawn traps. After lunch, on the trip back, he was running up and down the small isle trying to get out into the back of the boat and almost skipping. He was fascinated watching Grandpa cleaning the crabs and prawns that he had caught in the trap. It was a good day. Very bright for my eyes, but a good day.

We had lunch with Mum on Monday, just a quick 2hr visit before we went home and Cole got yet more presents for his birthday. I don't think he has a real idea of what a birthday is. He has gotten presents scattered over 2 weeks! First a birthday party with his best buddy the week before his birthday, a party at daycare, then presents at Grandma's then more presents from Oma, and yet more present from Mum and Dad when we got home! That is quite an extended birthday!

Dirty Contact Lenses

That is how I know it's time to put more liquid tears in my eyes. When it feels like I'm wearing Dirty Contact Lenses. I haven't worn contact lenses in years, not since I got prescription sunglasses for wearing on the motor bike. I hate the feeling of dirty contact lenses, and this is what I have to look forward to for the next while.

Working on the computer causes eye strain and dries out my eyes. The air conditioning at work dries out my eyes. The warm summer wind at the part dries out my eyes. *Sigh* the price I pay to not have to wear my glasses anymore. I get to feel like I'm wearing contacts again and carry around eye drops again.

All I can say is, I'm soooo glad there is Refresh Liquigel. It lasts longer than the liquid tears and means that I can work at the computer for a whole hour before putting in more drops instead of just 1/2 an hour. This is a very good thing.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still thrilled with my new eye sight. But the first few weeks/months are going to be fun. At least I don't have to put in the antibiotic drops every 4 hrs anymore. :)

I Can See!

I had my eye surgery on Thursday and everything went well. I was in and out in 4 hrs instead of 6 hrs, so that was good too.

All in all I'm very happy. It's great to be able to walk into a dark building take of my sunglasses, and still be able to see, instead of having to fumble for my 'regular' glasses first. It's great waking up and doing my hair and not having to put on my glasses to make sure I didn't mess it up somehow. I can walk around my house and see everything; I can look out the window with no glasses on and see that the trees have actual leaves instead of just green blurs. I will be happy when I don't have to put in all the drops, but I'm quite pleased with the results so far.

I'm listening to a LOT of audiobooks right now as I'm not supposed to strain my eyes for the next while. It was sooo hard not to be on the computer the first day. I did cheat and 'glance' at a few emails on the 3rd day, but I've been limiting my TV an extreme amount and no paper books or e-books at all. This is the first day that I've been on the computer for longer than 10 min at a time and that is because it is my first day back at work and 90% of my job is computer work.

The morning went something like this:

• I filled out a whole bunch of forms which basically said "I know what the risks are and want to have the surgery anyway."
• After waiting a while, I met with the counsellor to answer any questions I had and make sure I knew what the routine was with all the post op eye drops and such and of course to pay for the operation. - After waiting yet more time, I met with the surgeon who would be doing the surgery to, again, answer any questions I still had and go over what to expect when I when into the operating room.
• I went right from that consult to the operating room and had to put on a nifty blue hair net. Note to anyone with long hair thinking of getting this done, wear your hair pulled back! It was sooo hard to get all my hair into that net without even having a clip or elastic.
  - I lay down on the table with my head in a U-shaped pillow/holder thingy to keep my head in the right spot and they put in the first of many drops to numb my eyes.
• Once the settings on the machine were verified they put in the object which holds open the eyes, then put in more drops, then created the flap. It was pretty wild having my vision go to black then come back again, this is totally normal and actually didn't freak me out at all.
• After folding back the flap they did the laser correction on my right eye. The assistant was great, saying what step we were at and how many more seconds were left to go in a kind of count down. It involved less than 30 seconds of laser time and a faint smell of hair burning. This was the easiest part of the whole process.
• Then they put the flap back in place and smoothed it out nicely. I could see the little brush thing going over my eye, but couldn't feel it at all. Then yet more drops, this time for antibiotics and help the eye heal. - Then we did it all over again for my left eye.
• When they were finished with the laser correction I was lead to a darkened room where I had to wait for over 1/2 hr for my eyes to adjust a bit and have a chance for the flap to adhere to the eye again.
• They called me to a final check of the eyes where they verify your cornea. Since everything looked good, they said I could go home.
• "Sunglasses good" at this point. My eyes were, and still are, light sensitive.

The next day I was there bright and early for a follow-up exam. I had clear 20/20 vision in my left eye and mostly clear 20/40 vision in my right eye. This means I'm legal to drive. The optometrist also said that this isn't my 'final' vision as they did more correction on my right eye and the vision will keep getting better as the swelling goes down. I'm already noticing an improvement in my right eye as the days go by. I'll be going back in on Thursday for my 1 week follow-up and hope to see a big improvement in my vision then.

I've been putting in liquid tears about every 1/2 hr. The post-op instructions say I could go to every 1-2 hrs after the first day, but my eyes have been drying out pretty quickly so I've been keeping them lubricated as much as possible. I have to put in antibiotic drops every 4 hrs for the first 5 days, so I can stop doing that after tonight. I also have to wear shields over my eyes when I sleep for the first 7 days, so that I don't accidentally rub my eyes and cause the cornea to fold or wrinkle or something equally icky.

Date and Time set

I have to be at the clinic at 8:30am for my 9:30am (PST) surgery on Thursday August 17th. They said I would be there for about 6hrs. I figure hubby can drop me off, go to work for a few hours and then pick me up again. I have my iPod loaded with Audiobooks from Audible.com and from Podiobooks.com, a nice collection of free and subscription books. I think I have upwards of 20 hours of storytelling goodness, and that doesn't count the almost 2000 songs I have on there. I'm set!

The surgery will go well, I will end up with 20/20 vision or better, there will be no complications. Everyone keep this in mind for me on Thursday! I am a firm believer in positive thoughts and the power of visualization (pun intended).

Ordered

I finally got around to ordering my Colon Cleansing Kit. I didn't get the one I was looking at originally, over $100 US was more than I can justify at this time. Instead I spent $69 US and I hope it works. I'm taking the chance because "Common symptoms resulting from accumulated toxins in the bowel can include headaches, bad breath, allergy symptoms, PMS, fatigue, depression, irritability, bloating, and frequent infections." Since I have several of these symptoms, if any of them are relieved or reduced I will be in a much healthier place. The website recommends 3 months of cleansing with 5 day break between each 30 day "month." Needless to say, I only ordered 1 month worth. I will know within the first few weeks if it is working which will give me lots of time to order more before the 2nd month starts. It will also give me time to get the next pay cheque in the bank. ;)

I am thinking positively about my eye surgery. I truely believe that everything will go well and I will have excellent vision when it is done. This is my "affirmation statement" and I'm sticking to it! I ask that those of you who feel so inclined keep me in your thoughts on August 17th and think of positive outcomes for me, if you wanted to send Reiki, positive vibes, healing thoughts, or prayers to me and/or the situation, I would be thrilled! :)


Update 11:27pm: OK so I probably could have gotten a colon cleansing system for a lot less or just gone for a fiber solution... but, but, I was taken in by testimonials and good reviews and the 'completness' of the system. So, since I got the system from eBay and probably can't return it, I will take it for the 30 days. Then, if I feel like I need more 'cleansing,' I will find a less expensive program that doesn't involve drinking powder once a day.

Be Careful About What You Ask For...

I decided that since I'm going to have surgery, that my body should be as clean and healthy as possible. I am going to get a colon cleansing kit and hopefully that will help some, if it works and isn't a waste of money. I also made an affirmation statement that all toxins and 'other stuff' in my body that didn't belong there could leave. My thought was that this would allow the normal healing process to work better because I am concious of 'letting go' of what I don't need... Well, it seems to be working, with no one else around me who is sick, and temperatures in the mid to high 80s, I have a summer cold!!! I can't really complain though, after all, I did ask for it! Sort of...

the Eyes have it

I've set my appointment to have a Doctor (highlight the next part to see details) cut into my eyes with a fancy razor blade, fold back the flap, drill them with lasers, and finally drop down the flap again. Yes, I am going to have Laser Eye surgery done.

This time next month I will be sans glasses. I will be going in on a Thursday and having the surgery done. Hubby will drop me off and then come back to collect me some 6 hrs later. This seems like a long time to be in the clinic when the surgery itself only takes 10 min... for both eyes!!! But there are inspections of the eyes, drops, dilations, and monitoring to be done. I guess it is better than getting the surgery and walking out again in 20 min. Apparently eye surgery is so popluar in the US that they have stalls set up in some shopping malls!!!

I will be sure to load my iPod up with many hours of Audiobooks and music so that I don't get bored from all the waiting. I know that my vision won't be good enough to actually read while I'm waiting, which is what I would normally do. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon was just released on Audible.com, 32+ hrs of highlander goodness! That should get me through the waiting with little trouble. I am a sucker for buying audiobook versions of stories I've read previously, I have the first 5 Outlander books in paperback already. There is something about having a book read to me that brings me back to my childhood when Mum use to read to be before bed. It's a good thing.

I won't be allowed to drive for 48hrs, so no going to work for me until the following Monday. I can stay home and watch Season 1 of Gilligan's Island. *Grin* A buddy from work lent it to me about a month ago, so far I've seen the Pilot and Episode 1. It's so hard to watch shows that only I like. If it was "Backyardigans" or "Star Gate: SG1" I'd have already seen all the episodes by now. But hubby and baby don't like Gilligan's Island. :( Oh well, this will be a good excuse to watch it

I'm will need to make up a new User Pic me thinks. ;) Wondering if I should keep it the same and just remove the glasses, or go completely different. Purple mohawk maybe?? Green Highlights? Avatars can be fun. *Grin*

Edit July 21 - changed font colour to white for the graphic part at the top. Sorry Wicca! :(

When Eyes Get Better

I took a big step today. I went downtown and had my eyes checked to see if I am a candidate for Laser Eye Surgery. Lasik to be exact. The results were good, I have healthy eyes with a low prescription and a thick cornea which is important if I need/want to have surgery done again. This would of course only be needed if (heaven forbid) anything went wrong, or if my eyes "regress" back to where they were, or try to. Or if they come up with a surgery for near sightedness and I find that I want the surgery instead of getting reading glasses. The technician said that I would be a great candidate for regular lasik surgery and in fact was one of the best candidates that he had seen that day!

While there the technician asked me if I ever get headaches or feel like my eyes are straining while wearing my glasses. I said "Yes" and added that I haven't been able to read with my glasses on for quite a while. I feel pretty odd about, it but for the last several months I have had to take my glasses off to do a lot of reading "dead tree" material and also to hand write anything. I mentioned to someone at work about a week ago that I feel like my eyes have gotten better since I got these glasses. Well, it turns out I was right. One eye went from about -2.25 to only -1 and my other eye went from about -2.5 to -1.25, which is quite a difference. The technician started out the eye exam using the prescription that they had pulled from my glasses and it was so blurry I could barely tell there were words on the screen! Amazing!

The Lasik company won’t hand out prescriptions; since they do the initial exam for free they found that people were coming in for the exam and prescription but never booking appointments for surgery. I guess there will always be someone that takes advantage of a system. I have made an appointment with the optometrist on Thursday to get a new prescription so that I can get new lenses put in my glasses. A nice cheep set of lenses since I fully intend to get the surgery done in the summer, once I’ve saved up the money for it. It will be nice to be able to see properly again while waiting for the surgery. By this time next week I should have the new lenses and once again see what the world looks like to everyone else.