Cataract surgery

[Muse]

Congratulations, Muse on your successful experience. It's been about four months for me and everyday is filled with new reminders of what beauty there is in everything around me. Try to imagine wearing dark sunglasses for years and then suddenly casting them off.

Yeah, I just a few minutes ago I went out my front door and had a look around and just had to laugh and smile, it shocked me again how great the world looks all of a sudden. The wonder of this won't go away, I don't think. OMG, I'm going to play my next round of golf in a week (doctor's orders), and I expect another world. Used to depend on luck or my partners to see where my ball went. I play alone alot, been doing a lot of ball hunting that shouldn't be such a problem now. I think my putting (which is pretty good) will improve significantly, being able to read the greens. Have a mind to go practice putt some this evening to confirm my suspicion.

The shear beauty of my backyard is nothing short of a revelation!

 

[Viper GTS]

I have had a similar experience. Not cataracts, but situations that either hardware or surgery resulted in a dramatic change of vision.

The thing that struck me the most was the nearly overwhelming detail and texture of the world. Being able to see the individual leaves on trees, blades of grass, hairs, texture of pavement, etc. It had been years, and it was a revelation. That and how shiny things could be (freshly detailed cars, etc).

Enjoy the wonder while it lasts, from my experience you will adapt to the new reality quickly. Even then though you will always remember the wonder of re-discovering your world.

Viper GTS

 

[Muse]

I have had a similar experience. Not cataracts, but situations that either hardware or surgery resulted in a dramatic change of vision.

The thing that struck me the most was the nearly overwhelming detail and texture of the world. Being able to see the individual leaves on trees, blades of grass, hairs, texture of pavement, etc. It had been years, and it was a revelation. That and how shiny things could be (freshly detailed cars, etc).

Enjoy the wonder while it lasts, from my experience you will adapt to the new reality quickly. Even then though you will always remember the wonder of re-discovering your world.

Viper GTS

Yeah, I hope I won't take it for granted. Even this laptop screen looks fantastic right now. B&W, pretty much, but tack-sharp and clear. I've been wearing a bucket hat regularly, indoors and outdoors to fight the glare... glare that's now gone!

 

[Red Squirrel]

Congrats on successful surgery, Reminds me when I got LASIK, it's an awesome feeling when it's all over with, and you can see well again. Always scary as hell when you first go in. If it was anything else on my body I'd be less worried but there's just something about eyes. If I went blind I would rather someone just shoot me tbh.

 

[pcgeek11]

It's been 24 hours since the procedure, actually two procedures, 10 minutes apart. From waiting room until I emerged post-op, it was about 1.5 hours.

They were well organized, a team of around 8 people all in all, I'd estimate. They kept asking me questions, it's mandated procedures to:

1. Make sure they've got the right guy
2. Make sure they're doing the right procedure

They showed me two boxes that contained my new IOLs (intra-ocular lenses). I asked if they were custom made for me and was told that they take my exam results and pull the appropriate IOLs, IOW, not custom made, but custom selected from pre-made. They handed me two cards detailing the specs on each IOL I was getting.

They gave me the option of taking a pill to calm my nerves. My blood pressure was as high as I'd ever seen it pre-op: 155/70. They gave me a tiny pill (Atavan) to put under my tongue. They put an IV in my right hand. That was a just in case measure, they never connected anything to it.

They kept testing my BP periodically, and was told that it had dropped from where it was when I had arrived.

They left my clothes on, unbottoned my shirt a little and stuck a couple sensors on my chest.

Wheeled me into the operating room and went to work after a nurse explained what to expect. She told me to ignore changes, sensations, etc. ... just keep looking at the bright lights I'd see.

They did right eye, then left. Leaving, I could see out of the right a LOT better than the left, which worried me.

A few hours later, I could see way better out of the left than the right. Hmm.

Not much pain to deal with, just some burning and a couple naps really helped with that and a night's sleep did wonders. In the morning, I'm WOW! My reading distance vision is perfect without glasses! With my old distance glasses, left is perfect at distance, the right not quite.

The verdict: Phenomenal! All that glare that was a super annoyance that's been getting worse and worse is GONE! I'm just OMG this is amazing! I have close to perfect vision now and when I get my new glasses I'm sure it will be better. Today, in the office (I revisited the doctor today) they tested my reading distance without glasses and I'm already 20/20 both eyes, no pain. I'm taking drops 4x/day this week, one an antibiotic, the other a steroid. The later I keep doing for 5 weeks, tapering, the former just one week. I get new Rx in a month.

Saw the doctor this morning for 1 day post-op evaluation. He looked in both eyes with a scope and proclaimed them "pristine!"

You sound exactly like me after mine were done. I was in total amazement for weeks! I am happy for you. You will love your new eyes.

 

[Carson Dyle]

...and now I'm gettin AARP ads in facebook.

Thanks ATOT.

 

[Muse]

Congrats on successful surgery, Reminds me when I got LASIK, it's an awesome feeling when it's all over with, and you can see well again. Always scary as hell when you first go in. If it was anything else on my body I'd be less worried but there's just something about eyes. If I went blind I would rather someone just shoot me tbh.

Thanks for this.

Yeah, I was scared. The day I met the doctor my blood pressure shot up so high my primary care physician ordered a 2nd test (normal that day!). My BP was even higher 2 days ago just before the procedure but it started coming down once I was in the operating room (with an Atavan under my tongue!).

I've given thought to being blind for many years. I once had a disagreement with a friend, and this was around 50 years ago. I asserted that being blind wouldn't be as bad as being deaf. She entirely disagreed. Well, she was a painter, and very talented. I was very into my music. I still am, I'm a music DJ on college radio, once a week.

Is it true? Blindness vs deafness? I haven't really decided, but look... there are very fulfilled blind people. Take Ray Charles. True, he went blind after having had sight for some years, but if you went blind, you'd also benefit from having had vision. My doctor told me when I met him mid-September that there was a 1/5000 chance I'd go blind from the procedure. Maybe that was per eye, I don't know. Anyway, I wouldn't prefer death to living with blindness, I can say that for sure. It would just be a totally new chapter in my life. I'd still have my music and learning to live by my hearing and touch, etc. would be an adventure. My life would change radically, but sometimes a radical change can be beneficial, albeit difficult. My 3.5 cents (inflation, you know!).

 

[Muse]

You sound exactly like me after mine were done. I was in total amazement for weeks! I am happy for you. You will love your new eyes.

This morning I'm 20/20 both eyes and this is with my old distance Rx. I wasn't yesterday (was in one eye, not the other). A little irritation in my right eye, but it doesn't worry me. I'm being religious with the eye drops, wearing the shield when sleeping.

Going to the gym today, but won't lift. Will just do my stretching, some basic core work and stuff I think is OK. I'm curious to SEE in the gym. The overhead fluorescent lighting has given me fits in there for years (I always wear a billed cap in there), and I anticipate being delighted with my "new eyes." Going to go practice my putting too, I have a feeling I'm gonna love that! This is a rebirth kind of experience, actually.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Haha my first place to go after my Lasik was Costco. We don't have one here, but the surgery was 3 hours away in Sudbury and they have one there so we went through it. My mom has a membership and goes for the trip a few times a year. I was just in awe looking at all the fluorescent lights and products and stuff and just the vastness of the place. In my case I could see all that when I had glasses so it's not like I was seeing stuff I could not see before, but the idea that I could see all that WITHOUT glasses was just incredible.

 

[Muse]

Haha my first place to go after my Lasik was Costco. I was just in awe looking at all the fluorescent lights and products and stuff and just the vastness of the place. In my case I could see all that when I had glasses so it's not like I was seeing stuff I could not see before, but the idea that I could see all that WITHOUT glasses was just incredible.

The way I had it done, I'm really almost exactly like I was before the surgery. The difference is that 95% of the glare I had before is now gone.

I read the newspaper today. I was having trouble before because it was like reading a newspaper when the ink had close to run out... very little contrast and I had to struggle except in the best light sometimes. Today, 2 days after my surgery, it was like they had just replenished the ink tank. Everything was major contrast. The blacks were totally black and the white was white. This is a well done newspaper, the SF Chronicle. They use some of the best newsprint around. I used to get them, then switched to the Oakland Tribune. Their reporters and stories were excellent as were the SF Chronicle's. They were a lot cheaper, though. They had really lousy grey newsprint, which was a problem, also they had major issues with inky presses. I think the printing plant had spill issues and they were lousy at cleaning them up. I eventually went back to the SF Chronicle, I just couldn't take the Oakland Tribune's lousy newsprint anymore. But in recent years my cataracts got to the point where reading the SF Chronicle was sometimes not too easy. Today, it was just wow, kinda like reading my Kindle.

Helps that this is the most beautiful time of the year here, mid-September through October. The air is generally a lot cleaner than usual.

I went in the gym today, partly to make a test (doctor said to not do my gym routine until a week after the procedure, so today I just did some stretching and lower abdominal exercises). I do a few exercises on my back on a mat and look up at the ceiling, which is the source for all the light, it's a basement room, no windows. The light is from long fluorescent tubes mounted in ceiling fixtures. There are pipes mounted to the ceiling and before the surgery I could barely make them out UNLESS I looked through tubes I formed with my fists, which blocked out the direct light from the overhead lighting. So, today, post-surgery, I tried this again, without and with the fist tubes. I was hoping there would be zero glare without blocking out the slightly indirect strong light from the fixtures but there was still some glare. There was a lot less than before, but there is still some scatter. You know how people put their hand up to their forehead to block the light from the direct sun? I think it's a similar effect. I kind of doubt even a month of healing from the surgery will remedy that. It may have nothing to do with light scattering in the acrylic IOL they implant. However, when I'm not looking into direct lighting, e.g. looking away from the direct sun, I don't make out glare now.

 

[Muse]

Congratulations, Muse on your successful experience. It's been about four months for me and everyday is filled with new reminders of what beauty there is in everything around me. Try to imagine wearing dark sunglasses for years and then suddenly casting them off.

It's been 4 months for me now and I'm still astounded how beautiful the world looks. Helps, I guess, that it's been rainy/stormy weather and the air is very clean.

Enjoy the wonder while it lasts, from my experience you will adapt to the new reality quickly. Even then though you will always remember the wonder of re-discovering your world.

For me the wonder hasn't ceased. I don't think about it every time I go outside like I did just after the surgeries. But I often do, especially when I leave the house on my bike, like today. Clarity, no haze. I was cursed with a constant haze before. Now that's gone completely.

 

[sdifox]

I would have to find Jalandhar first. I am guessing it is in the Indian subcontinent.

 

[pcgeek11]

I would have to find Jalandhar first. I am guessing it is in the Indian subcontinent.

What?

 

[sdifox]

What?

Spammer post removed xd

 

[Mayne]

My cataract surgery was 2 years ago and the novelty still hasn't worn off

 

[Scarpozzi]

I remember when these forums were all about computers and cars and asking for pics of girlfriends. (then wives....then daughters....) If it gets any worse, I may welcome my cataracts.

 

[Torn Mind]

I remember when these forums were all about computers and cars and asking for pics of girlfriends. (then wives....then daughters....) If it gets any worse, I may welcome my cataracts.

Instagram is a godsend for building a harem of hotties up to a PG-13 level.

The stories are the content non-followers don’t see. Jim Rome posted a store on how he got paid 81 cents to star in a movie with Al Pacino.

 

[Fritzo]

My cataract surgery was 2 years ago and the novelty still hasn't worn off

My wife had one fixed a few months ago. They put in a synthetic lens, and she can see MUCH better now...but she also has a "cat eye" effect: her eye reflects light almost like a diamond. She works with school children and they're always pointing it out Not sure if you have that going on or not.

 

[sdifox]

My cataract surgery was 2 years ago and the novelty still hasn't worn off

He lives!

 

[Mayne]

My wife had one fixed a few months ago. They put in a synthetic lens, and she can see MUCH better now...but she also has a "cat eye" effect: her eye reflects light almost like a diamond. She works with school children and they're always pointing it out Not sure if you have that going on or not.

I hope mine does that..but i doubt it.

 

[Muse]

I hope mine does that..but i doubt it.

How's your vision now? I know you said you were close to blind or something before...

 

[pcgeek11]

My wife had one fixed a few months ago. They put in a synthetic lens, and she can see MUCH better now...but she also has a "cat eye" effect: her eye reflects light almost like a diamond. She works with school children and they're always pointing it out Not sure if you have that going on or not.

Yes I have them in both eyes. My wife is always commenting on my sparkling eyes.