#Cataract Surgery

[ramonaflow]

I would really appreciate some good thoughts or something today, if you can.

I'm going in for my fourth, and final, eye surgery. I haven't had the best luck with them so far, lots of complications and side effects, so I'm pretty nervous about what's going to happen after this one. This is the last resort now so it's a case of having the surgery and hoping for the best.

[behind-the-veil-of-sanity]

Blurred Vision — A Remedy in One Act

The poet attempted an attribution, in thought of love and praise to the long and winding ways of Medicine, but addressing specifics — shivers that arose without thought like withdrawal from nicotine sticks or Absinthe – wormwood juice lacked adhesion like old glue left in limbo — only to portray the poet a fool / addicted / frail; addressing specifics — blurred vision a general cause of concern & the Cause of Concern for the poet finding the general principles of sight a bonus at their specific point in time: the junction where tarmac ends and gravel paths bind the journey’s end, blindness avoided — for now by Dr Marvell and their marvellous medical methods aided by sharp surgical tools making the cut the ultrasound appliance dissolving the opaque … a silvery vacuum vortex sucking up the dust water water lots of water poured over the naked unawares of what to come unprotected and by force held ajar naked unprotected eye — the recipient of the mint crystalline lens; but the poet failed to convey in thought of love and praise to the long and winding ways of Medicine as a single persistent utterance interrupted again and again: What if — it happens again.

[blank-between-parentheses]

My cataract surgery is scheduled in a few weeks.

The doctor went through things so fast.

It's ALL happening so fast.

Please let this help my vision and not fuck things up.

[phoneboxfairy]

So... as the title of this link suggests, I'm trying to raise funds for that cataract removal I've needed for a while. Here's a link to the gofundme. Please share for a signal boost.

https://gofund.me/9dbf4016

[lunabunnyart]

Personal Demons.

I’m back after ditching some nasty cataracts that were clouding up my eyeholes. In conclusion I have new eyeholes possibly with lasers…

[100dayproductivity]

25/100.

I am sooo tired today. Anyone else? 🙋‍♀️ One thing I am noticing about myself is that my energy comes in ebbs and flows. Or maybe it's fits and spurts? 🤔 I can have a really energized, productive couple of days, then I crash. And I'm always trying to fight this/feel guilty about it. Maybe it's time to allow myself to go with my own flow instead of fighting against it all the time.

So today is a crash day. Feeling burnt out. I've wasted a lot of time today, playing games on my phone on the couch. But sort of feeling bored with doing nothing as well. So I thought I might as well update Tumblr on my venture into bullet journaling.

It's only been a few days but going well so far. I've been writing absolutely every little task, and sub-task, that pops into my head. Has really helped me keep on track. I'm finding that I feel a little more relaxed when I jot something down because I know that as long as I keep referring to my list, I won't forget anything I was going to do. It could be something as simple as not forgetting that there are wet clothes in the wash that need to be put in the dryer. Or that I need to remember to pick up some milk on my way back from the post office. Jotting it down seems to free up some mental energy I would normally use to keep these little tasks in the back of my mind while doing larger tasks. It's also been helping me be more efficient. A few times I've noticed that while looking over my to-do list, I've been able to batch tasks together to save time and energy.

Right now I'm not feeling too anxious about doing nothing because I know what's on my list and there isn't anything on it that I can't do tomorrow. And, knowing me, after a crash like this, I will feel energized and productive again (eventually).

So, about the bullet journaling specifically: I'm starting with the bare bones, basic "core" layouts as per the Ryder Carol original bullet journal. Index, Future Log, Monthly, Weekly, Daily. No art, no fancy layouts, no frills. I added a reading log right away, as I'm currently trying to meet reading goals every night. And I just added a lights out/wake up log a couple of nights ago.

I know that you are supposed to customize your journal to your own needs, and I'm already thinking about some changes. I've already started doing a "rolling daily log" instead of migrating unfinished tasks every day. I just scratch out yesterday's date and put today's. If some unfinished tasks get left behind too many pages back, I'll migrate them then.

I'm also thinking about maybe dividing the daily log into three sections horizontally per page. As a task pops into my head, I'll jot it down in one of the three sections based on: a) priority and b) time of day. For instance, the other day I needed to remember that a neighbour was dropping by in the evening to discuss something and I had to remember to give her back her key then. It was jotted down halfway up the page, and there were a bunch of tasks that I jotted down, and completed, after it. With the three sections method, I would have instead jotted it down further down the page in the third section. That way, it wouldn't have gotten lost in the weeds of all the tasks I completed earlier in the day. I think this will just help me visually keep a rolling list of tasks that mostly get completed from top to bottom. As well, some tasks can only be done at certain times of day (i.e. during regular business hours). So if, for instance, there's something that doesn't really matter when it gets done but, when it does, it should preferably be in the morning, I'd always jot that down in the first section of the daily log. If I miss doing it, I migrate it over to the next morning's section. I'm thinking there's probably other ways I can divide the daily log page as well, like a section for kitchen chores, a section for online chores and a section for errands. That would help me batch tasks together. But I'm sure a logical setup will shake itself out as I continue using the journal.

Something I've learned about the bullet journal community: I've been watching YouTube videos for "beginner bullet journaling" and I'm beginning to understand that some people spend a lot of time making their bullet journals pretty. Like, maybe too much time. Like, maybe to the point where they quit bullet journaling because it takes too much time. Or, they don't even get started in the first place because all they see are these beautiful, trending journals and they have a panic attack before even cracking open their shiny, new, $125-dollar, leather-bound, gold-embossed, hand-made organic paper harvested on a new moon notebook. That seems like such a shame. I think we need a counter-trend: mediocre bullet journaling. I'll start. Here are the daily log pages (circled in blue) of my mediocre bullet journal. It's been about 5 days and I have three full pages of bullets already! The first two pages of bullets mostly have a lovely x beside them 👍💪

It'll be fun to look back on this and see what changes I make to the layout as I get further along in the practice.

P.S. My cataract surgery was cancelled!! Rescheduled for next week 😮‍💨 I think this is mainly why I'm feeling burnt out. I spent a lot of mental energy preparing for this last week, and now the adrenaline is gone.

[retinal-disease-in-london]

Importance of Early Detection in Retinal Diseases

We can see and understand the world around us thanks in large part to the retina, a sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye. Sadly, retinal conditions can progressively reduce eyesight and, if not addressed, result in lifelong blindness. Early identification and prompt action are essential for maintaining vision and avoiding permanent harm. This blog will discuss the critical value of early identification in retinal illnesses and how it may have a profound impact on a patient's quality of life.

Let's read it out:

Finding Hidden Threats

In their early stages, retinal disorders frequently manifest quietly and without obvious symptoms. A slow loss of vision can occur as a result of conditions including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and retinitis pigmentosa. Regular eye exams by a trained eye care practitioner are crucial for early detection of these disorders and quick action.

Maximising Treatment Effectiveness

Early identification frequently opens the door to more potent treatment alternatives. Eye care professionals can advise on suitable treatments, drugs, or operations to prevent or reduce disease development, minimise vision loss, and preserve quality of life, with prompt diagnosis.

Preventing Vision Loss

Once retinal illnesses cause vision loss, they frequently cannot be reversed. Early identification gives you the chance to take action before serious damage takes place, greatly lowering the risk of long-term vision loss.

Protecting Peripheral Vision

Peripheral vision loss can develop gradually in some retinal conditions, such as retinitis pigmentosa. Early diagnosis enables patients to adapt and make better use of their remaining eyesight, preserving their independence and safety throughout everyday activities.

Increasing Life Quality

Having healthy eyesight is essential for overall well-being and life quality. Early diagnosis and treatment of retinal illnesses can support people in maintaining their independence, participating in their favourite hobbies, and maintaining social connections.

Increasing Proactive Eye Care Power

As we get older, it's even more important to get regular eye exams since the risk of retinal illnesses rises. Early identification enables people to take proactive measures to safeguard their vision through lifestyle changes and appropriate eye care.

Conclusion

It is impossible to exaggerate the value of early identification of retinal disorders in terms of saving sight. Eye care practitioners can apply effective treatment techniques, reducing or even stopping disease development and maintaining vision, by spotting retinal disorders in their early stages. Regular eye exams are essential for identifying these silent dangers, giving people the power to take charge of their eye health and live a life with unhindered vision. Make an appointment with an eye care specialist right away to protect the priceless gift of sight if you or a loved one haven't had an eye checkup in the last year. Rather, if you are facing any retinal disease, our team of Retinal Disease in London is here to assist you. We have years of experience in this field.

[ramonaflow]

My eye hospital gives these little guys out to anxious patients and I'm not gonna lie, I laughed when the nurse handed me it.

I can honestly say that without that to squeeze and concentrate on I'm not sure I would've made it through the nightmarish surgery.

[clatterbane]

A little update after that "no new glasses for you!" surprise yesterday.

Mr. C did not manage to get hold of the eye surgery clinic today, but hopefully tomorrow. It took me a while of frustrated searching, but I finally did find the professional terminology magic words to unlock more actually relevant information.

Vision imbalance following cataract surgery (anisometropia) [PDF]

Yep, that sounds like exactly what's been going on! Even before the added complication of throwing extra optical distortion from wildly different glasses lens prescriptions into the mix.

Thankfully, even with the pretty huge difference in vision between eyes now with no glasses on, I have not already been dealing with double vision since the surgery. "Just" some degree of the rest of their list, especially:

• Problems with balance (increasing the risk of falls).

• Difficulty with 3D vision and judging distances (for example pouring liquids, judging steps, and the general judging of distances).

And yeah, no wonder. They did neglect to mention the rather predictable eyestrain and headaches when your eyes just aren't working together well.

I was really hoping that getting new glasses would fix the problems I have already been experiencing from the unbalanced vision, but evidently not.

(Also, that brief overview kinda confirms that this level of difficulties should, indeed, have been at least somewhat avoidable with a different choice of lens implant. 👿 Which even the freaking NHS is saying should be discussed with patients, however likely this may be to happen on the ground.)

But, with that single magic word discovered we can hopefully get even further!

Another decent overview which does go a bit deeper. And options for non-surgical treatment are certainly what I am hoping to find, because jfc!

In practice most patients following initial cataract extraction are likely to be symptomatic of anisometropia giving rise to prismatic effects (anisophoria) and unequal retinal image size (aniseikonia), this may also occur in refractive surprises following second eye surgery. These changes will cause significant patient distress and difficulties with average daily tasks. Ideally such patients will undergo surgical correction of this or trial contact lenses to improve their symptoms. The following is a discussion of other non-surgical options available.

Please do tell me more!

Aniseikonia occurs as a result of unequal spectacle magnifications; this leads to a difference in cortical image size and resultant binocular vision disturbance. There are individual differences in symptoms and tolerance of aniseikonia but nearly all patients experience distortion in spatial perception with any of the following; headaches, asthenopia and uncomfortable binocular vision...

If the disparity of the postoperative refraction is greater than 2 diopters (2D) between the eyes, then there can be a vertical phoria producing diplopia. This is especially apparent when they use a bifocal segment to read. For example, if one eye is -1.00D and the other is -3.50D, there will be a 2.5D base-down vertical imbalance. This vertical imbalance will impair fusion and cause diplopia [2,3].

Where diplopia is double vision. Directly relevant to the glasses issue here, yeah. Mine were indeed vertical, stacked on top of each other but not quite touching. Thought I was going to hurl, after looking through the trial lenses just long enough to demonstrate the problem.

Yesterday, they also very specifically mentioned the already unequal retinal image size being amplified by the glasses lens correcting the still very nearsighted side. Which will apparently fuck up your visual processing but good, so your brain cannot combine the two images.

The difference between mine now is 7.00D, which evidently absolutely cannot be successfully corrected with glasses. (Prisms in the lenses also ain't gonna fix that image size problem so that your brain can make sense of the input.) Looking into it a bit more already, they will indeed generally aim for 3.00D or hopefully less difference between eyes.

Contacts were mentioned in the first paragraph there. And I was seeing some other references to correcting the worse eye that way. Please?!

Contact lenses also give more natural vision in that the differences in retinal image sizes compared to those of spectacle lenses are far less. For example, a +4.00D contact lens will give a magnification of approximately 2% compared to 5% with a spectacle lens fitted at 12mm from the eye. A subject with anisometropia of 4.00D is therefore unlikely to tolerate uncompensated spectacle lenses but should be symptom free when fitted with contact lenses [2,3].

Well, that is a relief. I don't really want to have to wear contacts without glasses backup if I want to see decently, but that prospect is sounding one hell of a lot better to me than even something like LASIK right now. (Especially with local anesthetics not working right on me. 😬)

What I am really not sure about is how well that might work with a 7.00D difference between the eyes, and not the 3-4D I keep seeing used as examples. (Not just there.) But, I am hoping that might do the trick.

As I see it right now, next up in order of preference is LASIK or similar. The absolute last nuclear option is letting anybody carve on the other eye to install a closer to matching aftermarket lens.

Hopefully the surgical clinic that basically caused this issue in the first place will also consider that the least attractive option--if nothing else because another surgery would indeed be on the health system's dime. Never mind the further risk of complications. There are at least not the same incentives to turn all invasive surgery-happy as on the better-insured sides of the US medical system. (Not that I am at all inclined to let them anywhere near the other eye if I can help it at all, especially after this.)

But, we'll just have to see what they say about it.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

18 March 2023

[healthywz]

7 Key Causes and Solutions for Double Vision After Cataract Surgery

Uncover the causes of double vision following cataract surgery and discover the best solutions to restore clear vision. Get expert advice on managing this common issue. https://healthywz.com/double-vision-after-cataract-surgery/

[haley-guenther]

Explore when laser cataract surgery is necessary for functional improvement in The Villages, FL. Learn about the benefits of this advanced surgery at Lake Eye Associates, where experienced cataract specialists provide the best treatments to restore your vision.

URL: https://lakeeye.com/service/laser-cataracts-surgery/

[abbylaus]

I just realized that this October I won't be able to draw, due to my eyes surgery (one first, then the other).

[drchameensamarawickrama]

Wondering about the different types of lenses used in cataract surgery? A/Prof Chameen Samarawickrama breaks down the most common options in this helpful guide. Learn how the right lens can enhance your vision after surgery! Check it out here: https://drchameensams.com.au/common-types-of-lenses-used-in-cataract-surgery/