Hi again. Just a quick update; I've now been given a date for the operation, which should be at the end of the month. Apparently there is no premed for it though so I'm going to see if I can take in some music on headphones.
Thanks for reading this,
Graham .
Last edited by graham58; 10-09-17 at 21:15.
Hi Graham, just caught up with this thread and like you was told I had the start of cataracts in both eyes at a routine eye test in 2015. I had no problems with them then, but a year on in 2016 the vision in my right eye was becoming quite blurred and an optometrist told me the cataract in that eye had grown quite alot. Bearing in mind that the optician in 2015 told me not to worry as cataracts take many years to develop any vision problems...wrong!
So I've got to wait to 'see' how bad it has to be before they fix things. My mum is 85 and only now having cataracts treated whereas mine were discovered 2 years ago at 61.
Let us know how you get on, best wishes.
Without fear there cannot be courage - Christopher Paolini
Hi Catherine, many thanks for your reply and your interest. I was told the "many years to develop" line as well but it's been about five years between my first referral to the local eye infirmary (and being diagnosed with cataracts) in April 2012, and the surgeon deciding in July this year that they're advanced enough to operate on.
My approach at the moment is to try and get as much information as possible about what's involved in the operation, to try and reassure myself (hopefully it's reassuring!), and then do some meditation or something (listening to music on headphones maybe) to be as relaxed as possible when I finally go in for the op.
Hope your Mum's cataract operations go well anyway, and that you have a good relationship with your doctor so that you can talk over your own concerns.
Best wishes,
Graham .
Last edited by graham58; 10-09-17 at 21:47.
A quick update; I had the operation just over a month ago (at the Royal Eye Infirmary in Plymouth) and it went very well; the nurses and the surgical team couldn’t have been better. I was nervous to start with (especially when the time came to lie down in the operating theatre for the operation to begin) but because I'd opted for sedation and had an anaesthetist, and a canula in my arm, I was able to cope with it. A nurse even got me a hot chocolate without being asked when I got the "shakes" immediately after the operation.
Many thanks for everyone's good wishes!
Hi, I had a retinal reattachment. As part of that they also replaced my lens (cataract surgery). It was all done under local anaesthetic and felt weirdly like being at the dentist.
Anyone facing eye surgery should try not to be too concerned - you're home in time for tea.
Had the second one done on Thursday, and am now recovering. Many thanks to the superb surgical team at the Royal Eye Infirmary in Plymouth, who assisted with and performed the operation, and the equally superb nurses and technicians who tested and dilated my eyes prior to the operation, took my temperature and blood pressure, and answered my questions. And of course to our wonderful NHS which made it all possible.
Looking forward to when I can *see properly once the eye has healed and I can have a sight test for new glasses (should be about six weeks from now). I know I couldn't have carried on as I was before the operations; I had hardly any sight at all in my right eye (the first one that was operated on).
Once again, many thanks for everyone's good wishes!
* My close vision isn't great at the moment so I’m typing this in 28 point in a word processor and then pasting it in the edit box. Where there's a will there's a way!
Last edited by graham58; 21-01-18 at 21:34.
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