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24 — Cataracts and Cataract Surgery.

2015-06-14. By Kelly.

I have had glasses since first grade. I have an astigmatism and very poor vision. I was unable to recognize faces more than 10 feet away. Last year I found out that I had a cataract in each eye. I have subcapsular cataracts that form in the back of the lens and which are more common among diabetics and people who have used high doses of steroids. I have a family history of subcapsular cataracts. Over the last year, my eye sight has gotten progressively worse. Driving at night became increasingly difficult and I started to get a light fog in my vision. Last Tuesday June 9, 2015 I had cataract surgery on my right eye. I choose the Restor multifocal IOL lens made by Alcari. As well as having the lens replaced, I also needed to have small incisions to improve the surface/topography of the eye. The result was great vision in the right eye. The day after surgery, I had 20/35 vision and now on the sixth day after surgery I can see well enough to type this blog entry using 12 point font. I have also started to read novels without glasses. Incredible!

Although the surgery takes a short period of time, I had several trepidations. I was concerned about being awake during the procedure. I wasn't sure I could deal with being present during the surgery. The medication used for this procedure did the trick. Although I was awake, I was not stressed during the procedure. Dr. Brad Novey's team does a great job keeping the patient calm and communicating clearly. I was whisked into one room to have a machine do the incisions and break up the old lens. Then I was moved next door to an operating room that had a microscope that Dr. Novey used to remove the old lens and replace it with a new lens. During the procedure, I was asked to look at lights or remain still which was easy to do. After surgery, an eye shield was put over the eye to protect it. I didn't feel any pain during the procedure. After the shield was removed by the doctor, I noticed my eye was a little red.

After the surgery I was very light sensitive. I had to wear sun glasses outside and I have been wearing them outside every day since. I went back to work the third day after surgery. It was OK. It was the second last day for students and I had very little reading work to do. I also had a team of teachers that were ready to lend a hand whenever I was in need. I was light sensitive and I wore lightly tinted sunglasses indoors. By lunch time, I was starting to have a little pain. It felt like there was something in my eye. I took a break and sat with my eyes closed for 10 minutes. Taking a break made the afternoon go smoothly. The next day, I could go without indoor shades and I didn't have to take a break for my eyes until I came home. I found taking a five to ten minute break with my eyes closed really helped. I also have been very careful to follow my eye drop/medication regiment. Patrick made a color coded sheet to help me keep track. I would not have been able to follow the doctor's restrictions of weight and activity without Patrick's help. Patrick has been superb! I think I love him : )

My vision so far has been great for distance. Reading print has been more challenging for many reasons. For one, I have an old habit of leaning in to see small print better. But to see with the new lens I need to move the print away. I also have found that, as each day passes, my vision has become clearer. This is probably due to reduced inflammation in eye. It is also due to my brain learning how to see with a new lens.

I am hoping to have my left eye surgery next week. I am not as worried about the surgery this time. I have Patrick who will be helping me.



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