New Eyes Soon

Warrigal

Warrigal

SF VIP
Location
Sydney, Australia
This time next week I will have one new eye (ocular implant) and the week after I will have two.

I start preparing on Monday with drops in the right eye. I'm hopeless at putting drops in my own eyes but I will have to learn. The regime is one drop from four different bottles 4 times a day. Wait five minutes between each drop to avoid washing out the previous one. Sounds very tedious but I will comply to the best of my ability.

The clinic is at North Sydney and I was wondering how I would get there in time but the helpful lady at the surgery desk said "We can arrange a taxi to take you there and return you home." I think I will nominate her for Australian of the Year. The cost is $75 for the return trip but from my place in SW Sydney to North Sydney, with all of the traffic to be negotiated, I consider it a bargain.

My GP referred me to an eye specialist who does not charge a gap fee. Between my private insurance and Medicare (universal health cover) I will have only a minor out of pocket expense for the initial consultation and an eye scan.

I'm not assured of perfect vision afterwards but I can expect a high degree of improvement. Without this procedure I would slowly but surely lose my sight so I am confident that I am doing the best thing for my future wellbeing. Of course there are other eye conditions such as glaucoma and retinal detachment that could still happen so I will still need regular appointments with the optometrist even if glasses are not necessary.

I'll let you know what happens next week.
 

I wish you the best Warri. Sounds like it is taking lots of patience just to do the prep before the procedure. Be sure to keep us posted as you move along with this. (((Warri)))
 
Wishing you the very best! The pre planned taxi sounds like a great idea.
 

Warrigal, wishing you the very best. Could you explain what is an "ocular implant"? I don't know what that is.
Thanks.
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They remove the lens that no longer transmits the light properly and pop in an artificial lens. The new lens sits in the original capsule and healing is less difficult than it was a generation ago when my mother had cataract surgery.

I have started preparation already. I have to administer eye drops four times a day before and after the surgery which I presume is about making sure that the surface of the eye is free of any infection. Tomorrow I ring the clinic to find out when I have to present myself and the day after that, Thursday by our time, I am taken by taxi to a clinic for the procedure. The next day I visit the surgeon in his rooms for him to look me over. The following Thursday I have the other eye done.

I was long sighted as a teen and have astigmatism which is an abnormality in the shape of the eye’s lens or in the curve of the cornea. The lens he implants will take the astigmatism into account and I am hoping that I will once again be able to read most things without needing spectacles.
 
oh WoW !! Good luck Warrigal... hopefully everything will go as you expect.

If you're going by Taxi does that mean you're going alone, or will you have someone with you?

How long re you expecting the recovery period to be ?
 
Best of luck with your procedures, Warrigal. As you said, the success rate for these surgeries is extremely high.

I had both eyes done, one month apart, a number of years ago. The procedures were very quick (less than 10 minutes once begun) and a half-hour later my wife and I were sitting in a cafe having brunch.
 
hollydolly said:
oh WoW !! Good luck Warrigal... hopefully everything will go as you expect.

If you're going by Taxi does that mean you're going alone, or will you have someone with you?

How long are you expecting the recovery period to be ?
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I will be going alone and recovery is very quick. If I go in in the morning I would expect to be home for around lunch time. The taxi will return me home.

The next day my husband will drive me to the doctor's rooms for a check up. I will be a one eyed woman at that stage and shouldn't be driving. If everything looks good I probably won't need to have the eye covered from then on. I will still need to use the drops for the next week. Then I do it all again for the other eye.
 
I had laser cataract surgery, with new lenses put in, last Oct 2018. I chose the laser, even though it cost us out-of-pocket, because it was highly suggested due to being a Diabetic II. The lens was a specific one, for each eye, and both were part of the out-of-pocket cost as well. The cost: $1,900 for each eye, but I now have 20/20 vision in each eye and only have to wear reading glasses to see iPhone and other small print. No more glasses needed for driving, tv watching, computer or anything else.

After first eye was done, which had the worst cataract, wife and I were totally convienced that the other eye had to be done. Three weeks later, it was done. I'm absolutely AMAZED at my sight now.

One thing to remember, if your Drivers License has a "Restriction" on it of "Eyeglasses", that will have to be changed.
 
Just wait till you see the veggies at the grocery store for the first time after the procedure! I was amazed how bright they were....Only thing I didn't like was looking in the mirror.....For that, blurry was better....:)
 
ClassicRockr said:
I had laser cataract surgery, with new lenses put in, last Oct 2018. I chose the laser, even though it cost us out-of-pocket, because it was highly suggested due to being a Diabetic II. The lens was a specific one, for each eye, and both were part of the out-of-pocket cost as well. The cost: $1,900 for each eye, but I now have 20/20 vision in each eye and only have to wear reading glasses to see iPhone and other small print. No more glasses needed for driving, tv watching, computer or anything else.

After first eye was done, which had the worst cataract, wife and I were totally convienced that the other eye had to be done. Three weeks later, it was done. I'm absolutely AMAZED at my sight now.

One thing to remember, if your Drivers License has a "Restriction" on it of "Eyeglasses", that will have to be changed.
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Yes I am aware of that. I will be having an eye test about 1-2 months after surgery but if I think I can pass the test at the motor registry I will front up sooner.
 
moosehead said:
Just wait till you see the veggies at the grocery store for the first time after the procedure! I was amazed how bright they were....Only thing I didn't like was looking in the mirror.....For that, blurry was better....:)
Click to expand...

:lol: I might take more interest in applying some make up after surgery.
 
Bless your heart Warri. Keep your faith strong, you'll be fine. Soon even my avatar will look like a handsome old fella to you....
 
Everything went well yesterday.
The taxi arrived at 10.30 am and conveyed three patients to the other side of Sydney in the rain. We were at the clinic by 11.45.

The surgery was very quick and absolutely painless. The clinic had a staff of 10 nurses, one admin at the front desk and the two doctors - one surgeon and one anaesthetist. I was sedated but conscious for the entire time and able immediately to walk out into a little lounge for some refreshments once it was done. Out of pocket expense for the day? $75 for the taxi.

For some reason unknown to me I went home (again in the taxi) with my eye uncovered. Others had a gauze pad over one eye. This was a bit disconcerting because it seemed like I had a film of Vaseline across my eyeball. Lights had a radiant halo around them and I wanted to rub my eye to clear them - absolutely verboten at the moment.

Today the aura has gone and I keep looking at the world one eye at a time to test the difference. The 'old' eye is much less clear and the colours are different. White appears cream and all colours are rather muted. With the 'new' eye everything is clearer and brighter, especially letters.

I am due at the surgeon's rooms near my home today for an examination and he will then prescribe new drops to prepare my other eye for the same surgery next Thursday.

I am eager to complete this amazing transformation of my eyesight.
 
Totally delighted for you that everything went so well WG....

Must be very difficult not to rub the newly fixed eye.. but how delighted you must be already to be able to see clearer already even in one eye... :D
 

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