My partner's op is in 4 weeks -I need help to help him thru

[Andrew MacLean]

Time is passing, and the date is drawing closer. How is your partner getting on?

Andrew

[GarethB]

I lived in a quiet village and it was great going on regular walks just to escape the house. As I had got used to going places with no useable vision doing the same post graft was no problem but I did stick to the footpaths.

If I wanted to go further afield I would go with a member of the familly or a friend, sometimes we would be gone all day. A trip across the fileds to the next village, stop for lunch at the pub and walk back.

Different cnsultants have different opinions on this which I have found to be based on their expereince of patient recovery so there is probably no definitive write or wrong. Just be guided by your consultant.

[tneedham]

Hi.
I am anna's partner who is having the PK 3 weeks today. Beginning to get a bit nervous about it all.
You comments to anna's post have both put my mind at rest about some issues and also highlighted some that we hadnt even considered.
Luckily i wont have too much of a problem adjusting to vision in only 1 eye as i have been wearing a patch for the last 5 months, there is no useful vision in the offending left eye.

The most dificult thing for me so far has been coming to terms with losing my sporting activities, i do extreem water sports and ice hockey, i have finally said goodbye to all my kit as i have been advised that i wont be able to do any of these for probably at least 5 years.

I realise that this will also be a dificult time for anna, as i will have to rely on her quite a lot.

Thank you for your posts, keep them coming.

Tom

[GarethB]

TNeedham,

Post graft after the second eye was done I started motor racing again because I got the required vision for my MSA licence with glasses. That was only 12 months after the second graft.

Only had to give it up again 4 years ago because I needed to go back to RGP's again, but for past 12 months or so I have been working with the makers of the Kerasoft 3 and we think we get the required vision on a soft lens which could meant a return to competative motorsport as a driver rather than my current status as mechanic.

It is good to have a goal to help get your vision back. You may even be able to return to extreme sports again. Everyone who has told me I can't do something becuase of my vision has had to eat humble pie. It is just knowing the issues and sometimes the risks and taking steps to overcome problems and taking the appropriate safety measures.

For water sports I have a very good swim mask which keeps water sufficiently out my eyes so the grafts and contact lenses are protected.

The only thing I can not do post graft is drive without corrected vision, so far I have found away to overcome all the other chalenges put my way.

Good luck with the graft, I am sure you will be like the rest of us and wonder what all the fuss was about.

Regards

Gareth

[rosemary johnson]

Hallo Tom,
GOod to hear from you.
I can well understand you getting jittery about a forthcoming graft.
MOst people come through them fine - some think they are excellent, some find they don't quite come up to their high hopes ..... but fortunately very few have horrible experiences.
I wrote a checklist for those last-minute questions to ask, for people who wonder on the day whether they are really doing the right thing. If I ever have to have another graft - or any other op - I'll write it on my arm and read it before I go into the theatre - and probably in the theatre too!
I suggest you draw up your own - to remind you why you wanted to go for this and help you think it through if you're wondering at the last minute.
I think mine is still here somewhere further down the forum - but I can rewrite it for you if you like. But do think of your own.
Also, beware of ward staff - nurses, porters, whoever - who are used to people getting the jitters and Shanghai'ing people through the procedure without letting them think enough to back out - do not let them!! SOme jitters may be reasonable and you should have time to think.
If you do get that "bad feel", don't be afraid to listen to it. The "professionals" do know about eyes and what "most people" experience. They don't know YOU; they are your eyes and it's your health.
The chances are you'll be fine and it will work out well and you'll be glad you did it.
Good luck!
Oh, one more thing: make sure you have lots of clean towels washed and ready before the op.
Why? You'll have lots of eye drops to put in. One way of doing this is to lie flat on your back on the bed with the bottles/droppers above. If you're like me and tend to get drops running down your face at least as often as going stright inthe eye first time, towels prevent the soggy pillows.
Also check you have a stock of neurofen/paracetamol/aspirin in case.
Rosemary

[GarethB]

I find putting eye drops in is made easier by looking in a magnifying mirror on the wall and pulling the lower id down and forward a fraction makes a handy well big enough to hold a single drop from the dropper bottle you are given. Then moving my eyes only look down, up and side to side, holding the position for the count of 3 and then a couple of rapid blinks moves the drops completly over they eye. I was taught this when I had drops for my grafts and still use it and rarely do drops end up running down my face.

We all have our own technique and it is a case of trying different ways and finding what suits you best.

[rosemary johnson]

I'm too short-sighted to see what I'm doing with drops in a mirror without my contact lens in.......
As you say, though, each to their own.
The lying on one's back onthe bed tip came from the nurse - a guy called Tom - who gave me the drops the day after my op.
Oh, this reminds me: other things to invest in:
1. an ice-pack or cool pack. If they give you preservative-free eye drops just ofter the op, they'll probably tell you to keep them inthe fridge once opened, If you want to go out anywhere, wrap the bottles up in/with and ice pack or coolpack.
2. some micropore tape, for fastening the eye patch over your eye before going to bed, or out inthe wind, etc etc. The hospital expected me to provide my own, which meant inthe state I was in after the op, I spent 3 days with the thing held on with masking tape.
Rosemary

[cclman]

I would also add for what its worth. At night you move around (I had crosslinking and I do move around in my sleep) I have on occasion found myslef itching an eye. If you have a graft touching or itching an eye while asleep would be a little er....dangerous. Is it possible to get some kind of plastic eye mold/cover or patch that you can secure/fix over the eye at night so it wont come off and so the eye can't be touched, scratched or knocked? just an idea to mull over P.S I can't do my extreme sports anymore since the crosslinking, so I'll have to give up naked pot hole-ing and snake charming....oh well thats life !

[tneedham]

Cheers for the replys
I stupidly started looking at youtube PK operation clips last night. I feel sick!(and so now do my workmates he he )
I have no problems with drops, i wear a scleral lens and have to apply saline to keep my eye moist at least every hour, the coolpack is definately a good idea, better get one in advance, otherwise i will end up using frozen peas!
what age are you cclman? i'm only 28, i dont feel ready to give it all up just yet! Is there anyone on the forum my age who has had it done?
I definately want to go for it. i have had no useable vision in my left eye for 6 months, my right eye is struggling at work (i am a mechanical engineer so sight is kinda essential) my current situation is not sustainable. things can only get better huh?

Tom

[GarethB]

tneedham,

I am older than you but my first graft was at 18 and the second at 19. The first was done straight after A levels when I started Uni legally blind to study microbiology, by the time the second was done a year later I had sufficient vision to do the first years practicals. So like you vision was important to my job and 20 years on it still is.

Spent the first half this year doing major engineering work on my car, most done with out lenses whcih means being legally blind in one eye and much reduced vision in the other. Did wear my lenses though when using any machinery, other bits I found far easire to rely on my sense of touch.

Surprised the guys in the workshop at work when I demonstarted I could use their CNC machine with no real vision! Safety interlocks meany you cant't come to any harm