astigmatism and cataracts

[rosemary johnson]

thanks for the comments.
I do know that steroids can be useful meds - unfortunately, the effect of the op (in which they gave me an intravenous dose that caused havoc) I am now so sensitive to steroids that even a small quantity sets off the hallucinations again.
I think if anyone here had had the same hallucinations, you'd not want any more of them!
Four drops a day might be possible - or it might not.
SO long as they don't give me too much more in the eye actually during an op.
Needless to say, I will not EVER in my life agree to a general anaesthetic when I'm in a legally competent frame of mind to be asked to do so (and I won't ever again let myself be coerced into one whilst NOT in a legally competent frmae of mind, I assure you) SO i'v steroids along with the anaesthetics won't arise again.
As regards cataract v. rejection:
For ME, personally, it goes like this:
If I stop the anti-rejection steroids, it may never reject. And stopping may prevent (further) cataract development and sort out glaucoma (if high IOP is reaction to steroids rather than new asthma inhalers).
If I keep them on, I may develop a cataract, which it may be impossible to treat because I'm too sensitive tot h post-op steroids, and may develop to have serious effect on vision.
If I stop the anti-rejection drops, the THING may reject - and I'm too sensitive to steroids to be able to use enough to stop a rejection, so if it starts it will just go.
If I keep on the anti-rejection drops, it may start to reject anyway.
If it rejects totally, I won't be able to see anything out of it, and that will be that - far too sensitive to steroids to try another graft op.
WIll a cataract eventually develop enough to obscure as much vision as a rejection? - I don't know.
If it rejects, it is likely to hurt while it is doing so. I don't know for how long, but the main concern in the whole issue is that it will hurt enough to trigger production of enough endogenous steroids as to get the hallucinations going full whack again.
Meanwhile.... if stopping the dexa. also cures the high IOP because it was a steroid reaction that coused it, and I can stop the anti-glaucoma drops, then hopefully the eye won't be hurting most of the time already because it doesn't like the glaucoma drops.
OTOH, if it doesn't, using glaucoma drops and no anti-imflammatory steroids may mean it hurts enough from the glaucoma drops to get the hallucinations going again from endogenous pain steroids.
Not to mention sleepless nights.
Ever felt like a piece of lumpy wallpaper?? - push down one bubble and 3 more pop up!
Lots of questions for the hospital in a couple of weeks anyway.
I've no idea, of hand , whether glaucoma, cataracts or both were mentioned on the yellow form in the possible risks box - by the time I was stupid enough to sign the thing, I was in no state to take in the boxes, let alone being fit to sign it! I don't remember it being discussed at the appointment when I booked the op. I'm sure I probably read about it in some of the paperwork, or heard about it in some of the speakers at group meetings/confs. THing is, until you get too sensitive to steroids to take post-op meds, cataracts aren't a serious problem....
Rosemary