Unrealistic time frame ??

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optom
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Unrealistic time frame ??

Postby optom » Thu 21 May 2009 5:04 pm

Hi guys i am an optometry student in dublin . bit of background i have had KC since i was 12 bilateral with gross asymmetry at the start right eye much worse than the left. i wear a piggy back combination on my left eye with hardly any trouble and have vision of 6/7.5. i was due to have graft on the right eye i n January of this year but it was postponed due to some problem with the tissue. i am now scheduled to have my op on the 16th of june. i finish my college exams on the 29 of may and am due t o start my optometry placement on the 1st of july give or take a week( all willing i pass my exams )

my question is , is my time frame way too short , i have been reading some post op blogs from here and people seem to be off work for 5 weeks ??? is this normal ??

Loopy-Lou
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Re: Unrealistic time frame ??

Postby Loopy-Lou » Thu 21 May 2009 5:46 pm

Most people take 6 weeks off

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Anne Klepacz
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Re: Unrealistic time frame ??

Postby Anne Klepacz » Thu 21 May 2009 8:14 pm

Welcome optom! People vary quite a lot in how much time they need. Some here have gone back after 2 wks, I took 3 wks off after each of my grafts, others have taken longer. The fact that you have good corrected vision in the other eye should help. And surely, given that it's an optometry placement, you'll have lots of sympathy and understanding if you do need longer!
All the best for 16th.
Anne

optom
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Re: Unrealistic time frame ??

Postby optom » Thu 21 May 2009 8:54 pm

would you mind please telling me why a six week period is normal is it pain , due to waiting for vision development ????

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Andrew MacLean
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Re: Unrealistic time frame ??

Postby Andrew MacLean » Thu 21 May 2009 9:19 pm

Welcome to the forum

I had six weeks off after my first graft, and I think only two, or maybe three after my second. It has to do with the problem of IOP and the risk to the graft if IOP rises too much.

All the best.

Andrew
Andrew MacLean

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rosemary johnson
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Re: Unrealistic time frame ??

Postby rosemary johnson » Thu 21 May 2009 9:37 pm

Hi and welcome. And good luck witht he exams.
SOme of the factors that affect how soon you can go back to work:
1. whther you have a general or local anaesthetic. It takes time to gt over a general; I was advised two weeks off work to get over a general.
2. how well you can cope with a job with only the other eye working
3. the nature of the job - you need to avoid heaving lifting/pushing/pulling etc for 6 weeks or thereabouts. SO a job sitting at an office desk would be fine, but not a job that involved eg. carrying bales of hay and sacks of oats round a stable yard.
4. how well your colleagues and/r cusotmers may react to someone who may look as if they have a sore eye, only one eye working, or an eye ptch on.
5. some people experience more pain than others, and some get vry light sensitive so some jobs eg. looking at computer screens all day, may be a problem
6. the environment you work in - most offices are fairly clean and not too windy; looking after horses, with all that manure, dirty straw, bits of hay and wodshavings and lose hairs when you groom the horses are far from good environments.
Two weeks to start working somewhere that is indoors, clean and doesn't involve heavy lifting should be OK, particularly as your vision inthe other eye is good.
You'll know about bright lights you may meet, and whether you'd be meeting real patients and what to say to them - an optom who's jsut had an eye operation themselves might actually be a good way to relate to patients!
All this is so long as you get over the anaesthetic OK and don't have any particular problems that need rushing back tothe hosptial, or lots of pain.
BTW, you'l probably be putting eye drops in every two hours by then - and they'll probably need to be kept in a fridge. I'm sure that can be accommodated! - optoms must have tea breaks and keep the milk somewhere.
Rosemary

optom
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Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
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Re: Unrealistic time frame ??

Postby optom » Thu 21 May 2009 10:45 pm

thank you so much for that reply best info ive got any where think it might be possible , i have had GA twice before and never reacted so hopefully this wont be any different . how ironic im studying for specialized contacts lenses tomoro and KC is all over the shop , we have a lot going on in these eyes of ours

Loopy-Lou
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Re: Unrealistic time frame ??

Postby Loopy-Lou » Fri 22 May 2009 10:53 am

I got 6 weeks and seen others take 6 weeks which is more about resting rather than pain

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Lynn White
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Re: Unrealistic time frame ??

Postby Lynn White » Fri 22 May 2009 4:31 pm

Hi optom

As the others have said... there is generally a 6 week period following any surgery where one has to take it easy -its the general time healing takes place and it does depend on what you do. When you lift heavy weights, the IOP can rise very sharply - even up to 50 or so depending, and if you have a cornea held in place with stitches, you can see the issues? As an optom, you will have a sedentary job but if you drive to work, then an emergency stop could very well cause some disturbance. Also, if you do have an emergency where the IOP simply just goes up and you need some treatment you need to be able to go and get seen straight away.

Just one thing... you say you wear piggy backing "with hardly any trouble" for your good left eye... really think and make sure what that means as you will be totally reliant on that eye for quite a while in the future!!

Lynn
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Clinical Director, UltraVision

email: lynn.white@lwvc.co.uk

alvin18
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Re: Unrealistic time frame ??

Postby alvin18 » Fri 22 May 2009 6:19 pm

I had one week off from work after my graft :roll:


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