Here Endeth the Eye Saga

It's finally over.  My eyes are wonderful, I can see clearly, and all is well with the world.

It was a long time in getting here.  It's been a rough road, and the one positive outcome of that road is that I very much appreciate the vision I have now.

I'm happy to report that there is no double vision, my eyesight has actually improved (an unexpected side effect), and I only need glasses to drive or watch movies (and Dr. Guyton keeps insisting I don't have to wear them even then - I think it's because his vision is at the same point, and he doesn't want to have to wear corrective lenses!).

There were times I wasn't sure I'd be in this place.  I couldn't imagine seeing without seeing double.  I couldn't imagine getting into the car and just driving somewhere, regardless of the amount of time it might take me.  I couldn't imagine not restricting my activities because my eyes were too tired.

Now I almost can't imagine what it was like to wake up every morning and see two of everything.  I have almost forgotten how hard it was to make turns in the car (I could concentrate on one of the two images while I was driving, as long as I was driving straight; turns threw everything out the window).  I have almost forgotten the frustration I felt at not being able to do things I always had before:  cross-stitch, quilt, read until all hours of the night....

Almost, but not quite.

Not until my final check-up with Dr. Guyton could I really relax and believe that the much-improved vision and near absence of the double images were going to last.  He told me the eye muscle would stay in place and would never move.

"Never?"  I jumped on that one real quick-like.

"Okay, well, a three percent chance it might move."

I liked "never" better.

But I'm not complaining.  I can drive anywhere I want, even the tiniest bit of double vision is disappearing (Even as recently as a few weeks ago, I would see double if I was very, very tired or if I had too much to drink.  Even now, that's getting better.  I can't remember the last time I saw double.); I have no blurriness when I'm working on the computer (which is what set me on this path in the first place); and my distance vision has improved!

I'm even happy about wearing my new glasses for driving and movie watching.  See, I used to wear contacts all the time because they helped keep my eyes straight.  I could see clearly (you do sense a song coming on, don't you).... all the time.

Since the surgery, I haven't been wearing any glasses or contacts.  I absolutely haven't needed them for up close work, and we were waiting to get to the end of the road to see what to do about distance viewing.  When I first got my glasses last week and looked out at the scenery, the difference was amazing.

Now, my vision isn't that bad (20-30 - improved from 30-40), but it does make a difference in the distance.  It's like looking through binoculars, and you can see that it's a bunny, but just barely.  Then, you slightly turn the adjustment dial on the binoculars, and boom!  You can count how many whiskers on the bunny's cute little head.  I can see clearly now....

I can clearly and happily say that the surgery(ies) was(were) a success.  And that's a huge sigh of relief.

(Since this is the end of the saga, here are all the previous chapters, in case you missed them:)

Aftermath of first surgery

Two weeks after surgery

Seven weeks after surgery, and things aren't looking so good

Breaking down and giving in

Surrendering

Second surgery

A week and a half after the second surgery

What the surgery has really meant 

Wow.  It really is a saga.  :)

Comments

[Olivia]

I'm so glad you're finally ok---what a journey, with so much at risk. I've followed what you've gone through, Dawn, and am SO happy for you!

[zhu]

So glad for you ! Yep, it was a saga... I read the other posts as well !

I have almost no vision in my left eye (20/300) and almost-perfect vision in my right eye. Been to a lot of eye doctors, been poked a lot in my eyes and asked to read countless eye chart. Now I just don't care.

My left eye is starting to drift out more and more, it does bother me a little bit but I don't think much can be done.

I went to see an eye doctorearlier this eye but this is soooo complicated in Canada ! Gotta see an optometrist (and pay for it, not covered by health care) and he-she might refer you to an ophtalmologist.

The optometrist I went to see was nice and I'm sure she was knowledgeable, but she basically told me to live with it. That's it. I was hoping for some answers or alternatives (mostly about the exotropia part... I know I can't see better) and she didn't seem to care much. So she didn't refer me to an ophtalmologist, and I can't say anythig. Frustrating.

Sorry, why am I writing so much about me ???

[Dawn Goldberg]

Zhu,

My experience with optometrists is that they don't know what they're doing when it comes to eye muscles (which is what causes the exotropia problem you and I share). Optometrists specialize in the vision part. I had optometrists tell me that I might need surgery, but that's all they knew. They couldn't say why.

The ophthalmologists specialize in the muscle part and how the eyes all work. Your optometrist really should have recommended you see an ophthalmologist.

As far as your vision, I didn't think this surgery would improve my vision (and I can't tell you why it did, although I know my ophthalmologist told me!). The main thing was the exotropia, which was going to cause my depth perception to deteriorate to the point where it couldn't be corrected.

I'm not sure how the Canadian medical system works, but can you go see an ophthalmologist on your own? Or do you have to have a referral to see a specialist?

Good luck, Zhu!