carbonel: Beth wearing hat (Default)
[personal profile] carbonel
Things I did not know about astigmatism:

1. Some astigmatism is due to a misshaped lens, but most (90% or so) is due to imperfections in the cornea.

2. An optometrist can make a good estimation of the proper astigmatism correction by merely looking at the eye with the right light.

3. A stitch at the top of the eyeball, where a new lens was inserted, can deform the surface of the eye sufficiently to cause double vision.

I saw the ophthalmologist on Wednesday for my one-week follow-up exam. The blurriness had mostly subsided, but I was still experiencing double vision when I looked at lights. Oddly, the doubling was right-to-left with my glasses on, and up-and-down with them off.

The ophthalmologist said I should give it some more time before worrying, then he put some numbing drops in my eye. I thought he was just going to look at the incision, but there was a pause, and he said he'd removed the stitch that was holding the incision closed, and that might help things.

I didn't notice any change immediately, but the next morning, while I was at coffee with Pat (after exercise), I checked my watch without my glasses. I've been doing this, not to find out the time, but because it's a good check of close-up visual acuity. All last week, it had been blurry and double-visiony, but this time it came into sharp focus (at about five inches away and modulo the small flaw that's still at the center of my vision, but both of those are normal).

Pat says she was glad it happened when she could see, because my whole face lit up. Those authors, always looking for material.

The ophthalmologist said I could get the new prescription for my glasses in three weeks. Unfortunately, in three weeks he goes on vacation for a week, and he wants to do it himself. So until mid-April, I'll have to live with left-eye blurriness purely because my glasses prescription is now completely wrong. (VSP pays for new lenses once a year, and I got my last lenses in August; I wonder if cataract surgery counts as an exception to the rule.)

But I think the drama and worry part of the procedure is now completely over for me.

Date: 2010-03-05 03:14 pm (UTC)
ext_87310: (Default)
From: [identity profile] mmerriam.livejournal.com
It is possible that you may be able to get the new lens paid for (or mostly paid for) because of the surgery. In my case, Medicare paid for 80% of my new lens, even though they do not have a regular prescription glasses benefit, because after my surgery my lens counted as "necessary post-surgical durable medical equipment" and were covered under part "B"

Date: 2010-03-05 04:44 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rvrjoe775.livejournal.com
Glad the double vision cleared up!

And because I don't post often enough, I'll finally say here it was quite nice our paths crossed at LAX.

Date: 2010-03-05 04:49 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] 1crowdedhour.livejournal.com
But I think the drama and worry part of the procedure is now completely over for me.

I'm so glad! Thanks for the update.

Optical stuff

Date: 2010-03-05 05:14 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] markiv1111.livejournal.com
I'm wondering and/or concerned -- is there any way you can drive a car right now, and if not, can you rearrange your life so that the lack of driving doesn't pose a major problem? Note: My astigmatism (called "residual astigmatism") is one of the few where there is a problem with the lens, and actually, the lens bends one way, the globe the other. Dr. Grant Lindskog, the optometrist on Vashon Island, said the Bucklins were the only family he had ever checked out, where the whole family had it. In any event, I sincerely hope I never need surgery; you write well and are obviously getting better, but I still don't want to trade you places!

Nate

Date: 2010-03-05 05:32 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] barondave.livejournal.com
Great! Glad things have settled into a useful shape.

Date: 2010-03-05 08:57 pm (UTC)
pameladean: (Default)
From: [personal profile] pameladean
Oh, good, that's a great relief. More to you than to me, I'm sure.

P.

Date: 2010-03-05 09:25 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dreamshark.livejournal.com
Yay! I was just starting to worry that we hadn't heard any news for a while.

It's weird to think of having a stitch removed from your eye. Urgh. Glad it was such a positive experience.

Date: 2010-03-06 04:50 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] erikvolson.livejournal.com
That's great to hear!

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carbonel: Beth wearing hat (Default)
carbonel

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