Monday, December 15, 2008

It's Finally Here

So obviously most of you know I have horrible eyesight, and have my whole life...I was 18 months old when I got my first pair of UGLY glasses. Last Spring I started having some major problems with my eyes, and had to start using steroid drops on a monthly basis. The past few months I have seen a ton of different specialists all leading up to today. Basically I have a couple severe things going on, the first is retinal maculation (the membrane near my retina is not shaped correctly-instead of being a straight line, half is straight and the other half is wavy) and the second is corneal degeneration. Right now my eyes are about as healthy as a 60 year old-and they believe the rate my problems are progressing in 10 years I will have the eyes of a 90 year old. Obviously that isn't going to work because I need to be able to see and most 90 years olds have slim to no vision. So....to make a long story short. The Eye Institute of Utah flew the leading implant surgeon in the country to do my implant surgery. I am having what's called an accommodating interocular lensectomy in my right eye and a refractive interocular lensectomy in my left eye. In simple, non-doctor English it means they go in and take my lens out of the back of my eye and implant a silicone one. They also have to reshape my left eye so it will not reject the lens. Scary huh??? But this surgeon is amazing and has come very highly recommended, he definitely knows his stuff. I go into today at 3:30pm to have my right eye operated on and tomorrow morning I go back to have my left eye done. They can't do both eyes at once because it puts too much stress on my head, and I won't regain my vision for 24 hours, so they have to do them separately so I at least have a little vision. I'm so not excited, but I am excited about the outcome. If all goes well the lens with completely correct my far vision up to driving vision, and I may need reading glasses, but that's it. In 3-6 months they will do Lasik to correct any of the near vision problems that I still have. I'll be ok, I'm pretty nervous, anxious, sick to my stomach, etc.... but I know I have to do this if I want to be able to see my kids grow up (literally). I'm doing it this week so my eyes will be pretty much healed by Christmas. Merry Christmas to me-right? I just can't even imagine what is going to be like on Thursday or Friday when I wake up and can read the time on my alarm clock-that is going to be the freakiest thing in the world. Hopefully my next post will be without glasses or contacts :)

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

GOOD LUCK!!! I am sure everything will be just fine! I am jealous that you wont have to wear contacts or glasses anymore! We are excited to see you guys!

JaredandKatie said...

Wow! I had no idea your eyes were that bad!? I'll be thinking of yu today, I'me sure everything will be fine. I am SOOO JEALOUS that you won't have to wear contacts anymore. I have wanted to have Lasik done for YEARS!! Love ya!

E n D said...

Wowzers, that's some serious stuff! Good luck with the surgeries. I'm sure everything will be fine and it will be so great when you don't need contacts or glasses anymore! I had Radial Keratotomy in 2002 and it was the best thing ever! I went in for Lasik but they ended up doing the Laser RK instead because they decided my cornea's were too thin. So anyway, the RK surgery meant a MUCH longer and more painful recovery (I couldn't really see for several weeks, but my vision improved little by little every day). But anyway, the outcome was SO worth it!