Blackadder1916
Army.ca Fixture
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My doctor forbade me from visiting this website.
Well, actually, he recommended that I stop all computer use. He also restricted sexual intercourse, so eliminating computer use also eliminated one form of that activity. Maybe it was true that doing it too much can make you go blind. I also was not to drive, fly or make a change in altitude (2000 ft either up or down). Reading was out, so was texting or playing video games. While watching television was allowed (as long as the screen was a minimum of five feet away), having to maintain a "face down position" made that activity a little difficult. So I was limited mostly to listening to the radio or TV for the past two weeks.
To be honest the doc wasn't being mean, he had my health in mind so there was a good reason to avoid what (like for many on these means) is usually a daily activity - visiting this site - often multiple times during the day. Well, after a two week absence I'm back.
I woke up one morning a little over two weeks ago and on opening my eyes there were a significant amount of "floaters" in my left eye which were soon followed by a black haze over the whole vision. Visits to my family doctor and then to Emerg soon followed and then to the Eye Clinic at the hospital. Luckily they determined that that it wasn't a retinal detachment (yet) but that a tear was likely. The extent of the damage couldn't be determined due to the amount of blood that blocked visualization of the damaged area of the retina. That also limited the effectiveness of treating it with laser. So after a couple of days of waiting and visiting the clinic to see if the blood had cleared enough to see the damage (it hadn't), I was booked for surgery.
That was a long day. I was admitted early in the morning and since my procedure was tentatvely booked to fit around his already scheduled surgeries (he had a full day) I was the last one of the day. I probably entered the OR shortly before 1800 and they were finished a little after 1830. As I was being readied to be wheeled out the retinal surgeon and anaethestist were chatting about another case that had come in and were wondering if they could fit him in before calling it a day. I finally got home around 2030 hrs.
Yes, I was awake for the surgery. It's done under a local - an eye block. They do offer sedation (I declined), but the anaesthesist did say that he doesn't like giving enough that it puts someone asleep - snoring can cause movement and individuals could suddenly wake up mid procedure in a panic and move. Movement when the sugeon is inside your eye ball with instruments is contraindicated . While the non-affected eye is draped and you can't see what's going on in the OR, I was able to see in silhouette the procedure going on inside my eyeball. It was interesting watching the cutter-aspirator cleaning out the debris, the laser repairing the tear and the air bubble being injected (the bubble functions as a sort of pressure dressing on the retina).
Other than the frustration of needing the surgery (and the potential for other vision problems resulting from this) it was interesting to get a look at the improvements in opthalmic surgery in the 35+ years since my time at NDMC when the ward I worked on dealt with eye surgeries.
In the two weeks since the surgery, I've had to follow the restrictions outlined above. It takes a long time for eyes to heal. While I'm now allowed back on the computer and can start reading again, it'll be another couple of weeks before I can do any heavy (more than 5 to 10 lbs) lifting and it may be two months post surgery before any strenuous activity (i.e. contact sports, etc) is recommended. I still have to wear an eye shield taped over the eye when I sleep, and will probably continue doing so for another week or two. I also have a higher potential for cataracts in that eye needing surgery in the near future.
Oh, the "air bubble" and "face down position". The positioning is required to keep the bubble centred and against the affected area of the retina. It's like having a spirit (carpenter's) level in your eye. Movement of the bubble becomes more noticeable as it shrinks (it is gradually absorbed and replaced by vitreous jelly); my bubble finally disappeared two days ago.
How did this happen? There was no blow or fall or external injury to the eye. Apparently, as we age (but I still don't think of myself as an old guy) the jelly in the eye shrinks and contracts. When part of the jelly that is in contact with the retina contracts, it can tear the retina causing bleeding. If not treated that injury can lead to detachment (a much, more serous problem). I still have a couple of small floaters in the left eye - it's difficult to remove all debris from the eye unless one sucks it completely dry. Was there anything that could be done to prevent it? I don't know, haven't found any preventive protocols but I would suggest that regular routine exams by an optometrist (glasses wearing pers would normally be covered for every two years) may identify developing problems that could be treated rather simply by laser instead of surgery. It had been several years since I've been to the eye doctor, my glasses prescription didn't need updating. I'll now be making that visit a more routine activity.
Not having been on the site for the last two weeks, I missed the discussion on some interesting events in the world.
Well, actually, he recommended that I stop all computer use. He also restricted sexual intercourse, so eliminating computer use also eliminated one form of that activity. Maybe it was true that doing it too much can make you go blind. I also was not to drive, fly or make a change in altitude (2000 ft either up or down). Reading was out, so was texting or playing video games. While watching television was allowed (as long as the screen was a minimum of five feet away), having to maintain a "face down position" made that activity a little difficult. So I was limited mostly to listening to the radio or TV for the past two weeks.
To be honest the doc wasn't being mean, he had my health in mind so there was a good reason to avoid what (like for many on these means) is usually a daily activity - visiting this site - often multiple times during the day. Well, after a two week absence I'm back.
I woke up one morning a little over two weeks ago and on opening my eyes there were a significant amount of "floaters" in my left eye which were soon followed by a black haze over the whole vision. Visits to my family doctor and then to Emerg soon followed and then to the Eye Clinic at the hospital. Luckily they determined that that it wasn't a retinal detachment (yet) but that a tear was likely. The extent of the damage couldn't be determined due to the amount of blood that blocked visualization of the damaged area of the retina. That also limited the effectiveness of treating it with laser. So after a couple of days of waiting and visiting the clinic to see if the blood had cleared enough to see the damage (it hadn't), I was booked for surgery.
That was a long day. I was admitted early in the morning and since my procedure was tentatvely booked to fit around his already scheduled surgeries (he had a full day) I was the last one of the day. I probably entered the OR shortly before 1800 and they were finished a little after 1830. As I was being readied to be wheeled out the retinal surgeon and anaethestist were chatting about another case that had come in and were wondering if they could fit him in before calling it a day. I finally got home around 2030 hrs.
Yes, I was awake for the surgery. It's done under a local - an eye block. They do offer sedation (I declined), but the anaesthesist did say that he doesn't like giving enough that it puts someone asleep - snoring can cause movement and individuals could suddenly wake up mid procedure in a panic and move. Movement when the sugeon is inside your eye ball with instruments is contraindicated . While the non-affected eye is draped and you can't see what's going on in the OR, I was able to see in silhouette the procedure going on inside my eyeball. It was interesting watching the cutter-aspirator cleaning out the debris, the laser repairing the tear and the air bubble being injected (the bubble functions as a sort of pressure dressing on the retina).
Other than the frustration of needing the surgery (and the potential for other vision problems resulting from this) it was interesting to get a look at the improvements in opthalmic surgery in the 35+ years since my time at NDMC when the ward I worked on dealt with eye surgeries.
In the two weeks since the surgery, I've had to follow the restrictions outlined above. It takes a long time for eyes to heal. While I'm now allowed back on the computer and can start reading again, it'll be another couple of weeks before I can do any heavy (more than 5 to 10 lbs) lifting and it may be two months post surgery before any strenuous activity (i.e. contact sports, etc) is recommended. I still have to wear an eye shield taped over the eye when I sleep, and will probably continue doing so for another week or two. I also have a higher potential for cataracts in that eye needing surgery in the near future.
Oh, the "air bubble" and "face down position". The positioning is required to keep the bubble centred and against the affected area of the retina. It's like having a spirit (carpenter's) level in your eye. Movement of the bubble becomes more noticeable as it shrinks (it is gradually absorbed and replaced by vitreous jelly); my bubble finally disappeared two days ago.
How did this happen? There was no blow or fall or external injury to the eye. Apparently, as we age (but I still don't think of myself as an old guy) the jelly in the eye shrinks and contracts. When part of the jelly that is in contact with the retina contracts, it can tear the retina causing bleeding. If not treated that injury can lead to detachment (a much, more serous problem). I still have a couple of small floaters in the left eye - it's difficult to remove all debris from the eye unless one sucks it completely dry. Was there anything that could be done to prevent it? I don't know, haven't found any preventive protocols but I would suggest that regular routine exams by an optometrist (glasses wearing pers would normally be covered for every two years) may identify developing problems that could be treated rather simply by laser instead of surgery. It had been several years since I've been to the eye doctor, my glasses prescription didn't need updating. I'll now be making that visit a more routine activity.
Not having been on the site for the last two weeks, I missed the discussion on some interesting events in the world.
