Thursday, October 08, 2020

Eye See

Life gets interesting as the years roll along.  Almost everything that I love doing involves my eyes and my hands.  And speaking of "eyes" here is a partial face that I painted in watercolor. I love that eye. 
Since long ago (third grade to be specific)  I have worn glasses because I am near-sighted. That has gotten worse as the years progressed. Although in the past 3-5 years, the change in prescription has been minimal or non-existent.    

A couple of months ago, I started to notice that my left eye vision seemed blurry.  I knew that my yearly appointment with the ophthalmologist was in early October. So I watched and waited.  The day of my appointment when the tech did the "over-refraction" we saw that the left eye vision was horrible. I mean seriously, the big E was blurry.   She then did an optic nerve scan to rule out that possibility. 

Finally the Doc came in.  (FYI - I love this guy's way with patients.) He did a lot of looking and then told me the "bad" news.  The cataract in my left eye has gotten a LOT worse.  

Frankly, at this point, I considered that good news.  The optic nerve looked okay, no problems with the macula, retina, or any of the other eye structure. We can fix this.  

Now the surgeries are scheduled and my eyes have been measured for the replacement lens which will correct for distance.  I will be able to walk in the rain without blurry vision. Yes, that is such a simple thing, but I am counting it as a big blessing. I will need reading glasses, but I will be able to do many things without glasses. 

As an aside, when the office called in the prescriptions for the drops I will need, they warned me that the price could be prohibitive even with insurance.  Ha ha!   They said I should call if that was the case and they could prescribe something less expensive.   The price?  It was more than half my monthly income.  I called.  Working with them and the pharmacy, by using alternate drugs we got the price down to less than $35.   
Moral of the story, don't be afraid to call the doctor and say "I just can't afford that medicine. Is there an alternative?"

So I may be Missing In Action for a while - I may not be commenting as much since my eyes will need time to heal and rest.  But I am most likely going to be just fine.  

By the way if you have any suggestions for things I can do without "looking" a lot - drop them in the comments.  I have a few ideas but not enough.
 

Until Next Time,  
Stay Creative 


Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in comments will result in the entire comment being deleted.

9 comments:

Pamela Arbour said...

I wish you the best and I am glad that you found a cheaper drug. I was wondering if you tried that PrescriptionRX that has been advertised on TV? I don't know if that would apply to your medication or not.

Linda Swanekamp said...

I have used Good Rx at times to lower costs. Hope the surgery goes well. I have cataracts that will need attention in the future. I also have glaucoma which makes me more nervous. If I think too much about my eyes, it is paralyzing. Take care of yourself and relax with some music which I know you love.

Barbara said...

Thank goodness the diagnosis was good news, not bad. Cataracts are almost always fixable. I’ve been through it for both eyes, it was so easy and comfortable, and I don’t miss my glasses 24/7 at all. I see without them, it’s wonderful. Yes, close up vision still needs readers, but any will do. They don’t need to be pricey. Best wishes for a great outcome. I’m betting on that.

Debbie said...

You knew it was coming. So glad you got all the details worked out. You are going to love being able to see the both eyes again, won't you? Stock up with books on tape to listen to, or extra large print crosswords...maybe.

A Left-Handed Quilter said...

I'm glad it was good news! And I'm glad that you spoke up and found a cheaper alternative to the medicines prescribed - it doesn't hurt to ask. As far as things to do without "looking" - I can't think of much other than what has already been mentioned - books on tape - listen to music - practice your ukulele - maybe set up something to weave if you can do it "by touch". I hope your surgery goes well - and you can take all the time you need to "get better" - we will be here when you get back - ;))

Quilting Gail said...

Gene, I love your positive outlook about your eyes!
What a blessing to still have sight - even if you need surgery ... you can do this!
Something to do that requires little sight ... listen to audio books ... I can get them free from the library (for 3 weeks). Get their system set up before you have the surgery! Another thing you can do is dream ... dream about things you can create when your eyes have recovered ... take a notebook and quickly write down your ideas so you can twig your memory later!
Best wishes for a successful surgery! (and don't forget to take those eye drops!)
Quilting Gail

Barbara said...

Me too, Jen.

PS...forgot to mention your watercolor, Gene. I love it!

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

My father in law has had cataract surgery. I'm sure you will do well. How about audio books?

Kathleen said...

Good luck with your surgery! My husband is up for his, and being nearsighted all my life, I look forward to the reading glasses only time in my life....I have them, but it is not time yet. Wishing you a speedy recovvery.