Saturday, June 04, 2011

THREE BLIND MICE - THE GIFT OF SIGHT


Neighbor, Myself, Husband

         Three blind mice. Three blind mice.

See how they run. See how they run.
They all ran after the farmer's wife,
Who cut off their tails with a carving knife,
Did you ever see such a sight in your life,
As three blind mice?
(Lyrics usually sung to the tune of the Old Gray Mare)  


Aren't we cute little mice? This  is a photo of our good neighbor (N), myself and my husband(H)  with the our dark sunshades given us by our opthamologist after cataract surgery. I had my left eye lens replaced May 31. The Day after when the above photo was shot, sunlight is really hurting my eye through those dark shades. My Husband (H) had his cataracts about a year ago and our neighbor had his cataracts removed sometime in between the two of us.

The surgery is nothing like the horrendous procedures our parents and grandparents endured. The procedure itself is less than 30 minutes. You are given VerSed and Fentanyl (at Ozark Eye Clinic) to put you in a suspended state of la-la land, but not general anesthesia (same general classes of drugs given during a colonoscopy or endoscopy).

The eye clinic I use performs the procedure on its premises in a special surgery ward, especially equipped specifically for the procedure. A normal day is about 18 procedures for my opthomologist.You don't even change to a hospital gown!

Riding home, the double yellow stripes marking the center of the highway were bright orange in the left eye, and yellow with the right eye. Ever so often the orange lines wandered off to the right; I had two sets of double lines, yellow and orange. I told my husband I won't be driving if this continued!

The day after surgery the physician examed his work and a refraction test is performed. I aced them both. My left eye was still quite blurred but I could read the refraction letters and numbers as well as if I had my glasses on. They expect these readings to improve.

More importantly the road markings had returned to normal overnight. I drove home. That is even more shocking! I remember in days gone by, cataract removal required a chauffeur for a month or so.

The first day was an Alice in Wonderland experience. Besides the yellow/orange highway markngs, the white calendar sheets and even my white computer screen windows are white with the new lens and distinctly yellow with the right eye lens. I thought the paper had always been white. Something is messing with my mind. In fact every thing white, but especially paper, looks like it had been exposed to the elements for some time from my right eye's view point, and brand spanking new, blinding white from the left  eye's view.

Then I decided to have a Weight Watcher novelty bar, called Strawberry Smoothie Bar, which is pale pink with new lens but an aged yellow with my right eye lens. (The Wal-Mart link shows the correct(?) color, or does it?

The most inconvenient requirement is 3 different eye drops in the eye 4 times a day for 15 days, in addition to my glaucoma drops. Actually about the 10th day you stop one eye drop and continue the others for 5 more days.

It seems as if  I am spending my waking hours glaring at eye drop bottles. It really is going to get hairy when I have the other eye done June 14 and the same regimen is required. The two regimens will be overlapping. YIKES!

The second day vision improved, but the color descrepancies remain to this day. I'll be glad to get the right eye fixed, as one might go mad with two different colors for each eyes, astigmatism, etc. The color descrepancies seem to be more pronounced with  pinkish, or white objects.

One Variety of Hens & Chicks
[I think]
For those who have experienced perfect eye sight, and no glasses, I will not be so lucky, as I have astigmatism in each eye. But being able to distinguish  subtle differences in color will make my photography editing more pleasant, and perhaps focusing a bit easier. My Nikon is not equiped with image stablilization (compensation for camera movement such as hands with tremors), although I am considering a new one---maybe Christmas.

The photos in this post were all taken with my little point-n-shoot Canon PowerShot A1000IS which has autofocusing and image stablization.

A neighbor's son used the camera to take the first picture. I took the remaining 3 pictures.

Below are some photos of a variety of Hens and Chicks I've been told. These semi-arid plants bloom occasionally. Below is a variety I have a lot of.  Don't ask me if the color is right. The photos were taken past full bloom, but I think the tiny flowers were pink with bright yellow centers. But today I really would not bank on my own description!!!

Hens & Chicks [I Think]

Hens & Chicks [I Think]









11 comments:

Rosaria Williams said...

My husband has had both eyes done and now has perfect vision!
I like how you explained the whole thing.

Grandma Yellow Hair said...

Oh my goodness you really have been through it lately. I am so glad that your eyes improved where you could drive. What an experience seeing different colors in each eye.
Eye sight is about the only thing that has not been worked on with me I have to admit I am lucky there.
My kids though all have not and my grandbabies too.
Great pictures!
I hope you have a nice Sunday
Love
Maggie

Anonymous said...

Patty Lincoln, my wife of 56 years come July 12th, had this kind of surgery a year or two ago and was amazed at what all she could see. She went from having to wear glasses to "sometimes" using a pair of dime store magnifiers to read the really fine print. Like you, she loves it. It was quick and easy, she said.

I have always had great eyesight. I can see without glasses but fine print like this on the computer is blurred. So I wear the same kind of glasses that she does though I humored the eye doc and bought one pair of prescription glasses but can't see any difference between his that cost over $100.00 and the $18.00 pair from Walmart.

You three, in that picture, look like good neighbors to me.

Dimple said...

The plants are definitely hens and chicks. My grandmother had this plant in pots,as I remember, but I don't remember the bloom. Very interesting and pretty!

Arkansas Patti said...

Wow, what an experience but you are right, we have come a long way. Hope the color difference straightens out.
So far so good here with my eyes but if it ever came up, I'd do it too.

Sweet Virginia Breeze said...

Glad you're doing OK after your cataract surgery. Think how wonderful everything will look after you have the right eye done.
Your pictures of the Hens and Chicks are striking.

Lorna said...

I took a friend to have this surgery and was amazed at how quickly it went and how unaffected she appeared to be afterward. I barely had time to get into my book in the waiting room.

glad it's going well for you, and I love seeing pictures of U and H and N

Pat - Arkansas said...

I'm delighted that you are doing so well after your first eye surgery, and hope the next one goes as well.

Your hens and chicks are beautiful, whatever color they are. :)

CHERI said...

My friend had cataract surgery and said it was the best thing she'd ever done for herself. Glad yours went well. I hate eye drops but will probably have glaucoma at some point and so definitely seem them in my future! Take care...love the picture of the 3 blind mice:)

Lisa said...

Okay, first I love the picture of you, your hubby and neighbor. It's great!

Second I do hope your eyes will improve more then you expected. I'm sorry your having such a hard time. You really have been through it!

I think your camera does a great job.

Liz Hinds said...

You're looking good! I don't envy you the job of doing all those eye drops at the right times. I have trouble remembering to take one lot of pills a day!
But so glad everything is brighter in your world.