I got a good report! Vision in my left eye is 20/50+2! That's better than I had two days before surgery! In a few months, I can be fitted for a change in eyeglass prescription.
I was a bit worried because of the pain levels and visual distortion that I've been enduring since the retinal detachment occurred. On Monday, he informed me, "A lot of pain and significant distortion of vision the first month mean nothing." I can expect more episodes of pain, but not as frequently as I've been having since the first day of the retinal detachment. My retinal surgeon also advised applying Refresh PLUS every hour while I'm in the dry-air building where I work. Barring complications, vision should continue to stabilize over the next six months to two years.
I still have a few restrictions: no use of the shampoo bowl at the beauty parlor and no dye job. I'll be white-headed by Christmas. Who cares? Good vision counts for much more! The gas bubble needs to stay put where it is right now for optimal recovery of vision.
My next appointment with the retinal surgeon is in January.
I still find that sitting in front of the computer monitor for long periods of time results in eye discomfort.
White headed is not the end of beauty...Vision does indeed count for sooooo much more. Good news AOW!
ReplyDeleteI am 5 weeks post-op today. Right now, my eye feels NORMAL -- for the first time since the detachment of September 28.
DeleteBut it's been quite rough all those weeks. Life on hold!
I am following my surgeon's orders to the letter, and he told me that such diligence in the key to a good result.
As for my white hair, I have some hats. **smile**
Great to hear, AOW.
ReplyDeleteI hope the discomfort completely fades soon.
Good news AOW. And don't fret about your hair gal, just think about the song 'White Christmas' and all the beautiful things that God provides that you will continue to see.
ReplyDeleteThis too shall pass. :)
ReplyDeleteYou already know what I think about all this, so there's no need to repeat it here, AOW.
ReplyDeleteHowever, an idea just popped into my aged-but-still-hirsute head:
If the idea of going white really bothers you, why not revive the custom wearing a set of decorative TURBANS? Women of Fashion did that in the 1920's and looked very chic and exotic. Also, just wrap a pretty scarf around your hair (Whatever you do DON'T wear it like a "babushka!" -- that Russian Peasant look is O-U-T, thank God! ;-)
You can tie the scarves into a knot at the nape of your neck, and let the tails flow freely down your back. You can even pin a favorite brooch to accent the charm of it all.
IMAGINE! You can have fun masquerading as a MAHARANEE or a GYPSY PRINCESS.
That would set your students -- and their parents -- to scratchin' their heads, wouldn't ?
All I'm saying is that when life plops a pile of poop into your lap, the best thing to do is start making MUD PIES. Think of sending them C. D. to Obama, Hillary, Pelosi, Reid, and your revolting new carpetbagger of a governor,Terror McFallcliffe! ;-)
FT,
DeleteThe hospital gift shops and other retail shops sell special turbans for breast cancer patients. I may invest in a few of those scarves -- if my hair starts looking too weird.
I also have a few beautiful crocheted hats. In a pinch, they'll do!
Great news!
ReplyDeletePs, white hair is beautiful.
Jen,
DeleteMy natural gray was mousy when it first started coming in. Maybe it's brightened up a bit by now.
I guess that I'm going to find out.
Delighted to hear the good news! What's a blogger to do? :)
ReplyDeleteThis is good news, very good news. What you have experienced sounds so scary, white hair is nothing in the grand scheme of things. If you are like me, you probably have no idea what you will look like with white hair. I started putting a rinse on my hair at the first site of grey hair and continued to do it myself at home until I finally decided I needed a professional. My hair is long and it is easier to have a professional. Every 4 weeks I spend an hour getting the color touched up. The color is exactly what my natural color is and I plan to continue this unless, like you, I have some reason not to...
ReplyDeleteI am so thankful that you are continuing to get better.
Debbie
Right Truth
http://www.righttruth.typepad.com
We'll see just how gray my hair gets. I've been applying some sort of color since my first gray hair about 30 years ago: hair painting, frost, foiling, and, in the past few years, the entire dye job; the sun also brightened my hair color. I deliberately got rid of the auburn tones (my natural color -- I think) and went toward the blond end of the spectrum (ash blond) so that the gray would blend in.
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of color-out-of-a-bottle remaining so far, but the white roots are definitely starting to show. I'll have two-toned hair until the gas bubble is completely absorbed. I'll wait until mid-January for the definitive go-ahead from the retinal surgeon.
Great news on the eye! Everything else is secondary. Stay the course, my friend!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYAY!
ReplyDeleteOdie,
DeleteI'm definitely in a better frame of mind the past week or so. Tension levels here were running high. Too much suspense!
Great news. I like it.
ReplyDeleteJason,
DeleteThis has been an experience that I don't care to repeat.
However, if the end result is good -- I'll know more in a few months -- then what I've endured has been worth it. Mr. AOW and I are still planning a trip to Monument Valley -- if my vision is good enough to do that much driving.
This is good news! Glad to hear it, AOW.
ReplyDeleteStogie,
DeleteSince I published this blog post, the vision in my operated eye has dramatically improved. I can actually read now with operated eye. Yeehaw!
I can tell you this: I was really scared by this retinal detachment. Mr. AOW and I are alone in the world and quite vulnerable when it comes to taking care of ourselves, particularly when I am ailing.