Early onset.
Optician was to refer me, and after waiting the 9 months, discovered he hadnt, 2nd 8 month wait for 1st consultation, and told it would be another 9 months for actual surgery - result pretty much blind. Was cycling even knowing it was dangerous. grey cars blended into the road and other cyclists were pretty much invisible.
Funny how you take your sight for granted until you discover how precious it really is.
Decided to go private. Was already with Benenden health on mothers policy, and discovered after only 5 months on it i could get it done by them. +£1200 for the M&S lenses as opposed to the standard NHS/Aldi option
First eye done on Thursday last.Bloody hell, what a difference. 2nd eye is a fortnight later. After 17mth wait, and to wait a further 9 months, to visit the Nuffield in Glasgow-appointment 25th may-1st operation scheduled 3 weeks later im wishing id taken this option first instead of trying to wait for the nhs to get its finger out.
Lenses EMV/Toric - I think. Oddly enough i couldnt real all the literature 😆
Any advice on when its safe to cycle. or do anything normal like go out wind/dust.
Following all their advice of stuff not to do, but any other tips would be appreciated.
I had it done last year - only in right eye a “fast growth cataract” as a result of an earlier head injury (5 yrs previously - apparently a common side effect of concussion!)
This doesnt help you now but I was referred by my optician to a private hospital but paid for by NHS - I was seen 2 days later and could have had the op the day after if we hadn’t been going away! As it was, mine was done 2 days after we got back from holiday. Worth folk knowing that this is possible - just ask your optician when you first get the diagnosis - in my area (Cheshire) the NHS waiting list is essentially open ended as the backlog is huge, so they are using private hospitals for new referrals
in terms of your question - no bending down or straining (not even hoovering) for a week, no cycling for a month so stick to gentle exercise only - and when you do go out on your bike, make sure to wear shades - like you say, you now know how important your eyes are 👍👍
That's a terrible delay.
SIL was seen within a month and operated on (both eyes a week or two apart), and my dad was told a couple of weeks ago not to drive following an eye test - he's in for surgery early July. Both have been private appointments via the NHS though.
a “fast growth cataract” as a result of an earlier head injury (5 yrs previously - apparently a common side effect of concussion!)
Mine i think is down to having to take inhalers for copd and asthma. Theres steroids in them and apparently that can lead to early onset.
Yeah,
NHS has been somewhat disappointing.
Its so underfunded when i went to be tested i got a chair, and a 2nd chair to use as a table.Then some piece of plastic with holes in it to peer through so your could judge how bad they were.
Private was all high end machines and instead of a nurse, got a consultant with about 50 letters after his name.
I hardly hoover anyway 🤣 but its the lack of doing pretty much anything thats getting to me,and the 4 hourly drops is seriously affecting me sleeping.
Though the difference is really amazing. colours so bright its almost trippy.
I had early onset cataracts, probably caused by steroid inhalers like you. I went private and had both eyes done in one sitting, which was a very intense couple of hours.
I couldn't do anything for days; neither eye really worked so I just had to sit and listen to the radio (once I found it!).
I can't remember when I got back to normal, the drops dosage reduced over a week or two and things slowly got back to normal.
Always wear sunglasses and clear glasses on the bike - our kitchen fund is now in my eyes (as my wife likes to remind me) so I feel it's my duty to look after them!
I haven't noticed my eyes are worse at coping with dust or pollen or anything like that. Just had a check-up last month (after 7 years) and my eyes are healthy and performing well. Life-changing from that point of view!
Any advice on when its safe to cycle. or do anything normal like go out wind removed link
Following all their advice of stuff not to do, but any other tips would be appreciated.
As someone working in a major regional NHS eye hospital in a professional capacity, my advice is: take the post op drops as prescribed. Don’t get anything on/in your eye for 4weeks post op. Avoid strenuous activity during the first 2 weeks, and gradually restart after that. Gradually. Not straight to Glentress. Other than that, enjoy the excellent contrast and marvel at how different colours look now 🙂
18 months post ops here.
Key thing as per above is that post op you have a healing process going on and it needs a clean environment to succeed, the drops are usually a combination of goodies to keep things comfortable and infection deflection.
So don’t get anything in your eyes avoid going out if it’s windy avoid dusty environments don’t do any cooking decorating etc be very careful washing hair or face , actually don’t for a week , give the eye time to heal .
This will all be in the post op docs you may not be comfortable reading so have someone help you.
Occasionally things go wrong call the eye clinic without delay for advice.
It is a very common procedure it is life changing for many people, do research and ask questions, your consultant should ask you a lot of questions about your lifestyle and needs if not , if they are brisk and overbearing use somebody else if you can.
I had to use a different consultant for the second eye after a bit of a bodge job on the 1st , turned out ok but nearly had to add another lens to the 1st - this was private job by very highly qualified senior who was determined to carry on despite being unable to measure my eye properly using every gadget tool and 3 people for an hour and a half very flustered - oh outcome not as expected..
Can I ask what the operation is like - I'm not someone that is squeamish - had some massive injuries myself, and some not so pleasant surgery, but eye balls are a thing ?
After the first eye my dad vowed he wouldn't have the other done, so I was somewhat surprised to get a call from the hospital asking me to come and pick him up as they wouldn't let him ride his mobility scooter home - so guess which fit & healthy 55yo then had to ride his mobility scooter home past all the rush hour traffic - oh the shame...
Can I ask what the operation is like - I'm not someone that is squeamish - had some massive injuries myself, and some not so pleasant surgery, but eye balls are a thing ?
Quite intrusive because i really dont like folk touching me(autism thing) but in no way painful.
Lots of pouring saline(or whatever) into the eye, which kind of runs down your neck a bit. and you can feel pressure on it, though again it isnt anything that hurts, even in the slightest.
I believe they vacuum out the old lens, so you hear a kind of whirring/buzzing that goes on for a few minutes.
You have an eye clip in, it doesnt really hunt, maybe nips a bit, so you cant blink, but you are constantly told to stare directly ahead and not move the eye which is tricky, but just needs concentration.
I wondered what you see, because obviously once the lens is removed you see something, which is kind of like very bright multicolours I had 3 large dots in a triangular pattern and just stared intently at them as something to concentrate on.
You'll be breathing through the mouth and that goes as dry as a bone, so you arent really swallowing, just i think trying to hold yourself in a kind of unmoving state(if that makes any sense) breath in breath out, stare directly ahead, breath in breath out ...
I think it takes about 20 mins tops. Surgeon, at least the my surgeon gives lots of 'youre doing fine' encouragement, basic details of what he is doing like the vacuum 'you'll hear a bit of buzzing' that kind of thing.
They then tape a plastic shield on over the eye. Just clear with lots of breather holes, no absorbent pad, then being private off to your own wee room, that has a nice coffee machine in it. You can sit there guzzle the nice coffee for a few hours or lie down, but i just wanted to get up the road.
Initially you can see kind of normally, but thats just the anesthetic which when it wears off you get a bit blurry, and all lights have massive starry halos around them. Your eye is kind of just open a slit, but over the course of the day it opens more.
The next day was a lot better. A bit tender due to it all getting messed around but nowt much. Takes a day at least for it to open more,but probably three or four to open fully.
Day two youre on the drops. 4 weeks of that- two types, four times a day and you cant do anything. Sit and watch TV, marvel at the amazingly sharp and bright colours, but otherwise boring as F***
Today is day 7, so one week from the operation and it feels like ive been sitting doing nothing for a month.
What's it like?
I had cataract surgery 2 years ago for a problem thickened traumatic/concussion cataract from an old eye injury. (SpaMedica who do a lot of W Yorks NHS cases). It could have been the bish-bash-bosh style of the surgeon but I found it the most incredible and overwhelming sensory experience I've ever had. It was a truly awful thing to go through. Interestingly, the bunch of pensioners around me in the recovery room all seemed non-plussed about it but they were probably having a simpler procedure for a regular age related one.
Having said that, I had some complications so went back a month later and a different surgeon did a different procedure (partial vitrectomy) but it was a much better experience but I put that down to the surgeon explaining everything to me step by step, and having had the horror show the month earlier.
Back to original q: before I left they basically said to not fly for 2-3 weeks as it messes with the pressure in and on your eyeball and the fluid in your eye that holds the retina in place. This is probably the same advice to not over-exert yourself in the gym. I think it can lead to detached or torn retina issues if you really exert yourself in the early recovery days.
Avoid strong light, dusty atmospheres, vacuuming, intense exercise and other irritants like vegans. No driving for a few days
Once the drops have finished get yourself some Hycosan Extra drops from your optician or Boots or Amazon etc
