What we're stitching now...

That`s odd - so has mine! No-one LIKES the thought of someone messing with your eyes (my deceased brother-in-law had to go on tranquilisers just to have the normal eye-test for glasses!) but truly, John was no more concerned about having the second one done than having a check-up at the dentist. He told me to tell you to just put it out of your mind - there`s absolutely not a hint of pain with it - a tiny bit of discomfort with some of the eye drops, and his second eye did ache slightly the next morning. Not even enough to take any pain-killers, though.

I was watching a Goldfinch on the bird table this morning, and would DEARLY have loved to have seen him clearly!

Pat P

John had another lense put in his glasses to balance his vision until he had this second one done - he`s going back to the optician next week. We think he`ll only need reading glasses now, as he can see perfectly for everything else. (he`s 73). He keeps forgetting that he doesn`t need the specs for driving now, though, and is still always amazed at the difference when he takes them off! I have to remind him to remove them!

Pat P

n Sun, 13 Nov 2005 10:43:17 GMT, "Pat P" wrote:

Just throwing my 2 cents in. Both of my parents had cataract surgery, and it was very successful for them. Mom had surgery on both eyes, no bruising, very little discomfort, and now only wears glasses for reading.

take care, Linda

I chose the reverse operation; I can still read without glasses and stitch, but wear glasses for TV, outside etc. I am used to the specs, have worn them over 60 years, and prefer to continue to do normal inside the house things without them. Gillian

That's what I did too. My near vision is okay for reading and needlework and my distance vision needs corrective lenses. I started wearing glasses for distance when I was 8 and didn't want to change.

My doctor asked me a dozen times if I was sure that was what I wanted and finally admitted that he had done the same thing for himself, but hadn't had very many patients ask for it to be done that way.

Lucille

Yes, it's Vikki's silks I'm ogling, but I just bought airline tickets to England, so I'm thinking the silks will have to wait until after the first of the year.. just as well, since I'm now too excited about the trip to be able to settle down and work on anything that large. LOL

I do plan on using one of her silks for Rosemarkie when I break down and add it to my stash. I'm using a Needlepoint Inc. silk for St. Germain, and while I do like it, I think I really do prefer her silks. Tegan

Are you sure we aren't twins? Abour a month apart age-wise, similar cataract stuff. The only problem is that Max would thing Puff a woose. Gretel would be petrified of another dog!! Gill

Could be and for me if I had a sister, I would be delighted if it were you. As far as Puff is concerned, he definitely is a woose and it would be fun to see what he would do if he met a dog that was scared of him. I think it would confuse him no end.

Lucille

Of course John only wore glasses all the time comparatively recently, but I`ve had them since I was about ten, and if I can manage without them after I have my op., I shall dance for joy! (Or at least hop!) Before you ask, I just don`t like the idea of contact lenses.

Pat P

Pardon the intrusion, but since some of you have already had eye surgery and mentioned drops and local anesthics, does anyone know if the surgery is possible under general anesthic, i.e., with the patient asleep? I'm wondering because I see with my left eye and always have (the right one saw approximately 2-inches past my nose at best, though now has a centralized spot in the center), and I can't even stand the light they use to examine your eyes in my left eye, nor could I put in a contact lens without looking sideways and placing it on the white of the eye first. Since they'd probably not ever try to correct the right eye, that leaves the left eye. Probably should admit: I'm a white-knuckled statue when having my teeth cleaned, as well. All comments appreciated.

-- Carey in MA

I'm not sure exactly what kind of anesthetic was used for me, but it was given in an IV drip and I slept like a baby. They did tell me what it was at the time but I can't remember now. I did wake for a moment when he opened my eye to do whatever was necessary and I remember the doctor speaking to me and saying something like everything's fine. I must admit that at that time he could have done whatever he cared to and I wouldn't have objected. Talk about being relaxed! lol

I know I drifted off immediately after that and was very surprised when they woke me and said you can get up now. Apparently it was a light anestetic with no after effects and I was wide awake in an instant. Whatever it was, it was great.

Lucille

Carey,

I am a total wuss when it comes to stuff being done to me. I can only report from the first cataract surgery.

I told the doctor I wasn't good at having things done to my eyes. I blink, water etc (let alone cringe). There was an anesthesiologist (MD) at the head of my bed. I had an IV inserted. This is 18 months back, but from my memory, I was very "high". My head was stabilised, a sheet (with appropriate holes) over my face. I was REALLY snoozy throughout the whole thing. When asked if I felt anything the answer was always "NO".

The eye surgeon wanted me to keep the patch over my eye for three days if I could stand it. Being a stubborn Brit, I stood it!!

I am always happy to stick needles in people, but hate it done to me. I have to admit the procedure was great.

Where I live in Lakeland FL, there is an outpatient Surgi-center. It is owned and utilised by the orthopedic guys, the colonoscopy guy(been there, done that twice) the ophthalmologist etc.. The staff are all RNs and are so great!!

I am happy to go back and get the left eye fixed. I am stitchng a Celtic knot wedding sampler for DS and his Japanese bride. I want to get as much dome a I can before I take a two week furlough!!

Get your eye fixed. Do NOT hesitate to ask questions. I used a guy who came well recommended to me by friends who has the surgery done.

Gillian

I canot imagine not needing glasses. They're the first thing I reach for in the morning. If my eyes get any worse, I'll need to sleep in glasses in order to find my glasses in the morning.

And I didn't wear glasses at all until I was in my mid 40s.

-- Jere

Hey Carey,

My sister had hers done at MassGeneral, downtown and has been really really happy with it.

Elizabeth

You sound like me - we always have to yell for each other if we mislay our specs. You can`t find them if you`re not wearing them. At least John COULDN`T, but he can now, so has been promoted to chief spectacles finder.

He also has hearing aids, and when he first puts them in in the morning always calls out "Can you HEAR me?", to which I always reply "No". The dog ate one when she was a puppy. The hospital said it was quite common!!!

Oh, the delights of getting old - but it sure beats the alternative! John`s definitely my bionic man! LOL!

Pat P

You're probably far sighted, which is when you can see distance but not close up. Gill and I are nearsighted, which is often something you're born with. In my case It has to do with the fact that my eyeball is long and narrow instead of being perfectly round. I needed glasses for distance when I was a little kid but didn't realize it till they did an eye chart test when I was 8 and discovered that I couldn't see more than a few feet in front of me.

Since I was very short I sat in the front of the room and could see the blackboard and I wasn't particularly athletic so I spent a lot of time reading, which didn't require glasses ever. It was the biggest surprise to me when I got my first pair of glasses and found out that the green globs in the trees were actually individual leaves and they had points on them. Who knew !!

Lucille

Surprisingly, I have nothing x-stitch or needlepoint on the go.

My main focus is a Bucilla felt christmas tree skirt. I had great fun doing the ornaments a few times, I figured why not a tree skirt (OK, or 2). I got them when they went on sale at Mary Maxim last spring. It's been ongoing since July.

a few changes. I put our names on the list rather than thestamped ones. Also, the bear in the sack to the right of Santa nowsports a Canadian flag. All I have left to do is the train and dollcarriage to the left of Santa, and rickrack all around the edge.I have few knitting projects on the go that I do when either my mindor hand can't grasp the needle. :-) Tara

Thanks for sharing your experience, Lucille. That sounds like just how both my other half and I would want to have any eye surgery done. I had just mentioned to him that I was waiting for a response here to my question, and his whole attitude was that if he wasn't asleep, they wouldn't be working on him. He'll be real happy to hear that.

-- Carey in MA

Thanks for your response, Gillian. I hope when you say you were really snoozy through the whole thing that you mean you weren't seeing anything that was going on. After so many years of protecting the eye I see with, it has become a reflex action along the lines of fight-or-flight. I liked Lucille's description of sleeping like a baby through the procedure. My other half is currently having his eyes watched for signs of cataracts caused by diabetes, so he's also interested in being sure he's not awake for any eye surgery, or they won't be doing it. He's already had heart bypass surgery (x5) at New England Medical Center, and would probably go back there for any other surgeries, even though his diabetes is followed at the VA Hospital. Myself, I'm not having problems yet, except for the fact that now I need glasses for distance AND to read and write(except for the computer), where I used to be near-sighted. Ah, well. I just keep several pairs of reading glasses handy for however tired my eyes are. But I am glad to know that when/if I need corrective surgery, I won't have to be awake for it.

-- Carey in MA