I came across that phrase years ago, and I’ve used it a lot. It goes along with the secret of happiness:
Ask yourself every day,
(1) What’s good about my life?
(2) What needs to be done?
(3) How can I get this done and enjoy the process?
The idea is if you feel nervous about something, do something constructive instead of just worrying. In my case that means gathering as much information as possible about a situation. Blogging yesterday helped, especially reading Ursula’s comment about possible complications of cataract surgery. So I dug a bit deeper and found this article about complications (including possible retinal detachment) for high-myopic people.
I also wanted a more up-to-date (less than 15 to 20 years old) opinion of the available doctors, so I phoned the local Senior Center to ask if they knew anyone who had cataract surgery lately. As it turned out the woman answering had it three years ago and highly recommended the doctor everyone else had been recommending. “The best in the West”, she said. So I have an appointment with him in Santa Fe on September 25th. Hopefully he will answer my questions and give me an idea of what my particular outcome might be.
The important thing is I’ve done some research, made a decision, and can now go back to more fun things. Yay, for that!
July 29, 2015
Dear Jean, I am happy for you that you have found peace of mind. Even I’d say “Yay” to that.
I myself found that peace of mind only by resigning myself to what will be will be. Trouble being that, financially, I depend on physically fully functioning. There is no back up (other than the Angel) should the shit hit the fan. I need my eyesight to earn money. And the recent deterioration has already significantly hampered the choice of jobs I can do. Not least because (legally) I am not allowed to drive any longer.
You are very lucky that you have choice of surgeon. I don’t unless I go private which I can’t afford. Dr David Anderson, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon (do google him if you like), the eminent head of our University Hospital’s Eye Clinic, who runs a private practice too, says in his letter to my GP (doctor) “… we are unable to guarantee that a specific surgeon will perform given procedure on the specific day but whoever does perform the surgery will be competent to do so or supervised if they are in a training position.” Essentially, Jean, that is “cover our arses” speak. And yes, you do have to sign a consent form.
As to your question in reply to yesterday’s comment, and from the same letter:
“Diagnoses: High axial myopia. Cataracts.”
“Comments: We ran through, in some detail, the risks, benefits and limitations of cataract surgery and discussed again the issue of retinal detachment both in high myopia and in the case of high myopia with cataract surgery. We discussed biometry prediction error and refractive outcome given her HIGH axial length and high prescription …. ”
What he told me face to face, and here the dilemma starts, that with or without surgery I am at high risk of eventual retinal detachment. So my question is, and I can’t answer it: “Do I risk the operation and thus MAY bring forward the eventuality of retinal detachment or do I just sit it out?” Because if you gave me the choice between living like I do now (which is largely unhampered) and possibly having pristine eye sight again but at a risk, I’d rather go on like I am now.
Anyway, my dear Jean and I feel for you, unlike yours my eyesight (I wore contact lenses from age eighteen and have been wearing glasses only for the last few years because of dry eye syndrome) never gave me the trouble you have/had. It was all so simple. Some people have hayfever, I am shortsighted. No big deal. Never interfered, particularly not with my reading, though did eventually give up swimming and diving (too disorientating without sight correction). And now this. And, and I say it with a slight sob, there is no one but no one who can help me make the decision. On the whole everyone is egging me to go ahead. Yes, sure but, as I said, if I’d lived hundreds of years ago – before surgery was even an option- as I am now I’d be dead happy. So, Jean? Any ideas? No rush.
U
PS The article you linked to made me smile: Minus Six makes you high myopic? Give me a break. How cute. On my right eye I am minus seventeen. Yes, really. I can’t believe it either.
I agree with Rummuser, wow! On the other hand, my sister had only one functioning eye (eye problems run in our family) because the other one didn’t develop enough except to see light and shadows, and the good one was so myopic they wouldn’t do surgery on it for 14 years. Finally the cataract was so bad she had nothing to lose, and she’s been ecstatic ever since. It worked — she never expected to see so well. So, who knows.
Also, here retinal detachments are emergencies, but I know people who have had them and got to the doctor in time to get them reattached. One was Andy’s cousin in Uganda years ago, and he had to fly to Israel for the operation.
Here’s what the NHS UK says about it.
My heart does go out to you. My quack of an eye doctor when I was a kid convinced my mother and me that I would go blind if I kept reading so much. I would have gone bonkers if I couldn’t read, so I was fully expecting to have to learn braille. Yes, it’s frightening, and like you I’ve always been paranoid about my eyes.
oh good lord.
reading ursula’s comment. i want a million zillion dollars. just to help my friends! the only time i ever wish i were rich. or even had ANY extra!
i want it so badly. i would anonymously send the money somehow to her account. so she could have the private care.
NO ONE should have a ‘trainee’ work on one’s EYES for pete’s sake!
but then… how do they get practice? well. let them work on murderer’s or child abusers in prisons. they could get all the practice they need.
i have been taking 40 mg of lutein for years. my macular degeneration is getting no worse and they can’t quite figure that out. i just keep quiet.
doctors are not keen here on supplements. has to be a drug or a knife.
and ursula… check out the work of doctor lissa rankin. i think you might be amazed. she’s a medical doctor. but is doing some interesting research on the power of the mind. i find it fascinating stuff. she has done much research on spontaneous remissions of all kinds. very interesting.
and…
i am going to start trying to save up and come to santa fe for my operation when i need one. that sounds heavenly to me. i love santa fe.
of course by the time i save enough… i might be gone anyway. LOLOL.
so … problem solved. “no worries mate!”
I agree, it would help a lot to know a top surgeon was working on the eye. Especially in a tricky case.
I’ve heard you should never (here in the U.S. at least) have elective surgery in July at a research hospital. That’s when the new batch of interns start working — better to wait until they’ve had some experience. At least a doctor in training will be supervised by one with more experience. That said, I would be nervous too!
I didn’t realise that it was that bad for highly myopic eyes. Anyway, you seem to have got things under control as usual and that everything will turn out alright.
My heart goes out to Ursula who has been very reticent about her condition. Minus seventeen is a whammy!
My myopia isn’t nearly as bad as Ursula’s. Left eye -4.5, right eye -5.5. Doesn’t even fit the criteria as being highly myopic, so Ursula can rightly snort. Sneer away, Ursula. It’s well deserved.
On the other hand, given all my past retinal problems, it is a good issue to discuss with the doctor. I also need to tell him my allergic reaction to erythromycin when I had shingles in the eye. That was my first reaction like that so hopefully they have another antibiotic that helps rather than hinders the healing process. I would say I’m being cautious rather than worried. Doing my part to make the process go well.
hugs all round…
Thanks!
This is all so upsetting to read.
I’m terrified about anything to do with eyes.
The thought of surgery is frightening but to have someone LEARNING while working on someone’s eyes?
I agree with Tammy. I wish I was very very rich and able to help people who really need help.
I wish you all good luck and great eye surgeons.
XOXOXO
Agreed!