Eye operations anyone?

[danyal]

Well wish me luck. I found out yesterday that I'm going to have to go in for an eye op next thursday. Just to fix a tiny squint but nevertheless. You can imagine how much I'm looking forward to this one. I've done it before... but when I was small... young... and fearless. Now I can comprehend what he's going to do. And I dont like the idea very much. HELP! And that also means I wont be able to practise for about 4 days after (never mind that I have to learn a concerto for next year feb) and my eyes will be sore for about 2/3 weeks. Peachy. I dont suppose anyone has been for one recently and can give me some random consoling advice??

[arensky]

Do they have to cut INTO the eye, or is this AROUND your eye, like the eyelids? Not that that makes it any better, but it sounds like the eye itself is not involved, or maybe I'm wrong...make sure they give you rohypnol, so you don't remember what happened. 

I have a blood clot in my left inner eye, due to an "incident" that occurred 6 months ago. I have a massive floater (the blood clot) in it, and it looks like I will avoid the surgery, involving cutting into the eye, vacuming out the jelly part and replacing it with a saline solution 

Fortunately the floater is dissolving, the blood reapsorbing back into my circulation and out of the eye. My vision in that eye is currently a nightmarish collage of normal vision, spiderwebs, tree roots, branches and little floaters. The concern is that if the clot hardens it could cause damage to my retina; retinal damage or detachment is very difficult to reverse. But it looks like I will be OK, I see one of the best retinal surgeons in the state twice a month, and he does not seem eager to "cut", like many surgeans, or so I'm told. For Jazz playing (where we create our own parameters) I am fine, in fact while practicing (not at my gig, don't want pirate jokes there) sometimes I block the good eye with the patch, to simulate what Art Tatum saw; I think it's very similair. But for my classical concerts (they start in March) I will be wearing the eyepatch, resembling Johnny Depp (hi girls  ) in "Pirates of the Carribean", or more interesting for me, Count Stauffenberg ( the German officer who almost suceeded in asassinating Hitler in 1944). Hopefully the reabsorbtion of the blood will continue, and I will avoid the operation. Hey hang in there Danyal, get it over with, you will be better off and see better when it's over...yecch....   

[pianistimo]

yes.  hope all goes well and that whatever the procedure, it's non-invasive if possible.  for a small squint - maybe you should consider the different options. 

when i was in the hospital for my leg, i was given three options (two of which involved putting pins in my legs) and was told they would 'heal faster' and give better results in the short term.  tis true that my leg is taking longer to heal, but would you believe (with a closed reduction) that my leg is healing straight and no cutting.  sometimes the body does heal itself - and you just have to fix whatever is bothering it.

what i'm wondering is would they give you the option for that one eye to have contact lenses?  suppose if you have something really wrong with your eye - that a good eye surgeon isn't terrible - but it is nice to know your options - weigh the risks - and pray about it  (no matter what you have done).  i asked my church to pray too when i went for  the closed reduction (and after).

sorry to hear about your eye, too, arensky.  hope that it heals well with no clotting or retinal damage or detachment.  guess that there are more people than i realized that practice no matter what.

[danyal]

Thanks for the concern...

The problem is... i was born with it, and when I was smaller I went for an op to have it fixed but the stupid doctor didnt quite know what he was doing and didnt tell us either. When he took the patch off after operating his words were (my parents heard this... thank goodness I was asleep) "oh sh!t". Anyway, so he messed something up. But he died in a helicopter crash a year or so later so we couldnt even sue the man. Anyway, so he messed something up.

I can see fine, theres nothing wrong with my vision... well sort of, but its tricky to explain. My eyes arent the same strength at the same time, I can alternate. But apparently its a problem with the muscles or something in the eye... so... yup... he's goin in... hummmm. I was trying to listen when he was explaining yesterday but the details kinda put me off and I blocked them out. But I'm gonna be under anaesthetic so it'll be fine... (squeak) It's comforting to know hes one of the best in the country and KNOWS what he doing...

Anyway I'm just worried about my lack of practising for so long... (4days min!) I wonder if I can practise blind... The pianist in the Chopin int managed fine so...

Arensky, I think its a very good thing you're getting it looked at, it doesnt sound very healthy. What was the 'incident' btw? I hope it comes right!!!!

what i'm wondering is would they give you the option for that one eye to have contact lenses?  suppose if you have something really wrong with your eye - that a good eye surgeon isn't terrible - but it is nice to know your options - weigh the risks - and pray about it  (no matter what you have done).  i asked my church to pray too when i went for  the closed reduction (and after).

I did ask, but apparently the only way to fix it properly in one go is to operate. No other way. (AAGH... I'm scared...  ) Prayer would be appreciated...

[pianistimo]

sure - i'll pray that the doctor's hand or machine be guided to just the right places (and no others) and that your vision will be better than before.  too bad about that first doctor!  incompetent doctors really make a mess of people's lives - but, perhaps also - it's just a natural turn of medicine to have made more headway in the last 10-20 years with laser technology and things and make the eye easier to operate on.

don't panic the first few days and weeks, it sounds.  maybe that's what the eye patch is all about.  (letting the eye rest and recover - without worrying about it).  with major injuries - there's a tendency to have 'panic attacks' i found out.  for myself, they happen at 2 or 3 in the morning.  i wake up because i can't move my leg to turn over or lift it - and sometimes i just get sort of frustrated even in my sleep.  i usually wake up.  guess that the best thing is to not worry as much as you can - but expect that you might have a few bumps and turns before you fully recover (and not to worry). 

[thalbergmad]

I had an eye operation when i was 4.

Had to wear a patch for a few weeks which was great. All the other schoolkids were jealous. I was pirate Mike.

Hope all goes well. Bloody clever surgeons nowadays.

[gilad]

hey danyal, take it easy and goodluck, i'm sure you will be well taken care of, these specialists are really something.

[Tash]

yeah danyal you'll be fine! like you could take advantage of the whole blind thing and practice letting your fingers guide themselves around the keys. it's annoying when doctors screw things up- when my mum was getting her leg operated on years and years ago the surgeon thought she end up getting it amputated so fused the ankle. however she didn't get it cut off and now has to deal with not being able to move her ankle, which is a pain in the ass.

but anyway, wishing you all the best for the operation, i hope it all goes well and you get all fixed:)

[thalbergmad]

Don't read Bernhards post on Bachs eye operation.

[danyal]

Thank you very much for all your concern and wishes! I'm sure it'll be fine. I just have a tendancy to get a little paranoid every now and then... (the pains of an over active imagination.... ) Oh, I know more than enough about Bach's dearest eye "surgeon"... but I also know thats its over 300 years later and we've developed somewhat since then. Anyway, I'll let you all know how it went etc. I'll probably still vent a little more before the time so just bear with me

Thanks again,

Danyal

[BoliverAllmon]

do you have to be awake during the procedure?

[danyal]

NO! Thank goodness not. I'll be out like a rock. Go to sleep and when I wake up its done.

[danyal]

Well here I go... As from now I'm not allowed to eat or drink ANYTHING (not even water!) till the operations done. Well actually I only have to be there in 4 hours... Operate in 7

Atleast I'll be able to sleep for a few days... No, really, I love sleep, I just never really get the time or freedom to go all out on a sleeping mission. There's always something that has to be done. Not today!! HAHAHA!

Anyway, I wont be able to post for a while after about 10am (my time zone... CAT... 2,5 hours, in other words) So I'll talk to everyone again on about monday.

[Kassaa]

Good luck! It will go fine Hope you're back soon!

[pianistimo]

yes.  hope the procedure is performed well and you heal quickly.  thoughts and prayers are with you today.

[paris]

wish you all the best!!!

get some sleep you deserve it! 

[g_s_223]

Good luck!

 

[thalbergmad]

Well here I go... As from now I'm not allowed to eat or drink ANYTHING (not even water!) till the operations done. Well actually I only have to be there in 4 hours... Operate in 7

Atleast I'll be able to sleep for a few days... No, really, I love sleep, I just never really get the time or freedom to go all out on a sleeping mission. There's always something that has to be done. Not today!! HAHAHA!

Anyway, I wont be able to post for a while after about 10am (my time zone... CAT... 2,5 hours, in other words) So I'll talk to everyone again on about monday.

Nice little pressie in your mailbox.

HUGS

Thal

[danyal]

Hi!!

Strangely enough I'm better than I thought I would be. He found the problem fairly quickly and thus only had to operate on one eye. I wont elaborate on the finer details. Its quite gross. Anyway, I was wearing a patch this morning and it was quite sore but he phoned and said I must take it off and use my eye. Its kinda blurry (at different levels during the day, now its clearish).

Anyway, I'm in a fairly good mood. 1) My piano was tuned and touched up yesterday 2) I've taken my pain-killers 3) my friend just quickly popped in and gave me her edition peters copy of Liszt 1 (mainly cos of a really big favour I just did for her). 4) everyone is waiting on me hand and foot.

So all in all today hasnt been all that bad. I keep a pirates-patch with me just out of consideration for anyone that has to talk to me... it looks relatively sick. Ugh. Anyway, getting a bit sore, better go sleep some more... night!

Nice little pressie in your mailbox.

HUGS

Thal

Thanks!! I appreciate it! um... btw... the 'you send it' link didnt come through... But thanks anyway!!

Chat soon,

Danyal

[gilad]

haha, the smiley above has two eye patches, thats one mighty pirate
glad to hear everything has been fine and bearable, with school behind you and a long chilled out december just broken you've got plenty of time to wind down and get pampered by your friends and fam.

[leahcim]

Strangely enough I'm better than I thought I would be. He found the problem fairly quickly and thus only had to operate on one eye. I wont elaborate on the finer details. Its quite gross.

I'm not usually fazed by things like operations on TV etc, but with eyes, I'm reaching for a bucket just watching someone put contact lenses in. I don't know how people do that.

It sounds like you know the gory details?!?!. If I'd had to have one. I would have said "Look, I don't want you to say what you're going to do before you do it, nor tell me what you've done afterwards -  just put me to sleep and do it"

Glad it went well.