This morning I had two mails asking how the lens replacement went. I
had let Bill know privately, but did not post because the latest news
was disappointing. The good news is that I have NOT also developed
macular degeneration, but the final conclusion is that the advanced
glaucoma surgical bleb is so huge and active, and my retina has so many
folds and ripples from the eye pressure going too low for too long that
taken together there would likely be very little improvement from
correcting the cataract which also was caused by the low pressure from
the post-surgical stitch removal going wrong. With either alone the
situation could be better, but... Because of the bleb I can not have
the laser approach for cataracts. So, I am progressively losing more
vision in that eye in real time, but now that the cataract is larger
glare, while still painful, no longer feels like getting needles stuck
in my eye, a sensation with which I am too familiar now both from glare
and needles.

Eventually this lens surgery might be done, but I have been advised
that the best thing now is to make adjustments by living with it, so I
have multiple types of very useful fit overs from Noir, have a range of
task lights with Mighty Bright which has a good magnifier and a multi
settings task light being especially good so I have two of those, two
clip on lights, a headlamp (and would appreciate recommendations on
other headlamps) and have a load of handy flashlights so that I can
see inside places like cabinets and closets. I have visors and a few
asymmetric floppy hats for my big (swollen?) head (LOL!) and plan to
add more, have big eye patches for when it needs full blackout covering
at places like the dental office, and plan to add a few fancy semi
conical under eyeglass patches for when the eye is exhausted. We
changed things so that my standing desk is chest high which is greatly
useful. At times I have the computer read to me instead of reading
with my eyes.

Mostly, we have been making things more organized, changing how
lighting is done, learning tricks like Steve helping me cross too busy
sections of a few parking lots, walking with my bad side toward the
tables when checking veg tables at Trader Joe's and Kings and Bardy
Farms to avoid colliding with people, teaching friends that I
absolutely can not jay walk so they should avoid it or we will be
separated, walking w a trusted person on my bad side in crowds, etc.

Eventually, my behavioral techniques and distance and speed assessments
of situations for things like streets, parking lots, and crowds should
improve with practice.

Oh, I do many of my exercises w my eyes closed now for resting both
and for balance work.

I use sipping water infused with a lot of fresh ginger that has been
frozen to break cells to reduce the nausea and dizziness caused by
very mismatched eyes, but luckily my brain is beginning to mostly just
ignore input from the very bad eye and that change is really improving
my quality of life. Also, I am getting more used to the background pain
from the eye, though not yet used to how it worsens with allergies and
colds.

So, that is why I am online so much less, why I encourage people to
now look up their own info usually, and why long posts from me have
been so rare. I will actually have to rest the eye after writing this.

Meanwhile, the ferrets are so much more careful that it is amazing,
especially the older two. They also know the word "ouchie" and if
anyone asks where mommy ouchie is they will bump close to the bleb
location that is under my lid, so even a half year later it must
smell different. Certainly, there is still localized inflammation
that happens there and resultant eye gunk and I think ferrets smell
inflammation like dogs do.

[Posted in FML 7940]