Sorry for the absence after the Tech ARP BBQ (Steamboat) Party, guys. I had to undergo surgery on my left eye last week. Thanks to extended use of corticosteroids, my left eye developed a cataract about a year ago that rapidly matured. Soon, I was only able to make out light and shadow. So, it was time to get it replaced with a new, clear lens. Fortunately, I was able to get an empty slot for day care surgery in PPUM (University Malaya's Medical Center). Otherwise, it would have meant a wait for 3 months or so. That would have been a really big problem as it is ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE to judge distances using just one eye. I never appreciated the value of having stereoscopic vision until now. Try parking your car in a small parking lot with one eye closed. You will find that it is quite impossible to know if you are going to hit the wall in front or the column beside you. As a result, I often had to come out of the car on many occasions to ensure I do not hit anything while parking! At first, I considered doing it in a private hospital but man, the cost was just insane! The cheapest quote I got was RM 6,000 (USD 1800) for the surgery. I've seen it done many times before and it is a real easy procedure. In fact, with practice, one can do it in just 10-15 minutes! Okay, maybe I'm just cheap but I didn't have that kind of money handy, so I opted for PPUM instead. It was MUCH cheaper. The total cost was only RM 500 (USD 145) and RM 780 (USD 230) for the lens. The only problem was the waiting list. Even though it is a semi-private hospital, the typical waiting time for cataract surgery was about 3 months. Fortunately, the doctors there recognized Jenny (who used to work there) and I was given an empty slot just a few days after the Tech ARP Annual BBQ (which ended up as a steamboat dinner!). Phew! I was really eager to get it done ASAP. Although I've seen it done before, I must say that it was different lying down in the OT. There wasn't much pain even though I opted to only use topical anaesthetic. But the tugging sensation was quite unnerving. I kept hyperventilating thoughout the surgery. LOL!!! Fortunately, everything went pretty well. There was no infection or any post-op complications. It took several days for the wound to heal and for me to start adjusting to the lens. Even now, my vision isn't completely back to normal, but it's improving on a daily basis. Hopefully, I will be able to see well enough to do without my ugly glasses! In any case, I sure am glad that I have my stereoscopic vision back! PS. Here's a picture of my eye before surgery. The cataract is the whitish part (partially hidden by the iris). Because it's opacified, light cannot pass through. I will go take a picture of my new lens soon.
Wow! Hope you get back to 100% soon! "Although I've seen it done before, I must say that it was different lying down in the OT." OMG!!! Trin would have been scared sh*tless. "But the tugging sensation was quite unnerving. I kept hyperventilating thoughout the surgery." I would have passed out.
Eh, not anabolic steroids la.. Just topical corticosteroids for my eczema. Unfortunately, corticosteroids were the only treatment available those days. Now, we have non-steroid alternatives like pimecrolimus and tacrolimus.
LOL!! You have to be awake for the operation as they will ask you to move your eye. So, if you faint, they will have to wake you up. Hehehe... Thanks for your best wishes, guys!
OOo i see... Eczema really sucks, sometimes it's really itchy and sometimes the skin could peel off, I heard that. I hope it goes away though. Now it's wrecking your eyes. So you actually bring it in control or is it already cured? Anyway hope for a speedy recovery! (Ok, I can make a better lens if I want to. Besides, that's all my course is all about!)
So those topical steroids for eczema and other skin problems can cause this if used over long periods of time? That's scary
Well, if we live long enough, everyone will eventually develop cataracts... My grandmother already had both her eyes done like a decade ago.
Yes, that's why it's advisable to switch to non-steroid treatments if possible, like moisturisers and tacrolimus/pimecrolimus.
One of my friends has eczema too... he's scratching his arms everytime the sunlight got him. I could see the peelings on the skin. And it is heredity problem?
OMG LOL I really can't imagine how the operation is done. Just curious, do you feel any pain in the process?
Yes, it's mainly hereditary although it's also affected by climate, stress, food and other factors. That may not be eczema. He could have photosensitive skin. He needs to have it checked out to be sure.
