Let's Talk About Cataracts (hair, vitamins, leg, treat)
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I had my surgery this morning, and I hate to tell you this, but it was a complete nightmare. I swear I have post traumatic stress over the experience.
The block didn't work. So, after they put me under while the surgeon administered the block, when I woke up and he started working on my eye, the light was super intense. It was really painful and I couldn't blink or shut my eyes. I said the light is really hurting my eyes and the surgeon put his hand over my eyes, and I think he kept thinking the block would kick in, but it didn't.
I asked if I could be put under, and he said there are risks to doing that. He started working on my eye, and I could feel the incision and I said it hurt. Finally, they added more block to whatever they were putting in my eye or through my drip, but it still hurt.
So, the surgeon put more block in my eye with a needle and I could feel the needle and it hurt.
Finally, the additional blocks that they used worked, but it was still really bright. And I could see the surgeon and his instruments. The person in his office who said it would be dark and I wouldn't be able to see light or the surgeon were wrong.
Then, he had to put in stitches, because there was a problem with the incision area, and although he doesn't usually need to do stitches, he said he needed to, but he will decide whether or not to keep the stitches in, because it may help with my astigmatism.
Honestly, it was horribly traumatic. I cried as they were wheeling me out, and they were in a hurry to get me out of the room where there were people waiting to have their surgery, and I was saying how stressful it was and that I needed to cry, etc.
Then, the blood pressure automatic cuff kept squeezing my arm to get a reading, and because I have high blood pressure - which causes it to have a hard time to get a reading - it kept squeezing and squeezing and I told them to get it off of me, because it was making my hand numb. The nurses agreed, but said they will need one more reading before I can be released and they don't have any manual blood pressure cuffs, so I'll have to put up with the automatic ones that I have a hard time with.
During the surgery, they also had me hooked up to the automatic blood pressure cuff, so it kept squeezing my arm over and over during the whole horrendous ordeal, too.
I couldn't get out of there fast enough. I came home via taxi, and cried and took a nap. I feel like I've been through some type of torture. Imagine having your eyes dilated, and then the brightest light imaginable being shone into your eyes while you can't even blink.
It was horrific. Absolutely horrific. I'm still crying. Drinking some wine righ now. I have my post-op appointment in the morning.
EDIT: While I was writing this just now, my surgeon actually called me personally! He said he hasn't had anyone have the problem I had today with the block not working for many years and we joked about how "special" I am. Oh man. Well, anyway, I still have a patch on my eye, so hopefully when I get the patch removed tomorrow morning, all will be fantastic.
He did say that he though everything was okay because I wan't vocal enough. And oddly, I didn't feel the first sutures, which I don't remember at all. And since I didn't feel those, when he started the procedure and I said it hurt, it was too late to put me under again to administer the block.
I did speak up when I was uncomfortable, but apparently, it was just an unusual expereince all around.
But, you all asked me to share my experience, and this was my experience. It was really traumatic. And if/when I need my other eye done, I will be petrified. And I will look into whether or not I can just be put out completely during the procedure, based on my experience today.
So, I guess the real moral to the story is, be sure and speak up and loudly, if you are uncomfortable during your procedure.
And my experience was that I could definitely see the doctor and the lights and instruments coming at my eye. And it was really traumatic for me.
That sounds so horrible. I'm so sorry you had to endure all of that. I felt nothing at all--my problem came later on when I realized that it hadn't improved my vision as much as everyone had said it would.
But at least he did call you and he did say your case was unusual. I wonder what on earth happened.
Have you ever had any problem with anesthesia not working before this? I hope you can calm down and get in there tomorrow for some reassurance and comfort. And I truly hope your eyesight shows a great improvement, especially after all you went though.
That sounds so horrible. I'm so sorry you had to endure all of that. I felt nothing at all--my problem came later on when I realized that it hadn't improved my vision as much as everyone had said it would.
But at least he did call you and he did say your case was unusual. I wonder what on earth happened.
Have you ever had any problem with anesthesia not working before this? I hope you can calm down and get in there tomorrow for some reassurance and comfort. And I truly hope your eyesight shows a great improvement, especially after all you went though.
Thank you. The only "trouble" I've ever had with anesthesia before, was that I will stay asleep longer than other people. But, that would be the opposite of what happened to me today.
Obviously something went wrong or he wouldn't have called me.
I can remember him asking for more block or something, and hearing a voice saying there was less than a milileter left, and he said that would be plenty. Then, things were okay after that.
What I told him what the worst part was, was the super bright lights which really hurt my eye while it was unable to blink. The lights are super bright - there were three huge round lights with a bunch of lights within the circle - they looked like LED lights.
But, the inabiity to close your eye under those super intense bright lights was just torture.
HOpefully, it will have been worth it after I get the patch off tomorrow.
Sure does sound horrible. I'll continue to work with all the alternatives I use to keep from going for this surgery. I just got my LifeExtension Bright Eye III product and started the drops today. Plus I use other drops and keep the magnesium going.
As I've said surgery is surgery and so many talk about "what a breeze"...wonder how many have issues similar to yours NoMoreSnow.
NoMoreSnowForMe That certainly doesnt sound normal, when i had the procedure done they put 10 drops of freeze in my eye during the 45 minutes before surgery,then once in the operating room they put some freezing gel in the eye,it was frozen. then the bright light was uncomfortable at first but ceased to be a problem after 30 seconds,as a consequence i saw nothing and felt nothing and the whole procedure took less than 10 minutes,at one point the surgeon asked if i minded if his student did some of the procedure ,i said sure go ahead.
Before surgery i couldnt see far and needed glasses to see anything more than 5ft in front of me,after surgery i can now read license plates at incredible distances unaided however i can now not read a thing up close if i dont have my pharmacy reading glasses at hand.
I had the surgery at age 69. Best thing I've done for my overall health. I had what they called conscious sedation. There was ZERO pain. The first eye went smooth as butter. With the second eye, I felt just a tiny bit of discomfort once I was home. Not pain. Just not quite as good as the first.
I now wear bifocals for reading only. When I'm on the computer, no glasses. But the Kindle is closer to my face and I need the bifocals. Driving is the best. I had such blindness driving I was probably a menace. Now, I see clearly way ahead and don't wear any glasses for driving unless it's sunglasses.
NMSFM, I am so sorry you experienced all that trauma. That sounds horrible. I pray that you have fantastic vision in that eye.
I had none of those issues during my eye surgery - didn't have an IV drip, and didn't have the bp cuff even though I also have high bp. Plus, I do not allow those automatic bp cuffs.
I was so looking forward to your report with something similar to my own experience and I feel terrible at what you had to endure.
I had my surgery this morning, and I hate to tell you this, but it was a complete nightmare. I swear I have post traumatic stress over the experience...
And my experience was that I could definitely see the doctor and the lights and instruments coming at my eye. And it was really traumatic for me.
Sorry you had the experience. Different people respond differently to anesthesia, unfortunately. I had no discomfort during surgery, but was aware at least part of the time during both surgeries; I saw the light, saw the surgeon moving around, and felt water running down my cheek. I had stitches in both eyes which contributed to the itching post surgery.
After the second surgery, I went back the next day and the ophthalmologist said, "Do you know you tried to sit up during surgery?" I denied it, and he said "That's OK, I just pushed your head back down". Then I started remembering bits and pieces. The heavy pad holding me down was giving me a feeling of claustrophobia, and what freaked me out was my hearing the surgeon say, "Hand me the canula - no, the one shaped like the olive pit". Why it freaked me out, I couldn't tell you. But I wouldn't describe the experience as nightmarish and I'm certainly glad I had the surgery -- people have different levels of discomfort regarding medical procedures; when I had a prostate biopsy over a year ago I thought it was going to be horrible based on what I'd read online, but I'd describe it as merely unpleasant. A large part of it I think is how we label these experiences.
I'd suggest anyone facing surgery talk to their anesthesiologist as well as the surgeon. I've done so before a couple of major surgeries in recent years. Discuss your concerns and your past experience with anesthesia. For my cataract surgeries, I was put into twilight sleep (an injection of morphine and scopolamine) which means you're conscious during surgery but remember none or only a little of it afterwards. Memories are fragmentary.
Wow, NMSFM, sorry you had this experience. As I said upthread, because first eye was a nonevent, I chose no twilight anesthetic for the second eye. Big mistake. that much consciousness I didn't need. That huge bright shining light was the worst, plus I could hear the whirring of whatever he was using to remove the cataract. I felt no pain with either surgery, had no knowledge of when he put in the lens - and, frankly, other than the bright light/whirring from second eye, remember very little of what happened in either procedure. I still consider them nonevents. My sister and bil both had their eyes done - no biggee.
Clearly, judging from reports on this thread, NMSFM's experience is an anomaly. The anesthesia didn't take - and yes, without anesthesia, it is not a pleasant experience for many - although some here have said no anesthesia and they experienced no issues. Everyone is different.
Last edited by Ariadne22; 09-02-2016 at 01:12 PM..
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