A Sight To See

I don't think I have ever shared this before with you all. But before I begin, in keeping with NaBloPoMo's theme, I will say that today I am thankful for my sight. Throughout the course of my life I have had several situations where my eyesight has been threatened. Let me explain.

When I was a small child, I had "lazy eye". I had it surgically corrected when I was 5 years old. It developed rather sudden and it was a very mild case of it. What would happen is when I would get tired, my left eye would shift towards the right if you were looking at me very slightly. (away from my nose, not toward it) My mother, God rest her soul, took me right into the doctor and got if fixed. Thanks to the miracles of doctors, it was corrected properly and you cannot tell at all anything was every wrong with it.

When I was 25 years old, during my preparations for my marriage, I got optic neuritis, which translates to my optic nerve was inflamed. One day, I woke up had which was non visible to anyone but myself, a thin white strip going across the vision of my right eye. Each day it got wider and wider until all I saw was white light out of my right eye. I couldn't see at all through it. At that point I found a wonderful opthamologist (my current miracle doctor) who diagnosed it and sent me to a specialist. This gentleman was a neurological opthamologist. He had suggested that it can come on either by a cold, virus, or a trauma. I had been very sick that summer with a horrendous sinus infection, and they thought that was the cause. I was terrified that I wouldn't be able to see out of one eye for my wedding day. Luckily the doctor said it could get better on it's own in 8 weeks or I could take steroids (prednisone) and it would be better 2 weeks earlier. I let it take its course naturally and thank God, it was fine and I could see on my wedding day! I later found out my paternal grandfather had an episode of optic neuritis also, but his was caused by a motorcycle accident (trauma).

Now this one always shocks people. Last year, I had cataract surgery in both of my eyes, two weeks apart. Yes, you read right. Usually when I say that people react with "oh you are so young?" I will explain. I have asthma and during the past 15 years since I was diagnosed, I had been on prednisone a number of times. That is mainly why I refused the drug when I had the optic neuritis. It is not something that I want to take unless I need it to open my lungs. About six years ago, I had pneumonia in both of my lungs which severely affected my asthma, so much so I was hospitalized for 10 days and had to stay out of work for 5 weeks after I was released. I was on a heavy dosage of prednisone to open my lungs. My amazing opthamologist thought the "here and there" prescription during the past 15 years contributed to my eyes developing the cataracts. Plus the lengthy prescription six years ago put the "nail in the coffin" so to speak. Anyway, I had trouble seeing in the beginning part of 2007.

By September of 2007, I was 20/80 in my right eye and 20/100 in the left eye. It was just awful. At that point corrective lenses were not helping because I didn't have what corrective lenses were intended for. My vision was completely destroyed by cloudiness and haziness. The cloudiness could not be corrected and it got worse & worse. It looked like I was looking through a filthy window all the time. Street signs I couldn't make out because the green and white colors blended. I lived in a gray world. Everything was gray and muted. The cataracts had to come out. So, I had them done two weeks apart. What is fabulous is that the doctor put in a new lens called Crystalens. The lens was relatively new was only on the market for three years. My doctor recommended it because I was only 35yrs old and this lens would help accommodate for all three distance levels: near, intermediate & far. It was the closest lens flexibility wise to a human's natural lens that is removed in the surgery. There was good chance that I would not need glasses. I had never worn any type of glasses up until the point where my eyesight began to suffer with the cataracts. Normally when people have cataract surgery they need to wear glasses for at least two of the distance levels. Insurance did not cover the cost of that type of lens. They cost $2300 for each eye - totaling $4600. I was extremely blessed by the gracious help of my sister Jenny who gifted me with the sight in my left eye. I told her she was like Jesus because she gave me my sight back! My right eye was gifted to me partially by my sister (she is amazing) and the other half was thanks to Visa. If I had put a regular lens in, I would probably always have to wear glasses. Now with this miracle, I only wear glasses when I drive. That is it. Amen!!

Why I am writing this as my NaBloPoMo thankful post is because I am SO thankful that I can see. Three times in my life I had my sight threatened and each time I came out of it. What prompted this post was yesterday I had my 1yr anniversary (actually 13 month) comprehensive full exam at my opthamologist. He said I am doing terrific and nothing has changed with my numbers. My intermediate is perfect. I just need to continue to wear the distance glasses when I drive just to clear everything up and make it crisp. I feel so happy and so blessed. I look at it on the bright side, since I got my cataract surgery over with, it is one less thing I will have to endure when I'm in my senior years!

If you made it through to the end of this ridiculously long post, I thank you so much! I'm sorry it was a boring post, but I just had to share this.