Eye Surgery
I took a leap forward with an intervention I have been investigated since my early twenties back in Paris at the time. I remember the doctor saying: don't do anything before you have children, it is too early, the technology is changing, and I was a bit afraid.
Now came the time. I was not sure I would be able to keep my private health insurance, which sets a three years period on maximum premium for a free ophthalmology surgery of this kind, and more importantly, my vision had finally stabilised, which made me a good candidate. As the cherry on the cake, the surgeon said I was an 'essential worker' looking after my daughter (for once someone says it, what a change of status, Covid gave a new perspective on what 'essential workers' were suddenly), so he wrote a letter to Qld Health to enable the surgery since I had to drive at night under stressful circumstances from time to time, so the surgery was justified. I needed to see well to be of any good help to others.
Eye surgery requires a bit of adaptation and calmness, as you literally rewire your brain. 2020 was a good year for that, since I was mostly home-bound like most of us. No makeup on the eyes for two months - I had to get used to who I really was :) time to heal and recover from both surgery ... one eye at a time.
During the second surgery (two weeks after the first one), the fact that the second anaesthesia (they call it twilight anaesthesia since it is mild) was close to the first one, I was awake during that surgery. It is a normal phenomena since the brain got used to the anaesthesia from the first one. It also depends on your anaesthetist, they may judge it is better in your case to give you less medication so that you get back on your feet quicker. I could see the instruments but, in my mind, they were not touching me (they were but I could not feel them). I could hear the loud sound of the operating theatre nurses speaking between themselves, but I could not hear what they said. I remember thinking, how can the surgeon concentrate? He was not speaking, but I could feel he was concentrating
(how could I feel that? I don't know).
I was in fact very reassured, very calm thanks to the substance in twilight.
In terms of outcomes, although you can't really get it all, and you have to chose between long and short distance to some extent depending on your case, the result is more than wonderful,
it is one of the best things I ever did for myself during my entire life.
I can now see people's facial expression from a distance, and I can drive day and night and do computer work without glasses. I used to see very well at very close by distance, now, I need to move an object away from me about 23 cm to see it better, which means that it is not as good for mobile phone reading or book reading, but I could probably buy glasses for that if needed.
For now, I am good, as I have adjusted.
A new degree of freedom.
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| My very own inner planet - my eye |
I shall see more of the world from now on!
