5/23/09 - Crazy Day

So yesterday was a crazy day.

After a long week of traveling for work, I left the office early on Friday to go get my final astigmatism adjustment. Dr. Rapoza told me that the eye looked great and proceeded to stick a pair of tweezers in my left eye to adjust the shape of the cornea. He commented that it is amazing what I would let him do to my eye as the concept of someone pulling on my eye with tweezers would have seemed absolutely crazy to me a couple of months ago. The eye was really only 2 diopters off to begin with in one direction and so what he did was a small correction - he still opted for the "stick in the mud" technique as he pulled one side 1 diopter passed symmetrical, with the hope that it would heal perfectly.

After he was finished, he gave me some Zymar drops and told me that I need to take them 4 times a day for 4 days, but afterwards, I am free to get a contact lens fitted!!!!

I am really excited about the possibility of being able to see with a contact lens. I am going back to see Dr. Watanabe at New England Eye Associates, where I have been seen for quite a while for lenses. Hopefully, I can schedule an appointment next week and get a contact lens shortly! As I mentioned, I can see very well at extremely close distances (so so so much better than my other eye), but I am still very nearsighted. I am hoping that I can get to 20/30 or 20/40 corrected with the contact lens. Dr. Rapoza also is taking me off the Pred-Forte and putting me on another anti-rejection drop, which I can’t remember the name of right now, but will post later once I get the prescription filled.

All in all, this has been a phenomenal experience to date. Dr. Rapoza has been a magician with my eye and I am so so so so glad that I did the research and found the best surgeon possible. My fingers are crossed that the last part of my healing and correction will go well. Dr. Rapoza cautioned me about a couple of things before I left as well. He told me that there is always a chance of rejection and if I ever feel pain, loss of vision, white spots, etc. that I should come in immediately, like within a day, as the earlier you catch a rejection the better. He also cautioned me that any blows to the head (contact sports, etc.) can cause the cornea to dislodge, so to be careful - I think that this is a lifelong thing. He told me that I could schedule another appointment in 6 months - hopefully I don't need to see him beforehand for any reason.

As I said, this has been a long process, but totally worth it. My wife Caroline and I were sitting eating dinner last night and she reminded me that I had told her that the pain and ordeal that I dealt with the disease at times far outweighed anything I dealt with in regards to the surgery. Again, I credit a great deal of this to having a great surgeon, but also to a good deal of luck and positive thinking – and also phenomenal support from my wife Caroline and the rest of my family and friends. Wish me luck next week as I move forward, hopefully with rock solid vision!

Oh, it is definitely worth mentioning that there is without a doubt some kind of cosmic balance. I came home, in pain, but elated from my appointment ready to tell my wife Caroline and son Bradley about the good news and likely to get some sleep as my eye hurt a lot. My son Bradley was just waking up from a nap and when I went up to get him, I noticed that he was REALLY hot. I brought him downstairs and we took his temperature, which was almost 102. As we were calling the Dr., Bradley proceeded to projectile vomit all over me. He had the saddest look on his face I have ever seen – it was a “mommy, daddy, why is this happening to me” kind of look! Oh poor Bradley! We ended up taking him the emergency room at the advice of our pediatrician and spent the night there, where they basically told us he was just sick and to give him fluids, etc. When we brought him home, he vomited all over me another time before going to sleep for the night. Needless to say it was a long tiring night and we were quite worried, but in the end all was fine. I am sitting here with him right now in the morning as he is playing with his toys as I type this out.

Hopefully, next week when I get my contact lens, I will at least be able to see the vomit coming my way! Again, Thank you to everyone that have been reading the blog and making comments – more to come next week!