Day 57 Post-Op (Aug 16)

So much has happened over the past 2 weeks. While it’s a mixture of good and bad stuff, it would make more sense if I start with the day when everything changed. Rewind back a week to the 8th of August…

It’s the 8th of August and I head to the ICLDC in Abu Dhabi for yet another follow up to remove the bandage contact lens that have been stuck in my eyes for exactly 5 weeks. Over the past 5 weeks when the contact lens was in my eyes, my epithelium was healing at an incredibly slow speed. While I used to follow up on a weekly basis, the doctor recommended I see him after a 2 week interval (which turned to 3 weeks since he was on leave). To my shock, during this entire 3 week period there was absolutely no progress. He told me the epithelium stopped healing and recommended I see the doctor in Dubai who did the surgery for me.

I had to take the day off and have someone drive me to Dubai (my eyes over the past week had increased sensitivity to light and got worse, especially in bright areas). The doctor in Dubai was performing surgeries this day, but they fit me in. He was shocked that I had the contact lens over a 5 week period (heck, even the nurse gasped when she heard 5 weeks). He informed me that they should have at least replaced it on a weekly basis to give the epithelium a chance to breathe and prevent it from ‘sticking’ to my eyes. He removed the bandage contact lens, stopped the dexamethasone steroid eye drops (Maxidex), and replaced my entire medication with newer ones.

I now started using preservative free Minims® Chloramphenicol 0.5% antibiotic eye drops every 6 hours, Artelac preservative free artificial tears every hour and a Chloramphenicol ointment that I put inside my eye lids at night before going to bed. I also had to keep following up with the doctor every 3 days to ensure everything is going well.

When the bandage contact lens were removed, both eyes felt somewhat raw (although my left eye felt very raw and had poorer vision). By night, both eyes were doing well, but not as good as with the contact lens. The next morning things turned 180 degrees, and both eyes were bad! In fact, they were so bad that I tried driving in the morning and freaked out within a matter of seconds because I literally could not see anything. I had to take the day off (eventually the entire week) as my eyes were back to healing again.

Three days later, I follow up with another doctor in Dubai (since the doctor who performed my surgery was on leave) and informed me that the epithelium is healing well and that the left eye has less than 0.1mm remaining (right eye had 1.3mm remaining). My right eye was always bad, but I was somewhat happy with the good news.

Three further more days later (6 days after bandage contact lens were removed) My left eye is almost completely healed and the right eye was around 0.2 mm remaining. However, since I stopped the steroid drops (which stunned the healing) there was some minor formation of corneal haze. Not the greatest news since haze takes 3-6 months (sometimes a year) to be completely gone from what I understand (if not treated with meds). So the doctor decided to put me back on Maxidex dexamethasone drops (the steroid eye drops) which should treat the haze. So I’m back to slower healing rates, and side effects of increased light sensitivity and blurred vision (but all for a good reason). He told me to reduce the Artelac artificial tears to every 2 hours and come back a week later, to see my favorite doctor (same guy who did my surgery) so he can closely monitor me again (it will be his first day back).

So today is the 16th of August….21st is my appointment day. Can’t wait to see things improve.

On a side note, during my last follow up in Dubai I got a flat tire on the way there and had to get it replaced near a gas station (thank god nothing serious happened). So yesterday I replaced all my tires with all-new 2011 Dunlop ones for AED 2550 (same type that came from the Lexus dealership) which are known for their quietness (and new tires feel nicer to drive on as they are quieter and have better grip). Since it was Ramadan, it meant driving at night (something I have not done since I did the Surgery…..so we’re talking almost 2 months. Driving was not ideal. At times I could not see people crossing the roads and it was difficult measuring the correct distance between the car in front of me.

Here is the funny part. Got tires replaced at night (11PM), went to the newly opened Mushrif Mall to buy a humidifier for my room but the Sharaf DG there has not yet opened, and the LuLu there had ridiculously large and expensive humidifiers. Next I went to Abu Dhabi Mall (again, driving at night was very unpleasant and unsafe but I just went with the flow) and the Sharaf DG there also had another ridiculous large expensive humidifier. As a last resort I went to Abu Dhabi Coop and luckily I found what I needed (a cute green panda-shaped humidifier with a 3 liter capacity/10 hours meant for kids which releases a cool mist from the panda’s ears which can be directed by turning his head. I finally got what I needed, went back home only to find it was 1:15AM. I had work tomorrow, I wake up for Suhoor at 3:50 AM and was starving.

I raid the fridge, gulping down an “Evens” ice cream sandwich and a Quanta ice cream (vanilla coated with chocolate). I then go and make myself a large mug of Horlicks, stuffed with 5 mega teaspoonfuls of Horlicks, 2 teaspoons of sugar and low fat milk, nuked in the microwave till hot, and stirred to perfection. It was almost 2AM. I really needed to sleep….

Today is the day after the night where I drove. 2 months and barely able to drive at night (but noticing improvements very slowly). Since things are getting better from now, all it takes is patience (I am approximating 6 months for good vision, 1 year for great vision).