Yes. As suspected I may get it sometime down the track of my TSW journey - retinal detachment - after reading Dr Fukaya’s blog post and of other TSW warrior’s experience on the ITSAN forum. I have reduce face slapping a lot already as my face has improved a lot, but still it is a risk when I do slap. So about a week ago I noticed increased floaters and lotsss of black dots in my right eye vision. It was kind of like this:

So I freaked out a little and booked am appointment with my ophthalmologist last Friday 17 October. After he checked my eyes he was worried and said suspect I have temporary retinal detachment and told his colleague who deals with retinal detachments to have a closer look. She confirmed it and said I need to do surgery ASAP. Retinal detachment is when you have a tear or hole at the back of your retina.

So why did I suddenly get a tear/hole at the back of my eye? The second ophthalmologist I saw said it was due to my young age and short-sightedness. I was a bit like ‘huh? So it’s from the cataract surgery then because I didn’t have short-sightedness before my surgery?’ She said ‘yeah it’s like 1/100 case’. And I was thinking ‘ha ha ha great!’. So after my cataract surgeries I was at a higher risk of getting retinal detachment. Firstly, the face slapping I constantly do would have contributed to this; secondly, the cataract surgeries, or any eye surgery, was another risk, thirdly my young age and short-sightedness (after cataract surgery side effect) was also another risk. “Cataract surgery increases the risk of retinal detachment. After cataract surgery, retinal detachments occur in approximately 1.5% of patients” (Patalano, 2014). crap I am the 1.5%

I didn’t mention this earlier, and some of readers might be interested, when I decided to get cataract surgeries done I had the choice of getting mono lens or dual lens which meant seeing only far objects clearly and needing reading glasses for close objects (mono lens) or dual lens which cater for seeing close and far objects. However, although technology had advanced so much in creating dual lens, my ophthalmologist said that many of his patients hated the dual lens and some had even wanted second surgeries to change their lens back to mono lens so I opted for mono lens and I was fine with using reading glasses after surgery – I just wanted my bloody vision back who cares if I need glasses!! Despite this, my vision was not 100% as what my surgeon and I expected after the cataract surgeries. My right eye lens ended up one dioptre less than my left eye. What that meant was that my right eye is more short-sighted than my left eye. So the vision of both my eyes was uneven. And that was NOT intended but something happened – whatever it was, measuring, recovery… – there was not much I can do about it apart from redoing surgery but that would be too risky. On the positive side, I was able to not use reading glasses with one eye and use the other eye for looking at distant objects and avoid glasses that way. My surgeon said some of his patients actually get him to do this for them so they can avoid glasses altogether. It was not intended for my case I wanted even vision and just use reading glasses but oh wells things have been pretty smooth since my cataract surgeries and have been working fine. Unfortunately because of the short-sightedness and my younger age, I was at risk of my vitreous gel, which is not as firm as it should be, being detached from the back of the eye earlier (Royal National Institute of Blind People, 2013). Kind of like wallpaper coming off the wall when there is little tear. So if you have a slight tear or hole it wrecks the whole wall right? Imagine that with our eyes, of cause we will have bad vision and if untreated we could lose our vision if the tear was very big and detaches off our eye wall.

I had my earlier cataract surgeries done at a private hospital (Janaury 2014) since I didn’t know how long the waiting list was at public hospital and my case was rather severe. And with health insurance coverage I only had to pay a portion of it and getting it done ASAP was the main thing. So this time I expected to the retinal vitrectomy surgery to be done at the private hospital too, however, this time as surgery was also an ASAP thing it was hard to find a surgeon at the private hospital to perform the operation that day so I got transferred to the public hospital and it's really just the same thing. Very professional medical people and I felt very safe under their hands. So so so grateful for this. I guess the only difference is the waiting game, it’s a lot less certain in public sector due to the caseloads and emergencies but everything else is greatly more or less the same. The three surgeons who checked my eyes worked both for the private and public sector.

So FOUR ophthalmologist checked my right eye and all of them COULDN’T find the hole/tear at the back of my eye. The surgeon who last checked my eye said it was because the tear was soooo small/minute they couldn’t find it but they would definitely find it once they do the operation on my eye. Since it was such a small tear, the surgeon said it is likely due to the cataract surgery as it is likely to be very very small issue if there are any at all with the follow up side effects of a cataract surgery.

I was little shocked that everything happened so fast and at the same time was grateful that so many professionals were helping me and making arrangements for me. I had plans to meet a girl friend after my eye appointment and was hoping I was just over-worried and the black dots and floaters could disappear overtime….No, so everything happened pretty fast that day (kind of) but slow at same time It was cos I got admitted to hospital and needed surgery ASAP – I was expecting it to be that night and most of the nurses told me mostly likely too, but then I waited almost a full day and did the operation the next morning (18 October). Although, I was put down as an acute patient (so thankful for that!) the surgeon had another operation that night and it was getting too late and he suggested first thing tomorrow morning after a good night’s of sleep (for both of us haha), so I went back the next morning at 7am, got ready and the operation started around 9am.

So I waited and waited and nurses came into check my pulse and blood pressure and dilate my pupils before the operation started. Just before the operation an aesthetician came into explain the local anaesthetics procedure. I felt my heart pumping hard when he said procedure is a little different to the cataract surgery and he'll inject the solution with a needle into the back of my eye..... And OMFG it was soooooo scary!! Although they numbed the eye earlier I still felt the needle (it was not pointy/pokey) but a very uncomfortable feeling you get when something is jabbing at the back of your eye and then inject a solution applying lots of pressure into your eye. MY DELICATE EYE!!! Freaky experience! The aesthetician was a lovely man and had great humour to ease my anxiety though. I hated (the thing I actually hate MOST each time I am in hospital) is that IV line thingy. Because I have “eczema” so my skin is thicker and it’s harder to find my veins and almost EVERYTIME clinicians have to bloody jab me TWICE to insert that IV line in properly and I always end up with bloody hands


Ready for right eye vitreo-retinal surgery. They always use a marker to mark which eye first incase they do the wrong eye in surgery!


But yeah operation went all good. I had to lay on my right side in hospital for 4 hours then on my face for 4 hours before getting discharged. That’s because they injected a gas bubble to support the retina to heal and as bubbles floats I needed to be in certain postures to support my healing. That was a lil difficult and tiring at times. However, I just tried to relax after all I was kid-free and got to nap hahaha. I went back for a quick review of my right eye 8am the next day and everything is good. I have a blood shot looking right eye with bubble gas in it which gives me watery blurry vision I can only see 2 fingers close by, pretty much nothing else! Vision will improve over time as gas bubble dissolves and the natural eye fluid replaces it to support the retina. This may take several weeks. It’s been difficult using one eye again…………….. I have a follow-up appointment 2 weeks later and have antibiotic and steroid eye drops to use for 4 weeks.

Lucky my facial skin was ok the whole time in hospital. Just dry and a lil itchy. Thank goodness! My arms were flaring tho. I had hospital food and ate 3 large sandwiches! How much I missed you BREADDD!! LOL I didn’t wanna be difficult and get nurses to give me a “Paleo menu” haha so will resume my Paleo now that I am home. I was sooo hungry though once I had gluten in my system it just sux as I started to get gassy straight after the sandwich and tea, which had milk in it. So clearly I am intolerant to gluten and I have always been a lil allergic to milk.


Post surgery. Excuse my hair but it’s growing back well as you can see…..


Getting ready to be discharged! I only did a day-stay in hospital and stayed there for about 12 hours and waited for 6 hours the day before.


I missed my baby boys soooo much and they were asking for mummy all day my 3 year old was so cute the next morning: Mummy what’s wrong? Mummy I can’t see your other eye! Mummy is it hurt? Mummy you needa see doctor aye! So glad to be home

Thank you to my dear husband who cancelled all his meetings that day I got admitted to hospital to take care of our baby boys

Thank you to those to send me messages of support


Photos taken today - beginning of MONTH 15 TSW

Problem areas:

Flare of hands and arms dying down – the flare started from last month and I put that Tamanu oil on it just kept flaring mildy (red, very itchy, bumpy) and finally it’s is dying down – turning into dead skin and scabs now, not itchy, just the 'dry itchiness' type if there is any itch at all.

Face is still pinkish colour but I think the photo just highlights it more, in real person I am not that pink at all. more like flaky white geisha LOL – like the photo above in hospital gown with hair flying up Since hospital I have stopped using Dr F’s ointment as my skin was completely fine without it, since discharge I am using Dr F’s lotion only and I seriously hope I can just use the lotion from now on as I love moisturiser withdrawal and hate vaseline but with the ointment I feel that my skin does get used to the barrier and need it more after applications so I wanna stop when I can now.

Neck can get itchy and pink when I eat inflammatory foods but then dies down quite quickly. Scratching it makes it spread/worsen.

Back of knees gets a lil itchy sometimes because of inflammatory foods I eat or sometimes heat and sweat trapped when I cross my legs to sit all the time.

No eyebrows. When are you coming back dear? I miss you heaps I also have broken eye lashes and will start using an eyelash growing gel I used to use it before when I had no eyelashes post previous TSW. I used the Loreal eyelash serum. Works fine doesn’t irritate my skin/eyes. Wont use it till I heal from surgery tho of course!

Other than that skin is improving well






I hope all warriors and carers are doing well!! and PLEASE GET YOUR EYES CHECKED!! PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEE DO!

The light is coming soon down that tunnel hang in there!!!!


xxx
ahfaye

References
Patalano, V. J. (2014). The risks and benefits of cataract surgery. Digital Journal of Ophthalmology. Retrieved from http://www.djo.harvard.edu/site.php?url=/patients/pi/408
Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). (2013). Retinal detachment. Retrieved from http://www.rnib.org.uk/eye-health-eye-conditions-z-eye-conditions/retinal-detachment