I think we can all agree that 2022 was a 'doozy' of a year. We had everything thrown at us, and here we are getting ready for next year. I'll try to sum up my own experiences because there's no way I can sum up everyone else's.
Take, for example, my medical needs: there were a few. None were 'life-threatening, but they could have been. My glaucoma problem is well into its third year, and after visiting with my ophthalmologist numerous times, he suggested I see a retina specialist. He said my retina was healthy. He suggested a minor surgery that my ophthalmologist could perform. It didn't help. So my ophthalmologist suggested I see a glaucoma specialist. He insisted on trying a number of eye drops that helped many of his glaucoma patients. That went on for a while without much improvement, if any, mostly due to the damage done to my eye by Rk surgery and glaucoma. So he referred me to an ophthalmologist who had some experience dealing with former Rk patients. And after two visits with him, he suggested I see an ophthalmologist who had been having good success with patients like me. With only "HOPE" in our favor, we met with her and she introduced me to the Scleral Lens.
She was confident that the lens could help me see well enough to drive again. It isn't covered by insurance or Medicare and is expensive ($1,500 per eye).
Naturally, we were cautious but optimistic and started our research. She was right - it did look promising. We see her (pun intended) tomorrow morning to be measured for the lens.
This will help explain what we are dealing with and how the Scleral Lens might help me see.
Scleral Lenses to Treat Eye Conditions
Scleral lenses are a variety of medically necessary contact lenses that can be prescribed to accommodate eyes with conditions such as severe astigmatism and Keratoconus. If you have either of these conditions and have ever been told that your eyes are not suited for contact lenses, it is advisable to ask your eye doctors about scleral lenses. Scleral contacts are designed to “smooth” out corneas with an irregular surface in order to correct vision problems. Instead of covering a small portion of the cornea, these large-diameter lenses cover the entire corneal surface, all the way out to the sclera (the white) of the eye.
Because of their unique shape and size, scleral lenses are more stable and durable than conventional GP lenses. They are easier to handle and pose less risk for complications. Ask your eye doctor about how scleral lenses can accommodate irregularly shaped corneas to give you sharper, clearer vision.
Meanwhile, this morning I underwent a pre-surgery "test" that was the second of two required test injections into the specific nerve somewhere between L-3 and L-4, L-4 and L-5, and L-5 and S-1 of my lower vertebra. I was sedated and the doctor injected Lidocaine. If the Lidocaine temporarily relieved my pain, the exact nerve could be verified as the cause of my pain, and be the one that the doctor would follow up with an injection of a substance that would "Kill" that nerve. I'm now scheduled to get the final injection on January 10, 2023.
Finally, my cardiologist said the Radio Frequency Vein treatments were successful, and I can resume my normal life. But wouldn't you know it, my legs are swollen today. I'm sure there's a solution to the problem.
And I have an appointment with a urologist just to see if I'm okay there. It's been over 25 years since my prostate cancer, but I don't want to take any chances.
Yes, I'm still about 70 pounds overweight. Enough said about that for now. Sweetie has high hopes for both us losing weight in 2023.
