Monday, November 30, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Pumper Cells Part II
It appears scraping the back of the cornea and then wallpapering it with new cornea cells is a bit painful. But the patient is doing well despite discomfort and having to keep his head back and his eye focused on the ceiling above for 15 minutes four times a day.
The surgeon declared his handiwork successful and Ken's recovery on track.
I was a bit alarmed when he couldn't see the very big E on a cursory eye check yesterday morning, but he could tell that a hand was being held up in his line of vision if not the number of fingers.
Not a surprise since there's an air bubble in his eye placed there to hold the new layer of cells in place until they adhere to the cornea and voila, sight is resumed. Or so my understanding of this procedure goes.
We'll lay low this weekend waiting for the air bubble to dissapate and sight to resume and our fragile routine to return.
The surgeon declared his handiwork successful and Ken's recovery on track.
I was a bit alarmed when he couldn't see the very big E on a cursory eye check yesterday morning, but he could tell that a hand was being held up in his line of vision if not the number of fingers.
Not a surprise since there's an air bubble in his eye placed there to hold the new layer of cells in place until they adhere to the cornea and voila, sight is resumed. Or so my understanding of this procedure goes.
We'll lay low this weekend waiting for the air bubble to dissapate and sight to resume and our fragile routine to return.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Pumper cells
We have another surgery today. We meaning Ken.
This time it's the eye. And here's where my shallow knowledge could be a problem. I'll try to confine this to my dim understanding of what's happening.
It appears that his optical pumper cells (who knew) have aged and those remaining can't adequately pump. The result is dim vision that means he has to squint to see. He got Kindle. The e-reader lets you enlarge type and it's his most favorite possession. He's gone through three. But now, even with his good eye, it means he has to squint to read.
Today, he will not only have a small cataract removed, because why you are there why not, but he will also have a kind of re-wallpapering of the lining of his cornea with healthy donor pumper cells. The procedure takes up to four hours. And it's a 1 in 10 chance it will all go well and he'll be reading his Kindle squintless next week at this time. I take him at noon and I'm gathering we'll be home in time for the semi-final rounds of Dancing with the Stars. (Ken called to vote for Kelly last night.)
Tomorrow, we return to the doctors to check the stitches and within the next few days we'll know if the surgery was a success.
This time it's the eye. And here's where my shallow knowledge could be a problem. I'll try to confine this to my dim understanding of what's happening.
It appears that his optical pumper cells (who knew) have aged and those remaining can't adequately pump. The result is dim vision that means he has to squint to see. He got Kindle. The e-reader lets you enlarge type and it's his most favorite possession. He's gone through three. But now, even with his good eye, it means he has to squint to read.
Today, he will not only have a small cataract removed, because why you are there why not, but he will also have a kind of re-wallpapering of the lining of his cornea with healthy donor pumper cells. The procedure takes up to four hours. And it's a 1 in 10 chance it will all go well and he'll be reading his Kindle squintless next week at this time. I take him at noon and I'm gathering we'll be home in time for the semi-final rounds of Dancing with the Stars. (Ken called to vote for Kelly last night.)
Tomorrow, we return to the doctors to check the stitches and within the next few days we'll know if the surgery was a success.
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