keratoconus and cross-linking surgery
Around the end of high school, I started having trouble with my vision. I remember in English class I would always squint at the board and my teacher would ALWAYS say to me to go and get my eyes checked out, which I eventually did. (thank you, Mr Johnson) Turns out I had an eye disease called keratoconus which thins the cornea and gives it a cone-like shape - resulting in blurry vision and double vision.
From then onwards, I wore glasses and had to take frequent visits to the opticians. With every pair of glasses, I got my vision would be fine for a couple of months and then it would get really bad. I would start getting blurry vision and I would have to squint to see everything - with my glasses on. My opticians then referred me to the hospital.
At my first visit to the hospital, they said my eye was fine for now and I only needed to wear my glasses, but then when I went back the next year they said that I needed surgery.
They told me I needed to get cross-linking surgery on my right eye. This surgery doesn’t improve my vision, it only stabilises my vision so the disease won't progress as fast.
I was on a waiting list for a while and then one day whilst I was shopping I got a call saying that there had been a cancellation and if I were able to do the eye surgery the next day at 7:30 am. I went and they did some pre-op stuff like checking my blood pressure and asking me questions about my health.
I wasn't really scared or nervous to get the surgery done because I knew it wouldn’t be painful.
Before I went into the operation theatre, the nurse put some numbing eye drops into my eyes. During surgery, they put this small clip to hold my eyes open and then proceeded to remove the top layer of my cornea. Every few minutes for at least ten minutes the surgeon added a vitamin into my eye (which was weird and orange) then, this ultraviolet light was shone into my eye for ten minutes. The procedure was actually painless and for a moment I was about to fall asleep. Finally, she added this soft contact lens in which would dissolve itself in three days. Throughout the surgery, the surgeon was telling me what she was doing and how long we had left etc. We had a whole conversation and towards the end, she asked me what my plans were for that day.. I told her that my sister was getting married and then all the nurses and surgeons in the room laughed. (my sister was having a religious marriage ceremony in the evening and she also went to the surgery with me)
After I got done with surgery the nurse gave me two eye drops which I had to use 4 times a day twice. Then use one of the eye drops twice a day after two weeks.
Because i had this soft contact lens in my eye, my right eye would close up. so, after surgery, while I was drinking tea (important info right there) my eye just shut and tears were falling out of my eye. The nurse put an eye patch on my eye and handed me a whole box of tissues for the journey on the way home. My sister and I walked to the hospital because we only live a few minutes away. Walking back... was real fun. I closed both of my eyes and let my sister guide me home.. I was stumbling and couldn’t really walk straight. I probably looked like a drunk pirate.
Anyways, as soon as I came home I went to sleep. My eye was really sore and I wasn't able to open it properly for three days, which was when the contact lens dissolved.
I woke up and got dressed for the ceremony and had to wear sunglasses because I was light sensitive. (the pictures turned out great)
I had a one-week post operation appointment which was only 5 minutes long since it was only to see if my eye got infected. (it didn't wooo)
Its been a month since my operation and my eyesight is still a little blurry.. I could wear glasses but there is no point since my vision is only going to change.
fun.
UPDATE: 2/11/2018 - my right eye is completely stable now, but now my left eye needs the same surgery.
UPDATE: 19/06/2019 - i had surgery on the left eye and my eyes are now completely stable.