D'Eye, D'Eye

Many of my previous postings here were on problems and what my wife has to go through on her eyes. She has an eye problem called Fuchs’ Dystrophy, a degeneration of the cornea that is destructive to her sense of vision and normal function of the eye. Ram has had her right cornea replaced with a donor cornea some three years ago. But sadly, one year after the cornea transplant procedure was performed, she had an infection so bad that she almost lost the new cornea. She was saved ‘in the nick of time’ so to speak and the infection was eliminated and vision restored although not up to the level desired. Since then it was a series of procedures performed to right the vision to normal. It is still far from normal now. Details of what Ram went through are archived in this blog.

After the infection incident the cornea began to develop astigmatism. This had gotten worse over time. Although the doctor attending to Ram tried various methods to correct the vision it appeared as though it is incurable. She continues to have bad vision moments. Sometimes she sees very well and sometimes she does not. I can stand about ten feet away from her and she can see even the slightest expression on my face and other times when I am barely 5 feet away and she can not even make out my face!! Reading too has had similar problems.

So it was, after about three years, Ram is battling with vision. To make matters even more complicated she has developed cataract in both eyes too. She kept an appointment with her doctor yesterday. The doctor said that the cornea is over tensioned in one section and loose on the other thus worsening the astigmatism. As the cornea has adhered to the eyeball she had tried to cut it a bit, some several months ago, to loosen the tension but to no avail. She suggests that the loose portion be stitched up to balance the tension and this procedure, a minor operation, is planned for tomorrow. The cataract problem is to take a back seat for the moment. Her other eye meanwhile continues deteriorating and vision on this one is cloudy and images distorted, just like the right eye before the transplant procedure was carried out. Her doctor is aware but is not attending to it yet, not until the right eye is properly corrected, she said. Eye drops are prescribed for this eye to relieve pain.

Ram is apprehensive over this stitching procedure on her right eye. She had gone through it before and I guess memories are flooding back in her mind. She is prepared to go through it but at the same time she is ‘scared’. Not so much of the pain she has to endure but more of the expectation and aspiration after the procedure is performed. Will the procedure help her regain full vision? If not, how long more and what else can be done? That is the question uppermost in her mind. I pray to the Almighty for His guidance and for His pleasure in granting Ram full vision. Amin

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya