Post Cornea Transplant Update

It has been since the 9th for my second cornea transplant, and since September 23 for my first cornea transplant. I am going to report.

The first (left) eye is recovering well! I have had one suture removed, and with correction the Dr. can get me seeing 20/40 or so. I do not have correction on the left eye yet, in that contacts will slow the healing.

The second eye also is recovering well. I had a suture that was leaking fluid from the inside of the cornea, which was causing the pressure to be very low. I was taking drops to help with the pressure, and wore a non prescription soft lens over the top of the cornea to assist in closing off the leak. In a few days, that leak healed over, and I experienced extreme vertigo. This, looking back now, was probably the pressure in my eye increasing. At the one week post op appt. the pressure was quite high, but the Dr. was not alarmed. He prescribed two different eye drops to help with the pressure. Four days later, the pressure check was back to normal, and the soft lens was removed. This was bitter sweet. The soft lens was covering up a knot in one of the sutures, and now that it was exposed was causing it to rub the inside of my eyelid raw. Very painful. The drops I had to use on the raw skin burned and stung terribly. The Dr. said the skin would heal over the top of the knot in a bit and it would be better. It took about a week or so, and now the skin is nicely covering the knot, and the pain has decreased. It is blurry in the right eye, but I can read large words with high contrasting background.

So, I continue to try to be patient and keep my eyes closed as much as possible (which is VERY difficult with all of the pressure I put on myself to be healed NOW, not later.) I have had a hard time resting this last week with the holidays and being with my husband and children again. I try to sleep a lot, which I have found really helps. I get very tired, especially as I strain my eyes through the day to try to see. Also, growing new tissue does take effort on the body's part. I try to take a nap daily in the afternoon and give my eyes a rest. This also helps. The Dr. said that they eye lid closed over the eye acts as a natural protection and barrier, and the more it is closed the faster it will heal. I also try to constantly put preservative free liquid tear drops in my eye, and several times a day I put a nighttime over the counter ointment in my eye to help lubricate it. I have noticed when I DO NOT keep a great deal of lubrication on my eye, the mapping and results at my follow up appts. are not as positive.

What are my thoughts and feelings post surgery for any one considering transplant: Do one eye at a time and let the first transplant heal to the point of being able to see well out of it BEFORE doing surgery on the second eye. The reason I did the surgery so quickly was that I needed to get both surgeries on this years deductible, AND because I was able to take time off of my life. I have had help from my family and neighbors to drive me around, drive me to appts. and I was able to take a medical leave from my job at the hospital. I would NOT recommend doing both eyes quickly if you depend greatly on your eyes to do your job or function at 20/40 (which is legal driving sight). Get the first eye to the point of correction to at least 20/40 and able to drive/see out of one eye before considering the second eye.

I also would recommend resting as much as possible, which if you have a job may be difficult to do. The more the eye is closed, the faster it heals. Taking a medical leave for several weeks would be ideal.

This is the first week I have been able to really see well enough to read larger print with the left eye. It has been three months. The Dr. said it would be at least three months before the eye would be stable enough to put correction on the eye. Every time sutures are removed, the vision will change, and the correction will change. I now see why the healing process takes six months to a year.

In summary, if you must depend on your eyes (Ha! who doesn't!) one eye a year is what I would recommend. If you have people to take care of you and drive you (and CONSTANTLY remind you to rest and stop using your eyes, and stop reading your email, and stop quilting, and etc...(thanks everyone, and family, I love you! ) then you can do the eyes quicker, but, you may not be able to drive for a few months.

I better end now. My sister just called and asked what I was doing and when I planned on going to bed so I can rest my eyes :) that means I must be done for the night....(and no one knows I am up typing right now, so that will get me in trouble as soon as I post!) Please don't get me wrong, I am so thankful for ALL of you who want me to heal and do everything you can to help enable that. I truly am grateful. I love you. ash