Eye Surgery: Entry Seven

By kate on May 8th, 2000

A WHODUNIT

My left eye continued to regress until it was almost 20/40. I got a stronger prescription for the contact I was wearing. As the months went by, I was gritting it out until a year after the surgery, at which point the eye doctor would assess whether the regression had finished and if I should have a second surgery.

Then, something changed. My work schedule changed from five 8-hour days to four 10-hour days. At the time, I didn’t think it had any connection to my eyes, but from that point on, my eye started improving.

On the one-year anniversary of the surgery, Sunday April 9, I took out the contact. My left eye was a little inflamed because I had rubbed it the day before, so I didn’t put in a new contact. I went about my day expecting the headache that comes from my eyes being unequal. Instead, I realized to my astonishment that my vision seemed 20/20 again! It was a beautiful, sunny day and I could see the details of the treetops on distant hills, with both eyes. (I got two new inkless tattoos to commemorate the day.)

It was thrilling, but I didn’t hold out much hope that it would last. In my perception, my left eye’s vision kept changing, and this was just another temporary high. I didn’t wear a contact for the next few days when I returned to work for the week. The good vision lasted two and a half more days before it went away again and I put in the contact once more.

The next Sunday, I again had an inflamed eye (I had been at a smoky bar the night before). I removed the contact and went without again, and again noticed my vision had improved. What was going on?

This time, I left the contact out all week. By Thursday, my vision had started to degrade a bit, but I didn’t slap the contact right back on. I waited a few days, and by Saturday, all was well again. And with that, I realized what the culprit was.

EYE STRAIN.

Yes, that garden-variety pest, eye strain, had been degrading my vision for months. My eye only began to improve when I started having three-day weekends: three whole days without much computer use gave it time to recover. To test my theory, I began making a very concerted effort to avoid eye strain at work by looking away from my monitor on a regular basis.

And since then, my vision has remained perfect. In fact, this weekend, it seemed so sharp I’m beginning to think I’ve gotten back to 20/15. The eye doctor has confirmed my 20/20 vision in my final PRK checkup. In a few weeks, I have my annual eye exam, at which time I’ll see if I’m really 20/15 or not. I really don’t know why only my left eye was susceptible to eye strain – that’s the only remaining mystery now. However:

It’s over. Worrying about my vision all the time, having my eyes be different, constantly checking the vision in my left eye, getting headaches, wearing contacts… all that is over. I can finally achieve my dream of being able to completely forget about my eyes for days at a time.

Update 6~5~00… I had my annual eye exam today and officially have 20/15 vision in both eyes!

Update 1~19~02… I’m getting close to three years now since my eye surgery, and I’m pleased to say my vision is still absolutely perfect. It was great to be able to go on my backpacking trip without having to worry about contacts.

Please read the next entry about how to avoid eye strain, especially if you have had, or are planning to have, eye surgery.

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Cell Phones and Driving

By kate on January 25th, 2000

I am so fed up with people saying that it should be illegal to talk on cell phones in cars.

Yes, talking on a cell phone means you only have one hand on the wheel. But that happens when you’re eating in the car, changing the radio station, or simply resting one of your hands somewhere else.

Yes, having a conversation on a cell phone may distract you a little. But so does having a conversation with your passengers. So does listening to talk radio, being tired, or simply getting lost in your own thoughts.

We can hardly make all the other things I mentioned illegal, and cell phones are no worse. I think this furor is a thinly-veiled class issue. Those who don’t have cell phones see those who do as snobby rich people and resent them flaunting their expensive gadgets on the road.

I can understand that feeling, but I lose my sympathy when it is taken far enough that people want to pass laws against what they don’t like without a truly compelling reason.

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Eye Surgery: Entry Six

By kate on January 20th, 2000

Just when I thought it was all over, it wasn’t.

Starting in about November, my left eye began “regressing” a little, to 20/25, and now 20/30. My right eye continues to be 20/20, so the difference between the two began to give me headaches. I visited the eye doctor today, and we discussed my options.

I left his office wearing a contact lens.

The long-term plan is to wait until about a year after my surgery (2 and a half months from now) and see where my left eye ends up. Then, I could get a second surgery. And, it may happen that by then, microkeratomes will have gotten small enough that I could get LASIK this time around instead of PRK. The surgery would, of course, be free because of the TLC Lifetime Commitment.

But for now, I’m giving extended-wear contacts a try. I could never go back to the daily grind of regular contacts after the freedom of wearing nothing at all. I also would probably not wear extended-wear contacts on a long-term basis because I’m afraid they’d be unhealthy for my eyes. A short-term stint, on the other hand, may be fine. I feel so much better already with my two eyes matched again.

I’ll keep updating this site as things develop. I’d like to say, though, that in no way do I regret getting the surgery! Even with this hassle, I’m happier than I was before, and am still very optimistic that everything will work out in the end.

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Show Some Damn Courtesy

By kate on November 17th, 1999

What the hell is wrong with people? I’m feeling down on humanity in general at the moment, and here’s why. There is one simple thing that I do for the benefit of others, and I expect others to do for me. This is it:

Do what you said you were going to do, or let me know there’s been a change.

For example, if you say you’re going to meet me somewhere, MEET ME THERE. If you decide not to come, or if you’ll be significantly late*, call and let me know. How simple is that? I really don’t think it’s too much to expect.

But, apparently, it is. And this can ruin my enjoyment of hanging out with people because now they seem so flaky that they can’t follow one basic principle of human interaction.

Is this something old-fashioned? Some quaint rule of etiquette that has fallen out of fashion? Am I naive to expect that simple consideration for others is no longer important?

I’m not even asking that people always follow through on their word! (Something I constantly try to do, but nevermind.) All I’m asking is that I get notified of a change, so I’m not left hanging, expecting something that’s not going to happen.

* I don’t mind if someone is 5-10 minutes late; I am usually that late myself. But when the lateness creeps into the 20+ minute zone, a call should be made.

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What I Want to be When I Grow Up

By kate on September 29th, 1999

I assume most adults grow out of their childhood career fantasies. Except for the real astronauts, spies, and movie stars, I assume grown-ups’ work fantasies involve promotions and raises, or maybe working for themselves one day. Except me.

I want to be a cat burglar.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not at all interested in stealing anything. I just want to break in. It would be ideal if I had a job where, say, the owner of a company would pay me to break in to test his security.

I don’t know quite what appeals to me about cat-burgling. To do it, you must have a lot of grace and dexterity, not to mention fearlessness and know-how. All those are characteristics I admire. To be a cat burglar, you can’t be afraid of heights, getting caught, or your own failure.

I’m fascinated by movies (or parts of movies) about breaking into buildings. Remember the movie The Real McCoy, with Kim Basinger? Probably not, because the critics hated it. I was enthralled, though, because it goes into great detail about how Kim Basinger’s character plans to break into a high-security bank. I always enjoy break-in scenes, such as the ones in Sneakers and Mission Impossible.

Personally, I have broken into four or five buildings already. No, it was nothing illegal… in all but one case, someone was locked out of their home. The other time, I was scheduled to pick up my couch from a friend who had been borrowing it. I arrived at his house and found nobody home. I couldn’t come back, since I had the moving truck that day only, so instead I broke in through an unlocked second-story window. I don’t think that was illegal either, because my friend didn’t mind once I told him about it.

I’ve decided to work on polishing the skills I’d need to be a cat burglar. Just in case, you know. I’ve always been a natural climber, and have done rock climbing in the past. I got sidetracked from rock climbing during my triathlon training, but now I plan to start climbing again. I go to a climbing gym where you climb walls using only the smallest foot- and hand-holds. Could be very useful.

The other skill I am learning is lock picking. For my birthday, I got a lock-picking book and lock-pick set. I bought a few locks to practice on, and have managed to open two so far. One is a “high-security” pin tumbler padlock that I can open in less than 20 seconds. It is spring-loaded, and makes a very satisfying CLICK when it opens.

I still need more practice, of course. I’ve been practicing while watching TV, which is a good time to do it because it occupies my hands. Since lock picking relies on touch, rather than sight, this way I get in the habit of using my hands without looking.

(Added 9/29/99) I just found a local news story about a skilled cat burglar who has been stumping the police for almost a year. Check it out.