Eyes misadventures
I underwent my 7th surgery almost 3 weeks ago, I used to joke I would get a free one after the tenth but it does not really make me laugh anymore.
Just wanted to vent as I am getting more and more anxious and depressed.
For the context, I am 40M, from France (sorry if some sentences are weirdly written) in a city close to Paris and with high myopa history (-11+) and a bit of astygmatism. I could not see without correction, but using contact lenses without any trouble, all was great.
2024 :
May to November : my left eye sight gets worse, so I book an appointment in one of the eye clinics. I get new glasses twice but I still can not see well. It seems that I have a monocular diplopia, but after 4 appointments the doctors tell me they do not know and that is it.
December : appointment with a doctor in Paris recommended by one patient of his. After 2 minutes : cataract
2025
January to March : broken toe
April to May : I take a badminton shuttlecock in the right eye, direct hit. Traumatic glaucoma, macular hole and PVD. My intraocular pressure goes high and low, as I am very responsive to the side effects of the anti-inflammatory drops
June : RD on the right eye, surgery with scleral buckling and a bit a SF6 (the retina detached after the buckling during the surgery). They got me the buckling because of my age to avoid cataract. My left cataract goes worse, but they do not want to touch the left eye until the right one is fixed. Given my macular hole, I have to blurry eyes.
July : the 25th, I have a PPV for the macular hole (so the buckling did not avoid anything).
September to November : monitor the healing, all goes well and the metamorphopsia decreases significantly. The doctor tells me about cataract surgery for the left eye, but gives me contradictory informations in two appointments : first that he has to do both eyes with monofocal implants, then that I can choose to do just the left eye with an implant of my choice since I do not have cataract in the right eye. At this point I do not know what to do or if I can trust this doctor.
December : appointment with the doctor from Paris, the right eye is starting to have cataract. I get surgery on the left eye the 18th.
2026 :
January : I have binocular diplopia, the doctor tells me it is because of the differences between the eyes, one with implant and one with contact lens. We agree to put a toric implant for the right eye.
February : cataract surgery the 5th, I notice after the surgery that I do not have a toric implant. Phone call to the doctor : he felt it was not necessary given my left eye adaptation, but did not warned me before. Nonetheless sight is good, but the diplopia remains.
March : Surgery to remove the buckle.
April : PVD on the left eye.
May : blured vision on the upper left side of my left eye. RD on the left eye but no surgeon available since it is a holliday + week-end, and even the next week they will not have a retinal expert available. So I go to a hospital in Paris where they can do surgery 24/7. I have PPV with C2F6 the 9th.
June : my intraocular pressure is unstable as usal with drops. The 13th, diagnosed RD again on the left eye at the local ER, intraocular pressure at 40, no surgeon is available in the town where I am on the week-end. The 14th, I go back to Paris at 3pm. At this time, my left eye can not see anything. Exams : full detachment, macula off, pressure at 9, I have to come back next morning. Morning of exams, pressure at 4, surgery the afternoon PPV + scleral buckling + cryotherapy + peeling + 360° laser.
As of today, the gas lowered enough so that I can see a bit, but my sight is blurred, I have a significant metamorphopsia. Since the gas lowered, I am anxious, angry at myself that I spent so much time at the local ER waiting for nothing june 13th while I could have drive to Paris before the macula detached, angry that everyone says that RD is an emergency, but in most French cities noone is available in the week-end if not in Paris. I am scared of what I will be able to see afterward. I am exhausted of not knowing if what I see or feel is normal, or if I am going to lose an eye by ignoring it. I can not count the trips to the ER nor the time spent there, sometimes for nothing, sometimes because the intraocular pressure went off limit (it has gone off chart of a non-contact tonometers). I am scared that one time, one of the junior doctors at the ER will miss something, because he is alone to do the job, exhausted and in training. I am pissed at planning anything and having to cancel it again and again, or to go on vacation anywhere.
I am lucky to be in France to get treatments or paid sick leaves, so I do not end up blind or in the streets, but god I wish I would not have to use this luck.