Old One-Eye is back.

The cataract surgery is done and my left eye has recently been freed from the tape that bound it closed. Although the vision is a bit blurry and slant-y (both conditions to be expected, according to the literature), I have every reason to be hopeful.

Experiencing a little bit of discomfort, so I took a Kirkland ibuprofen and we’ll see how it goes. Overall, the experience was much easier than I’d feared.

No doubt that’s due to the kindness of the staff and the skill of the doctor. However, I think that a nice glug of orally administered Versed might also have had something to do with that.

It left me not just relaxed but also somewhat loopy, to the point when the nice woman took a long, curved needle and started slowly injecting anesthetic into my eyeball my reaction was, “Sure, fine, whatever.”

 

Did I mention I’m mortally afraid of needles? And of anything possibly touching my eyeball? That stuff works, man. Versed would be the opiate of the masses if the masses were able to get hold of it.

Weirdly, the operation was recorded and a souvenir DVD put into my hands as I left. Not sure there’s enough Versed in the universe to get me to watch an artificial lens being spring-loaded into my eye.

 

Post-surgical errands

Since I can’t see too clearly right now I’m going to make this a short-short post. I just wanted to check in and say “thanks” to all those who left comments/sent e-mails hoping that the surgery would be easy.

After the procedure DF drove me over to Costco, where I had the left lens removed from my current specs. (I can’t get new ones until I find out whether my right eye will also undergo cataract surgery.) He also topped off the gas tank at $2.52 a gallon. (How much are you guys paying?)

Then we went hog-wild at a supermarket for bacon for the freezer ($3 a pound) and eggs (98 cents a dozen, an unheard-of price here).

The last stop was McDonald’s, where I got six McNuggets, fries and a soft drink for the equivalent of $3.87 because I paid with a discounted gift card. Sometimes I just want Mickey D’s fries, you know?

Which is my frugal tip for the day: If you, too, crave McDonald’s, order a Mighty Kids Meal. You also get a toy, which I haven’t looked at closely but which looks like an oversized Conversation Heart. DF, who read the wrapper, claims that it contains lip gloss. Ooooo-kay.

Fun fact: At least some McDonald’s restaurants will give you extra French fries if you don’t want the GoGurt. Guess which option I chose?

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31 thoughts on “Old One-Eye is back.”

  1. I am happy the surgery went well. Best wishes for a speedy recovery. Now that you know how well it went this time, the right eye should be less worrisome. Good luck!

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  2. I hope things clear up for you, vision-wise. I also hope the in-between period isn’t too long. Eggland’s Best eggs are usually pretty pricey, but are on sale for $1.99/doz this week. The best price for gasoline here in central Jersey is around $2.30, depending on whether you pay with cash or credit.

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  3. Gas in PA is $2.69, except at Turkey Hill, where it is $2.49, and with the card, it is 3 cents less per gallon. Eggs at Aldi and Myers Meats are 99 cents a dozen. I just got 2 lbs. of bacon at Grocery Outlet for $6; it was a weekly special. At McDonald’s I like the regular size Happy Meal hamburger meal, with the double order of fries or the apple slices. I had the surgery in both eyes, a week apart. About 8 months later, I had a complication of clouding of the lenses (20% of people get it). As it was a complication of the cataract surgery, the ins. covered the laser surgery to correct it. Best of luck to you; colors will be so much brighter, but close up vision will require the dollar glasses.

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  4. So glad your surgery went well! 🙂 Hope your recovery goes quickly & easily.

    Regular gas is $2.29 a gallon here. We can’t get eggs or bacon as cheaply as you did unless we get a VERY good sale. And that doesn’t happen often.

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  5. When I had my second eye done, the Doctor asked if I remembered anything from the first surgery. I said I remembered at one point seeing what looked like a lot of different colored lights swirling around and thought that must be what it looks like when you’re “high”. He just laughed and said “Obviously, you’ve never done drugs.”.

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    • Ha! I felt kind of relaxed and logy from the Versed, much less anxious than when I came in. Needles…ick.

      Don’t get me wrong: I hold still for blood draws and flu shots and can even give blood. As long as I don’t see the needle, I’m fine. Heck, whenever there’s a scene of injected drug use in a film I have to look away.

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  6. I’m glad the surgery went well, Donna, and may your recovery be swift and uncomplicated. Thanks for the discounted gift card reminder, too.

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  7. $2.15 yesterday which is a bunch lower than the $2.48 last week…Michigan.

    Rest and relax, that eye will heal up soon….GF will take great care of you, I’m sure. (I’d order up something good for dinner!)

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  8. Glad the surgery went well. I share your…”dislike”… of needles, especially those going in my eye as well as the “medicinal effects” of McDonalds fries…Gas in this neck of the woods …$2.29…eggs …$1.29 at Aldi….bacon $3.49. Hope you have a speedy recovery.

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  9. I bought gas yesterday for $1.97. The cataract in my right eye is not “ripe” yet, so just new glasses this year. Hope everything continues to go well.

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  10. Well congrats on the surgery going well! I hope you get back to your old self in no time. 🙂

    Also, THANK YOU for the McDonald’s info. I always thought they were super strict about kids’ Happy Meals so I never ordered one, even though it would be the perfect portion.

    I shall fear no more!

    …And hopefully get a toy out of it…

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  11. Gas is $2.23 and less if you have a fuel saver card (I had 30 cent a gallon discount last time!). Eggs are running 78 cents a dozen at WM and Aldi. Skim milk is around $2.04 a gallon. I am blessed by these low prices and Aldi!

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  12. Glad the surgery went well. I can’t believe how much things have changed since my grandmother went through it. My hubby has cataracts in both eyes, but his aren’t ready yet. I am 65, and happy to say there are no signs of any. I would probably pass out if I saw that needle!

    I just got gas yesterday and it was 2.57 (PA). All their darn taxes! I paid .20 less because of Giant points.

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  13. I’m so nervous about anything to do with my eyes that I have to take a Valium just to go to the eye doctor for a regular check-up. In fact, I’m going tomorrow for the first time in 3 – 4 years. I’m trying to be brave, because my teenage son (who has glasses and whose prescription has changed every year thus far)has an appointment too. (I never let him see how freaked out about it I was because I didn’t want him to get that way too!!) They can’t get close enough to my eyes to do the glaucoma test, even with the new air puff one I instinctively move away. Luckily, my doctor is very patient. I’m almost 50 and I’ve been like this my whole life. My eyes were good and I never needed glasses till I turned 40 and then just needed readers. That’s how come I can get away with not going in very often. My mom had eye surgery like yours done a few years back and just hearing about it made me feel faint. I’m glad you’re doing better and I’m sure DF is taking good care of you!

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  14. Best wishes for a speedy recovery. Had a stubborn old boss years ago who had his first eye done in the AM and went back to work at the dry cleaners immediately post-surgery: against advice, natch. Mine are due in five years or so.

    Aldi’s large eggs are .69 here in NW GA–why lower here? Gas is 2.18 but can’t do road trips for another week or two.

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  15. So glad you had an easy surgery. Welcome to a brighter world. Happy Meals are my first choice at McDonalds. The last toy I remember getting was a Minion. So very cute. I still have it:)

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  16. Wishing you a Speedy Recovery Donna! I pay 69 cents at Aldi for eggs and I don’t buy bacon so not sure what the price is. Best Wishes.

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  17. Glad to hear that your surgery went well and I hope you have a speedy recovery. Take sometime to just relax and milk it a bit.

    Our gas here yesterday was $2.46. I just got eggs for .88 a dozen (medium eggs). I am missing the summer months because our neighbor gives us free farm fresh eggs but with it being winter…they freeze prior to her getting them.

    I also love the McDonald’s fries….best part of the visit 🙂

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  18. Glad the surgery went well! I’ve heard that colors are likely to be a lot more vivid once your eye recovers. I’m envious – I live in a dim, gray-scale world now, and I miss colors so much sometimes!

    MrH had a colonoscopy last year. Of course he had to prep and fast the day before, and by the time the procedure was over he was ravenous. He had our son, who drove him, take him by McDonald’s and got a chocolate shake and large fry.

    Of course, when he got home and read the post-procedure instructions, they advised that he should eat small amounts and avoid fatty foods for the next little while. But as far as I know, he didn’t suffer any ill effects–and he said that even if he had, the shake and fries were SO worth it!

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    • When I picked up a friend after the colonoscopy, the first request was “the drive-through window at Burger King, please.” The bacon, egg and cheese croissant didn’t do any harm.

      After my own colonoscopies I tend to come home for a scrambled-egg sandwich and a nice, long nap.

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  19. Good news that your surgery went well. You mentioning that you are not so worried about having the other eye done is reassuring. I hope you will continue to post how your recovery goes. I’m scheduled for cataract surgery very soon and have been totally freaking out. I only agreed to the surgery if the doctor agreed to put me under to do it. Both eyes need to be done, but in spite of my best arguments, he will only do one at a time, so I guess I’ll have to pay the co-pay twice.

    Large eggs are on special here in NC for $0.89/dozen this week. Gas is at $2.03 at Sheetz if you have their loyalty card.

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    • I was very, very anxious despite DF’s promise that it really isn’t a difficult surgery. The Versed was helpful but not, I realize now, entirely essential: The eye is numbed with drops before they inject the anesthetic, so it probably wouldn’t have felt any different than it did (an odd pressure but zero pain).

      It’s not that I’m jumping for joy at the thought of more needles and drops. The procedure itself still makes me feel a little queasy. (Hint: Still haven’t watched that DVD!) But we live in an age of miracles: A relatively simple procedure means that my vision will be correctable with glasses once more and I’ll be able to work and drive and travel with ease. I’m grateful for the chance to get this kind of care.

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  20. Here’s hoping your recovery goes as smoothly as the procedure did!

    Gas this morning was 2.55/gallon, and I was THRILLED to see eggs at 0.99/dozen last week – I bought 3 dozen. Normally a great price is $1.27/dozen and a normal price is closer to $2/dozen. California prices!

    Fun fact – a couple of years ago, legislation was put in place to force companies to provide more humane housing for egg-laying chickens – the result was that for a good year or more, eggs were above $3 a dozen! Thankfully prices are coming back down!

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    • Everyday supermarket price here is $1.69 or more, so we’re delighted with the price.

      Thanks to you and everyone else for the good wishes. The follow-up exam was today and it seems everything looks fine. When I asked about the on-again, off-again ability to focus with both eyes (including one whose glasses-frame lens is missing), I was told that it takes time for things to “settle in.” DF, who’s had it in both eyes, agrees that it takes a while for your brain to be able to process the new experiences correctly.

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  21. My desk at work is covered in Happy Meal toys! I love getting a MIghty Kids meal. Just enough food for me, esp at lunch.

    Gas here in Pittsburgh is $2.65 and up. I drive a hybrid so I only fill up once every three weeks or so. Hubby works from home so he does about the same.

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  22. So glad your “getting a sharp stick in the eye” went well. ? I got gas today for $1.95 and yep, even if you order apple slices for a Happy Meal, they still give you fries (which kind of defeats the purpose). I’m also a fan of ordering a kids meal if you just want a bit of fast food to satisfy a craving without consuming an entire day’s calories in one meal!

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