Some sort of corneal surgery needed

[bodybuilder1958]

Hi all,

I see a corneal specialist in March, I will only see one doctor in our area for this, he's the best, I'd recommend him to my worst enemy. Hopefully only my left eye will need surgery as it didn't improve at all and the right has. I'm to stop the horribly expensive eye drops (thank God) and wait and see what the specialist says.

So it's either laser (what I would prefer), if it fails other surgeries can be done. But qualifying for PTK is difficult but it has a higher success rate and if it fails, like I said other things can be done. It takes up to 3 months to heal, 96% success rate.

Partial corneal transplant, the surgeon removes only what needs replacing. Up to 6 months to heal, easier recovery, quarter of the restrictions. If it fails the last surgery can be done. 94% success rate

Full corneal transplant, average of 2 month waiting list for cornea. Healing is up to a year, 25% chance of glaucoma due to steroid drops to prevent rejection. Difficult recovery, up to a year that includes not bending over, laying on that side, etc. 92% success rate,

Can I opt for none of the above? April of last year my eye doctor said that I could probably hold off several years. I don't know what's changed, life I guess.

Crap, no trip to Portugal this year for this family. Probably no trip very fall at all.

Oh well, time to make lemonade.

[Bummer Knees]

Sorry to hear this Bodybuilder, it is a road no one wants to travel.

I would recommend filing for Social Security Disability, you are recovering from the TKR, need one on the other knee, and you have serious vision problems.

My daughter was legally blind, 20/100 or worse. She has some sight, light vision, shadow vision. Her vision problems alone qualified her for disability. With the vision problems, once I showed documentation confirming her medical condition she qualified right away.

Those are serious restrictions that will keep you from working for some time. Social Security says disability must last at least one year making it not possible to work.

When I had the cancer surgery and skin grafting the restrictions the doctor gave me were much the same. No fun, what I did around the house was very limited.

[bodybuilder1958]

(01-03-2012 10:13 PM)Bummer Knees Wrote:  Sorry to hear this Bodybuilder, it is a road no one wants to travel.

I would recommend filing for Social Security Disability, you are recovering from the TKR, need one on the other knee, and you have serious vision problems.

My daughter was legally blind, 20/100 or worse. She has some sight, light vision, shadow vision. Her vision problems alone qualified her for disability. With the vision problems, once I showed documentation confirming her medical condition she qualified right away.

Those are serious restrictions that will keep you from working for some time. Social Security says disability must last at least one year making it not possible to work.

When I had the cancer surgery and skin grafting the restrictions the doctor gave me were much the same. No fun, what I did around the house was very limited.

I believe filing at this point would be premature. I don't know what type of surgery I need and what the recovery would be, length, etc. My TKR is recovered, better than it has been in over a decade for sure. The other knee is stable and unless something drastic happens I don't believe I'll need a TKR on the other knee for quite some time. That knee isn't hendering my lifestyle like the left was, sure it hurts sometimes but that's about it.

For SSDI I would have to definitely be restricted in my activities for atleast a year. I've known people who have lost their sight and have still waited over a year or longer for SSDI to start. Even with terminal cancer many people die before their SSDI is approved.

[jayne]

yep I have also but vision is different...and lots of programs in place for the vision impaired you have it now with the need for sunglasses and the very expensive eyedrops....dont let your pride get in the way of getting the help you need with your eyes....

[bronco54501]

BB, sorry to hear....... Eye sight is a terrible thing to loose. . As a young kid I had eye problems, they were able to cure my right eye but my left is another story.. I am legaly blind in left eye, I can see images as a blur but cant make anthing out.

[jayne]

if the itch is from the inside I dont know.... but on the outside Sarna cream is great you can get it from walmart.also Bummer has this wonderful lotion that works....have you asked your Doc if you can take benadryl