Had another post-op follow-up with my eye doctor. I recently had a fourth surgery on my right eye related to diabetic retinopathy. The surgery had consisted of a lens replacement for a cataract, they also cleaned up a hyphema (collection of blood), and put in oil to help keep my retina flat.
Not long after the surgery I had developed epithelial failure which resulted in a cloudy cornea. The doctor decided to wait and see before doing any treatment because this is something that usually clears up on it's own.
At today's appointment the doctor asked me right away how the cloudiness was doing. I informed him that it initially had gotten worse but then started to clear up. He was pleased to hear this because it means that the cells of my cornea are working again to clear up moisture.
He examined my eye thoroughly and made a lot of pleasant comments in the process. "Looks good", "Real nice", "Healing up well", etc.. After the examination, he prescribed an ointment for me to use every evening. This ointment works to aid in clearing up the moisture in the cornea. He had not prescribed the medication the first time he saw me for the cloudiness because he wanted to see if the cells would begin to work again, and also because the medication stings and he didn't want to cause more discomfort unless necessary.
I go back again in two weeks.
My walk home is a mile. The leg pain I always experience (poor circulation) began immediately and got progressively more painful as the walk went on. I toughed it out and made it home. I mention the leg pain every time I see my primary doctor, the issue is always put on the back burner in preference to dealing with other issues first. I am tired of this and really hope that when I get the referral to an endocrinologist to go through I can finally have this issue addressed. the pain is taking a toll on my quality of life now.
It is nice that everything is healing the way it should. Do you think you will need another surgery in a year for a new portion of oil? What kind of the lenses they put in? How do you like them compare to the natural ones?
Yes, the plan is to remove the oil in a year. Not sure what lens, but I can say that even with the oil blurring things up, the new lens is much better than the natural was.
Do you see a cardiologist? The leg pain with exercise is usually followed and treated by cardiology. If you can not get your primary to address this issue then I would bring it up with your cardiologists. If you don't have one then might be time to get one.
I most definitely do have a cardiologist, and have told him about the pain. This was after my triple bypass. His response was to, "rest often when exercising." I have had the leg pain since 2007! My heart surgery was in October 2013 and I was put on Plavix at that time and will most likely be on it for the rest of my life. Plavix is usually a drug of choice for this leg pain and so I think maybe my cardiologist was thinking it would help...but it hasn't helped at all, in fact the pain is getting worse and now I am getting numbness in my hands and feet sometimes.
Need to revisit with cardio, primary and endo and push the leg pain with activity issue. You need to get one of them to accept that this is a change of status and needs to be addressed sooner rather than later!
I have a new primary and I see him on the 15th. Hopefully he will hear me when I say this is severe pain that is getting worse and now has new symptoms. I plan to tell him everything and not let him cut me off mid sentence...and stress how important this is! I hope he doesn't just tell me to talk to my cardiologist..I've already been passed around too much.
Make sure to emphasize that this is different from base line and that you are getting the brush off from your prior pcp about it. Insist that you get reevaluated, and push to see what can be done. It may be a change in medication or it could be stents to keep the vessels involved open to blood flow. Do your homework. Check out intermittent claudication therapies on line so you know what questions to ask.
Keep pushing the issue! and if you don't get a response don't be afraid to go for a second opinion or to the ER when your having an issue. Some times it takes a fresh/new set of eyes/ears to see/hear the obvious.
I was thinking about that. He was awesome the first few times I saw him. Then I had the triple bypass and ever since then it seems like he is just in and out very quick, doesn't examine me, doesn't review my meds, etc. He just asks how I'm feeling and that's pretty much it.
