Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Amir Tajik my encounter!

Somehow, today I recalled this song of Amir tajik, Adama (human), from the series of Zire Asemoon Shah (under blue sky). I tried to find it on the internet and found it.
But it worth mentioning my own encounter with Mr. Tajik. I was flying to Kish a few years ago during one of the holidays in Iran from Tehran. While in the transit area sitting, there was a TV showing a program with Amir Tajik. When I turn I notice there is guy sitting and he looks identical to him. Apparently, no one had recognized him. Then there was this guy with him, who come in and said, Mr. Tajik please follow me. He was taken to the plane with a car rather than a usual bus.
anyhow, here it goes the video.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Day 2 after surgery and the rest of story!

I came home from Drs. office. A few hours feeling fine, slowly as time passed by the end of the evening I felt little more pressure in my eye. I slept and the next day, woke up feeling more pressure in my eye. It was around 12:00 pm all of sudden I felt that I am starting to feel motion sickness once again. So, as soon as I felt this way, I called a Taxi heading towards Drs office. when I arrived there, I couldn't keep my eyes open as felt vomiting, continuously.
Funny enough as many time before I see the Drs, there are technicians who measure how does your see. So, he called me to his office. I thought I am going to see the one of Drs. With sever cramp in my stomach and feeling to vomit, the guy started to ask me to cover my left eye and tell him what do I see with the right eye. All of the sudden, I got angry. Are you not getting it??!! I am in disarray vomiting and feeling trouble. What the heck are you talking about? I can't see a thing everything is blurry!
The guy ask me to sit outside and soon Drs will see me!
after almost an hour wait despite the fact I am telling them I feel severe motion sickness and can't move.
I was seen by the fellow of main surgeon who measured my eye pressure stating it was 45 Hgmm! He quickly proceeded with the aspiration procedure by removing fluid from inside of my cornea. Right after the procedure, I felt comfort and the motion sickness was gone. I was told to sit outside and wait for next several hours as they wish to monitor me to see how the eye pressure will change.
While waited outside, the main surgeon Dr. I.A. comes out of the other room, asking me, how are you doing my friend! I am aware of your condition and must have been associated with the surgery. We shall take care of it and try to fix it. I was relieved with what he said, as he took responsibility of his work.
After 1 hour he once again measured my eye pressure and it was already gone from 12 to 21 mmHG! So, he did the aspiration one more time and removed some fluid from my eye. After that I was told to continue taking Acetazolamide 250 mg 4 per day or even more if needed and continue with the drops. I should also come in every day to the Drs. office, so they can monitor my eye until it seems stable.
So, after that I started to take Acetazolamide 250 mg 4 times a day. Acetazolamide removes fluid from the body parts and take them to the kidney. Therefore, I had to go frequently to the washroom.
So, the next day, early morning, once again, I went in and my eye pressure was about 22 mmHG. Once again aspiration procedure. I waited another hour and the Dr. measured the pressure. He said slightly has gone up, So, one more time poking needle in my eye. I think this time he was pissed off, as he reduce the eye pressure to as low as 7 mmHG.

After that, I visited him the next day early morning in the office. He said the pressure is now 18 mmHG. he stated, I want to stop poking needle to your eye. So, try to keep the pressure under control with the medications.

So, after almost 4 days the pressure seemed to be stable. the next day I reduced Acetazolamide amount to two and the next day to one pill and finally by Sunday I stopped taking it.
I have continued the drops and things seem normal.

The following procedure is shown has performed on my eye with the same type of Intraocular lens known as Phakic.

Thursday, December 09, 2010

Day 1 After surgery!

I have an appointment at 9:30 am in the Drs office. After a night of totally feeling motion sickness, vomiting the entire night, and not being able to eat a bite except a few sip of water to keep my mouth moist.
I arrived in the Drs office after telling them I don't feel well.
Within a half an hour I was admitted by the associate of the Dr XX who performed the surgery.
Dr. N: how are you doing?
Me: Terrible, I feel I am in a plane in which there is continuous tubulance and I have been hanged from leg from top of the plane! I can't even keep my eye open for more than a seconds otherwise I vomit.
Dr: have a sit I measure intraocular pressure (IOP).
After using Tonometer to measure my eye pressure, he stated that the number is 45 mmHg (normal is between 6-20 mmHg). He states that he has to remove some of the fluid from my eye to reduce the pressure.
by poking a syringe into my cornea under slit lamps and telling me looking straight and not moving he does that.
while he was removing the fluid, I felt better and better by every cc fluid removed from my eye.
So, measuring eye pressure after that procedure, he states that is now 20 mmHg. He gave me two new drops (Combigan and Azopt 1%) besides 3 previous ones. He told me to use them twice daily.
I ask why this happened? what is going on that I develop such a high eye pressure.
He stated there are some gel we have injected between cornea and the interocular lens to create the required spacing in the anterior chamber of the eye. It seems the gel reduces the drainage of fluid produced inside the eye and therefore you develop higher eye pressure.
I told him, are you aware that I have not been able to eat anything since the night before the surgery. He said, you should be able to eat something now that the pressure is down and he is hoping with the drops the pressure is controlled. To his suggestion I made my second appointment for a week later and I thank him and left the office.

Post Surgery First note! when you entirely feel everything they do on your eye!

It is almost 2 days since my Surgery day which was this past Monday. I will narrow down some of my observations before, during and after surgery!
We arrived about half an hour ahead of appointment, we were told to pick up a pager and wait upon to be called. That took more than an hour and half. After I went in to register with the first nurse, then another 45 min wait up. After that a nurse called me. A short history of my health is reviewed and she weigh me. Then took me to the waiting area before getting to the surgery room.
while I was lying down on the bed waiting, there was a non-Caucasian looking lady. Her surgeon approached her and said, Ms. X I have your other results, let me get them. She then sat besides her and explained, We have the results of the biopsy, You have two extra tumors in your shoulder which for sure are cancerous. We shall see what we can do for you. The lady seemed sad and might have been in late 40s.
Anyow, I waited in that area about an hour, then an anaesthetist came in and introduce himself and said I am here to make you comfortable during the surgery. Asked me a few question about my allergies to any medication. Then a nurse stop by to put probs that are getting connected to monitoring equipment during surgery. Then the anaesthetist came back to use the cables to connect to the sensors. From here 2 minutes I was in operating room. I forgot to mention for a second the surgeon also came said I am Dr. XX and good to see you and shake my hand. Then run away!
In the operating room, the nurse finds my vein on my left hand while anaesthetist pure something into my eye to disinficant. All of the sudden, a surgical cloth was put on my face where with very aggressive move a hole on the cloth was forced out my eye to be opened through it. In a few seconds the surgeon sat there and started the surgery. I could hear many of his comments and other in the room and what he was asking for.
Contrary to what I was told about putting me on sedation to prevent me from moving, that was not the case at all. I could move around my limbs. I think the only medication was a freezing medication into my eye. Some of the conversation during the surgery to mention:"

give me micro-clamp, cut here...I told you cut here...
Nurse, Dr. what should I do ... not audible, Dr. XX you should first learn English!!! Those in the room, laughing together!! Dr. XX (the surgeon) I am a rude person!!!
Dr. XX to me, Ali look to the left, LOOK TO THE LEFT, LOOK down, you are doing good but if you don't look left it is not possible!
Me, Dr. I can move my head, I don't feel very relaxed as you said, I could even feel what you are doing.
My hand felt rush of fluid into my vein. I think they injected some sedation medication to my vein. painful, I said, listen to me, I think I prefer not to receive sedation medication, that is even more painful!! They laugh, ignoring me!!

anyhow, after feeling tons of pressure on my eye, within an hour the Dr. XX stand up and leaves. I was taken to resting area and my friend and mom show up beside my bed. I was given little Canada dry drink with some Acetazolamide 250 mg. I asked what is that for. Nurse, to reduce inteaocular hypertension of your eye. I iterate I feel all right. Nurse says that I can leave any minute I wish. So, I try to get up. I feel motion sickness. We slowly go to exit door and my friend goes to get the car. before that he buys me an orange juice and chocolate. So, had not eaten for more than 16 hours, I start to eat those. As soon as he leaves, I try to stand up and I become completely disoriented. Running for the washroom I vomit everything in my stomach. I can't even stand a bit longer than 1 min.
I run upstairs telling what went on me since I left the room, and the nurse looks at me stating, that is ok, it is because of the medication you were on them.
With complete disorientation I get home and I just stay in bed. As soon as I open my eyes, I feel everything is moving. Can't look at anyone. And continuously vomit the entire night. Didn't eat anything until the next day around noon. I am supposed to see the Dr. next day in his office. So, the day one journey comes next.

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

The Surgery!

It has been more than 28 years since I had any surgery. I had two surgeries on one my eyes when I was a little boy due to external trauma had happened to my eye. In less than 5 days I will have the third one! I can say I have waited for this surgery for more than 25 years!
I recall my very first surgery was a long one which I was under it for more than 11 hours. The second one was even longer or about the same time!
Now, the Dr. will preform several procedure and that will take only about 1.5 hours! Incredible, how far technology has taken us in almost 30 years! I am also told the precedure will be preformed under local anesthesia rather than a general anesthesia.
In any case, I will try to write here more after my operation, to note the outcome of the operation.
Due to lack of endothelium cells as the trauma was severe, I am told if my vision does not improve within few weeks of this operation I may have to receive a corneal transplantation. So, I shall see what is next for me in the basket!