...but not for long!
Some of you may already know this...but I can't help but talk about it....I'm stoked!
I've been unable to ride due to an eye disease since Nov 08...I'm not a very pleasant person if I can't ride (hell - I'm barely palatable when I can LoL)
I have an eye disease called Map Dot Fingerprint Dystrophy (Cogan's Dystrophy) - in essence my corneas look like cobblestones...plenty of pain, often feels like there's glass in them, water like crazy and I end up not being able to drive cos I can't keep the active or flaring eye open....I end up laying in the dark...with a boomin headache and can't read, can't watch tv, can't be on the puter...for days at a time....and when it gets unbearable I have to impose on one of my friends to take me to the hospital so they can freeze the damn eye to get it to stop.
it's a major PITA...I've been fighting it for about 6 years but the last 2 years have been the real pinnacle
the surgery I need is a type of corneal abrading that will force my cornea to regenerate (Phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK))...the theory being that the regenerated cornea will be normal and I shouldn't have the issues with my eyes once it's done
so....I need in the ballpark of $5000.00 (anywhere from 1500.00 to 2500.00 an eye) worth of laser surgery and BC Medical wouldn't pay it cos they've decreed that all laser surgery is cosmetic...and I sure as hell ain't got no $5000.00 to throw around...
my arguement all along (once I really found out what it was - cos that was no walk in the park either) in my case the surgery won't won't "repair" my vision like it would if I was getting PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy) which is the surgery they do so you don't have to wear glasses anymore
I keep saying that I'll happily wear glasses for the rest of my life if I just don't have to have sore peepers....and if I don't have sore peepers...I can ride!
today word came in that the surgeon has finally been able to convince the MSP board that I should be funded and that they have agreed.
So I get to have the surgery on the 4th of June...that fact in itself wasn't any kind of a celebration because my boss tried to tell me that it meant that I'd have to cancel all my holidays this summer if I took a week off to have this surgery...but after several phone calls and some "information sharing" via our HR dept it's booked!
So about a week recovery
and then if all goes well I can go back to work....but mostly I can insure the Pickle and see if I can get the old girl to start.
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6 comments:
Right on Karen!!
Great news
It's about f'ing time that something went in your favour! I hope that this is the beginning of many more good things coming your way.
Hi, I know this is an old post;however, I wanted to know how the surgery went. I have dot-map-fingerprint too; but not as bad as yours. Did the surgery help?
thx!
DRG
DRG - wow...that's a blast from the past...
the surgery went well...
a couple of tips...make sure you have a driver - you won't be able to drive for a couple of weeks cos the surgery will change your vision...
and have someone around to assit you with sorting the different kinds of eye drops....I had to put 4 or 5 kinds in my eyes for the first few days and all of them come in small white bottles...I could see the bottle but not which is which.
my vision changed substantially - so in about 6 mths I got new Rx lenses...at a Rx that is what my eyes were 20 yrs ago...
I still have dry eye challenges...but it seems ok so far.
Thanks for the info. My vision is mostly normal. Was the change in vision for the better?
very much so!
good luck!
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