Had my one-day post-op on the left eye, and the vision in it is even better than the right (the right may have gotten a bit worse because I over-stressed it a little, but it should stabilize).
It took a while for my brain to see one image, instead of two (partly because of retinal bleaching, stuff was different colors in each eye- the left one had a purple-ish cast). It was kinda trippy.
They gave me some +2 reading glasses to use so I can fucntion until my eyes settle a little more (a month maybe).
Now, here's my problem: I actually see differently than before. The light isn't being bent outside my eye to focus on my retina, but inside. This has not been the case since I was three, and got my first glasses. Now, we all know that glasses and contact lenses cause some distortion in periferal vision, but the brain compensates for it.
In short, my hand-eye coordination is all whacked right now. I can't cap pens unless I'm looking right at them. I thought I was putting a pen back in a cup with other pens at the surgery center, but it clattered to counter. I nearly set my son's drink on the edge of his plate at dinner. I jabbed my doctor with my thumb while trying to shake his hand.
I don't even want to talk about typing, unless I am looking directly at my hands - a glance in my periferal vision tells me my fingers are in the right place, but they aren't.
My doctor said this is normal, and that I should practice trying to cap pens in my periferal vision and stuff, to help re-train my brain. He said it isn't unusual for people like me to pour a drink and totally miss their cup. Haven't done that yet.
It never happens when I'm focusing on something, just when, say, a table isn't where my brain think it is. My brain has been compensating for the distortion of glasses or contact lenses for 32 years (got my first glasses just before my 4th birthday) and now that distortion is gone.
A few nights ago, my oldest was brandishing a plastic sword and dancing around where I was sitting. It got close, and I threw up my hand to block it when it looked like it was going to hit me in the face (a couple days after surgery, I was still beeing a bit protective of my eyes) and accidentally hit him. He wasn't hurt, and it wasn't a hard impact, but I felt horrible.
I'm used to be a little bit clumsy, but this is ridiculous. Anyone know of any exercises I could do to help speed this along?
Posted by Morbo (Member # 5309) on :
Yay! I'm glad the surgery went well.
There is a simple computer program that helped or seemed to help my peripheral vision years ago, but I have looked in vain for it on the internet.
The doc's right, you'll probably get better over time, some simple practices can help your brain and eyes adjust. Give it some time.
Posted by Tammy (Member # 4119) on :
I'm happy everything is okay. I hope everything gets back to normal for you soon! *hugs*
Can I call you Mrs. No-Depth Perception now?
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
I read this first as "I need to re-train my bra".
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
I wonder if you keep doing stuff that requires fine motor skills--like capping a pen. Or repetitive stuff that requires you to use depth perception.
Hmmm.
Video game?
Shooting a basketball?
Wiffleball? Like...one of the boys lobs you a wiffleball and you have to hit it?
Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :
Anything I look directly at, is fine. My depth perception is fine, as long as it's right in front of me.
But, say I'm reading, and I drink some water. Without looking up, I move the water bottle to where the side table seems to be in my side vision, and put it down. On the floor.
Fine motor is great, as long as it is directly in front of me. *snicker*
mph- Considering my typing lately, I double-checked it after reading your post.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
You know, that happens to me for a while every time I get new glasses. (My prescriptions aren't as high as yours, but pretty high.) It also happens when I switch from wearing glasses to contacts, or vice versa. So, I'm betting it'll take a week or so and then stabilize for you; that's what always happens for me. Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Olivet, I went to a perceptual motor clinic as a kid, and one of the things that they found useful for improving hand eye coordination is playing catch. I'm not sure if there was anything special they were doing or not, but I'll talk to my parents about it and see what they know about it.
In the meantime, if you can't get your kids to play catch with you for any length of time, try bouncing a tennis ball off a wall and catching it over. and over. and over.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
from my mother:
quote:All I remember about the ball throwing stuff was just gentle underhand tosses and trying to get you guys to catch it with your hands rather than trapping the ball with your body and elbows bent. Of course, with you they also had to ensure that you used both hands to catch the ball instead of just trying to nab it with your left. They used different sized balls and threw from different angles and different distances. They also threw and rolled at different heights. However, there may be more to it than that. Let me look at my stuff at home. I've kept the PM stuff because the whole concept was just fascinating to me. I'll be back in touch about it tomorrow. I'll bet the training techniques are there.
I'll let you know if she comes up with anything more detailed.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
That sounds great, Noemon.
Olivia: Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :
Anybody wanna play catch? I used to be great at the backyard wiffle ball matches...
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
You're on. It'd just take me awhile to get there.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
My occupational therapist mother says that you should also string beads or make pasta necklaces with your boys.
Just make sure that you spread them out all over the table so you have to reach for them.
Posted by raventh1 (Member # 3750) on :
Congratulations on the surgery.
I would say hold your hand out so you can barely see it, and then move it toward your face slowly, but surely. Also hold one of your hands outstretched so you can barely see it is there and open and close your hand so you can see it change.
You could take a small little soft ball and toss it from one hand to the other over your head and try to catch it. This would be better if you have done the other first for a while to get used to it and not drop the ball as much.
Just some quick ideas.
Edit: Do these facing forward of course.
Posted by Enigmatic (Member # 7785) on :
I recommend learning to juggle. Once you can do that, all these other peripheral vision problems will be easy.
--Enigmatic
Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
It's something like 15 years since my surgery and my eyes still won't focus at quite the same time.
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