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Savanna Robinson

Having Cataract surgery – a patient’s view with cataracts

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Having Cataract surgery a patient’s view eye surgery woman with sunglasses after surgery

I just had cataract surgery yesterday on my left eye, for a cataract that’s been there since 2005 when I had glaucoma surgery. It’s been something I’ve been mulling over for a few years. Every medical specialist who looks at my eyes always pointed out the lovely star shaped cataract sitting there, and were amazed that I could actually see through it. So seeing there are probably a lot of others out there waiting to have the same procedure, I thought I’d write a quick post about having cataract surgery – a patient’s view with cataracts. What it’s like to experience it.

What are cataracts?

Cataracts are a clouding of the natural lens of the eye. It’s more common than other eye conditions and the leading cause of blindness worldwide. There are numerous conditions that can cause the formation of cataracts including high myopia, eye surgery, prolonged corticosteroid use, previous eye injury or inflammation. I’ve had all of those, but my optometrist is of the opinion it was caused by the glaucoma surgery.

Deciding on surgery

When you are first deciding to have (or told you need to have) cataract surgery you will be given a lot of literature about the procedure, and possibly even shown a video describing the procedure used by your doctor. It can be a lot of information to take in, and seem a little scary too with some of the risks.

Your eye specialist will take quite a few measurements of your eye/s to check suitability for the procedure they have in mind. And then more measurements for the artificial lens to be ordered. You may be given a choice of a few types of lenses that will replace your natural lens, or you may only be suited to one type. (Upon reflection given my previous surgery and ongoing glaucoma, my doctor decided that lenses fixed for distance vision were best for me).

Having Cataract surgery a patient’s view eye surgery woman with glasses for short sightness before surgery and woman with eye patch after first cataract removed
The morning of surgery. Last moments wearing contacts or prescription glasses.

Surgery Day

On your surgery day you will be required to fast prior to your booked time, due to sedation being used in the procedure. It’s only a light sedation with some local injected around the eye…they don’t want you moving during this delicate procedure. You may be required to finalise some paperwork on arrival.

You then have a nurse see you for preparing you for surgery. I was given a gown over my comfy day clothes and a cap to cover my hair. Then some local anaesthetic drops were placed in my eye. Next a tiny sponge with dilation solution was inserted in my lower lid (apparently my eyes are a bit slow to dilate as they had to put extra in a little later).

After a little wait, I was then put on a surgery bed and was visited by the anaesthetist. A canula was put in one hand, and some sedation administered. After that you get quite a bit groggy. Awake, but not really feeling anything much and wheeled into the surgery.

They tape your other eye closed and you have a surgical drape over your head. But with so much anaesthetic around your eye and the sedation, your eyes really can’t see anything while the surgery takes place. For which I think we’re all thankful. We don’t really want to see all that they’re doing while we’re still awake.

It wasn’t a terribly long operation. Around 30 minutes. Most of the time is spent in the pre and post operation activity.

Post-surgery care

After the surgery had finished, I was wheeled back out and a nurse put some ointment in my eye (which I could not really feel to know if I really was closing it for her) and an eye patch on.

A bit of time waiting there and then I was helped up and out to another room to have some sandwiches (the staple of hospital food). And given my list of post-surgery instructions. Be sure to ask any questions you may have in regards to medications to take after, or other instructions. I take a set of eye drops already for my glaucoma at night, so checked I still took those as usual after my post-operation set of 3 eye drops.

You will need to be driven home by someone else after surgery, as you can’t drive for 24 hours afterwards. If your other eye needs glasses or a contact lens, you can still manage those. I had my right contact lens in (as my myopia is so severe I wouldn’t be able to do anything). But in the evening when I took that out for overnight cleaning, I was able to place my glasses on over the eye patch…enough to see.

All the sedation takes a while to wear off, but afterwards you may need some painkillers. You did just have delicate surgery to your eye after all! I had Panadol in the evening and again in the morning after. So far I haven’t needed anything more. I did find the eye patch most uncomfortable for the night, and didn’t really sleep well with it (though a toddler sharing my bed could have been keeping me more awake too). Next time I may ask for some sleeping tablets to help with that first night. (I’m due to get my right eye done in two weeks time).

Having Cataract surgery a patient’s view eye surgery woman with sunglasses woman after using stinging eyesdrops
It’s quite bright after surgery and those drops do sting for the first few days.

The days after surgery

The next day you may be booked in to go back to the specialist to have the eye patch removed, or be told to remove yourself if your next appointment is more than a day away. I had to remove mine at home, which I did gingerly as it felt like half my hair had got caught on the ends of it. I kept my eye closed for that as was a bit afraid of the result and what the vision would be like. When I had glaucoma surgery my vision had been blurry for a day or more after.

I then dashed off to a darker room to try opening my eye. And was pleasantly surprised at the clarity in the vision from my new lens. But opening that eye in a room with a light on hurt my eye and made it water, so I had to resort to wearing sunglasses inside for half the day. Not something you often get to do.

And it is true that you cannot adjust your sight in that eye with a new lens to be able to read. At first during the day, any writing I looked at I couldn’t make out head or tail about, except that I knew it was writing. Later on as I adjusted to it, I could make out some huge writing on things. But that was it. I’m hoping I won’t have to wait too long after my second operation to get reading glasses, as my jobs heavily rely upon it. Plus the fact I love reading for enjoyment too!

Having Cataract surgery a patient’s view eye surgery woman with reading glasses and before/after eye surgery
Two eyes done now and needing reading glasses to see small print and things on my mobile phone.

The drops I find a pain in the time it takes to do them, 5 minutes apart between each, but only one I find painful when put in the eye. All the rest are easy to do. Luckily after 14 years or so experience with glaucoma drops, and longer wearing contact lenses, I’m quite adept at doing multiple eye drops. If you are not, you may need to enlist someone’s help for the month you have use them.

Follow up visits

Next week I go back for the measurement for the other eye, and my second surgery will be 2 weeks after the first. (It’s not actually removing a cataract, but is replacing the lens as my vision was too great a difference to have nothing done with that eye). At least it shouldn’t be as scary as the first one was…worrying the night before and the wait during the day till my surgery time. I know now having experienced the first one. Hopefully this post has helped explain the procedure from a patient viewpoint and made it a little less scary for you too.

Having Cataract surgery a patient’s view eye surgery single eye reading glasses eye surgeon in surgery Quote Breath Just Breathe

Update

Now that I’ve had both eyes done, the vision is great for distance. I’m still adjusting to the need for reading glasses for small print, and finding the right size for using computers, but a very good result still!

Comment below if you have been considering surgery or had it yourself.

Reference

http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/cataracts.htm

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How to apply Jamberry wraps- official method

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How to apply Jamberry wraps - official methodYour lovely new wraps have arrived or you just got a sample from your consultant. And you are not quite sure on how to put them on. Well here’s how to apply Jamberry wraps- official method. This is the officially recommended method advised by Jamberry.

What you will need:

(the first 5 are available in our application kit)

  • Purple cuticle pusher or orange stick
  • nail scissors
  • nail file
  • buffer block
  • alcohol wipe or nail prep cleanser
  • Mini-heater or hairdryer
  • Jamberry nail wraps

Step 1

Prepare your nails.

Wash hands with dish detergent, thoroughly going over each nail. Use an orange stick or cuticle pusher and gently push back your cuticles from your nails. (If you have a lot of cuticle built up on your nail, try Jamberry Cuticle Remover first by painting it over the nail and cuticle and leaving for 2 minutes before pushing back cuticle and then rinsing off).

Buff your nails lightly with a buffer block to get the shine off them. Then clean nails with an alcohol wipe or Nail Prep Cleanser/Wipe. 

Step 2

Match the nail wrap up that best fits each nail. Aim for a smaller size than the nail to avoid overlapping the wrap on the skin and nail edges as that could cause it to lift.

Step 3

Cut the nail wrap in half. Use the orange stick to pick up wrap from the cut side and peel away from clear backing sheet.

Step 4

Warm up the sticky side of the nail wrap with a Mini-Heater or blow dryer for around 3 seconds. Avoid overheating it.

Step 5

Press the nail wrap onto your nail with the round edge at the cuticle. Smooth the nail wrap firmly down the center of the nail towards the tip of your nail. Then smooth the sides out starting at the centre and going out towards the edges. This seals the nail wrap to your nail.

Step 6

Trim off most of the excess wrap with nail scissors, so you can work on the other nails. Apply heat and pressure to each one till they are bonded to the nail.

Step 7

File off remaining excess with a coarse file using a downward motion at 90 degree angle to the nail. Keep filing until edge feels smooth and does not catch on clothing. If a finer file is needed, try the glass nail file.

Here is the official video link for application:

(If you find this official method does not work for your own nails. There are a few other methods you can try. The Cold 1, 2, 3 method is the one I use the most myself. Come check out my other posts to see this method).

Now you should have beautifully decorated nails that will last up to 2 weeks. You can brag to your friends that your fancy nails were easily done from the comfort of your home. And if they’d like to try them out, send them here to ask for a sample.

For more tips, come and join my special group that also loves using Jamberry products.

10 Jamberry application tips to get a great manicure at home

How to apply Jamberry wraps- the Cold 1, 2, 3 method

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how to apply wraps cold 1 2 3This is my favourite method of how to apply Jamberry wraps – the Cold 1,2,3 method. If you have tried the official method of application (see here) and found it didn’t work well for you, this may be the answer to being able to wear those lovely samples you got.

Step 1

Prepare your nails as with official method.

Wash hands with dish detergent, thoroughly going over each nail. Use an orange stick or purple cuticle pusher and gently push back your cuticles from your nails. (If you have a lot of cuticle built up on your nail, try Jamberry Cuticle Remover first by painting it over the nail and cuticle and leaving for 2 minutes before pushing back cuticle and then rinsing off).

Buff your nails lightly with a buffer block to get the shine off them. Then clean nails with an alcohol wipe or Nail Prep Cleanser/Wipe

Step 2

Match the nail wrap up that best fits each nail. Aim for a smaller size than the nail to avoid overlapping the wrap on the skin and nail edges as that could cause it to lift.

Step 3

Cut the nail wrap in half. Use the orange stick to pick up wrap from the cut side and peel away from clear backing sheet.

Step 4

Lightly put the nail wrap onto your nail with the round edge at the cuticle. As it is not heated you can lift it up and re-position the wrap as needed. (I often find some fingers I can never get right the first time).

Step 5

Warm up the centre of the nail wrap with a Mini-Heater or blow dryer for around 3 seconds. Avoid overheating it.

Step 6

Smooth the nail wrap firmly down the center of the nail towards the tip of your nail with your cuticle pusher or orange stick.

Step 7

Warm up one side of the nail wrap and then smooth the sides out starting at the centre and going out towards that edge. Repeat for the other side.

Step 8

Trim off most of the excess wrap with nail scissors, so you can work on the other nails. Apply heat and pressure to each one till they are bonded to the nail.

Step 9

File off remaining excess with a coarse file using a downward motion at 90 degree angle to the nail. Keep filing until edge feels smooth and does not catch on clothing. If a finer file is needed, try the glass nail file.

And there you go! You have successfully applied your own Jamberry nail wraps. Go show them off to your friends and brag about how they will not chip or smudge and last up to 2 weeks. And if they’d like to try them out some as they are so amazed, send them here to ask for a sample of their very own to try out.

10 Jamberry application tips to get a great manicure at home

7 different ways to spoil your Valentine without flowers

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7 different ways to spoil your Valentine without flowersWhether you are married, have been together for years or just dating, Valentine’s Day can be an expensive occasion! The price of gifts and flowers goes up for the day, far above the usual costs. But not everyone can afford to get rich, lavish bouquets of flowers year after year, and all the extras on top, plus a night out somewhere fancy. (Especially if you have a lot of birthdays around end of January and February like our little family). So I’ve put together a few ideas for those who want different ways to spoil your Valentine without flowers.

Have a Picnic

Here in Australia, Valentine’s Day is at the end of summer, so quite warm still. Pack together a picnic hamper and take your Valentine out to a favourite location -a park, the beach, etc. We love going to our local lagoon and watching the ducks and swans whilst we sit on a rug.

Cook a favourite meal

Does your loved one have a favourite dish that you can create at home? Why not spend the night in, cooking it together. Put out the fancy dinnerware, open a bottle of wine and throw in some flowers from the garden. Or those romantic candles you never get a chance to use except in power outages. A nice romantic dinner for two, that you have both helped create can be delightful! Or a breakfast with just the two of you!heart biscuits, Valentine's day cuppa

Experiences

Try something new with your Valentine. Arrange for a horse riding outing, a hot air balloon ride or take a trip to somewhere you’ve never been before. New adventures can help sustain that spark you have for each other, rather than being stuck in the same boring old routine all the time.

Pamper Session

Whether you get your Valentine a pamper session at the local salon or some DIY products for use at home, pampering is always appreciated! Ladies and gents all need a little bit of time to unwind and relax after the busy lives we live these days! I love it when my husband helps fuel my love for Jamberry wraps and other beauty experiences.

See a Movie

Find out a current movie your Valentine is keen to go to, and organise tickets to go with them for a session. (And be sure to not critique or ask constant questions during the movie!)

Make your own Slideshow

Using photos of your Valentine, create a digital slideshow or album for them. Let them know which moments you’ve enjoyed having with them.

The gift of Time

Sometimes all our partner wants is a bit of time spent with you, their partner. Time that isn’t taken up with worrying about the kids, the mortgage or how work has been. So set aside some time to just be the two of you together.

wedding couple holding hands

Now, I still personally won’t say no to the flowers if they turn up on Valentine’s Day. But I’d also love if some of these other activities were thrown into the mix. I do enjoy knowing that my husband loves me and wants to spoil me in any way he can. If you have any ideas of different ways to spoil your Valentine without flowers, comment below.

Breastfeeding is hard. Breastfeeding is easy. The pros and cons of breastfeeding in modern society.

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The pros and cons of breastfeeding in modern society. breastfeeding mother and baby

The pros and cons of breastfeeding

It’s good to see breastfeeding being actively promoted these days as something you should try to do with your baby. For many years this biological functions was deemed as beneath humans to do  and that feeding artificial milk, that though vastly improved on previous generations is still not the same as what our body naturally produces, was the best way to go. Which has led to a lack of understanding about how breastfeeding works and to a misguided view of some that a child nursing is an act not to be observed by the common man, woman or child (but yet scantily clad women are shown regularly in advertising and movies that exposes even more flesh than a child being nursed). And breastfeeding can is hard, but breastfeeding is easy as well. The pros and cons of breastfeeding are many, but in this post I will tackle just a few.

Breastfeeding is easy.

Breastfeeding is the easiest way to feed a baby. The mother’s body creates the exact right nutrients for the stage of development of the child, from colostrum for the first few days after birth, to milk for a newborn, an infant and a toddler (if you are lucky enough to get that far). It comes already prepared with no need for mixing, heating or finding a bottle the child will accept. Going out to the shops requires no other preparation than having a nursing bra and top with easy access. (I’ve found ready-made nursing tops are not essential, just one loose enough to lift is good. Skin tight clothes just leads to boob compression, which you really want to avoid).

To some women, breastfeeding comes really easily and they are able to keep going as long as their child wants. Or till they reach the milestone they were hoping for whether 3 months, 6 months, or 2 years. And they absolutely love it!

But to some other women breastfeeding is a journey fraught with pain, discomfort and body issues. They dread the thought of feeding a child in public. To these women breastfeeding is hard!!

exhausted mother nursing newborn baby

Breastfeeding is hard

The Village

With our disjointed society in the 21st Century, we have lost our sense of ‘the village’ where your close relatives all live nearby and can help out with the baby and child rearing tasks. You’ve heard the expression “It takes a village to raise a child”? It is so true! Having your first child can be such an unknown in life – so many new things to learn as a parent and as a mum.

We no longer constantly see women around us breastfeeding their children. We don’t always have our mum, sisters and cousins, aunts and girlfriends around us to see this skill practised. There is no longer a whole village to consult on how to do this strange new skill.

The need for professional breastfeeding help

And although breastfeeding is a natural act, it can take time to learn how to do it – for both mother and baby. With my first daughter it was over two weeks till I felt comfortable enough to know I could continue with breastfeeding. Even with my second I was ready to throw in the towel at 6 weeks with some issues, except I know that I could do this as I had before.

Because of the lack of a Village to ask about issues with breastfeeding in our modern society and our modern focus of needing to have our babies in hospitals, we have a lack of firsthand information on these vital skills. Luckily some people have seen this need for more education and we now have Internationally certified Lactation consultants based in at least all major hospitals or offering private services to families.

Issues that make breastfeeding hard.

There are a number of issues that can occur with breastfeeding that can make it especially hard to continue. Tongue ties and lip ties is a very common one heard about lately. It can cause a lot of latching and discomfort issues and undiagnosed case can cause so much pain or feeding problems, like loss of weight, that many mothers stop before they can find the real cause.

Blocked ducts are often painful and hard to predict. I had none with baby #1. Quite a few with the second! If left untreated they can also lead to mastitis- an even more painful and serious condition needing antibiotic treatment.

Thrush is another common culprit. Untreated it can be passed back and forth from mother to child.

Another highly under-reported condition with breastfeeding is called vasospasm. With two causes for the blood vessels tightening and going into spasm; trauma to the nipple or a condition related to Reynaud’s phenomenon. It causes painful cramping in the nipple and breast tissue, often accompanied by a whitening of the nipples and then colour change from red to blue/purple.

This was one I discovered with my second child, and only became aware of it being a thing after posts from other mum’s in my online mother’s group. It made feeding so painful on one side that even though I’d experienced a reasonably pleasant breastfeeding journey with my first daughter, that I felt like giving up when number 2 was only 6 weeks old.

Thankfully I found out about vasospasm, and with some advice from a lactation consultant I increased my magnesium which saw relief come quickly. I’m so grateful for finding that solution as  I successfully breastfed her to 22 months…a massive achievement!

The pros and cons of breastfeeding can make or break your breastfeeding journey

There’s a lot to learn with breastfeeding. How do I get a correct latch? How do I know when a newborn is finished feeding. How can you judge if they’re getting enough milk. What to do if away from baby for an extended period. What medications you can take when feeding. All of these issues can make it seem too hard, too painful or too much work without the right support for many women to continue their journey. And past experiences with bad advice from some professionals that should know better can make women not want to even give it a go on their next baby.

For further support with your breastfeeding journey visit Australian Breastfeeding Association.

I’m hoping that as we become more educated as a society on what is hard and easy about breastfeeding, that more women are able to have a successful and enjoyable breastfeeding journey for as long as they and the child are wanting. And for those finding they have one of these hard issues I’ve mentioned (or any others) that they can get the right support to help them, instead of just feeling like they have no other choice but to give up.

Comment below on how your breastfeeding journey has been.

References

Australian Breastfeeding Association (2017, August) ‘Vasospasm’. https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/vasospasm

How to stop breastfeeding a toddler (who doesn’t want to give up)

Getting ready for a happy new year- time to be consistent!

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Getting ready for a happy new year 2018- time to be consistent!It is nearing the end of 2017 and time to start thinking of what the next year will bring! A lot of people like to set themselves a new year’s resolution. The new year’s goal they wish to work on for the next year, and hopefully improve something in their life by being consistent with that. But what is a good new year’s resolution? What should you work on or hope to improve on? What should your new year’s resolution 2018 be?

What should your new year’s resolution be?
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I’ve known a lot of people to set a new year’s resolution that is standard to so many others out there. “I will lose weight. I will eat healthier. I will exercise more. I will quit smoking/drinking. I will get out debt. I will travel more”. They start January off very inspired and determined to keep going for the entire year. But a lot of these goals are often spur of the moment wants, and they don’t have the mindset behind them to keep going when it gets tough. And yes, generally people can get lazy about these new goals that will make their life so much better (or so it seems in their minds).

My new year’s resolution

This year I’ve followed the teachings in the Socialite Suite and had a guiding word to follow for the year instead of a goal that I might give up in a few weeks because it was too hard. For 2017 my focus word was ‘brave’. I wanted to feel brave seeing I took a second year of maternity leave from teaching to spend more time with my toddler and teen. I wanted to be brave and continue with my direct sales business and see where I could get with it (and I needed to be brave to do some tasks to help with that). I wanted to be brave and try something new, like learning how to start my own blog. And I think I’ve bravely faced all those challenges and more this year!

Be Brave!
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You then need to surround yourself with I reminders about your focus word. It could be photos, memes or images you’ve made. Maybe the word written on every page of your yearly planner/diary. But the more you remind yourself of it, the more consistent you will be in keeping with it, and following through on task that achieve it.

As having a focus word for my New Year’s resolution 2017 worked so well, I’ve decided to do it again for 2018. And it’s been a bit of a struggle to find the perfect word too! I want it to cover all the things I’d love to achieve in this coming year. Yes, like many women I want to lose some weight and be more active as that’s better for my Multiple Sclerosis. I also want to declutter my house (and life) which is so overflowing with things since my husband moved in a few years back and I brought my school stuff home when starting maternity leave. I want to regularly do work on my blog, as the last month or two have been crazy busy! And I want to show my teenage daughter how to not become overwhelmed with her senior high school studies.

2018 here we come!

My focus word for 2018 is Consistency
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The focus word I have settled on for 2018 is ‘consistency’. To be consistent with scheduling things for school, Jamberry and home into my planner (which I just picked up the other day from a friend’s place…I’m excited!). To establish routines to consistently do tasks around home and have everyone in the house contribute in these tasks. To follow up with customers in my Jamberry business in a timely manner and keep my Facebook pages and group running smoothly.

So I look forward to 2018, the year of consistency. Comment below with what your focus word will be for the new year! Let’s celebrate together what will focus on! And if you find this post a few months in, or at the end of the year, know it’s never too late to set your focus for the remainder of the year!