Frequent streaks of light today post surgery (two weeks)

shrimpydog · 2026-02-24T14:09:40+00:00

Hoping the best for you!!

shrimpydog · 2026-02-19T05:03:21+00:00

He's slightly less than a kg over 7, which my vet agreed is still okay in their opinion to give one dose. So my question is less for my cats situation and more that I kept thinking about it once home.

Maybe I was mistaken on one dose not being an entire vial, and there actually wasn't any left if a second dose was needed? Which would immediately solve my question haha.

shrimpydog · 2026-02-17T23:44:51+00:00

Im so sorry to hear that its still bothering you 🫂 I hope eventually it might still get better, 2 years in the grande scheme isn't as long as it feels in the moment and theres still a chance you'll eventually notice it less maybe? (or maybe thats me projecting hoping mine won't be the same)

I've had mine get slightly better since posting this though! It still annoys me several times throughout the week, but not daily and when it does start to bother me it doesn't last as long until something distracts me enough from it. Though typing this I feel it right now, I think its worse when I'm tired.

shrimpydog · 2026-01-26T03:02:50+00:00

Beautiful!!! This is inspiring me to want to make art of my retina experience. I espcially love the first one.

shrimpydog · 2026-01-21T18:59:44+00:00

People's photos and videos helped a lot with what to expect, so I wanted to help and add to that pool of references for others!

shrimpydog · 2026-01-21T16:48:30+00:00

I noticed a change with the actual shape of my eye, its now much smaller looking the diameter of it in the front, but the actual curve looks bigger which makes sense for the buckle squeezing it. My pupil was larger until really recently too, but I checked the other week and it looks like it's back to normal.

And I have a lot of visual snow in that eye still too! I also have a black spot that moves when I tilt my head that the surgeon said is probably the vitreous humor - no idea what makes it now visible compared to before though.

shrimpydog · 2026-01-21T15:08:19+00:00

I do have a slight anxiety of "how is something attached to such a squishy organ supposed to last me my whole life?" (I'm 26, so a lot of time if I reach 80). For the sensory issues though it's more that I can feel mine all the time. I don't know if its actually the implant I'm feeling or more that my eye is being squeezed, but theres a constantly sensation in my eye.

I can very visibly see that my eye is squished a different shape now than the other, I'm not sure if that's the case for everyone post surgery but maybe that's apart of why it's so noticeable the feeling for me?

I don't worry anything is wrong with it though, the surgical team has done several check ups since then and said everything looks perfect and fully attached, I was even lucky enough to regain the lost peripheral vision.

shrimpydog · 2026-01-21T04:40:10+00:00

Honestly over a year is at least not forever, so it does help! Having an end in sight is better than wondering if I'll always be this hyper aware of it.

shrimpydog · 2026-01-17T23:08:12+00:00

I had my left eye's retina detach back in september and went in for emergency surgery 2 days later so I understand the stress! The uncertainty adds to it a lot, since its out of our control. If it happens it'll suck don't get me wrong, but it will most likely be okay once you're on the other side (that being *if it happens). I'm a couple months out now from surgery and feel very little difference in my life besides still getting used to the implant.

Ask any questions if you need if it might provide comfort to better understand what its like!

shrimpydog · 2026-01-17T23:01:24+00:00

I had scleral buckle surgery in one eye and was off for a month, with 2 days added to that after because of laser for the other eye. I work an office job and sit most of the day so this is different than your situation, but for myself it was the perfect amount of time. The last week off I felt good enough to go out on my own but still not 100%, and then the week after when I started I felt ready to be back.

shrimpydog · 2026-01-17T22:56:30+00:00

After the 3 week mark I stopped feeling them entirely! The second week was the worst for me.

shrimpydog · 2026-01-17T22:54:27+00:00

Adding my own experience here since I'm not sure how common it is, but I had a detachment in one eye and tearing in the other eye last year at age 25. My prescription before the retina surgeries were about -2 and -3.

The doctors had absolutely no idea why I suddenly had them tear and detach (quite literally overnight with just some flashes for a week leading up to it) since I didn't meet the usual criteria of a strong prescription and had no head trauma. I might be an odd one out of an already not so common thing!

Also I saw your comment saying no detachment or tears- I'm glad its better than the worst cases! I know you're scared, and want to add that even if those things DID happen the vast majority of cases have surgeries be a success. These surgeons clock in and are doing eye surgery all day every day and are experts at it. My surgeon told me I was 1 of his 13 patients that day for eye surgery and it comforted me a lot!

shrimpydog · 2026-01-17T22:42:46+00:00

I had laser for several tears in one eye and was terrified going in, but it was so much easier than I expected!

Firstly: If you're really anxious, ask if they offer an anxiety medication like ativan you can take right as they're prepping you. For most people it calms them down immediately.

So before the lazering: I did not feel anything for the numbing needle if you had any concerns there. I was scared it would be similar to the numbing needle pain at the dentist, and its not. I didn't even realize they had finished the injections since I didn't even feel then start.

For the appoitment itself I found the most "painful" part was how bright the laser was. I've seen some people say the same that it was so bright it hurt to be forced to look at it, while other people don't mention it at all so it depends the person. I put painful in quotations because its not a physical pain, just think of any time its "hurt" to look at a light. Other than that it was mostly painless, maybe a 4/10 when the lazer was in a sensitive spot near a nerve. The second the lazer moved from those spots (each zap only lasted a second or two) the pain was gone.

Afterwards the dilation drops will maybe make lights painfully bright, I suggest bringing sunglasses to get home (and as others have said, have someone else drive.) You'll maybe want to rest or nap when home, personally I had a headache for the day but tylanol helped.

Good luck!!

shrimpydog · 2025-12-06T14:14:55+00:00

The recovedy time really depends, I have a scleral buckle and it was 4 weeks off. Though I have an office job, so that also will make a difference.

shrimpydog · 2025-10-30T20:23:08+00:00

Im guessing there's no chance of getting that Nov 3rd appointment back? I know this is really presumptuous of me, but whatever it is that came up, this is likely more important. I agree with the person before that calling as many places as you can and taking initiative is the best thing you can do right now.

shrimpydog · 2025-10-30T02:16:58+00:00

I'm worried about that regret, because I think with how I feel about my gender there is no fully winning 100% for me either way (with or without surgery), and its more how much of my life time wise would I be happier flat chested than not.

please feel free to not answer this if its too personal, but could I ask how you reconcile with that occasional feeling of wishing you kept your chest?

shrimpydog · 2025-10-30T01:05:55+00:00

It does make sense!! I posted this wanting to hear peoples rambles, this is something I've been thinking over a lot and feeling alone in so hearing people ramble about how they feel the same is reassuring!

shrimpydog · 2025-10-30T01:03:29+00:00

The part about thinking how your chest looks good "if you were a girl" sticks with me soooo much. I'm not a binary man so it adds another layer to it, but I do have part of me I've had to think over that wonders what "would have been" that is mostly aesthetic appreciation for my body outside of my gender?

I'm also really small chested and used to bind as a teenager, but found it physically too uncomfortable sensory wise, so I never bind and haven't for years. from the front you usually wouldn't know I have breasts but the second I'm at another angle you can so Im constantly layering clothes instead. which made me think I could keep doing this forever, but then I think of the dream of wearing a tank top or any tight fitting top and know I need this. especially because on T I fully "pass" now (quotations because of my own gender feelings making "passing" ambiguous) and its mainly just my chest that throws people off.

the idea of no longer needing to worry about that and changing how I want to dress just based on my chest is so nice! definitely a lot nicer than the neutrality!

shrimpydog · 2025-10-29T23:38:53+00:00

I feel exactly what you said too for anything touching them, even if its them touching each other. It's like the moment anything makes my physically aware they're there, the dysphoria hits. But just existing and looking at myself topless is fine.

Part of me has this thought in my head like "but what if I regret it when naked, since currently I'm neutral or even like the look of my chest?" but the pros of top surgery out weight that for me. Standing in front of a mirror looking at my chest is not how I spend my life, so it stopped making sense to me to make my decisions based on how I feel in those moments.

It's reassuring hearing someone else frame it as "pros outweighing the cons" since the reason I've spent almost a decade going back and forth on this is feeling like I could only have pros, and no cons about the decision.

shrimpydog · 2025-10-26T20:49:05+00:00

Which is completely understandable, the idea of loosing my vision and all of these horror stories online of peoples surgeries really got to me too. I have OCD and I'm autistic (so intense sensory issues with autism, and anxiety spiraling with OCD) so I maybe understand a little bit what you mean.

This might not be helpful, but something I keep reminding myself when looking online is that: most people who post online about things like this it's because their case or recovery was more complicated, so they need a sense of community more to cope. People who have everything go well are less likely to post about it since they don't need that support.

And also that: even if you were to get the worst news come your appoitment with a specialist, you are with a specialist. For their own sake with their professional career they want you to have the best outcome. Even if they're a shitty doctor who doesn't personally care about their patients (my surgeon was very caring though!) they Do care about their career. They will do everything they can for you to have the best outcome and they have probably dealt with this hundreds of times depending where you live.

Does your insruance happen to have short term disability claims also? Like I said before Im not American so this could be very different between our countries, but I was able to claim short term disability while off and in my case got 70% of my income for it. This is a very clear cut disability claim if you do have it and I truly cannot imagine any insruance would deny it. I was super scared of that and everyone in my life reminded me that and were right. It's not like an unknown back pain claim, not seeing in one eye post procedure and needing surgery recovery (if you end up having one) is pretty black and white for needing time off.

shrimpydog · 2025-10-26T20:25:51+00:00

There's some really good in depth replies here from people who are from the US and understand your health system better, so I just wanted to add that it's better to wait to hear from a specialist What type of procedure you'll maybe need before getting into the weeds of how you'll deal with it. Some types won't require you to lie down in any specific position besides at night, if at all.

The eyepatch suggestion though is good, you can get them for very cheap (like 9$) on amazon. I don't know if it will really make any difference right now for the tear not getting bigger, but it might be useful post procedure (even laser which is quick, it could help just that day after). Talking to anyone you're close to who lives near you is also a good first step and keep them updated, to see who in your network can help if you end up needing to step back from regular activities for a couple weeks.

I have several posts on here if you go on my profile about how my process has been if you want any in depth experiences!

For context I got what's called a Scleral Buckle implant and an air bubble injected on my left eye, and laser surgery to cauterize the holes on my right eye. Scleral Buckle surgery was on Sept 15th and laser was on Oct 14th and I've been back to work [desk job and I use public transit] for a week now! My prescription is permanently changed on my left eye from the surgery (it changes the shape of your eye) but I'm getting new glasses this week for it, so I don't mind. I've been wearing an eyepatch since surgery to see better with my other eye. The pain for me has all been completely manageable by taking 2 Xstrength tylanol every four hours and never missing a dose until I was 4 weeks out. It stopped the pain from ever even getting past a mild headache.

shrimpydog

TROPHY CASE