Eye for an Eye

I just occured to me that I haven't mentioned Clint's eye operation at all in this blog.

Clint has a condition which causes a steep curving of the cornea called Keratoconus (he keeps calling it Kerrykatona!!!) This condition cannot be corrected with glasses and although contact lenses was an option for a while, his eyes have deteriorated so much that surgery became necessary. After sitting on a NHS waiting list for nearly a year, his surgery date came through and in mid November he was admitted for a Corneal Graft. The operation involves removing a small circular piece of his cornea and replacing it with a donated cornea. The graft is smaller than a five pence piece and is held in place by micro-fine stitches. The stitches remain in place for around 6 months and even then, they might not remove all of them. Only one eye is done at a time.

This is major eye surgery and it will take up to 18 months for him to recover fully. He has not yet been able to return to work and when he does he will have to stay on light duties for a long time as he cannot risk a blow to the head (in his line of work, this is a big risk).

His recovery is going well and although the first few weeks were scary as we weren't properly informed what to expect, he is now more comfortable and less irritable. His sensitivity to light has improved and his eye is not watering constantly any more.

He is bored out of his mind though as he cannot do an awful lot while he recovers. Usually if you are off work sick you can watch tv or read a book while you rest but he can't do either of these things for long. I am just glad he is not taking his frustrations out on me or the kids otherwise he'd be at risk of a blow to the head from me.