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Hello all,
I am new to this website and it has been so therapeutic to be able to write this post, in the hope that someone out there will be able to give me some advice about how to realistically get back into the world of work after such trauma and shock.
I had lasek 3 months ago and am struggling to re-enter the world of work. I am a primary school teacher and since my operation have been left with a myriad of complications (DES, anisometropia with 1.25 diopters difference, super bright starbursts at night preventing me from walking comfortably never mind driving, floaters...).
My daily job involves a lot of planning and preparation, marking, reading, writing and yes - dreaded computer work. It is absolutely devastating not being able to just read comfortably. It is a get up at 6.15 am job and working through to 5.30/6pm ( I usually stay on once the kids have gone home at half three) and then more work in the evening (about 2 hours of marking and prep).
Daily routine now consists of drops throughout the day, ointment, hot compresses, lid therapy, sunglasses at all times outside, avoiding wind and air con, omega 3 tablets, crazy new glasses with anisometropic lenses and eyes that cannot focus for a long time because of differing images, avoiding going out at night time, avoiding reading too much, avoiding watching TV, avoiding long amounts of time on computer, even avoiding meeting up with friends...
Help!
My GP wrote me off work for 4 weeks and told me that I have anxiety as a result of this operation and in 10 days I am meant to be going back to the world of the busy classroom with raucous children.
All I keep on thinking is: How? How will I cope? Will I have a breakdown in front of the kids? Logistically, when I am meant to be teaching in front of the Interactive whiteboard with its beaming light and focusing on the kids, how on earth and when am I supposed to put my drops in? What happens if I start getting severe vertigo from my anisometropia or headaches from my dry eyes? How do I explain why I might need to wear sunglasses during assembly or a staff meeting? How on earth do I explain this to my Head teacher/colleagues/children and families?
This operation and the after effects have left me reeling and has completely shaken up my little life as well as saddening my family. I am the sole breadwinner for my family and relatively young!
Getting up and out of bed is a daily battle of the mind. If I struggle to mentally overcome this, how will I ever go back to work? I've read on lots of comments that many DES sufferers have had to either stop working altogether (not financially viable for me) or have had to reduce their number of hours. Has anybody had the same sort of problem with returning comfortably back to work? How did your employers react?
Is it normal to feel this scared? I have always been fit and healthy and this has knocked me for six.
By the way, as I am typing this, I am blinking furiously - just read the don't forget to blink tip on the website.
Luckily, I have a fantastic family and friends and websites like this with supportive, empathic members do keep me bobbing along - just. Everyone keeps telling me "Mind over matter" but boy is that hard to remember, especially when I feeling like crying as soon as I see someone with glasses on. It just reminds me of my old life full of freedom and health. It sounds strange to say this but that life seems a lifetime away now. This operation was elective and I chose to do it and must live with the terrible consequences. This thought is incredibly hard to accept.
Message to SAAG - have you found that time machine yet? If so, please let me know! I am very small and can squeeze in your backpack. Yes, humour seems to help in keeping me vaguely sane.
Thanks muchly for any advice.
Best wishes,
Elizabeth
I am new to this website and it has been so therapeutic to be able to write this post, in the hope that someone out there will be able to give me some advice about how to realistically get back into the world of work after such trauma and shock.
I had lasek 3 months ago and am struggling to re-enter the world of work. I am a primary school teacher and since my operation have been left with a myriad of complications (DES, anisometropia with 1.25 diopters difference, super bright starbursts at night preventing me from walking comfortably never mind driving, floaters...).
My daily job involves a lot of planning and preparation, marking, reading, writing and yes - dreaded computer work. It is absolutely devastating not being able to just read comfortably. It is a get up at 6.15 am job and working through to 5.30/6pm ( I usually stay on once the kids have gone home at half three) and then more work in the evening (about 2 hours of marking and prep).
Daily routine now consists of drops throughout the day, ointment, hot compresses, lid therapy, sunglasses at all times outside, avoiding wind and air con, omega 3 tablets, crazy new glasses with anisometropic lenses and eyes that cannot focus for a long time because of differing images, avoiding going out at night time, avoiding reading too much, avoiding watching TV, avoiding long amounts of time on computer, even avoiding meeting up with friends...
Help!
My GP wrote me off work for 4 weeks and told me that I have anxiety as a result of this operation and in 10 days I am meant to be going back to the world of the busy classroom with raucous children.
All I keep on thinking is: How? How will I cope? Will I have a breakdown in front of the kids? Logistically, when I am meant to be teaching in front of the Interactive whiteboard with its beaming light and focusing on the kids, how on earth and when am I supposed to put my drops in? What happens if I start getting severe vertigo from my anisometropia or headaches from my dry eyes? How do I explain why I might need to wear sunglasses during assembly or a staff meeting? How on earth do I explain this to my Head teacher/colleagues/children and families?
This operation and the after effects have left me reeling and has completely shaken up my little life as well as saddening my family. I am the sole breadwinner for my family and relatively young!
Getting up and out of bed is a daily battle of the mind. If I struggle to mentally overcome this, how will I ever go back to work? I've read on lots of comments that many DES sufferers have had to either stop working altogether (not financially viable for me) or have had to reduce their number of hours. Has anybody had the same sort of problem with returning comfortably back to work? How did your employers react?
Is it normal to feel this scared? I have always been fit and healthy and this has knocked me for six.
By the way, as I am typing this, I am blinking furiously - just read the don't forget to blink tip on the website.
Luckily, I have a fantastic family and friends and websites like this with supportive, empathic members do keep me bobbing along - just. Everyone keeps telling me "Mind over matter" but boy is that hard to remember, especially when I feeling like crying as soon as I see someone with glasses on. It just reminds me of my old life full of freedom and health. It sounds strange to say this but that life seems a lifetime away now. This operation was elective and I chose to do it and must live with the terrible consequences. This thought is incredibly hard to accept.
Message to SAAG - have you found that time machine yet? If so, please let me know! I am very small and can squeeze in your backpack. Yes, humour seems to help in keeping me vaguely sane.
Thanks muchly for any advice.
Best wishes,
Elizabeth
Thank you for your great advice, yes you're right "small steps" the whole way.
) I have to read huge fonts as my "new eyes" struggle with font 13 and under. Tea is great. South African Rooibos is particularly delicious. Maths and Russian sound very difficult subjects to teach. You'll need lots of tea breaks and biscuits in between!
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