cataract op woes

stillcaring

Registered User
Sep 4, 2011
215
0
Hi All,

I'm having the most awful time with my mum.

Her cataract op was 3 1/2 weeks ago. Surgery was complicated due to her having small pupils but apparently successful. We were given eye drops to use for 4 weeks, 4 times per day.

I thought I would never manage the eye drops, but in fact my mum learnt to do them herself. She is an ex-contact lens user, so probably has some memory of dealing with this sort of stuff. The district nurses came twice per day on the days I work and I supervised the other times (which restricted my options a bit, but manageable).

Last week we went back for the post op assessment.

I was worried because she said she couldn't see much, but I thought she'd probably just forgotten how poor her sight was in that eye.

However the surgeon said it's not healing properly and that sometimes the eyedrops can attack the surface of the eye, so he prescribed ointment instead and we're going back on Thursday to see if it's improved.

But I can't get the ointment in. I'm really squeamish about eyes and just can't look. This sounds pathetic even to me, but I really can't do it. And my mum just keeps missing her eye. We're probably going to run out of ointment because so much ends up in the wrong place. The nurses are still doing 2 visits 3x per week and my dear OH has done a few visits, but he has a busy job and can't do all of it. And when I do it, not only do we often fail but my mum gets really angry at my incompetence and it's messing up her compliance with me in other things, which is always a bit fragile and really important as I do so much for her.

What can I do? I asked her carer who comes once per week to take her to the hairdresser and clean if she could do it but the company she works for has a minimum visit time of 1 hours, so it would be bank-breaking to pay her for 4 visits a day.
The district nurses won't come when I'm available.

I suppose I have to lurch on till Thursday, but what if she needs to stay on the ointment? I want it to have worked because I want her eye to heal, but I also don't want it to because I can't face the battles going on.

Part of me feels like I need her to go to a CH, but this is presumably a short term problem and not really a valid reason for her to lose her home when otherwise we manage pretty well.
 

lin1

Registered User
Jan 14, 2010
9,350
0
East Kent
Sorry to hear this
I have a phobia about heights and people doing things to my eyes, even the test for glaucoma is a nightmare for me
So I do understand you being squeamish.

I am wondering if eye ointment is available as eye drops, or if other eye drops would be suitable
I would get back to the Dr who prescribed them to see what they say
 

Hair Twiddler

Registered User
Aug 14, 2012
891
0
Middle England
Warm it up a bit...

HI, my mum has had ongoing problems with one of her eyes & we too have had a multitude of drops/ointments to use. Why not try heating the ointment tude up a bit by holding it in your hand for a while? It might not be the best thing for the ointments affectiveness but it will run more easily out of the tube, get some into your mums eye and see you through to Thursday when you see the doctor.
If you do have to persist with the ointment talk to the doctor about warming it up - he may well give you a "multiple" prescription to compensate for the difficulties you have had.

Best wishes - I know it's all a real drag and for such a small thing really quite stressful!
 

Jessbow

Registered User
Mar 1, 2013
5,679
0
Midlands
Could your Mum sit with her eyes closed? Pull the lower lid down with your finger and put the ointment inside bottom lid?

its horrible when a particular body/action/ or excretion part makes you cringe- I can do poo vomit perfectly fine, but even seeing dribble ( even on babies) makes me gag!

Tell you what, lets swap- I'll do the eye ointment, you can do My mums pile ointment.....
 
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stillcaring

Registered User
Sep 4, 2011
215
0
yes, I think I'd have little issue with the pile ointment - had to do it for one of my kids once and no problem, but pull an eyelid down AAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH
OK Jessbow, let's swap

Thanks Hairtwiddle for the suggestion - I will try warming it. My OH is round there now doing the second lot today, but I've got 2 lots to do later on so will try. Then maybe it will be more like eyedrops which were fine (relatively)
 

Noaksie1

Registered User
Nov 2, 2010
13
0
Sussex UK
Hi, my mum had cataract surgery 4 weeks ago and had ointment. As I work daily, although part-time, and have a young daughter and no car (mum lives a couple of miles away from me) - I arranged for the district nurse to admin the ointment twice daily. Couldn't you call them and say that it's no longer possible for you to do it? If it's the best way for your mum's recovery.

Best of luck & best wishes x
 

Saffie

Registered User
Mar 26, 2011
22,513
0
Near Southampton
sometimes the eyedrops can attack the surface of the eye,
Really?! Great - I had a cataract op just over a week ago. Hope nothing starts attacking my eye!:eek:
Have you tried with your mother lying down flat or head tilted back over a pillow. Ointment is more likely to land in the right place then.
 

stillcaring

Registered User
Sep 4, 2011
215
0
I warmed it up a bit yesterday and it WAS better - not good, but I'm sure more went in. I get my mum to sit on the sofa and lean right back but I might try the bed. However she hates lying on her back which is always an issue at medical appointments. She seems to get pain and always lifts her head and asks for more and more pillows, so I'm not sure sure that idea would work for her.

I have tried pleading with the district nurses, but they are being very firm that they only do 2 visits a day and expect family and friends to do the rest. As I believe they are withing their rights to say that I haven't pushed it too far because I'm scared that if I make a fuss they'll go back to their original position of saying they only help for 2 weeks post-surgery and we're in week 4. I'd rather keep it friendly than lose what I've got.
 

Sue J

Registered User
Dec 9, 2009
8,032
0
I warmed it up a bit yesterday and it WAS better - not good, but I'm sure more went in. I get my mum to sit on the sofa and lean right back but I might try the bed. However she hates lying on her back which is always an issue at medical appointments. She seems to get pain and always lifts her head and asks for more and more pillows, so I'm not sure sure that idea would work for her.

I have tried pleading with the district nurses, but they are being very firm that they only do 2 visits a day and expect family and friends to do the rest. As I believe they are withing their rights to say that I haven't pushed it too far because I'm scared that if I make a fuss they'll go back to their original position of saying they only help for 2 weeks post-surgery and we're in week 4. I'd rather keep it friendly than lose what I've got.

Can you get her to sit on a chair and yyou stand behind her, with her head back and smooth along lower lid? Just a suggestion totally ignore if not a feasible one
best
Sue
 

stillcaring

Registered User
Sep 4, 2011
215
0
thanks Sue, that's a really sensible suggestion and would be fine if it weren't for the fact that I go sweaty and shaky everytime I look at her eyes.....

Anyway off to hospital soon (if I can get her out of bed in time) so maybe won't be ointment any more