Reality Check! Update!

The good news:  
The irritation in Roberta's eye appears to be a scratch on the surface of her eye, probably due to soap in her eye after crying over a sad movie.  It wasn't a meltdown as first thought, but rather just the sadness of "Steel Magnolias."  Bad choice for the moment!

More good news: 
Her vision today at the check-up was 20/25....even better than the day following surgery!  And she maneuvered so much more easily at her job as school psychologist today, now being able once again to see all the way down the hall, recognize faces at a distance, read lips at a distance, not have to wear sunglasses in her windowless office or in her sunny home.  She navigated with ease and is thrilled about that!

The reality:
There are so many things operating that can affect RP, and everyone with this condition is different, and so is the rate, extent, and progression of disease.  We KNOW that she'll have to have YAG laser surgery as a follow-up at some point.  Could be a year; could be a month post-op.  This surgery and its risks are described here.

There is the risk of CME (Cystoid Macula Edema) or swelling of the retina or macula after cataract surgery.  Here is info about that.  The critical period for this swelling is between four and six weeks post-surgery.  The risk of retinal detachment remains for up to six months.

For those of you who have had cataract surgery (but not RP), there are some of these risks for us as well, but most people - who are generally MUCH older than Roberta) - undergo cataract extraction with no or few complications.

I think that the benefits for Roberta outweighed these risks, but now the surgery is DONE, her vision has improved significantly, and she is delighted with the results.  She has undergone a miracle to restore much of the central vision she has lost over time.  She has experienced TODAY with this improved eyesight; she/we (her father and I) will take one day at a time along with her (though at some distance - like 850 miles!)  She will learn to value each day in the moment and not look back.  And if tomorrow that changes, then she needs to be grateful for the blessings of these days right now.  I pray the good times will continue to roll for a long, long time!