Maxine and Alan's Blog

2010-05-15T07:19:00.004Z

We're going on a rally to day to demonstrate against the unfair voting system in the UK and to campaign for Fair Votes with the people in Leicester Town Square at 2:30 pm. Be there if you want you vote count at every election. If you can't be there - please sign the petition.

News Flash - The Blue Tits have arrived

2009-02-07T13:24:00.002Z

Having put up a bird box two years ago and received no visitors in all that time, we gave up all hope of ever having any. But now....we have evidence of a couple of prospective tenents...

Although this is the same bird...we've seen two of them around and in the box at the same time.

A Girl and her Oscar

2008-11-21T18:05:00.007Z

A Boy and his Henry

2008-09-24T19:54:00.000Z

Project Laminate Floor is now complete

2008-09-24T19:48:00.002Z

I did the hallway a few weeks ago. We liked it so much we decided to extend it into the living and dining room.

The hard bit round the door frame was quite a challenge

First line down

and before you know it.....

It's all complete.

Holly's first day at nursery

2008-09-08T19:15:00.003Z

On Friday I took Holly to nursery for 2 hours so she could meet the teachers and get used to the environment. Today Holly started nursery, stayed on her own and as you can see she is very happy about it. In fact she could hardly contain her excitement.

Caleb's 2nd Birthday

2008-08-23T15:22:00.003Z

Our little boy is now 2! He has a fasination for anything with wheels and loves making the noise they make. So here he is opening his gifts

Megan's Birthday surprise

2008-08-23T14:19:00.004Z

We were a little upset that we did not take Megan on our annual holiday to Spain, but now she is getting older we did not want her to miss 3 weeks of school. So for a birthday surprise we booked a camping trip to Nevez in Brittany France. We had a great time and enjoyed sleeping in our own tent.

Caleb one week after discharge from hospital.

2008-08-01T10:01:00.005Z

As you can see by his cheeky smiling face he is feeling much better now. His eye is still a little swollen and bruised but he has finished his seven day antibiotic course and due to see Doctor again at hospital out patients on August 12th.

We now only hope that infection has gone and it never never happens again.

Caleb's Eye on the mend

2008-07-28T08:01:00.004Z

We have finally been discharged from the hospital, and as you can see Caleb's eye is on the mend.

He still has to take oral antibiotics four time a day, which taste absolutely revolting.

We had a lovely visit to Granpa and Granma's on sunday. It was very nice to see them both, Heather showed us that her mobility has improved a little

Captain Caleb's Thursday Update

2008-07-24T11:57:00.004Z

Caleb about 1 hour before his latest and hopefully last operation

Home at last and doing what Caleb likes most in the world.

Caleb's Wednesday update

2008-07-23T19:35:00.002Z

Sorry I didn't blog this morning only I've been at the hospital most of the day.

Maxine text'd me this morning to say they were fasting Caleb again today in preparation for the operation he was mean't to have yesterday. After waiting until 3:00pm for an opthalmic surgeon to come and see him, I persuaded him something needed to be done. Caleb's right eye had once again started to swell ever so slightly, but there was an increasing redness around his eyelid and a protrudance that could be seen from the left side of his face. Also what you could see of his right eye, it was not looking at you when his left eye was.

Anyway he was reluctant to do anything and put Caleb through a procedure when he thought there was nothing there they could take away. After signing my consent for the surgeon to do some exploratory work, I sat down and wondered if I had done the right thing.

While I went to collect Caleb from theatre, the surgeon came and saw Maxine. She asked if there was any puss in his eyelid.....the answer was Oh Yes...lots ....and they took it all away. And if his eye looks Ok in the morning he will be able to come home - Boy am I so glad I stood my ground.

Personally I'd have thought they'd have kept him in for another 24 hours after this operation considering the past week, but lets see what tomorrow brings...

Tuesday Evening Update

2008-07-22T21:13:00.002Z

Any idea what's going on....No.....Me neither.

Poor Caleb spent all morning and afternoon upto 3:00pm without food or drink so he could go to theatre to have the abcess removed from his right eye. When the time came we were told and emergency had taken priority and his op. wouldn't happen until tomorrow as they don't like to operate on small children late in the evening in case anything goes wrong....they like specialists to be on hand (and guess what....they go home). Anyway, after I'd got home, Max texts to say the consultant opthamologist came around and said it might be better to wait another 48 hours and hopefully the antibiotics would do their job and work on and remove the abcess. In the meantime, Caleb's eye looks very angry and even started to bleed a little whilst I was there. They said it was the eye's way of getting rid of the puss in the abcess. So here we are waiting again... More tomorrow.

Tuesday morning update

2008-07-22T08:17:00.002Z

Just as we thought we were out of the woods, the Dr came around this morning and said he thought Caleb has a absess behind his right eyelid. He's not Nil by mouth once again and will go down to theatre this afternoon to have it removed.

The saga continues...

Caleb's Monday evening update

2008-07-21T19:58:00.002Z

Today Caleb seems to be far more his normal self and we reckon is on the mend. Most of the swelling has down subsided and only a dark red crust remains on his right eyelid. He can now open his right eye a little - just enough to enable him to see, and you can see him trying.

He's still on antibiotics every 6 hours, his temperature fluctuates quite a bit and requires cream applied to his eye also.

Overall I'm quite happy with his progress since being transferred to City Hospital Stoke. Lets put it another way - if anyone says lets go to Stafford Hospital, i'll tell them go take a running jump - they are worse than useless. They go through all the procedures and routines but don't seem to have anyone there who can make a proper diagonsis or even a decision. - Rant over!!

Caleb's update

2008-07-21T10:30:00.002Z

Both Max and Caleb had a goodnight sleep and weren't woken until 7:30 which must be a rare occurrance in a hospital.

Not much more to say this morning, except Caleb has now been moved to Ward 106.

Caleb's Sunday evening update

2008-07-20T20:47:00.002Z

Just got back from the Hospital. Caleb's eye is still closed, but the swelling around it has much reduced. All the redness around the right eye has disappeared as has the redness that started to appear around his left eye.

Even better is the fact that he has started to regain that thing that makes him Caleb -talking gobbledygook, calling himself BabM and running round playing with toys again.

The word now is that he's to stay on the ward for another 48 hours so they can monitor his progress, after which time it looks like he'll be let home.

Thanks to everyone who visited him, I'm sure seeing all those faces he recognises has made his ordeal that much more bearable.

Caleb's after operation update

2008-07-20T11:04:00.002Z

Caleb is now out of theatre and back on the ward.

His right eye is just fine and there's no damage. There is no bad news - BIG SIGH of relief.

He'll be on the ward for a few more days yet in order to recover and I guess so they can keep an eye on him, pardon the pun.

More later once I've had the chance to go and see him.

Caleb's Sunday morning update

2008-07-20T09:17:00.002Z

His swelling has gone down a little overnight. When Max text'd, she said he was having an hour long session of anti-biotics before he went down to theatre about 10:00am. Now 10:19 and still no word...so I'm gritting my teeth and waiting for any word from Max.

Caleb's Saturday evening update

2008-07-19T18:15:00.003Z

I spent several hours with Caleb today. First at Stafford Hospital where he was admitted last Thursday and later at City Hospital on the A34 close to Stoke.

At City Hospital they've given him more anti-biotics as well as trying to wash his eye out so they can see what's happening. Unfortunately, his eye still won't open so they've decided to give him a general anesthetic so they can do two things: Open his eye after soaking it first and also drain and wash his sinuses.

Incase anyone's wondering Maxine is staying with him the whole time so he's never left alone. Caleb is due to go down to theatre sometime after 10:00pm tonight. As soon as he does, Max will text me and then later when he's out.

Edit: Due to the anaethetist not being happy with not that many consultants being around if anything went wrong and with Caleb eating a small amount of apple about 5:00pm, his operation has been postponed until 9:00am tomorrow morning.

As soon as I know anything I'll blog again, but if anyone wants to find out any info on his progress, he's on Ward 112 and the ward Tel No's are: 01782 552754 and 01782 552753.

Caleb's Early Saturday morning update

2008-07-19T09:23:00.002Z

Max text'd me this morning at 7:00am to say the infection is creeping into Calebs left eye. With no ENT specialists in Stafford Hospital over the weekend, they are transfering Caleb to a Hospital in Stoke-on-Trent, where the specialists are on hand all the time.

Will let you know more later on today.

Caleb's Friday evening update

2008-07-18T21:39:00.001Z

Caleb is still in Hospital and is now likely to stay there until at least next Tuesday. Apparently the bump he had above his eye is not the cause of all the inflamation, but rather a contributory factor in dislodging something in his sinuses which were blocked. According to his doctor a CT scan has revealed that only the soft tissue has been infected and the infection has not gone further inwards, otherwise Calebs sinuses would have needed to have been drained. Thank goodness this is not the case.

Will let you all know more tomorrow evening.

Caleb in Hospital

2008-07-18T08:48:00.002Z

Yesterday afternoon, Calebs temperature was still high at over 38 degrees and he'd been sick so Maxine took him to see the doctor. At 15:50 Max sent me a text to say come home ASAP as Caleb had to go to Hospital. Needless to say I dropped everything and rushed home. Max took him in while I waited for Marnie's Dad to collect her.

Overnight Caleb had Paracetamol and Ibuprofen and a drip in his arm which was administering antibiotics. This morning his eye as still very red, as you can see in the photo, so they've changed to a stronger antibiotic.

Maxine took the photo on her phone and sent it to me via photomessaging. I've left the image large as the quality is not too good.

There was talk about him coming home today and continue with taking the antibiotics orally, but the latest from Maxine is that he might have to stay in over the weekend until he shows signs of recovery.

Poor Caleb, I really feel for him - poor little thing. You can tell he's not himself because even when he's ill he's still very vocal - grumbling all the time...but he's as quite as a mouse and sleeping lots.

Caleb's Black and Swollen Eye!!

2008-07-17T06:47:00.003Z

Yesterday lunchtime Caleb banged his right eye on the edge of the dining table. There was a small cut but no bleeding or swelling, so I put cold compress on it to prevent swelling.

He was put to bed as normal as he had no other symptoms, other than a snotty nose which he has had for a couple of days now.

He woke me up crying at 5.30am, when I went in my first thought was he had got a cold in his eye and he could not open it. But on closer inspection I noticed it to be very swollen.

I took him in to see Alan and it was decided he needed to go to the hospital to get it checked out.

We arrived at the hospital for 6am and was seen by the doctor at 6.30am, and after a five minute consultation the Doctor it was just a soft tissue swelling of the upper eye subside within 48 - 72 hours.

He has a temp of 40 at the moment so he is feeling rather sorry for himself.

Will keep you posted as to how the healing process is working.

Wasps Nest in the Loft

2008-07-16T17:33:00.004Z

On Monday night we were having problems with the TV reception in the main bedroom, and basically couldn't watch anything excpet a very fuzzy BBC1. It has always been a bit iffy, but having been in the loft earlier that day I thought I might have dislodged something. So up I went again at 10:30pm to have a look, just so we could watch TV in bed.

There appeared to be nothing wrong with the connections, but as I came to exit the loft I heard a crackling sound coming from the wall nearest the loft hatch. As I got nearer I was convinced there was a mouse in one of the boxes having a munch on our photos. As I moved the box it seemed the sound was coming from somewhere else - the extractor fan pipe to be exact. With limited space and not very good lighting I gave the pipe a flick with my fingers, only to hear a great buzzing noise from the pipe. Immediately I thought we had an infestion of something and went to have a look on the outside of the house where the pipe comes out. It was took dark to see anything clearly so decided I would have a proper look in the morning.

The next morning it was evident that there was indeed an infestation and it looked like wasps, so immediately googled "wasp infestation stafford" and found the telephone number for Stafford Borough Council's Environmental Health - Pest Control department. Later that evening a very nice man came out to spray and dust the area affected, relieved me of £46.10 and said they would all be dead within 48 hours and if not to phone them again.

I've just been into the loft today (24 hours later) to examine the pipe. There doesn't appear to be any signs of life but will check again tomorrow. Whilst I was up there I took a couple of photo's, one without and one with flash.

The Evidence:

New Look

2008-07-15T19:42:00.003Z

I've meant to do this for ages, and make all my blogs look and feel the same - so here goes. Hope you like it.

Spanish Holidays

2008-07-10T17:17:00.002Z

It's about time I blogged again.....but before I do here's a few Pics and Videos from our Spanish Holiday this year.

http://s105.photobucket.com/albums/m217/alanjfrancis/Spain%202008/

Enjoy!! - (We did)

Henry

2008-03-04T16:34:00.006Z

Henry is a golden cocker spaniel who is now 16 weeks old and been living with us for 3 weeks now. Holly says he is blond like her.

He likes to sleep snuggled up close to someone as you can see here with Caleb.

He also like snuggling next to Alan.

My Early Christmas present - An MG Track Day at Brands Hatch

2007-12-12T22:05:00.000Z

Just thought I'd post a few pics of my track day at Brands Hatch. What a fantastic day it was too...

Next stop.....Silverstone.....

Adoption - Boris and Baker

2007-12-09T07:54:00.000Z

Maxine has always let it be known that she wants more children. Since we are both getting on a bit and the risk of having children increases when you are over 40, we have decided to adopt two tiny gerbils.

We only went out to fetch some filters for our fish tank and saw Boris and Baker up for adoption in our local pet store in Stafford. Apparently their owners had to go back home to Poland and had put them up for adoption. When we saw them we both fell in love with them and decided they had to come home with us.

Boris and Baker have both been given a big welcome into our home and have already become accustomed to being taken out and handled. Boris and Baker are brothers and have lived together since birth 1 and a half years ago. Baker is the larger of the two, but not by much, is lighter in colour and has a distinctive black mark on his nose. Boris also has a dark mark on his nose, but by comparison his darker fur hides it somewhat.

Here's a picture of the two little cuties:

Rawlins Family Reunion 28th October 2007

2007-11-07T16:37:00.000Z

My wonderful Dad is now 82 and the eldest living brother of his remaining family of 1 brother and 5 sisters, pictured above with their spouses.

My cousin Alison got in touch with all the family she could and arranged a family reunion, with great success .

I actually met cousins I didn't know as they moved away when I was very young, and with Dad being older now did not remember them either until he was introduced again.

Caleb finds Holly amusing

2007-09-25T16:51:00.000Z

Birthday week at Camborne Castle

2007-09-04T12:58:00.000Z

Week commencing 23rd August we had 2 birthdays in our house.

Caleb had his very first birthday and Megan had her ninth.

We had a little tea party on Saturday the 25th August, Grandma and Grandpa came with Ailsa ( all the way from Oz), God father Richard came too and also big sister Laura.

Caleb really liked his cake on his actual birthday too lol

Megan had a friend Hannah from school come to sleep over too.

Spanish Holiday Photos

2007-06-29T21:12:00.000Z

Here's just a few (lol) snaps of our holiday in Calella de Palafrugell...
http://s105.photobucket.com/albums/m217/alanjfrancis/Spain%202007/

New Windows

2007-03-29T17:49:00.000Z

On Monday 26th March we had new double glazed windows fitted to out house. The old ones were double glazed unit but set in wooden frames, but they were desperate to be changed.

As you can see they have made a big improvement to look and feel of the house. They were fitted by a local firm called Stafford Glazing Ltd.

Now here a some pictures taken today just to hopefully bring a smile to Grandma and Grandpa, and to say looking forward to seeing you on Easter Sunday for our egg hunt xxx

Home grown potatoes

2007-03-26T07:57:00.000Z

Who'd have thought it! Me growing my own veg! I must be getting old (no comments please).

Well believe it or not, we went out Saturday and bought three bags for growing potatoes in, some seed potatoes, grow bags and tomato seeds. Sounds silly but I couldn't wait to get it all started. The tomato seeds have been sown and the seed potatoes are now chitting.

In readyness for getting the garden straight I had a look at the compost heap I started last year. The bottom half looks fairly good, while the top half still needs some time. I dug out the bottom half, basically so I could turn the whole heap and found, some potatoes had grown in the compost. Maxine must have thrown an old potato away in the compost and it must have seeded. We now have about 9 small potatoes ready for cooking. We'll be trying them later this week.

Cycling to work

2007-03-16T20:55:00.000Z

I have started cycling to work again now the warmer weather has arrived. I tend to go according to the weather, i.e. when it's not raining and not wanting to over do it I cycle on alternate days, so usually go 2 or 3 days per week. All this means I cycle between 40 and 60 miles per week.

Chester Zoo

2007-02-28T10:47:00.001Z

We had a great day at Chester Zoo. Holly and Megan loved this bronzed baby elephant, but my favourites were the Giraffes.

Megan thought Caleb would look good in Holly's sunglasses, what do you think?

It's Snowing

2007-02-08T17:09:00.000Z

Today it snowed and Holly and Caleb went out into the garden. We think Holly likes the snow.
See the picture and video (9Mb so be patient) below:

Caleb's Baptism

2006-12-12T15:28:00.000Z

We had Caleb James Baptised at 3pm on Sunday 10th December 2006. It took place in St. Thomas' Church Walton on the Hill by Rev. John Davies.

It was a lovely day and Caleb wore the same gown as did Laura, Megan and Holly. He also used the Shawl that my Mother had knitted 19 years previously when I was pregnant with Laura. The day was very special to me because it would have been my Mother's birthday on the 11th December, and I felt as if she was there with me.

Santa and Steam

2006-12-02T19:44:00.000Z

Saturday 2nd December we took the children on a memorable train ride on The Churnet Valley Railway.

We did not tell the girls that a special visitor would be on the train, so they were very pleased to see the big man himself SANTA!! After giving them chocolate and a drink he gave them a present, then came back later for photo shoot, it was fun to be had by all.

Holly is 2!!

2006-11-29T12:09:00.000Z

November 28th 2006 was Holly's 2nd Birthday.

We sang Happy Birthday to Holly at 8am. Alan carried in her presents and her face was a picture!

We had a small tea party for her and she thought it was great.

Her favourite character is Fifi Forget-me-not and her cake had a lovely picture of her on it.

I Love Christmas!!

2006-11-23T20:18:00.000Z

Can you imagine this beautiful face on Christmas morning? I cannot wait.

Christmas is my favourite time of year. I just love buying and giving gifts. Christmas will be here so very soon, so I thought I would take this chance of wishing eveyone I know a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year!!!

Holly and Caleb

2006-11-07T13:16:00.000Z

Alan put the last photos on so now it is my turn. Holly and Caleb seem to be growing all the time and she seems to love him very much. Whenever I lie him on the floor she gets down next to him and gives him lots of kisses as you can see in the photo.

Pictures of Holly and Caleb

2006-11-02T20:42:00.000Z

Caleb's BIG Weigh

2006-10-04T20:24:00.000Z

Caleb is now 6 weeks old, it has gone so fast and he is growing so fast too.

He had his 6 week check-up and when he was weighed he was a whopping 12lb 4oz!

Looking back at when Holly was 7 weeks old she only weighed 10lb 10.5oz, so he is growing a lot faster than she did.

Kerry and Martyn's Wedding

2006-10-03T15:05:00.000Z

DSC00048.JPG
Originally uploaded by maxalan.

This was taken at Maxine's nieces wedding on Saturday 23rd September 2006. We had a lovely day and the bride looked beautiful.

Lucy from the back

2006-09-04T09:24:00.000Z

Lucy from the back
Originally uploaded by maxalan.

A view of Lucy from the back

Lucy from the front

2006-09-04T09:22:00.000Z

Lucy from the front
Originally uploaded by maxalan.

A view of Lucy from the front

Lucy's cockpit

2006-09-04T09:16:00.000Z

Lucy's cockpit
Originally uploaded by maxalan.

A view inside Lucy

Sheila, Caleb and Holly

2006-08-27T15:44:00.000Z

DSC00015.JPG
Originally uploaded by maxalan.

Huh, when do I get to hold him!!

John and Caleb

2006-08-26T13:04:00.000Z

John and Caleb
Originally uploaded by maxalan.

3mail

2006-08-26T07:47:00.000Z

3mail
Originally uploaded by maxalan.

Lots more photos of Caleb

2006-08-25T09:22:00.000Z

There are more photos of Caleb on our photo blog.

Caleb with his two proud big sisters

2006-08-22T11:12:00.000Z

Holly, Caleb & Megan

Caleb's arrival

2006-08-21T13:40:00.000Z

Caleb finally arrived today, some 6 days overdue.

Here he is only 2 hours old

Date and Time: 21st August 2006 at 12:28
Weight : 8lbs 2.5 oz

Mother and son are both fine and happy.

We are so Proud!!!

2006-08-18T07:33:00.000Z

Maxine's eldest daughter Laura, who is now 18 got her A level results yesterday . Laura is in the middle of the photo on the left.

We couldn't be more proud, she got an A result in English, Textiles and Law. A B result in General Studies and a C result in art!!!

She has made us so proud. We would like to ask everyone who knows us to congratulate her on such a great achievement.

She will be going to Preston University on September 16th to begin her degree.

We wish her all the best and offer our support wherever and whenever it is needed.

Well done Laura xxxxx

We love you and are very very proud!

Our new arrival - It's a Girl !! - Confused !!!

2006-07-28T19:52:00.000Z

Our long awaited and new member of the family has finally arrived.

We were expecting a boy, but no, it's definitely a girl and we've named her Lucy.
She arrived on Wednesday 26th July 2006 at 5:30 pm weighing in at 1095 Kg.

Here are some pictues of Lucy: Lucy1 Lucy2 Lucy3

2006-07-14T09:04:00.000Z

I thought I would put the count down back at the top so we can all see that there is not long to go!!

How's about this for a wildlife closeup

2006-06-02T20:25:00.000Z

More pictures of Holly...isn't it dark in here?

2006-06-02T20:15:00.000Z

We're back...

2006-06-02T20:09:00.000Z

Well we've been back for a day and a half (back at work today...boooo)

I didn't post as often as I'd would have liked to, but the cost of emailing via phone from France is prohibitive. i.e. 2 posts cost me £18 (ouch, not doing that again in a hurry).

Anyway, to whet your appetite for pictures, here a couple of Holly on the beach.

Happy days

2006-05-25T10:16:00.000Z

Happy days
Originally uploaded by maxalan.

The weather has been warm but cooler today, so we are off exploring down the coast.

We've arrived8-)

2006-05-17T15:34:00.000Z

We've arrived8-)
Originally uploaded by maxalan.

Our first night in Rouen

2006-05-16T19:32:00.000Z

Our first night in Rouen
Originally uploaded by maxalan.

Our Summer Holiday

2006-05-10T12:35:00.000Z

We'll soon be off on our holidays.

Keep an eye on this forum as I've now enabled moblogging and will be posting photos of us in France from my phone.

I'll try to post something every evening, but don't be surprised if I don't, we will be on holiday after all.

See you all soon,
Alan, Maxine, Megan, Holly, and soon to be Caleb xxx

Countdown to Caleb's arrival!

2006-04-27T13:20:00.000Z

Had appointment with specialist yesterday, and we are definately having a Caleb. All is well so my home birth can go ahead.

Holly

2006-04-22T13:26:00.000Z

Holly
Originally uploaded by maxalan.

A picture of Holly taken with and Emailed from my phone.

Holly's slide video

2006-04-17T08:01:00.000Z

We were out in the garden yesterday, just doing a bit of weeding, as you do, when Holly decided she wanted to go on the slide (all by herself)... and so she did.

Here's the proof... Click Me for Video

And just to prove it wasn't a fluke, Here's another Video

Amniocentesis Results

2006-04-07T05:10:00.000Z

We had a letter from the Hospital yesterday containing the results of Maxine's Amniocentesis. The results were all negative, or to put it their way, normal. Phew we can now relax and Maxine can enjoy her pregnancy.

It's a Boy !!!

2006-04-01T08:38:00.000Z

We had a huge scare the other week, when one week later than expected the midwife knocked on our door with the results of a blood test Maxine had had two weeks earlier. The results which came in at 1 in 120 were much lower than the limit of 1 in 250. When Maxine was carrying Holly the result was just over at 1 in 251.

All this meant that Maxine had to go into Hospital to have an amniocentesis on 22nd March, where they draw amniotic fluid from her to test for Down Syndrome, Edwards Syndrome and Patau's Syndrome amongst other things.

Two days later we had some initial results that concluded that the tests were negative. They still have to grow a culture and retest, which can take up to 3 weeks, but at least we now know that the three worse case scenario's have been discounted.

As part of this full test we opted to find out the sex of the baby. However, Maxine had a scan on 28th March and there was no mistaking what we saw. It is most definitely a Boy.

My baby is all grown up !!

2006-03-21T08:15:00.000Z

My first born baby Laura has just recently celebrated her 18th Birthday!!

She has grown from a beautiful baby into a very beautiful young lady.

We celebrated with her at a joint party with her friend Sarah who was 18 just 2 weeks before Laura, and to see them both growing up from infant school to A level, and soon off to university, has been a very proud time for us.

There are so many pictures of Laura growing up that I can't get them all on here.

So here are two of my favourite as a baby.

And some of her party photos, can't name all the people in them she has so many friends.

3 Month Laser Eye Aftercare Appointment - Discharged

2006-02-14T19:09:00.000Z

Just a note to let you all know about my 3 month aftercare appointment.

My eyes have improved over the 3 months since my last aftercare appointment. So much so infact, that Nick said I didn't need the 6 months and 1 year aftercare appointments. I have been officially discharged with 20:15 vision, which is one line better than 20:20 on the snellen chart.

Nick said that my quality of vision will improve even more over the next year, but to be honest even if it stays as it is I couldn't be more pleased with the outcome.

Thank you Accuvision.

France Hotel / Motel

2006-01-13T08:21:00.000Z

We've managed to book a Motel just outside Rouen where they have one family room capable of sleeping 4 people and all for only 50 Euros.

It can be cancelled up to 4 days before we arrive, so if anyone can find a better / cheaper one, please let us know.

Travelling and Hotels in France - Question

2006-01-12T08:29:00.000Z

As you know, we have booked a holiday to St Jean de Monts in the Vendee, France.

We are planning to break up the journey down there and the same on the return journey.

For the return journey, we are travelling all the way back from St Jean de Monts to Calais on the same day, catching the Ferry and staying in a Travelodge Hotel in Ashford Kent. The Hotel is some 20 odd miles from the Ferry Terminal, so it's not too far to go when we get back to the UK before we bed down for the night. The Travelodge is booked and is costing us £45 for the night for all 4 of us.

We do however need to book a hotel for our journey down to St Jean de Monts. Which hotel will very much depend on our chosen route. As much as we would like to take the scenic journey through the Loire Valley, stopping off to see the wonderful French Chateaux, we have to remember that we have 2 children travelling with us (Megan is 7 and not too bad an age to travel, but Holly will still be 1 and doesn't like travelling much at night). Not only that, Maxine will be 6 months pregnant by then, so the easiest route we can take is coming out tops at the moment.

We are thinking of travelling from Calais towards Rouen, then over to Le Havre, Caen, through Rennes, Nantes ending up at St Jean de Monts. This route avoids all the Toll roads and hopefully provides a more scenic route than going on the Toll roads.

Our ferry gets us in to Calais at approximately 17:20. A further 2.5 - 3 hours travelling take us towards Rouen, which is where we are thinking of stoping for the night. This will leave us another 6 hours or so to travel the next day.

I've looked and found a couple of hotel chains that might do us in Rouen (Formula1, Ibis) but am finding it difficult to get 1 room for all 4 of us, as I want to make it as cheap as possible. If we have to have 2 rooms then we have to, but we would all like 1 room.

Does anyone know of or could recommend any good (cheap) hotels in the Rouen area we could book into on the night of 16th May for 1 night for 2 adults and 2 children?

Camping Trip to the Vendee - France

2006-01-05T12:35:00.000Z

Just before Christmas we booked a camping holiday to France through Camping Life and are going from mid May to the end of May.

We were looking to find somewhere to pitch our tent and then book a ferry crossing... i.e a do it yourself holiday, but found this bargain instead. For £247 we get at 6 berth Chalet Tent with sprung beds and blankets included as well as a Fridge, lighting and a gas cooker plus pots, pans etc. All we need to take is linen or our sleeping bags, clothes and ourselves, it even includes the ferry crossing.

If anyone is interested, we are going to Camping Acapulco, St Jean de Monts in the Vendee region and here are some details of our campsite from another travel company.

Frozen landscape

2005-12-29T09:29:00.000Z

The grounds of Camborne Castle look a little frozen this morning.

This morning sees Holly have her MMR jab. I don't mind having injections myself, but don't think I could stand seeing a big needle being put into my small daughther, so Maxine and Megan are taking her while I go round the shops.

We're off to Festival Park later to look at some double buggy pushchairs. Maxine wants to look to get an idea if the side by side or tandem buggies would be best.

Tomorrow we're off to see John in Weston-super-Mare, fix his bedroom light and take him out for lunch.

News Flash - New Baby on the way

2005-12-28T17:34:00.000Z

For those of you who we haven't already told, Maxine found out around 12 December that we are expecting the patter of little tiny feet once again.

The new arrival should be due around 20 August 2006 and we're hoping for a boy this time.
We know we shouldn't be telling anyone until the 12 week scan, but can't contain ourselves.

We'll let you all know more as things progress. Until then, Happy New Year to everyone.

Eye, Eye

2005-12-28T17:28:00.000Z

Sorry I've not posted for a while.

The eyes are just great. My last aftercare appointment was over 6 weeks ago now. My eyes were fluctuating between 20/20 and 20/15. For the uninitiated, 20/15 is better than 20/20.
My near vision is improving and I can see better close up than a few weeks ago.

Next aftercare appointment is due mid February 2006.

3 weeks and half an hour post op

2005-10-25T12:08:00.000Z

How time flies, 3 weeks already...

Oh I miss my glasses!... yeah, the hell I do. I can now fall asleep watching the TV and don't have to worry about taking them off or damaging them.

My near vision is still improving. My left eye needs to catch up with the right eye, but it is better than it was a week ago. I'm not using the artificial tear drops as I don't feel the need. Sometimes just before bedtime my right eye feels a little dry, but rather than use the drops I go to bed.

Even after three weeks I still find it hard to believe how much clearer my vision has become. I'm noticing a lot more than I ever did before. I've even started drawing, only simple things like our fireplace and copying pictures of birds from a book. I suppose it's just my way of capturing the things I see now over how I saw them before...if that makes any sense!

24 hours after stopping the anti-biotic drops

2005-10-13T11:39:00.000Z

It's now been just over 24 hours since I was told to stop using the anti-biotic drops. My eyes feel less puffy, particularly around the lower lids. The pain I was experiencing every now and again in my right eye has subsided significantly and is all but gone and my near vision has improved a little.

Last night I drove over 60 miles in the dark and had no problems with halo's, starbursts or glare from the headlights from oncoming traffic. Infact my night vision seems to have improved since I wore glasses.

I am already extremely pleased with the results of the treatment, but if my vision continues to improve I will be over the moon.

1 Week post op and 2nd aftercare appointment

2005-10-12T11:28:00.000Z

I arrived just over half an hour early for my appointment as i wasn't sure about the early morning traffic. I sat down was offered a coffee and then within 5 minutes was seen by Nick Dash.

Nick checked the topology of both my eyes to see how my eyes had changed after surgery. He then showed me the difference in both eyes before and after surgery and said the surgery had the desired effect of flattening out the cornea. He then checked my eyes using the slit lamp to see how the cornea was healing. Everything seems fine, but I have a little bruising on the top left hand corner of my right eye, which accounts for the very occassional pain I have when I blink. I only experience this pain a couple of times a day. Nick said I should now stop taking the anti-biotic drops now as a matter of course and because they also contain steroids they might be contributing to the pain. He said my eyes should feel less puffy in 4 to 5 days and the pain should disappear.

Now for the standard eye test:

Nick asked me to read the letters I could see on the illuminted screen opposite. I said I could read everything, he said "showoff" and we both had a little laugh to ourselves. He then changed the screen to display the smaller letters. When I read the top line, he asked me if I could read the numbers to the right of the chart. "20 and 6" I said. Nick said that's 20/20 vision and what else could I read. I read out the next line, after which Nick pronounced I had 20/15 vision or supervision.

Finally, I am to keep taking the artificial tear drops towards the end of the day or when I feel I need them if my eyes are dry. I've hardly had to use them yet, but now I'm to stop using the anti-biotic drops this may change. I'll continue to post at least once a week to keep everyone abreast of my continued improved vision.

My next appointment will be in 1 month on Tuesday 15th November 2005.

6 Days post op

2005-10-10T12:47:00.000Z

It's been 6 days since my op. I can't believe how quickly time has flown.

My eyesight has not yet settled down yet and I'm finding it hard to read, although my distance vision is perfect.

I know you're not supposed to compare the sight between each eye, but I can't help it. My right eye seems to be fine and I can focus quite close up, almost as good as I could without glasses. However my left eye is not quite as good and I'm getting a little double vision/ghosting when focusing close up / reading. This is probably what's causing my headaches. I've been told to expect this and it'll settle down in time. I'll mention it at my 1 week post op appointment and see what they say.

1st Post-Operative Appointment

2005-10-05T17:14:00.000Z

This morning my contact lens bandages were taken out. They weren't that uncomfortable but I'm glad they're out. The opthamologist said the corneal flap has bonded extremely well to the rest of the cornea and that I should reduce the anti-biotic eye drops from every hour to 4 times a day. I was also given artificial tear drops to use when my eyes felt dry. So far I've not had to use them.

Just before I left, my eyesight was checked. 20/20 in both eyes and there is room for improvement as my eyes heal.

Chuffed to bits... you bet I am :-)))

Would I recommend Accuvision? Absolutely.

6 hours post-op

2005-10-04T17:41:00.000Z

Well I went through with it…

In a word the procedure was ‘Simple’, as least from my point of view. It was rather like going through a car wash and watching the water splash around on the windscreen, or like watching the TV and seeing someone wash the camera lens. It was all over so quickly I couldn’t and still can’t believe it.

When I arrived I was asked to fill in but not sign the consent form as this would be done when I saw the surgeon. I was then taken through by the optometrist to check and confirm some of the readings that were taken at my consultation. All the tests confirmed what had been recorded at my first visit and was told to take as seat in the waiting room in reception. Whilst I was waiting two other patients went in for the procedure and got zapped. This was actually very comforting as I could see their faces when they were lead back to reception. Were they pleased… well a smile says it all. I was then handed a pack containing eye drops and instructions and was told how to use them, but would be told again after surgery.

My turn, well almost. The surgeon saw me next. He took a look at my readings and said there was an extremely good chance of a very positive outcome. He then told me about the risks, which I already knew having done extensive reading beforehand. We both then signed the consent form and I was lead back to reception to await surgery. A young lad, I say young he must have been aged 18-20 at most, was seen next and then went straight through for his surgery. I remembered I saw him during my consultation. I kept thinking I must be next. His procedure was over and he too returned with a smile on his face. My turn next.

I was lead into the room where the surgery takes place, by a nurse and was asked to put covers on my shoes and head and lie down on the bed, placing my head in the hole under what looked like the laser equipment. Tape was then placed on both sides of my face to stop any liquid running into my ears. I remember thinking, that’s funny; I’m sure they should anaesthetise my eyes first and wash my eyelids and surrounding area in iodine first. I was told to keep my eyes closed and relax and if during any part of the procedure I wanted to talk or ask questions then I could. They said they would tell me exactly what was going to happen next all through the procedure, and they did they were great. I remember asking when exactly they were going to anaesthetise my eye, as at this point I was getting worried. ‘Now’ someone said, ‘open your eyes’ and someone put drops in my eyes. My left eye was covered up and we were off. The speculum was used on my right eye to stop me blinking. The microkeratome was then placed on my right eye by the surgeon. I don’t know where he came from, but he wasn’t in the room when I entered it. He must have come in while I had my eyes closed. I was told I would feel a little pressure and everything would go black. I felt some pressure and the sight in my right eye faded to blackness. This is where the blade slices the flap in the cornea. I heard a whirring noise and then remember seeing the flap being pulled to one side and everything went extremely blurred. Next I was told stare at the green light. I heard a fan start up, saw some lights in my periphery vision and then smelt something like hair being singed. After about 10 seconds I was told that saline solution would be used to wash and cool down the lasered area. The flap was then moved back into position and I what I can only describe as being squeegeed to remove any excess water. A surgical contact lens bandage was placed on my right eye and it was done, in what seemed like just 2 or 3 minutes. My left eye was uncovered, my right eye covered up and the procedure repeated on my left eye.

The only thing that was different about the left eye op was that when the microkeratome was applied to cut the flap, everything didn’t go black and I actually saw the blade cut the flap. Remembering this now seems terrifying, but it was great, just like being in a movie watching it happen to someone else. Thank goodness for those little anaesthetic drops. My left eye was done, so quickly that I hardly remember it and had to ask if they placed a contact lens bandage on it as I didn’t remember it being placed on my eye.

I was then asked to sit up and swing my legs over the end of the bed. All I remember saying is nothing more profound than: ‘I Can See!!’ The surgeon led me over to a chair and another device to check his work and pronounced the op was uneventful for them, meaning it went as expected and without any problems.

I was led back to reception to wait for 10 minutes before being seen one last time by the surgeon who rechecked the position of the flap and to pronounce the surgery was successful. 5 more minutes waiting in reception before a nurse came over to administer some eye drops and remind me to take then every hour before bedtime. I was then free to leave.

I have follow up aftercare appointments tomorrow morning, at 1 week, 1 month, 3 and 6 months and 1 year to check on my progress.

So how’s my vision. Well I have a Snellen chart in the dining room. Standing 20 feet away I can already read the line that says 20ft. I have 20/20 vision. I know it’s early days and I still have contact lens bandages in my eyes, but it’s looking good so far.

Thank you Accuvision.

Last post pre-op

2005-10-04T07:55:00.000Z

I thought I'd post this morning before my op to record my state of mind as I might not feel like doing so after the procedure. Although I might dictate and get Max to do the typing.

Well it's only 2 hours before they slice my eyeballs open and I'm feeling decidedly calm. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but all I can focus (no pun intended) on at the moment is the result of being able to see without glasses.

Well here goes...

Snellen Chart

2005-09-28T11:32:00.000Z

I almost forgot...

...I downloaded a Snellen Chart the other day to test my eyesight and to keep a check on it post op.

Various eye charts can be downloaded here, but the easiest eye chart I found to download and print out is Joel Schneider's 3-page Snellen Chart plus near vision testing card.

By the way, at 20 feet I can't even read the top letter with my specs off (what chart!!!)

Wednesday 27th September 2005 - Becoming Nervous

2005-09-28T10:18:00.000Z

I know I said I wasn't going to post now until the big day, but...

It's only six days left now and I'm getting quite nervous about it all, but not in a bad way. The only way I can describe the way I'm feeling is that it's the kind of feeling you get when you are about to get married and your wedding day is approaching, or you're about to give a speech. Butterflies in the stomach and images in your mind about hoping it will all go well and that you've made the right decision.

Marrying Maxine was definitely the right decision for me. Two years on and life couldn't be better. But if only I could see without specs :-(

Reading all the posts on the Ultralase forum website www.lasereyeforum.co.uk has been good. A source of comfort almost. Not only is it a great source of information and inspiration, reading about all those people who have been through it and come out the other side, but also reading about what to expect just before and after treatment. I have also taken the liberty of replying to posts as well has having my query about Cataracts answered. It appears having Cararact surgery after laser eye treatment is possible. Not only do the experts tell me it is, I've also had contact from someone who's mother is going through it soon.

Sunday 22nd September 2005 - Ultralase Consultation

2005-09-25T17:57:00.000Z

I asked the Cataract question at my consultation this Sunday and was told the same as my research had indicated, that having Cataract surgery after having laser eye treatment is just the same and carrys the same risks as it would had laser eye surgery had not been performed. So I am still suitable for treatment.

Now down to the Ultralase consultation:
Ermm... Not as impressed as I was when I had the consultation at Accuvision. They were friendly enough, and carried out pretty much the same tests as Accuvision, but they just seem a bit more lacksadaisyical about it.

I always wanted Accuvision to perform my treatment due to their superior technology but thought give Ultralase a try, you never know. What has really put me off Ultralase was equipment failure. I am only considering treatment because of the new Wavefront technology and during my consultation, the piece of equipment that is used to measure the Wavefront decided not to play ball. After several attempts only one of my eyes was measured. They said I would have to go back for another consultation to see if I would be suitable for Wavefront treatment. All I can think of is; if the testing equipment fails, what's the actual surgery equipment like... I don't think I'll be going back.

My treatment with Accuvision is still booked for Tuesday 4th October at 11.00 am.

Laser Eye Surgery and Cataracts

2005-09-23T12:13:00.000Z

My Dad read my blog yesterday and phoned me to tell me there is a history of Cataracts within the family and that I should get this checked out before I have surgery.

Having done more research, the consensus of opinion is that you cannot have laser eye surgery after having cataract surgery, unless it is YAG laser, which removes the haze that may develop after cataract surgery. On the other hand having cataract surgery after laser eye surgery is fine.

I currently do not have cataracts and have no idea when they will occur if they ever do. Since most people develop them in their late 50's to 60's or even later, if I had laser eye surgery now I would be without glasses for some 15 to 20 years before I had to consider cataract surgery, by which time I could have IntraOccular lens implants so that I may remain without glasses.

This has raised a few doubts but has not put me off and am still going ahead with the surgery, unless I find out any thing to the contrary or anyone can tell me otherwise.

Questions Answered by Accuvision

2005-09-22T18:21:00.000Z

I wasn't going to post until next Sunday after my consultation with Ultralase, but thought I'd better post the answers to my question I asked at Accuvision before I forget what they were. So here goes...

Q. What if I go swimming, will the Chlorine get inside the corneal flap?
Will it cause irritation or worse infection?
A. No

Q. Does the corneal flap ever heal?
A. Yes, the flap seals itself within about 4 hours of being replaced. The seal can be broken at a later date should a re-treatment be necessary.

Q. Will I always have to avoid rubbing my eyes?
A. No, after about a week or month depending on the individual, it is ok to lightly brush/clean the eyelashes with the tips of the fingers. Rubbing the eyes with your knuckles is not recommended.

Q. Will I lose some near vision? By this I meant without wearing my glasses. I have a habit of taking my glasses off and bring the page closer to read it.
A. Yes, you will be able to read at the same distance as you current do with wearing glasses.

Q. Do you use a freshly sterilized keratome and a new blade for each eye?
A. A new blade is used for each eye but the keratome is sterilised and reused
.
Q. From which direction is the keratome make the cut? i.e. where will the hinge be, at the top, side or bottom of my eyes?
A. In my case the hinge will be at the top of the eye.

Q. I could feel all the soft contact lenses I ever wore, will be able to feel the flap after surgery?
A. No

Q. Will the flap be visible to other people?
A. No not to the visible eye and possibly not even under a microscope.

Q. What are your qualifications?
Do you have:
A medical degree?
Ophthalmology training?
Are you a corneal specialist?
A refractive surgery fellowship?
A. CV obtained for surgeon Brett Halliday

Q. How long have you been performing refractive surgery?
A. 12 years.

Q. Do you audit your outcomes and do research?
A. Yes

Q. Will I be treated with wavefront technology?
A. Yes, wavefront guided.

Q. Can I have a copy of the assessment/records wavefront maps after surgery?
A. Yes they will be posted to me.

Q. Visual acuity and visual quality are different. You can be 20/20 or better, and still be severely compromised. How would you comment on this?
A. A visual acuity of 20/20 means you will be able to read the characters of height 20 on a snellen chart from 20 feet away. However, if visual quality is impaired you will not be able to read them clearly, some may appear to be ghosted or hazy.

Q. What is my corneal thickness?
A. 585 microns for one eye and 560 microns for the other.

Q. How much will you need to create a flap?
A. 100 microns

Q. How much will be left?
A. At least 300 microns

Q. What is the diameter of the area to which the laser is applied? In other words, will the laser be applied to an area greater than the widest part of my dilated pupil?
A. The diameter of my pupils are 6.5 mm and 6.2 mm. The area applied by the laser will be 8 mm and then smoothed off towards the edge of the cornea.

Q. What is the difference between Wavefront Optimised and Wavefront Guided?
A. Wavefront optimised is a best guess, given the patients data at where the laser will attempt to remove the high order aberrations. Wavefront guided will exactly remove the high order aberrations.

Q. What is the diameter of my pupil?
A. 6.5 mm and 6.2 mm

Wednesday 21st September 2005 – Accuvision Consultation

2005-09-21T17:59:00.000Z

Having read Nurse Owens Lasik Dairy who commented on the quality of care taken by Nick Dash at Accuvision, I was hoping it would be him I'd see. It was and I can honestly say he was very thorough, measuring and checking and then re-measuring and re-checking some of the tests he performed on my eyes. The consultation was very thorough and took an hour and three quarters in the end. While Nick was performing the tests he was constantly explaining what he was doing, why he was doing it and what the results meant for my eyes and possible treatment. I was asking questions all the way along about my eyes and it turns out I have a corneal thickness of 585 microns in one eye and 560 in the other. Since most people have an average thickness of 535 microns for both eyes I have plenty of corneal tissue to have the procedure. Nick also showed me a topology map of my corneas where it showed several high order aberrations towards the bottom of my right eye but less on my left eye. Owing to these aberrations I was a suitable candidate for wavefront guided lasik treatment. During the tests, Nick asked me how I came to know about Accuvision. I told him I'd done a lot of research on laser eye surgery and had read Nurse Owens Diary, which lead me to Accuvision. He remembered her quite clearly saying he'd spent a lot of time with her.

Having done a lot of research on lasik eye surgery and wavefront guided treatments, Nick said I sounded well informed. After all the tests had been performed I handed him a sheet of paper with questions on that I wanted answers to. I couldn't read it as I was still getting a green glare from the lights he had shone in my eyes moments earlier. He went through them answering them all one by one, skipping questions I had already asked.

At the end of the consultation there was no pressure to have the treatment, in fact quite the reverse. I had already decided beforehand that I wanted Accuvison to perform the surgery unless it turned out I was unsuitable or I took a disliking to them, for whatever reason. I wanted it and asked when I could have the procedure performed. Nick said the earliest it would be is Tuesday 4th October. When I said I wanted it done, he said they could fit me in tomorrow as there was a free slot, but advised against making any decision now and recommended I have some time to reflect on what we had discussed. I said I had been waiting for over 10 years for the technology to get as good as it has for me to trust it and decided to book the procedure.

I'm booked in for Wavefront Guided Lasik eye surgery on Tuesday 4th October at 11:00 am.

I told Nick about my consultation at Ultralase on Sunday and said I still wanted to go as I wanted to compare the different technologies. Nick recommended I keep the appointment, because if nothing else it would give me a second opinion.

As I requested, on my way out I was handed the CV of the surgeon who will perform my procedure; a Mr Brett Halliday. His CV is nothing less than I expected and very impressive, even by my own level of qualifications.

I'll post again on Sunday after my consultation with Ultralase.

2005-09-21T07:29:00.000Z

Today is consultation day with Accuvision. I'll post back later today, with my thoughts, deliberations and decisions.

Tuesday 20th September 2005

2005-09-20T16:47:00.000Z

I have to be frank and say I’m a little scared. Who wouldn’t be? After all, someone is going to be cutting into my eye. Because of this I got up just before midnight and spent a couple of hours surfing the internet for pictures of the Lasik procedure and eventually found them here: http://lazybastard.ehuna.org/archives/000042.html. I thought this might put me off, seeing some scary/ gooey/ messy pictures of the operation in progress. To my surprise it had the opposite effect. I went back to bed and slept soundly.

Another question I thought of when I woke up this morning is: What is the diameter of the area to which the laser is applied? In other words, will the laser be applied to an area greater than the widest part of my dilated pupil? I’m only guessing here, but I can only imagine if the area were less than my dilated pupil, I might see halos when the light dissipates through the edge of the area where the laser was applied, similar to looking through a piece of cut glass crystal.

At work now and found this useful website: http://www.sharpervisioncenters.com/lasercorrection.asp

More questions. What is the difference between Wavefront Optimised and Wavefront Guided?

What is the diameter of my pupil?

Laser Eye Surgery Diary Monday 19th September

2005-09-19T17:44:00.000Z

I have pretty much decided that I'm definitely going to have the surgery unless I'm told that I'm unsuitable.

This morning I told my manager that I have decided I want laser eye surgery and asked for some time off. She said that because it is health related, it wouldn't be a problem and the company would accommodate me having the time off.
I then phoned Accuvision to see if I could get an earlier appointment and to ask that if I am suitable what would be the earliest date I could have the procedure. My appointment has now been brought forward to Wednesday 21st September (Aahhh only two days away) with the possibility of having surgery on the 4th October. My heart has started to race and my stomach feels uneasy. I know I wanted to bring things forward and I'm grateful they have been, but now it has started to become a reality I'm feeling very nervous.

Laser Eye Surgery Diary Sunday 18th September

2005-09-19T09:18:00.000Z

Sunday 18th September 2005

Decided to put this diary on both my Blogs.I spent the rest of the day contemplating whether or not to re-arrange my Accuvision appointment for an earlier date. I don't want to wait a month in between consultations. I tried phoning Accuvision on the number they gave me to re-schedule the appointment, not really expecting anyone to be there on a Sunday. To my surprise someone answered. I was told the phone number I phoned was redirected to an emergency helpline and I would have to phone back Monday to Friday to re-schedule my consultation appointment. It's nice to know that you can get through to someone at Accuvision in an emergency even if you phone the re-schedule phone number. I'm becoming even more sold on Accuvision.

Here is the website of the manufacturer of the laser equipment used by Accuvision
http://www.wavelight-laser.net/

The start of my Laser Eye Surgery Diary

2005-09-18T07:50:00.000Z

My name is Alan.
I have been wearing glasses since I was 11.
I'm now 42.
I have moderate myopia with slight astigmatism.

A few years after I got my first job, aged 21 or 22 I tried soft contact lenses.
I thought they were great, very comfortable and a real release from the bind of having to wear glasses, even if I did have to take them out every night and clean them and then de-proteinise them every weekend.
I then saw and advert for contact lenses that you could wear for a week without having to take them out to clean; only taking them out at weekends to clean. After a month you threw them away and popped in a new pair. You could even sleep in them, they were fantastic. More freedom from glasses, I had to have them.
About a year later I went to a night club in Birmingham where there was lots of white smoke (dry ice) drifting over the dance floor. I went to bed a usual wearing my contact lenses. I woke the next morning and couldn't open my eyes; they were stuck together like glue and felt like I had sand in them. I was taken to the eye hospital where they fixed me up, put cream in my left eye and bandaged it and anaesthetic in the other eye so I could at least see where I was going. I was told to lay off the contact lenses for a while. Humph…Back to glasses then!

At 28 I decided to go back and finish my education (and become a computer geek...another story), during which I tried contact lenses again, this time daily disposables. They were great to begin with but soon made my eyes tired. This was probably due to the late nights I put in studying, having been told by the optician that my eyes were unaffected from my previous encounter with contact lenses. Upon graduation in 1995, I began reading news articles about the latest laser eye surgery. I discussed this with my fellow graduates. We concluded it wouldn't be worth while doing until we had evidence that opticians started having it done. After all if they weren't convinced, why should we be? I continued to wear contact lenses for a while, but soon went back to glasses yet again. Oh to be free!

I had still been thinking about laser eye surgery on and off for the next 10 years. Just before I got married in May 2003 I mentioned it to my Fiance, but the old worries about if opticians had it done, so might I. It was soon forgotten as other priorities surfaced, like getting a house together and organising the wedding.

Laser eye surgery seemed to crop up more and more over the next two years. Then in late August 2005, Mike, a friend from University visited from America. (He's the one who first mentioned about opticians having it done first). He mentioned he was thinking of having it done, mentioning all the benefits and probably trying to convince himself it was a good thing to do now. I said nothing, but it got me thinking about it again.

Research, Research, Reserch...One thing I'm good at, having two degrees (B.Sc. Hons and an M.Sc.). I decided it was time to use my skills for myself and find out more about laser eye surgery.

Monday 12th September 2005

Using Google I searched for "laser eye surgery". I couldn't believe how much this industry had grown. There were loads of companies offering it in the UK. Sure I'd seen advertisements on the TV for Ultralase, but I had assumed most if not all the companies would be in London. I found three companies in Birmingham within a few minutes. Wow...I had to find out more, discuss it with my wife. No more glasses pulled of my face by my 9 month old daughter... Being able to go swimming and see people in the pool... that would be great.

Tuesday 13th September 2005

More research to find out who has had the surgery done and what kind. It appears that a lot of ophthalmic surgeons are having it done. Not just the head of the companies and their sons and daughters, the kind you'd expect to be in glossy brochures, but the surgeons who are putting their reputation on the line and performing the surgery too. I've read that at least 2-3 surgeons from the top 5 well known clinics have had laser eye surgery done. Most favour Epi-Lasik, but just less that half have had Lasik performed, what ever that means.

Wednesday 14th September 2005

It still seems expensive at around £1500 per eye. Would it be worth it? Having spent over £550 on glasses in the last two years alone, I'm beginning to think it might. Some companies are offering it from only £395 per eye. Are they inferior? What if things go wrong? I couldn't care about the money if it went wrong, my eyesight is what matters. I'd think about it (forget about it more like).

There are so many different type of surgery; PRK, LASEK, EPI-LASEK, LASIK and Wavefront. Which is best? What's the difference? Is any one more risky than the others? What about night vision... I'd read a lot about people seeing halos and haze afterwards?

Contacted Ultralase via their website for more information.

Thursday 15th September 2005

I was becoming more and more intrigued. I had to find out more. Ok, so if, if, I had it done, which one would I go for?

I learned about LASEK and EPI-LASEK. Both remove the outer surface of the eye known as the epithelium, before applying the laser treatment. With standard LASEK they scrape it off and it grows back. With EPI-LASEK, they soften it with alcohol and fold it back, replacing it afterwards. The structure of the eye stays intact but is weakened by the process. From reading various results of people who have had this done, the recovery time seems to vary between 1-2 days to over a week before you can see properly again. But the pain, oh the pain…no it's the time off work I'm more worried about, not to mention not being able to see clearly for a few days. But I suppose it would be worth it. There is also another kind of LASEK where the epithelium is lifted with a blunt instrument that weakens the eye structure much less. Don't really fancy being poked with a blunt instrument until they lift the outer surface of my eye.

LASIK. A blade slices a thin layer of the cornea, which is folded back before the laser is applied. No pain, because of the anaesthetic. I've experienced anaesthetic before during my contact lens days... sounds good to me. And the recovery time is much less, about a day in most cases. Surely this would be the one I'd go for.

Wavefront. (Tailored eye surgery) This is supposedly better than standard LASIK. With standard LASIK and LASEK for that matter, the laser is calibrated according to your specific prescription. With Wavefront, the laser is further calibrated according to the specific undulating surface of your eyes. Wavefront smoothes out the surface of the eye providing an even curvature rather than leaving an uneven one. The advantage is supposed to be less risk of halos and haze during poor light conditions at night.

Ok, fine, but which company offers these treatments and would I need Wavefront. Time to have a consultation I thought nervously, but which company? The three most prominent companies that seem to crop up are, Ultralase, Accuvision and Optimax (reminds me of the type of petrol I used to put into my car, before I converted to diesel).

Contacted Ultralase via their website for someone to contact me for a consultation. Feeling a little anxious and apprehensive.

Optimax don't recommend Wavefront saying it's untried, but not from what I've read. They supposedly have the equipment but won't use it yet. Why buy it if you won't use it? Maybe they don't have anyone who can use it yet? Would I actually need it anyway?

Ultralase offer Wavefront as do Accuvision. I've read a lot about the standard of the laser equipment, with people saying make sure you find a company that uses a good quality laser. Ultralase use Bausch and Lomb lasers which are highly recommended and supposedly one of the best.

Time for bed.

Friday 16th September 2005

Woke up at 2:45am thinking about laser eye surgery again. Thinking... What if I go swimming, will the Chlorine get inside the corneal flap? Will it cause irritation or worse infection? I must find out about the type of lasers Accuvision use. I've read they use a laser that is supposedly twice as fast as the Bausch and Lomb laser, but I must find out the name of the manufacturer and get independent evidence of this.

Having read a diary of a previous patent of Accuvision last night http://www.nurseowens.clara.net/lasik_diary.htm, I decided I should start my own diary of events also. It's now just gone 5.00 am and time I went back to bed.

Got to work for 8:00 am and started looking on the internet (again) for laser eye surgery. Still not heard from Ultralase, so I visited the Accuvision site and filled in the online form to request a consultation. Feeling a little nervous now I know someone will contact me.

More research... Accuvistion use "Wavelight Allegretto Wavefront Optimised Technology, 200Hz gaussian beam profile, shorter treatment times, less corneal dryness, minimised night vision problems, twice as fast as the Bausch & Lomb Zyoptix 100Hz wavefront technology."

I've never heard of Allegretto, I'll find out more. Searching again I found the http://www.biglasikguide.com/ website that has a link to the FDA website containing a list of approved lasers used for eye surgery: http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/LASIK/lasers.htm. It appears the laser used by Accuvision is approved and you can even download information about the approval order given by the FDA.

12:50 I get a call on my mobile at work from Accuvision. Can I come in for a consultation between Monday to Friday, but I would need someone with me to drive me back home. I said I could only make a Saturday and could they make an exception. They could but the soonest day would be the 22nd October at 9am or 10am. Then I remembered my wife doesn't work Tuesday and I might be able to take a flexiday in September, but the soonest Tuesday they had available was 4th October. Since I can only take one flexiday per month, I opted for Saturday 22nd October at 10am. Feeling very nervous now. Must phone and tell my wife.

19:04 Phone call from Ultralase. Booked a consultation for Sunday 25th September 2005 at 3:20 pm. Eeek, only 1 week away.

Saturday 17th September 2005

I've been awake since 06:21. It's supposed to be my day to have a lie in, but I can't sleep, there are too many questions going round in my head that I still don't have answers to. I'll have my lie in tomorrow!

Although I have to wear glasses because of short sightedness, when I remove my glasses, I can focus really close up, which is great for reading. Will I still be able to do this?

I must compile a list of questions to take with me on my consultations.

I received confirmation from Accusvision of my consultation today and an information pack from Ultralase with an Ultralase experience DVD inside. I will watch this with Maxine later.

QUESTIONS

What if I go swimming, will the Chlorine get inside the corneal flap?
Will it cause irritation or worse infection?
Does the corneal flap ever heal?
Will I always have to avoid rubbing my eyes?
Will I lose some near vision?
Do you use a freshly sterilized keratome and a new blade for each eye?
From which direction is the keratome make the cut? i.e. where will the hinge be, at the top, side or bottom of my eyes?
I could feel all the soft contact lenses I ever wore, will be able to feel the flap after surgery?
Will the flap be visible to other people?
What are your qualifications?
Do you have:
A medical degree?
Ophthalmology training?
Are you a corneal specialist?
A refractive surgery fellowship?
How long have you been performing refractive surgery?

Do you audit your outcomes and do research?
Will I be treated with wavefront technology?
Can I have a copy of the assessment/records wavefront maps after surgery?

'Visual acuity and visual quality are different. You can be 20/20 or better, and still be severely compromised.' How would you comment on this?
What is my corneal thickness? How much will you need to create a flap? How much will be left?

Useful Websites

http://www.biglasikguide.com/
http://health.howstuffworks.com/lasik.htm

Laser Eye Surgery

2005-09-18T07:42:00.000Z

I am seriously considering laser eye surgery and have been on and off for many years. While I consider this I am planning to keep a diary of events to let everyone know of my progress (or lack of it - but hopefully this won't be the case), if of course I decide to go ahead with it.

I started keeping a diary about a week ago which I'm going to publish later today, then keep it up to date as the days go by.

I will publish my research, choices, fears, and decisions leading up to surgery, if that's how far I get, whenever I have something to add. If I decide to go ahead with surgery this will increase to daily postings to keep everyone up to date with my progress.

Wish me well!!!!