12th Sep, Wed – 18 Sep 07, Tue. D106 – D112. The 16th week.
Saw my Orthopaedic doctor/prof at NUH last Thursday. He was satisfied with the healing of my knee. Since I could now stand steadily with no pain and even limp several steps without crutch, it indicated that the implanted new cartilage cells are growing well. However, he reiterated that I should continue with the use of the crutch for the next couple of weeks in order not to exert any undue pressure on the newly grown cartilage. He advised that I should continue with the weekly physiotherapy session, but tone down the exercise intensity, if it causes the knee to ache. He prescribed lots of glucosamine to be taken thrice daily (gave me 10 weeks supply)! The load bearing on my right leg has now reached almost 95%. The physio spent some time with me on the parallel bars handrail, trying to correct my gait, which has a tendency to lean towards the left. The unassisted knee flexion has also improved and I can now also do a partial squat (left knee fully bent and right knee half bent).
Last Thursday afternoon, I also went for an appointment with my eye consultant doctor at The Eye Institute in TTSH. My right eye was diagnosed with cataract about 3 year's ago. By the end of last year, the cataract had "ripen" and the eye doctor advised me to go for the cataract operation early this year, but I decided to delay it to the middle of the year as I was expecting the knee operation then. As the knee operation was subsequently carried out on 30 May 07 - the eye operation had to be postponed a second time. The eye doctor suggested that I carry out the delayed cataract operation as soon as possible, now that my knee operation was over and I’m recovering well. The date of operation will be on next week, 24 Sep 07, although I would have preferred a later date, perhaps in Oct when I’m physically and mentally more ready. However, the doc is not available that month. The nurses were very quick and efficient, and made me complete all the necessary pre-admission checks and assessment late into the evening, so that I do not have to make another separate trip to do this. Nowadays, cataract operation is quite advanced, requiring only a tiny slit on the cornea in order to replace the lens, and vision can be restored the following day. Both The Eye Institute in TTSH and The Eye Centre in SGH have the latest equipment for advance cataract operations. It can be performed during a day surgery and you can go home within half a day.
Saw my Orthopaedic doctor/prof at NUH last Thursday. He was satisfied with the healing of my knee. Since I could now stand steadily with no pain and even limp several steps without crutch, it indicated that the implanted new cartilage cells are growing well. However, he reiterated that I should continue with the use of the crutch for the next couple of weeks in order not to exert any undue pressure on the newly grown cartilage. He advised that I should continue with the weekly physiotherapy session, but tone down the exercise intensity, if it causes the knee to ache. He prescribed lots of glucosamine to be taken thrice daily (gave me 10 weeks supply)! The load bearing on my right leg has now reached almost 95%. The physio spent some time with me on the parallel bars handrail, trying to correct my gait, which has a tendency to lean towards the left. The unassisted knee flexion has also improved and I can now also do a partial squat (left knee fully bent and right knee half bent).
Last Thursday afternoon, I also went for an appointment with my eye consultant doctor at The Eye Institute in TTSH. My right eye was diagnosed with cataract about 3 year's ago. By the end of last year, the cataract had "ripen" and the eye doctor advised me to go for the cataract operation early this year, but I decided to delay it to the middle of the year as I was expecting the knee operation then. As the knee operation was subsequently carried out on 30 May 07 - the eye operation had to be postponed a second time. The eye doctor suggested that I carry out the delayed cataract operation as soon as possible, now that my knee operation was over and I’m recovering well. The date of operation will be on next week, 24 Sep 07, although I would have preferred a later date, perhaps in Oct when I’m physically and mentally more ready. However, the doc is not available that month. The nurses were very quick and efficient, and made me complete all the necessary pre-admission checks and assessment late into the evening, so that I do not have to make another separate trip to do this. Nowadays, cataract operation is quite advanced, requiring only a tiny slit on the cornea in order to replace the lens, and vision can be restored the following day. Both The Eye Institute in TTSH and The Eye Centre in SGH have the latest equipment for advance cataract operations. It can be performed during a day surgery and you can go home within half a day.
Someone suggested that I should perhaps start another blog on my experience with eye operations, since I’ve had several ops over the past 9 years. But I don’t intend to do so, as Singapore has very established eye treatment centres and information on eye treatment is readily available. For the record, my left eye had retina detachment in 1998, some 9 years ago. It started with internal bleeding and soon the black spot was like an eclipse enveloping almost a third of the vision. The operation was successful and my vision was fully restored. The following year, I had a cataract operation and two other operations to remove the out-of-position scleral buckle (plastic backing to prevent further retina detachment). In 2001, the eye doctor used the cryopexy procedure, using metal probe frozen by liquid gases to “burn” and scar a retinal hole, which had developed in the retina of the left eye. The healing process would seal the retinal hole. In 2002, cryopexy was applied again, this time to my right eye as a preventive measure against future problem developing. In 2004, cataract was found developing on this right eye, the myopia of which, has since gone up to almost 1,100°. I’ll post an update after my cataract operation next week.
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