I am at once humbled and intimidated to have someone’s else body part inside of my own body, in this case the endothelial layer of my right cornea.
Humbled, because I know that this could only have been harvested from someone who died. I don’t really dwell on who it is or how they died, and unlike other organs for which one has to wait for the right person to die at the right time, cornea’s are stored in an eye bank and generally more readily available. Nevertheless, I am grateful for the donation and the opportunity to see clearly through someone’s else eyes.
The intimidation comes from the fact that, for the rest of my life, I will have to take eye drops to prevent the rejection of my new corneal layer. Our bodies do not like foreign matter introduce in them, and your immune system naturally fights anything it considers an invader, in this case my new corneal layer. So I must take Prednisolone (a corticosteroid drug which is both an anti-inflammatory and immunosuppresant) for the rest of my life. Currently I must use it four times a day, but I am told that evengtually I will be able to taper down to one drop a day, which I am looking forward to after reading the side effects of Prednisolone.
All in all, I am really looking forward to that happy time a couple of months from now when my improved right eye and my somewhat less impaired left eye get themselves fully in step so I can have prescription glasses for the first time in my life!
I’m hoping to see a golf ball again!
Learn more about DSEK.
Learn more about eye banks.