Author: Chris Riley

Cataract surgery and restless legs

| Chris Riley

If you suffer from restless legs (Willis-Ekbom Disease), and its a possibility that you’ll be having cataracts removed sometime in the future, or some other form of surgery, please read this.

For those of you who suffer from restless legs, I don’t need to tell you how tortuous the problem can be. If you don’t suffer from them, you’ve probably encountered someone who does as it’s estimated approximately 5% of the population suffer from the condition. Some have only mild symptoms that usually begin in the evening as tiredness sets in, and for these people sleep alleviates the problem. However, a large percentage experience a more debilitating condition known as Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD). PLMD is characterised by leg twitching or jerking movements during sleep that typically occurs every 10 – 60 seconds, and often all through the night. The movements can severely disrupt sleep and are involuntary with sufferer’s having no control over them.

My own symptoms of the condition worsened from mild to severe at around the age of 40, and for several years I rarely had a good nights sleep. Finally I was put onto Sifrol, (Pramipexole), a dopamine agonist drug used to treat Parkinson’s Disease symptoms. It helps, providing I take it around 5pm, with the main side effect being drowsiness. Most nights I’m usually dozing on the couch by not much after 8pm, but I do manage to get a relatively peaceful night’s sleep. Thankfully both Paul and I are morning people.

So what has all of this to do with cataract surgery. Read on – particularly if this could apply to you sometime in the future. Last December I needed a vitrectomy, which is a procedure done to remove the vitreous humour gel from the eye to prevent the possibility of retina detachment. The procedure causes a cataract to form some months later, so I was advised a second procedure for cataract removal would also be required.

The victrectomy is done under mild sedation administered by an Anaesthetist. I was conscious during the procedure, but not conscious enough to control my legs which took on a life of their own. The surgery was a tortuous nightmare for me, and I gather was somewhat of a nightmare for my surgeon and the rest of the medical team in the operating theatre as well.. My Anaesthetist seemingly tried to control the involuntary leg jerking by upping the sedative. The symptoms worsened! He then backed off to the minimal, and although the symptoms continued, I could at least try to help by using every bit of brainpower I had to fight the urge to perform kicks worthy of an Irish dance troop. I’m sure my surgeon was as scared as was, and I wonder if it wouldn’t have been sensible to have abandoned the surgery because of the obvious risks involved.

My surgeon assured me that things would be okay for the shorter cataract surgery, which I had earlier this week. How wrong he was. My memory of the surgery is cloudy so I gather I was given higher doses of sedation than during the vitrectomy, but I think I remember someone telling me if I didn’t keep my legs still restrains would have to be used. When I came around my usually normal blood pressure was over 200 and it was thought I’d have to remain in hospital over night. However, my blood pressure did go down, and I came home. The surgery was successful.

I’ve since done what Doctors and surgeons hate. I’ve used Dr Google to find out about anaesthesia and it’s possible relation to restless legs. Apparently there are some forms of sedation that are known to worsen the symptoms of restless legs, and these should not be used. These are:

Neuroleptic agents (butyrophenones, including droperidol: phenothiazines)

Tricyclic, tetracyclic or selective serotonin re-uptake inhibiting antidepressant (except as part of a current therapeutic regimen)

Opioid antagonists (naloxone, naltrexone)

Antiemetic agents with dopamine antagonist or histamine antagonist properties (metoclpramide HCI, prochlorperazine, promethazine HCI)

Sedating antihistamines that cross the blood-brain barrier (diphenhydramine in particular)

I don’t know which of these was used on me, but I do know I had a severe reaction on the operation table. My surgeon asked me on my follow up visit after my cataract removal what I remembered. Not much except my legs were doing a bit of a dance, I told him. His words were that I was jumping all over the operating table, he said, I was jumping, and he was jumping!

The operation was successful, and although I’m grateful for my surgeon’s obvious skill at dealing with a difficult situation, I wonder if good luck didn’t play as much a part as good management.

I intend to follow up with my Anaesthetist to find out which drugs were used, and to find out if the same drugs were used during both procedures. If the same drugs were used on the second occasion, I shall be asking why!

I will be keeping a list of these drugs, and will be having an in depth discussion prior to any future surgeries, and will want an assurance that my restless legs are given due consideration. I dread to think how disastrous the consequences of both of these surgeries could have been!

Fortunately, alls well that ends well. Clearly though Dr Google is more aware of the complications that can occur for a restless leg sufferer during sedation than was my own Anaesthetist. If you suffer from restless legs, and you are going to undergo any surgery, please make sure your medical team takes due notice of your special needs. Print off this list, or use Dr Google to get your own information. Present it in writing to your surgical team, and make sure notice is taken. I know I will be in future.

Friday photo challenge – Between the Lines

| Chris Riley

This week’s challenge from Amanda is, Between the Lines. See Amanda’s post, and challenge here: https://forestwoodfolkart.wordpress.com/2019/07/05/friendly-friday-photography-challenge-between-the-lines/

None of our own photos came to mind for this challenge. Instead I could think of only two things. The first was a recurring nightmare I used to have as a child. In the nightmare I was in the middle of numerous railway lines, all criss crossing, with trains bearing down on me from all directions. In my nightmare I was always trying to anticipate where to stand between the lines so as to be safe, but frequently I would awake in a cold, terrified, sweat when I realised my judgement was wrong and a big, black, train engine was almost on top of me. I’m sure a dream interpretater could make much of it…..

Continue reading →

Styling a very small house – the guest rooms

| Chris Riley

Approximately three years ago we had a friend check out our little house before we placed our offer to purchase.

“It’s small”, she said, “very small, but the ceilings are high”. “It needs work, but I think it’s got potential”, as she walked through the house giving us her first impressions on each room. After telling us about the rest of the house she entered the second bathroom and told us, “There’s a second bathroom, it’s a ‘funny’ little bathroom, but, yes, there definitely is a second bathroom”.

Continue reading →

Styling a very small house – the master bedroom

| Chris Riley

We’ve now been living in our very small, beach cottage for almost three years, and when I say small,  I really do mean small. Not so small as to be classed as a ‘tiny house’,  but small enough that furnishing and decorating has been a challenge. There’s been lots of trial and error along the way, but I’m pleased to say we’re getting to the stage now where we’re happy with it.

Continue reading →

Friendly Friday – Ebb and Flow

| Chris Riley

This week’s photo challenge from Amanda at, Something to Ponder About, is Ebb and Flow. See Amanda’s post here, and hopefully you’ll be inspired to add some of your own images to join in with the challenge: https://forestwoodfolkart.wordpress.com/2019/06/21/friendly-friday-photo-challenge-ebb-and-flow/

Immediately upon reading this week’s theme the ebb and flow of the huge tides in the Kimberley’s came to mind.

Walking on the firm sands of Cable Beach at low tide. Note the puddles still evident from high tide.

Hundreds of visitor drive along the firm sands of Cable Beach daily during the dry season to find a place to park close to the water. As the tides can be higher than nine metres it’s vital to be aware of both the height, and the time of each days high tide. If you don’t time your exit from the beach to coincide with a suitable tide line you could end up with your car stuck on the beach until the tide recedes below the safe exit through the rocks.

It’s vital to know the ebb and flow of the tides for entering and exiting through the rocks to get onto Cable Beach in your car.

Beach umbrellas and chairs are available for rent daily, or you can bring your own. We usually have our own with us, and if we’re not driving along the beach, we’ll set up near the flags on Cable Beach. The hire umbrellas are set up in line with what will be the high tide for the day, sometimes seemingly miles from the water. They always get it almost exactly right as to how far the water will roll in though, so we happily use their knowledge as our guide.

Umbrellas for hire – all set up in line with what will be the high tide line for the day

It’s fun to watch those not familiar with the tides set up close to the water line on a rising tide. Within minutes they’re moving everything back a few metres. A few minutes more and they’re moving back further, and so their day goes on. The huge tides can’t be comprehended by those unfamiliar with them, and we’ve seen many new visitors who only take notice when their beach towels starts swirling at their feet in the flow of the incoming tide.

If you get your placement just right, the incoming waves at high tide can safely lap at your toes without any danger of you getting swamped.

I don’t think we’re heading up to Broome this year, but what a pleasure it’s been to re-visit Cable Beach again through Amanda’s prompt, if only through perusing our photo library. A great prompt for us this week Amanda – thank you.

Friendly Friday: Twins

| Chris Riley

This weeks photo challenge from Snow at,

Friendly Friday: Twins

 is Twins. As advised by Snow we are free to interpret the challenge creatively with an interpretation on twins meaning, simply a pair, or two of a kind.

I’ll take Snow’s word for it that twins, although sometimes looking completely different from each other, usually manage to share a connection.

Partners in crime

Below are a couple of photos of my Paul, and his good friend, Bob. They’re not related, they look nothing like each other, but they definitely share a connection. They’re like peas in pod, and one look at their faces in both photos tells me they’re up to some sort of mischief!

Hatching up a plot no doubt – and every plot usually starts with the same statement…..
“When you think about it!”

Sister rigs

Our previous rig was one of the Australian built Travel Homes. Manufactured in Newcastle, NSW, there aren’t a great many of these around, and everyone is numbered. We had number 100, which was the 100th one built.

We were camped in Katherine in 2016 and there was one right next door to us. It was a much later model, built six years after ours, and I think it was around number 350. That gives you an idea how many there had been built at the time, so finding two side by side somewhere in this big county of ours is slim. However, on this occasion, it wasn’t just a chance meeting of the two Travel Homes as one of them belonged to a friend of ours.

What was surprising at the time was that another couple also arrived into the caravan park in a Travel Home. They took photos of our rigs, and advised they have a collection of photos of what they refer to as, ‘sister Travel Homes’. As ours were side by side they referred to them at the time as, ‘twins’.

Twins

So that’s my contribution for this week. I suppose I could always try to photograph something new for the challenges, but then I’d miss out on the excuse to peruse old photos and re-live old memories. Looking through photos of these two partners in crime gave both Paul and I a chuckle. We couldn’t see a photo of Bob without hearing those words, “when you think about it…..”, and what usually follows is some plot that will involve the two men mis-behaving in a very ungentlemanly like manner towards their wives – all in good fun of course.