THE BIG DAY!---RIGHT EYE

Well, as friends can tell you, I faced this day with trepidation. However, I actually settled down (without sedation) last night and slept pretty well. The orders were nothing to drink or eat after midnight, and I followed that. I put little signs up for myself that said "Don't drink" on my thermal cup with ice and water in the bathroom, on the bathroom mirror, and in the kitchen. That was just in case I in my sleepy state I tended to take a swig of water in the middle of the night or early morning. Instead I just rinsed out my mouth and spat it away. At least I could hydrate my dry mouth.

Jaz and I arrived on time at the out patient surgery center well on time. After copying my ID, Medicare card, and insurance card the first question was, "Are you considering a Living Will today." I wasn't prepared for that, and it shook me a little. I finally said, "Not today." I then had to sign about six different forms and felt they should have given me the keys to the place right then. After joining Jaz in the waiting room I was prepared to wait a while. However, in five minutes or less I was called.

The nurse, Susan, took my vital signs and began the eye drops which are antibiotic and dilating drops. Then I had to take off my shirt and put on a gown over my jeans, etc. Then electrodes were placed on my chest and back. A needle was inserted in my left arm, and a B/P cuff placed on the right arm. Then there was another round of drops. A young man came in and introduced himself as the anesthesiologist. That was the last I saw of him, but he may have come in later in the OR. All of this was done before and during the time I sat in a recliner. Between these interruptions I read my book. (I always take a book with me wherever.) Then there was another dose of eye drops to the operative eye. (I don't think I mentioned that I had been on a regimen of eye drops to that eye for the two previous days.)

My surgery was scheduled at 11:00 a.m., and just before that time a gurney was brought in and exchanged for my recliner. When I was wheeled to the OR I finally was able to glimpse a clock; it was 11:05. I'm not sure when the anesthetic IV was started; I will just say that I was never knocked out completely, but by the time I was in the OR my mouth felt a little dry, and found that though I knew what I wanted to say, it was a little slow and difficult to get the words out.

I won't relate a play by play of the whole operation because I don't really know exactly what was taking place when. Even when there is no pain, it is difficult to alleviate tension, and I frequently found myself tensing up---usually in my left shoulder which when I became aware of it, I would try to relax that part of my body. The drape also blocks the vision of the non-operative eye. Because of the "drape" over the rest of my face (it's a little heavy and blocks light and some sound + my aging hearing loss) though I could hear the doctor and others assisting talking, I couldn't always understand what they were saying. For instance I could hear her direct me to look down, or directly at the light, and to increase the anesthetic. Furthermore, I could see her fingers at times though I couldn't see the instruments or what she was doing. It's a very strange experience. I heard them record the concluding time as 11:42.

Soon I was rolled back to my alcove, and given a choice of drinks. I chose Diet Coke because I could share that with Jaz. (She's a Diet Coke-aholic.) They allowed her to come back very soon afterward, and after checking my vital signs a couple more times, we were good to go. We had to stop at a drug store for Tylenol to use as a pain killer. The pain I have experienced is in my eyelids, i.e. blinking hurt. If I could keep my eyes open all the time---fine; if shut all the time---fine. However, it's getting better rapidly. I've taken two doses of Tylenol, and the pain is almost gone.

Vision in my right eye is blurry due to the surgery and the lubricant put in after surgery and the eye drops I have to use for the next week. That will gradually clear I've been assured. Currently there is a contest between my eyes because the left eye still needs my current glasses, and the right does not, but it is blurry. But it's getting better, and the doctor expects me to drive to her office tomorrow on my own for a check-up. Everybody stay out of my way!!!

DISCLAIMER: If I have more typos or mistakes than usual, chalk it up to "faulty vision."

Anyway, I know you've been wanting to see the eye kit. Here you go:

Preoperatively it came with about four sheets of instructions/directions to the surgery center, Rx for another eye drop, and a bottle of eye drops, and some little vials of a third eye drop, a hard plastic eye guard, and duct tape, and the dark protective sunglasses to wear over my glasses. Coming home there was only one set of directions plus the other "stuff." Here it is:

I guess for the other eye they'll simply rip off the "right eye" sticker and put on one that says "left eye." Hope you're not disappointed in this disclosure. Yes, this was photographed on the top of the washing machine.

The only reason I've posted about all this is to save myself many e-mails and I needed to stay up late enough to do my second application of eye drops, because to be honest, I've been exhausted since the surgery, probably due to nerves rather than actual physical stress. Thanks to all of you for your words of encouragement and especially to Jaz who took the day off to drive me and brought me a lunch when she picked me up so I wouldn't have to prepare anything when I came home. How good can life get?