Tales from the Left Eye...Part 3

One day post op picture with shield



The day after my surgery I had to go the doctor for my post op appointment. I went early because after sleeping on my stomach for the few hours I could sleep, my back was hurting and I was over this shyte already.

This is a really good picture of how swollen my eyes truly was.  I was smizing with my eyes.  Well, that is what I told my sister.

Since I was post-op, I was called to the back immediately where they took off the patch and shield and cleaned this caked up left eye they also proceeded to do an eye exam. Yeah. I couldn’t see anything out of my left eye except shadows. But you aren’t supposed to, thankfully they told me that or I would have started crying. And I wasn’t sure crying should be happening with this eye. The nurse had to keep telling me I could move my eye and open it wider. Hell, I didn’t know the thing felt weird. Dr. Massey said my eye retina had been reattached and now I must rest. This meant I could sleep on my left side only until Monday and I was allowed to get up from sleeping every two hours for 5 minutes. What the hell? I must always keep my shield in place while lying down. I had to put 3 different eye drops in my eye 4 times a day. That I could do. But being prone for that many days was going to be a struggle. Thank goodness my cousin was making me stay at her house, because baby I would have been up walking the house.

Not too clear, but coming along.

I have been asked how I slept all that time and what could I do when I couldn’t see things or even read. I slept seriously because from the rough night I had Thursday night with my back hurting, I could only sleep I was tired and wore out from all that had happen in the last few days. I listened to the TV mostly although I could see with my glasses on and they fit over my shield, I wasn’t worried about actually watching TV. Since I am banned from working out for a month to 6 weeks, I tried not to over eat. I introduced my cousin to peel and eat grapes. You know, globe grapes. Loves them. She did manage to get me a cupcake twice from Cupcakes by Tish while I was there. But I just didn’t want to overeat since I couldn’t work it off. Not working out is not fun.

On that Saturday, as I was resting on the couch on my left side, my cousin got a text about Whitney Houston. Lawd, my heart hurt, but I couldn’t cry because I wasn’t sure I could with this eye. I had to take to the bed like old folks say. I was done. RIP – Whitney!

My time at my cousin really was for recuperating. I finally had a good night sleep that Monday night after the surgery. I really can’t sleep in anyone’s bed but my own. Their dog was quite interested in my staying there, but she knew not to jump her ass in the bed with me. Shana don’t play that. And with this eye… I stop taking Loritab for my eye on Saturday, and started taking it for my damn hip. Only half a pill, because lying on your hip hurts when that is all you do. I took baths and did my own drops. I was able to take care of myself and I fixed my own breakfast and such and I was good. But I was ready to go home. And when I asked about going home my cousin was like if the Dr. says so. I was like he told me I could go home by myself the same day of the surgery but I had to have someone bring me to appointments and take me home because I wasn’t allowed to drive with the gas bubble in my eye. It was nice to have someone take care of me, but I am a loner by nature and frankly I like when it is quiet.

The day of my 2nd Op appointment.  The difference is clear.

When I went to my one week post op appointment, I was reading with magnification, the eye chart and got to 2 lines before perfect vision. I will explain later what I can expect from my vision for now on. I actually got to see Dr. Massey smile about that. He was pleasant but he never smiled until that day. Made me feel good, plus I got to go home. I went home and ate breakfast and slept in my bed. Of course the sleep was interrupted by my other cousin who was spending the night about what I wanted for dinner three times. Ya’ll get close to the screen…my family eats out too much. I rarely go to restaurants and when they would name some place I would have pull up their menu on my phone.

I knew I was going home the next day.

Even at home, I rested because I didn’t want to derail my recovery. Although the doctor released me to return to work the next week, after the gas bubble went away, I took my time by going in half days. I found my stamina is not the same. I also learned quickly too much reading with the left eye built up pressure in my left eye causing me to have a headache. Sometimes you have to sit your azz down.

I thanked my family for helping me out. And I prayed a lot. Things could have gone terribly bad, but I had Faith. Next tale will be about this recovery and then we move on from here and start backing rambling…