I went back to the eye doctor yesterday afternoon because I've been experiencing some discomfort that I didn't think was typical. I expected pain, and scratchiness, and blurred vision, but that feeling of sand in my eye that I complained about? It's gotten worse, like I have something poking me, and I didn't thick that was normal. When I called the doctor yesterday morning, he said it wasn't and to come back in. He agreed that SOMETHING was irritating my eye beyond just the discomfort of the surgery, given how overly red and teary it looks. He trimmed up a couple of the stitches, and also pulled a couple of eyelashes that he thought might be causing the problem, but he can't see any actual specific cause that he can pinpoint. He wanted me to make liberal use of the antibiotic eye cream including squeezing some in my eye, which will blur my vision but oh well. He said that if I didn't notice significant improvement by this morning, he's going to have to take me back in to surgery and open the incisions back up, see if he can't figure out what the problem is. So as of this morning I'm not sure what to make of things. The original area that I felt such discomfort in, like I was being stuck with something close to the inner corner of my eye, that seems to have mostly gone away. The white of my eye is not as red and angry looking. I'm really itchy though, and teary, the way you get when you have an irritation in your eye, and I still feel like something's in there, not as bad as before, but still there's a minor scratchiness on that inner corner, and now an additional scratchiness on the outer corner too. Aarrgghh!!! I just don't know what's "normal" for this kind of surgery. I can look at my eye, and see stitches going all the way up my cheek and into the lower lid right where the irritation is. And I can see more stitches going to the very outer corner of my eye, too, where they had to take skin from, for the reconstruction. I mean, there's a LOT going on, and I can't imagine I wouldn't feel all kinds of discomfort given what I'm seeing. The Doc is most concerned with damage to my cornea as a result of whatever this irritation is, which apparently is the main reason he wanted me to come back in yesterday. He didn't find anything compromised on my cornea, which was a relief. And as I said, couldn't really find any reason for me feeling like I'm being stuck in my eyeball. I was just grateful he could see, by the extreme redness of my eyeball, that SOMETHING was going on and I wasn't just being a princess. They want me to call this morning and let them know how I'm doing. The doctor is concerned that we're going into the long weekend and if I do need surgery, he wants to get this taken care of before the 3 day holiday. I don't blame him. I sure wouldn't want to be called in to work.
Oh my! How horrible. Rest and relax this weekend. Try not to be stressed. I know that's probably hard but try. Its better for healing. Keep us posted.
Oh dear Ronni, I would call & consult with him if you still have concerns. I send you my best wishes.
Oh look! I'm turning orange....what fun! I'll have to make sure to coordinate my outfit to my eye color! My doctor finally decided that I didn't need more surgery.....THANK YOU!!!! Feel like I just barely dodged THAT bullet! I'm still itchy and my eye feels grainy, but that feeling like I'm being poked in my eyeball with a needle every 10 seconds, that's gone. I can't wait for these stitches to be removed!! Between having to use antibiotic ointment on and in my eye 4 times a day, and the pulling and tugging from the stitches, and the feeling of everything being really tight (combination of stitches pulling things tight, and the swelling) my vision is still blurry and I have to sit on my hands sometimes so I don't just claw at my face it gets so irritating! But, considering the alternative, I'm not complaining.....well, not much anyway.
Oh my! please don't scratch at it.... I do agree that isn't normal, but has he or you considered an allergy to the medicine by any chance? Can you put ice on it to make it feel cold rather than itchy?
Thanks guys. I'm being very well taken care of, I can assure you. Paige is like a clucky Mother Hen, and the boys have all called and chatted with me to make sure I'm OK, offering to bring me food, give me rides, whatever I might need. I feel very pampered and loved.
Ronni, I am glad you do not need further surgery, and the orange means the bruising is healing up. I think green is the next color for bruises to heal. Sounds lovely. I am also glad that your family is pampering you and helping you out, and that you can take some time off of work. If you do use any compresses, be sure they are sterile so you do not get an infection in your eye or the wounds. And just dab gently around your eye. Hugs and get well wishes from me. I am still keeping you in my prayers.
Yeah, the itchiness is definitely a sign that I'm healing up right on schedule. That's what I keep telling myself anyway, as I sit on my hands so I don't claw my face! Back to work this morning, after a week off convalescing. That week has made me lazy, I have to say...I'm just not all that thrilled about starting work again. Guess that's pretty normal. I've warned my first client about how I look, so she doesn't freak out when she sees me. It's pretty dramatic to see all these stitches running down my cheek! Interesting too, that the ones down my cheek are stitched with a completely different kind of suture material than the ones on the side of my eye. The cheek ones are heavier, thicker looking and black. The others are like monofilament, very fine thread, almost invisible. I've lots of questions for the doctor when I go in Wednesday to get the stitches removed....I can hardly wait!!!
I am so glad you are doing well. I know you went through allot. Hopefully, the healing will continue.
Ronni, I am so glad you are doing better. Eye bruises do tend to heal slowly, I had forgotten. I hope it is feeling much better too. Still keeping you in my prayers.
My stitches are out!! You have no idea what a relief that is....there was a constant, low grade sense of pulling and tightness that accompanied them, not to mention an incessant itching, and that's gone now....well, there's still some itching, but nowhere near as much. The doctor is pleased with the results so far. He said I'm still swollen in places, and will be for a while. My eye area looks different than its mate. There's some puffiness on my cheek at the end of the suture line which is where the skin puckered when he pulled the edges of the incision together. He said that always happens, and that, and the generalized swelling and bumpiness at my lower lid will get less and less over the coming couple of months. I have another appointment mid September and at that appointment he'll re-evaluate the area, once all the swelling and such has completely settled down and gotten as good as it's going to get. He'll determine then if more (minor) surgery is indicated to repair anything that needs tweaking. It's funny, I was talking to Paige this morning about how this surgery and the difference in my appearance now, has caused me to re-evaluate some things. Like I've decided I'm not going to wear contacts anymore (not that I was wearing them much anyway, just occasionally when I went out) because I think glasses, which will minimize the differences in my eye shape and contour, will at this point be more flattering. And in conjunction with that, I think I'm going to get my hair cut shorter. I've been trying to grow it out, but it's making me crazy...both growing it, AND doing it when it's longer. And I'm going to get different glasses....much thinner, lighter frames, maybe rimless, and I think a shorter style will compliment that better too. Ok, now I'm just rambling. Clearly I need more coffee.
I am glad you are on the mend Ronni. Glad also you are feeling better enough that you are having thoughts about your appearance. That is certainly a good sign!
