Thursday, May 12, 2011

One Down, One to Go


I’m back from cataract eye surgery #1, with excellent results. Thank you all for many kind comments and words of encouragement. I don't think the positive energy quite "took."

Cataract surgery is a booming business. The organization of these eye surgery clinics is fascinating to me -- I like the idea of the PROCESS. Patients come in one door, get processed, prepped for surgery, surgery is done in minutes, and out they go through another door, with a new lens in the affected eye, a patch over it, and instructions for eye drops, and then 2 more follow appointments. It is truly efficient and miraculous. No one has to wait long in the waiting room - waiting is inefficient!

I was stressed, anxious, fearful, despite many reassuring responses from friends and internet bloggers. The nurses were so helpful, patient, with lots of encouragement and touchy feely hands on, explaining everything they were doing (I think), they helped to keep me calm (well they tried anyway!).
At one point before surgery, I was on a gurney, with IV attached, and felt like taking a nap, so I’m guessing they had sneakily given me some anesthetic through the IV where I couldn't see what they were doing. Next thing I knew, off I went rolling down the hall to “the operating room” ...when I entered that room, what I remember, is "I wanted OUT!" although I was too attached to that gurney with tubes, IV, and blankets (even typing about that room now, gives me a stomach ache!) My husband was planning to watch the procedure through the VIEW window, and he said at that point, they closed his view window, but he saw me thrashing about, kicking, etc. through a gap in the window. Oh my, how embarrassing, but I have no memory of that. Next thing I remember, I woke up with a patch over my eye, sore throat, nurses hovering over me, giving me a drink of water, feeling a bit shaky, but I was done. As information eventually straightened out in my brain, I learned they had intubated me (correct word?) because the anesthesia was not working well enough to keep me calm. So that’s why I had the sore throat.

DH is having a great time at my expense, dropping true or untrue bits of my embarrassing reaction to the anesthesia, but the last straw was when he said I was snoring!!! He'd better straighten up or he won't be allowed to watch eye surgery #2!

The first 24 hours following surgery at home were slightly uncomfortable, with sore throat, some nausea and headache from the anesthesia, and minor discomfort of my scratchy eye. I didn’t sleep much that night, but the next day, after a cup of coffee, I felt well, and off we went for a follow-up appointment, where I apologized to the Dr. He kindly assured me I didn’t swear at him, nor call him bad names while in my agitated state. Jeesh – embarrassing, but he also said he would be prepared for me next time. Apparently, regular anesthesia does not work normally on me. LOL I am wondering if my name might be written on the surgery room wall, warning to the staff, "watch out for Elaine Adair!"

After the first follow-up appointment, (day after surgery) I went to work. My vision has improved greatly in that eye, but of course my glasses aren’t correcting my vision very well at this point. The work I did at my office on Wednesday was a breeze, but when I returned Thursday morning, I saw many, many mistakes. Apparently, I wasn't thinking so clearly.

I don’t know what percentage I fall in, in that my anesthesia administering wasn’t as expected, but they were ‘ready’ for such anomalies. I had definitely slowed up their production line with my antics! LOL

Eye #2 in a few weeks, and while I'm not eager to get is done, I'll be glad to know what to expect. The eye doctro will be really glad to know what to expect also.

(Absolutely NONE of these activities happened to my husband when he had HIS cataract surgeries. His WAS a breeze! )

My mother loves to remind me that when it was time for my routine kid innoculations before going to grade school in the fall, my folks called the VET to administer the shots, as he was used to handling uncooperative animals!

Sunday, May 08, 2011

The Worst Part is ...

I am scheduled for eye surgery (cataract removal #1) this week. While I AM a big chicken, I have been assured by everyone that this procedure is no big deal. Oh Yeah, right, when it's not YOUR eye! Everyone has told me what to expect, but NO ONE told me this part ... "wear a short sleeved shirt" uhhhh, does anyone out there, with bat wings even OWN A SHORT SHEEVE SHIRT??? and even worse ... this is the worst -- "NO MAKEUP".

I am scheduled at 7:00 am - that means we have to leave home before 6:00 am. Can you imagine what I'm going to look like at THAT hour with NO MAKEUP!!! 8-(((

(Today, -- just in case I die of fright before I endure surgery -- I have done laundry, fed the birds, vacuumed, took a walk, enjoyed my small garden, cooked, sewed a bit. mmm, maybe I better do a closet as well -- ya know -- just in case...)

Tuesday, May 03, 2011

Eureka - The Lost has been Found - ME!


After many months of being slow, depressed, unmotivated, exhausted, cranky (yeah, read my cranky posts!) I had chalked it up to issues of AGE/OLD. However, I couldn't understand know how I got OLD in a matter of months.

Last night I watched THIS movie. Now, I don't often watch a DVD, but remember that nice room I made for me last summer? Well, there's the new TV with built in DVD player and it was nice and quiet, so I visited the library and just randomly pulled out this movie.

Good grief, how can things happen this way??? The EXACT thing a person NEEDS landed in my hands. This is a lovely, quiet, simple movie, not sexy, not crashing and flying autos, no guns, nothing offensive except some expected language, but it was exactly what I needed. It was mostly something about 'finding oneself' -- not losing sight of who you are -- Hey, we all spend a LOT of time trying to please others, and somewhere along the way, a person can get 'lost'.

That's all I'm saying, but holy smoke, do I feel wonderful, full of energy, enthusiasm, goals, dreams, curiosity, again. THAT's who I really am! 8-)))

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Oh yes, one more thing. Thank you Jane (a lady at church) who said such kind and complimentary words to me, I had to hug her! And to the members who visited me at work, asking for my assistance with some problems, because they knew I'd be able to help. I am human again!

(It never hurts to compliment folks! -- it comes back ten-fold!)