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| Photo by David Travis |
The day after retinal surgery I had to go back to the retina clinic for a follow-up appointment. When I woke up that morning my eye was of course very irritated, and along with pain there were a lot of tears which poured heavily from behind the bandage. So much so that I had to lay with my face on a towel to keep my pillow dry.
At the clinic I met with the Fellow doctor. He asked if I'd been having any eye or neck pain in which I assured him that I was experiencing both; neck pain due to having to sit with my head in a downward position whenever I sitting up and the back pain due to laying face down for several hours.
The doctor removed the bandage from my eye which was swollen shut. He then, carefully, pried my eyelids open as I held my breath because the last thing I remembered seeing out of that eye was 95% darkness. When he opened my eye I felt so much relief when the light filled my entire eye. I couldn't see things clearly due to blur and the bubble but I had sight!
The doctor covered my right eye and asked "Can you see my hand waving?" I said I could. He then asked if I could see how many fingers he was holding up in which I told him that I could not make out how many fingers he was holding up but I could see that he was holding up his hand.
After the examination I was given four medications to take home:
Presdnisolone eye drops to use 4 times a day
Oflaxcin drops to use 4 times a day
Atropine sulfate drops to use 2 times a day
And a tube of TobraDex ointment to put into my eye before bed at night.
A week later (February 28th) I went in for another follow-up appointment. The doctor asked if there had been any changes and I mentioned that my eye was starting to open and tearing up a lot more. At this appointment he examined both my eyes with the slit lamp and the LED headset which felt like torture. He told me that everything looked good and that I should return see him in about another week.
(March 7th) At the third follow-up appointment which consisted of more light and my eye tearing up, the doctor told me that my retina was "good and attached." He also said that the bubble should be gone in a week or so and that I was to return to the clinic in 2 weeks to see the head ophthalmologist/surgeon.
So far, it has almost been 2 weeks since the surgery. I can see a little more in my left eye but still experiencing eye aches and stiffness which I was told is normal. I still have to lie face down or on my right side everyday for at least 12 hours a day until the bubble disappears. Every day I'm coming and closer and closer to getting my vision back.
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