Ok, so I know that title is a little misleading, but you're reading the post now, aren't you? There's the humor- I know you've missed it!
I'm talking more about a figurative bubble than the physical bubble in my eye.
The first night was really hard. And the day after was really hard, too. However, that night was easier. I took the Advil PM and that ended up putting me to sleep quickly. My body fought hard to stay awake but it was no match for the medicine. I slept. I honestly slept. I woke up a few times, but I had my wedge with my headrest on the floor so I wasn't bending, bowing, and stuck in a pile of pillows.
It was amazing to feel like I was rested. Simply amazing. I had an okay day, but I was still trying to ward off pain. Advil was helping but not curing.
I have ups and downs. An hour of feeling good followed by a half hour of feeling irritable. Followed by more good feelings and then more bad.
Friday- I had been relatively inactive, because of the pain. It started just in my neck. Then progressed to my entire spine. Then started wrapping around my entire neck from and back. Then it migrated up into my head. I was unable to move my head at all, just shear pain. After figuring out that the chair might be the problem, my mom got on the phone with the equipment leasing company. Come to find out, and long story short, the chair I was sent was too big for me, which was causing me to have to stretch my neck and spine very far upwards in order to get my head in the head rest. They company over-nighted another chair more appropriate for my height out to be delivered Saturday.
Play games, watch movies. They help the time pass. It's easier getting through each day when a chunk of a couple hours goes by and you don't realize it's gone by so fast.
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| Tri-Ominoes with Mom!! |
Ok, so now we're headed into the night again, but now I know that I will be getting a new chair in less than 24 hours.
Silver lining, day two post-op: My dad came over and we all had a yummy family dinner together!
Friday- sleeping- this wasn't GREAT but definitely not as bad as that first night. I slept a little less than the night before, and Ryan actually had to get up early so I did get a little less sleep, but I was becoming able to tolerate all of this much better.
Saturday- My new chair arrived at 11am and that couldn't have come sooner. The new chair was smaller, my spine didn't have to try to make up for an extra 4 inches by stretching to a degree that was basically impossible. I could finally let my neck and back muscles relax. FINALLY. Such a huge relief. A word of advice: make sure that the company you order from is VERY clear on your height- this has a substantial impact on the size of equipment you will receive.
My eye doesn't feel as gritty, and I still don't have any pain associated with my actual eye. Getting this new chair has completely changed my attitude and my comfort level. It has burst the pain bubble and I am now resting much more comfortably. Ryan and my parents both said that as soon as I started sitting in the new chair, you could just see the relief on my body. Cue music: "Atttt laaaaassssstttt!!!!!" It's the song by Etta James. Those two words were just perfect for how this new chair felt to sit in. I mean I was at the point where I was completely unable to hold my own head up because my muscles were so fatigued.
I received an AWESOME edible arrangement from Ryan's office, they are so wonderful!! Thank you guys :) Who knew pineapple covered in chocolate was SO good? But I mean, you could cover almost anything in chocolate and it would be good.
So here we are, wrapping up the third full day post-op, but fourth day overall since I was home by about 2pm on surgery day. I can say that no matter what, this will soon become just a memory and I will have my vision, for which I am so grateful. For patients- get the correct size chair, and keep up with your pain management. Don't let it get too bad, you need to stay ahead of the pain! Your face, not just your surgery eye, will fill with fluid. And it's funny looking. I looked like I had a fat upper lip because a lot of fluid settled there while I was asleep. That went down as the day went by though. All just a small price to pay for your vision though- keep it in mind as best you can.
Plus, it's funny when someone walks up to you while you're in your chair- if you have the little mirror in the position to watch tv and they step in front of it, you awkwardly have to say, "you'll want to sit down, I'm pretty much just staring at your crotch."
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| Fluid retention makes you look funny. |
Silver lining, day three post-op: Each day has become easier, and my new chair is giving my neck and back some much needed relief- thanks to overnight shipping!!
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