yesterday, i had my eye intubation surgery. the same one i had done last year. i didn't go into detail previously but perhaps i should have. i suppose i didn't think i'd have to go through it again so i didn't feel the need but in case you get queasy with details, i recommend you stop reading now...
they actually called me to come in earlier than scheduled since they had a cancellation. so i got there an hour earlier. i figured, i just want to get it over with. i didn't really think of it as surgery since it happens at the eye clinic as opposed to a hospital and i'm in and out in about an hour. i guess it's more like an out-patient surgery.
so, i get there and they are preparing me for the procedure. the nurse puts in drops of anesthesia in my left eye. it's already taking it's effect by the time the doctor comes in. then i lay down on the operating table. he sticks this tools into my left nostril (which apparently keeps it open to work in) and stuffs in this huge blob of cotton that's soaked in some sort of anesthesic fluid which goes down my throat a bit. it's really gross. and here is the part i didn't remember from last year, he gives me two injections in my eye!!! the nurse puts her hand on my arm, either to comfort herself or me, i wasn't quite sure which. now, everything is ready and he just has to put the tube through both tear ducts and tie them together. the tube goes into my lower tear duct just fine. it's really smooth. i can feel something being pulled through my eye & nose but it wasn't bad at all. however, the upper tear duct didn't turn out quite so simple. the tube got stuck somewhere. and he's pushing and shoving this tube through my eye. and he can't figure out why it's stuck. but all the pushing and shoving gives way and it goes through but then, he can't find the tube in my nose. after fiddling around with a q-tip in my nose, he sees the tube and ties it up. the last time, it was too tight so he's taking extra time to make sure the tension of the tube is just right. finally, i'm done and good to go. until my post-op follow up anyway.
the nurse hands me some dressing for my eye. i should of course, expect bleeding in my eye and nose. sure, people get bloody noses all the time, but i very much doubt it's as common for people to bleed through their eyes. it's really quite disturbing to see bloody tears. and if you haven't experienced it, i don't recommend it.
i also got some antibiotic drops for my eye. he says to put a lot of drops in today since my eye went through a lot of trauma. ugh. trauma in my eye. yikes.
i got home and couldn't do much despite the excitement of the kiddies to have me home all day. i took my nap around the same time they did. they woke up from their nap earlier than i did. they came back later and saw me emailing sometime before 7p. i hung out with them until 10:30p and crashed again. ugh, what an ordeal!
