2 weeks 1 day: Tightening the stiches - Part 1

Yep Dr Anthony Maloof adjusted my stitches yesterday. The stitches are made from one continuous piece of thread, and he simply hooked the thread between stitches in several places and gave it a pull. It was kinda a freaky experience, under general anesthetic it didn't really hurt, but I could see my vision distorting as he pulled the thread. I normally less sensitive eye that wasn't being operated on was involuntarily closed part of the time which made it trick to keep my eye still. I wasn't counting but I think he probably did it in around 6 different places.

He was full; of positive things to say about my eye. I am not quiet sure if this was because he was wanting to encourage me, it was just good salesmanship, or my transplant by some measure is a particularly good one. In any case there cannot be anything to bad with it.

I am glad Dr Maloof is my doctor, he obviously takes some pride in the statistics he records on his operations – not that I have ever seen these statistics. He does seem very motivated to get the best vision possible for me.

I don't think it is worth mentioning any new figures for my astigmatism. Dr Maloof thought that the measurement (3) after his adjustments was not accurate due to anesthetic gel on my eye and that anyway he said the figures would be quiet different by today. He did admit the adjustment was more art then science. I hope he is very artistic! He wants me to go back in another month for possible more adjustments. That will be 6 weeks after the operation. Initially he said that adjustments could be done up to a month after the operation, but maybe he was allowing for the need of a second round.

I am beginning to suspect that my eyelids are unusually sensitive. I do remember once months ago unintentionally I got a soft contact lens stuck to the bottom of my upper eyelid and I spent a day with a soft contact on my eye with the hard gas perm lens on top of that and then the soft lens in my eyelid. It was one of the most comfortable days I had had for some time! I am slightly curious about if it would be possible to wear a soft lens/gas perm/soft lens configuration. Luckily I expect I will never have cause to try.

Last night I was in much pain, it probably ended up as much as when I was at the worst following my operation, and I got so exasperated I tried wearing my soft lens which I resisted earlier.

It brought immediate relief from pain. I slept for 7 hours and being due for more eye drops which were not compatible with wearing the lens so I took it off. Before I attempted the I put lots of liquid lucubrating drops on my eye to make sure that the contact wasn't stuck to my eye – this does happen a little when the ocnact is worn longer and if the eye is dry or there is mucus around it - then I very carefully puled the contact off from well outside (below) the stitches. It came of first time very easily without me feeling anything. It felt like it caused less of a rub against my eye less then blinking does which I was glad of as taking the lens off seemed like it could be the worst part of wearing the lens.

My eye/eye lid immediately started to hurt a bit more, specially when I blinked but it was much reduced to before I put the contact on. I had the eye drops and then slept for another 8.5 hours. My eye was still not very sore and I got up had some breakfast and a shower figured I should try to stay awake if I was ever going to have any control of my sleeping patterns and then went to sleep for another hour. My eye is still so sensitive that despite typing this with a back font on a dark grey background I have had to have a few breaks – a good chance to have a quick nap - but the pain now is very very reduced.

I don't really know what the deal is with my sleeping, but I prefer to be getting lots then way to little as in the days after the original operations. I wonder if the excessive sleeping it isn't related to the pain I was in. I think pain can do other things, like increase resting hard rate (and probably blood pressure) also last time I got a bit shaky I wonder if the body puts extra chemicals in the blood or something. Anyway it will all be worth it if I end up with 20/20 vision or something close. Dr Maloof said yesterday that he was aiming for me (with glasses) to get 20/20 vision and didn't see why I shouldn't!

(Eye looking red again)