Day six

Tomorrow will be the first week anniversary of the surgery.  Today Dr. Diepenbrock removed the stitches. It is very nice to have them out. They were quite itchy. He also cleaned around the eyes with a little rubbing alcohol which removed a lot of the goo that was a result of the decomposing bandages. 

1.   As of today, I can have a shower and can get my face wet. That will be nice.
2.  The very biggest difference the surgery has made is that it has made me feel enormously less tired. There is a name for that condition which I should have had Dr. Kennedy write down for me, but I feel like a new person.  I don't get nearly as sleepy during the day and I am still healing.
3.  Dr. Kennedy told me today that although I will feel (and look) better in a week, in four months I will see the maximum benefits from the surgery.  That was fascinating because I am already feeling the obvious differences.

Yesterday, I got on my hands and knees and wiped up my kitchen floor. That was a mistake.  I didn't feel good for most of the rest of the day. That is probably the hardest part to gauge.  Since there is no pain, it is easy to think you can still lift things and do things you did before when, in reality, the first couple of weeks are still a healing process.  When you think about it, five pounds is a very small amount to be lifting:  It is two pounds smaller than a bag of ice.  It is less than a gallon of milk. It is half of most newborn babies.  That makes it very LIMITING!

On Wednesday I have an appointment to get some facial products (from the same doctor's office) to help cover any bruises when I am out in public. By today's picture below, I'm not sure how much I will need.  In another couple of days, at the rate the bruises are going away, I might not need them at all.  In one month, for my daughter's wedding, I will be able to wear regular eye makeup as I did before. Here is today's and yesterday's comparison pictures.



TODAY (Day Six)

YESTERDAY

As I mentioned yesterday, the difference in the pictures do not show the significant difference in the eye healing.  My eyes are much, much better today! 

On the way home from the doctor's office I bought a different pair of sun glasses.  It is the knowledge of the little things that make this process better.  I mentioned before that the sun glasses I was wearing this weekened made the space under my eyes sweat and that seemed to draw the blood to the surface resulting in the bruises becoming worse instead of better. 

When I bought my new pair of sun glasses, I made sure that there was a full finger-space between my skin and the glasses. I intend to ONLY wear them when I have to not be scary, but I'm sure there will be those times in the next week.  Below is a picture of the sunglasses I found. They are big enough to cover all of the bruises, but "airy" enough, because of the extra space between the skin and the sunglasses, to not irritate the healing process.  This is just a little thing that is good to know about the process.

It is important to keep in mind, during your decision making process, that it is not abnormal to want to do things that will improve sight and well-being.  The improvement of looks is a bonus!  The reality is, it made a huge difference in my energy level. I am more alert (already) because I am not trying so hard to keep my eyes open--that has nothing to do with vanity or wanting to stay young looking!

The biggest problem with all of us women is that we spend our lives worrying about everyone else, and we feel that we do not have a "right" to spend money on ourselves. We do not allow ourselves to change things that are "optional" because it seems self-centered or vain.  Since insurance plans do not contribute to elective surgery, we don't feel we deserve the cost of having these optional things done. We consider those "optional" things as our crosses. 

I can tell you in hind-sight (and it has only been a week) that being able to improve the quality of the life you have is a matter of well-being!  If you feel good, you act good.  If you act good, you contribute.  If you contribute you live longer and care more about your health.  If you are trying to decide, it is important to take out any "emotional complex" of abnormality you may be feeling toward this surgery. If you do that, you will find yourself asking, "why wouldn't I have the surgery?"   

Now, after only a week, I am saying, "Why did I take so long to come to this decision!"   

My surgery was remarkably successful.  I must give credit where it is due:  Dr. Kennedy is amazingly talented, and when it is healed, I am not only going to look better, but I am going to feel enormously better as well!

Sometimes, you just have to DO SOMETHING, and stop vacilating in your decisions. That is what I decided to do, and I am glad I did!