Long time no write

When last I posted, the second face-down, third vitrectomy was about to happen. And gentle reader, happen it did, but to no positive end. However, since my whole goal with this blog was to document what it was like, now I will try to reconnect with some of the events of the past six weeks and lead up to where I am now rather than going through all the current gloom immediately.

First, the surgery really wasn't scheduled for 3 pm. That was wishful thinking on someone's part. At any rate it didn't happen until after 5 pm. I think the surgery itself went smoothly from all I can tell. This time the admitting nurse was a real nervous nellie who for some reason kept forgetting I was there--after SAYING to me that she often forgot to do the eye drops in a timely fashion, she proceeded to disappear for over an hour. During that hour I was sure the IV was pushing fluids directly into bone, leading me to push the call button to get help--not from nn as it happened, but from someone else. Fortunately I was moved down to the OR pre-op soon after the IV incident where the nurse finally did the eye drops. Also, the anesthesiologist was good and gave me all the good stuff so no nausea or anxiety. Yay!

Now to face down. The pillow construction system was in place and certainly worked better than the rental stuff from before. The small buckwheat pillow and the two curved pillows for between the legs were the major helpers. I could use the curved pillows all sorts of ways to support my face yet keep pressure off the sinuses.

Thanks also to Michael for my iPod playing system which enabled me to listed to some hella long books!

Surgery Today

This time it appears the hospital has been giving me wrong info all week. The surgery is at 3 pm. Good thing I didn't eat breakfast as I had planned to do! Time to go set up all the pillows and maybe even the chair. Photos of pillow arrangements to follow...

In Brielle

I make a pretty good statue, huh!

POSTPONED!!!

As the Robert Burns poem goes---"The best laid plans o' mice and men gang aft aglay"

Well all my plans went south when I got a call about an hour before heading out to the hospital that the good doctor had the flu and didn't think he should do the surgery on the 8th. I was nonplussed to say the least. Lots of effort went into making all the arrangements. But I certainly want the surgeon to be in top form for try number 3 so it's back to work and all the normal bits of life until April 30.

The good news is that camping for Laura's birthday is going to be much easier!!!

Psyching Up

My toes and fingers are pretty. My tummy is full of yummy pizza. I tied up many of the loose ends at work, even managed to get approval for $10k for student assistants. So now I should be able to relax and enjoy the evening, maybe sleep in and get errands done in the morning (with Laura's assistance). Wish me luck!

Sunday Gloomy Sunday

There are still a large number of loose ends that need to be done before Tuesday but I have lost heart. Can't see very well, can't fake a better mood, finding myself fearful of not ever getting better sight out of this eye. I need a good-deeds fairy to come through and clear out the cobwebs from my brain!

Photos from Holland are online

I have eight albums of photos from the trip to The Netherlands on my Picasa Web Album.