One week later...

Well, it's been a week since my last entry and, aside from Hunter starting 7th grade, it's been pretty uneventful.
I've posted a current picture so you can see how much I've healed. I'm beginning to feel better about everything, except that I'm still lopsided. !) The swelling has gone down quite a bit, and the redness and bruising is gone. I've looked in the mirror and squinted with my right eye, and it really doesn't look too bad. I think it'll still look "normal" - just different - once the other eye is done and healed.
Last Saturday, we took Hunter to see "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" at the movie theater to celebrate the end of summer. We all enjoyed it! I didn't have any problems watching the movie. I kept my alarms on my insulin pump and had my eye drops with me, so I kept to my schedule, and quietly and discreetly added my eye drops during the movie. I did have to make a conscious effort to blink often to avoid dryness, but other than that, I didn't have any difficulty - no dryness, no redness, no pain.
I am still using all my drops, though today I stopped using the serum drops. My last vial expired yesterday and I have not renewed my prescription. They're very expensive, and with these surgeries, I'm getting the impression from my doctors that I won't need them any longer once my corneas are protected. I will be sure to ask when I see the surgeon on August 30 just to be safe. It's less than two weeks away and I don't think it'll cause any damage in that time, if I should still be using them.
I am completely off any pain medicine, though I still use a cold compress occasionally to ease the itching. I am waking with a crusty film on my eyelids in the morning (probably from the gel I use at bedtime), but I use a cold washcloth to loosen and remove it when I get up. I would use a warm one, but the cold feels better on my eye.
I am still not driving. My vision seems to be better - I'm seeing a lot "crisper", but I reluctantly agree with Thad and the doctors that it's probably not the best idea for me to be driving. My peripheral vision is greatly compromised, though I don't realize it until I bump into something, or until I actually "test" my field of vision. It's kind of hard to describe. My side vision is not dark, or black. It's very light, which gives the illusion that I'm seeing the environment to my left and to my right, but I'm not. When I actually take my hand and move it from the outside inward toward my center vision, I don't see my hand until it's almost right in front of my face. It's hard to understand, I know. It's hard for me to understand. I would think those areas would be dark, or black, but they're not.
Anyway, the doctors say I probably won't ever regain my ability to drive. That's a hard pill to swallow. So much of my independence has been taken away. I think I could deal with it a little better if I didn't feel so bad telling Hunter no when he asks if we can go somewhere. We either have to wait for Thad to get home, or I have to bother someone for a ride. It's just inconvenient.
Luckily, though, we don't live far from the mall or several other stores. Hunter and I have walked several times to the pet store to get crickets for his tarantula and bearded dragon, and we even walked to Burger King one day to have lunch. It's good for both of us to get out and walk - enjoy the weather and get some exercise. I've walked up to the dollar store a couple of times to pick up a few grocery items we needed.
Well, that's about all for now. I'll continue to keep you posted as my healing progresses, and, of course, into the next surgery.
God bless you all and keep praying! It's working!
Love,
Deb :)