Dad took me by Dr. Tavel's today to look into some "WileyX" glasses. They are protective safety glasses, usually sunglasses, mostly used for sports or outdoor activities. They look like regular sunglasses, but they have removable foam inserts that kind of hug the outer eye area, to protect the eye from wind and debris. We originally heard about them when we went in for the second opinion. That doctor had suggested them and I had tried them on in his office. While they are a fantastic idea, they are expensive, so we decided not to purchase them at that time, and to wait until after surgery.
So Dad and looked at several pairs, and I decided on one I liked best. We found out we can get them with transition lenses, so I can wear them inside and outside. They ordered them for me today and said they should be delivered in 5-7 days. With the holiday coming up, they should be here by Wednesday next week! WOW! That's great! I'll have them before my next surgery! Dad's kind of excited about them. I think he thinks their cool! :) They are! And they'll be that much more protection for my corneas! I want to do all I can to save them!
Love to all,
Deb :)
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Follow up appointment...
Dad took me to see Dr. Martin today. He found an eyelash that was growing "askew" and a stitch that was rubbing my eye. He removed the stitch and pulled the eyelash. WOW!! Immediate relief! THAT'S what was irritating my eye so badly! Whew! I'm glad that's over!
He said everything looks really good, and that the next step is to try to make the other one (the right one) look as similar to the left one.
He told me to continue using the drops and gel as before, but to stop using the bacitracin at night. We scheduled the right surgery for Monday, September 12 at 11:30am. Ann, his assistant, told me to stop taking my daily aspirin as of today and to do the same procedure with my insulin pump as before.
So - 13 days to go!
The second countdown begins.....
Love,
Deb :)
He said everything looks really good, and that the next step is to try to make the other one (the right one) look as similar to the left one.
He told me to continue using the drops and gel as before, but to stop using the bacitracin at night. We scheduled the right surgery for Monday, September 12 at 11:30am. Ann, his assistant, told me to stop taking my daily aspirin as of today and to do the same procedure with my insulin pump as before.
So - 13 days to go!
The second countdown begins.....
Love,
Deb :)
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Eacret Reunion...
Well, the reunion was this afternoon. Charlene came and picked me up. Rick had to work, and Thad and Hunter really didn't want to go, so Char and I went together. We had a lot of fun, mixing and mingling. I got to see Susie. She's my dad's cousin who also has Type I diabetes and trouble with her vision. I should really talk to her more and get to know her better. I told her I think about her often, wonder how she's doing, and that she is my inspiration! She never seems to let her limitations keep her from enjoying family and friends, and she always has a smile!
I also talked with Uncle Sonny, Aunt Julie, Aunt Lou, Geri Sears, Kathy Barton, Jody (sorry, Jody - I can't remember your last name! :)), and Jerry (my brother) and Kelsey came too! Everyone said my eye looks really good! It wasn't nearly as bad as what they all expected! Nor I - I have to say! I'm really pleased with the way it's healing and how it feels. (Just getting impatient for the other one to be done! :))
Anyway, we had a great time and the weather was beautiful! I think Mom may have posted some of the pictures on Facebook.
Tuesday's right around the corner, and I'll let you know how that goes!
Love,
Deb
I also talked with Uncle Sonny, Aunt Julie, Aunt Lou, Geri Sears, Kathy Barton, Jody (sorry, Jody - I can't remember your last name! :)), and Jerry (my brother) and Kelsey came too! Everyone said my eye looks really good! It wasn't nearly as bad as what they all expected! Nor I - I have to say! I'm really pleased with the way it's healing and how it feels. (Just getting impatient for the other one to be done! :))
Anyway, we had a great time and the weather was beautiful! I think Mom may have posted some of the pictures on Facebook.
Tuesday's right around the corner, and I'll let you know how that goes!
Love,
Deb
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Irritation Update...
Well, this morning, there's still a little irritation, though I think I can deal with it. Yesterday, it was just so frustrating, I was getting kind of emotional and irritable. Today, I think if I just rest it frequently and keep putting compresses on it, I'll do okay. The redness and swelling are better, so maybe there was something in it yesterday and it worked itself out. Who knows?!
Anyway, I'm not going to call the doctor, and I told Mom to go ahead with their travel plans today.
The Eacret family reunion is this Saturday, and I am planning on going. The eye doesn't really look that bad, and other than the fact that I'm still "lopsided", I'm really not that bothered by it. I do plan to wear my sunglasses though.
And I'm looking forward to seeing Dr. Martin on the 30th, so we can schedule the next surgery.
Until next time -
Love to everyone,
Deb :)
Anyway, I'm not going to call the doctor, and I told Mom to go ahead with their travel plans today.
The Eacret family reunion is this Saturday, and I am planning on going. The eye doesn't really look that bad, and other than the fact that I'm still "lopsided", I'm really not that bothered by it. I do plan to wear my sunglasses though.
And I'm looking forward to seeing Dr. Martin on the 30th, so we can schedule the next surgery.
Until next time -
Love to everyone,
Deb :)
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
A Little Glitch...
This morning, when I woke up, I noticed the lower lid of my left eye was red and it seemed more swollen than yesterday. It was very irritated and felt like there was an eyelash in it, or a piece of fuzz or something. Not sure if I should call the doctor, I had Mom come over and look at it to see what she thought.
Without pulling on the eyelids, and being very gentle, she had me look up, then down, then side to side. She said she didn't see anything there. She suggested I just sit and relax with my eyes closed for a while. I put a cold compress on it, took a couple of Tylenol, and leaned back in the recliner. I ended up falling asleep and woke up about an hour and a half later. The eye felt more soothed, but was still red. I thought it still looked a little swollen, though Mom and Thad didn't think so.
Mom and Dad are going down to Fort Ritner to spend the day with Ted and RJ tomorrow to celebrate Ted's birthday, so Mom said that if it still feels irritated tomorrow, I should call the doctor first thing in the morning to see if I could get in to see him. If so, she and Dad would postpone their trip South and she would take me to the doctor.
We'll see how it feels in the AM.
Otherwise, I'm still using the eye drops frequently and still using bacitracin at night in the outer corner. Cold compresses still help. They just feel so soothing!
I'll write more tomorrow with an update.
Until then, have a wonderful evening and thanks as always for your prayers and thoughts!
Love to all,
Deb :)
Without pulling on the eyelids, and being very gentle, she had me look up, then down, then side to side. She said she didn't see anything there. She suggested I just sit and relax with my eyes closed for a while. I put a cold compress on it, took a couple of Tylenol, and leaned back in the recliner. I ended up falling asleep and woke up about an hour and a half later. The eye felt more soothed, but was still red. I thought it still looked a little swollen, though Mom and Thad didn't think so.
Mom and Dad are going down to Fort Ritner to spend the day with Ted and RJ tomorrow to celebrate Ted's birthday, so Mom said that if it still feels irritated tomorrow, I should call the doctor first thing in the morning to see if I could get in to see him. If so, she and Dad would postpone their trip South and she would take me to the doctor.
We'll see how it feels in the AM.
Otherwise, I'm still using the eye drops frequently and still using bacitracin at night in the outer corner. Cold compresses still help. They just feel so soothing!
I'll write more tomorrow with an update.
Until then, have a wonderful evening and thanks as always for your prayers and thoughts!
Love to all,
Deb :)
Friday, August 19, 2011
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 :)
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 :)
Friday, August 12, 2011
The swelling is going down...
Good morning!
I just launched my wonderful husband off to his work day. Those of you who know him can appreciate his sense of humor. After reading my blog entry last night, he assured me that he only married me for my nose! lol :) This morning, as he kissed me goodbye, he told me again, "Remember, I married you for your nose - who else would have told you about the booger hanging out of it on our first date?!" (Okay, it wasn't our FIRST date, but it DID happen! :))
Anyway, I love him so much for his ability to make me laugh! He is truly my sunshine! Even though our marriage seemed rocky in the beginning - many thought we wouldn't last - God knew what he was doing when He brought us together! He has molded us and shaped both of us so that He is now the Center of our relationship! I praise Him every day for that! What a blessing He has given me! And let's never forget to mention the miracle of our baby boy, Hunter! He has held me together, motivated me to push on, and often, he has been the inspiration for Thad and me to work together! All along, God was working our hearts so that when these storms approached, we would be able to weather them together! How AMAZING is our God!!!
Well, I just wanted to share that little bit of inspiration this morning, before I went on to mention a few things that I omitted from my entry yesterday.
After the stitch was removed, I resumed the strict eye drop schedule in my left eye, as well as my right. I had been using the Refresh, GenTeal and Serum drops in my right eye through the recovery of my left, but now I have started using them in my right one again too, per the doctor's instructions. I am also still using the post-surgery Bacitracin in the outer corner of my left eye at bedtime. I have reduced my pain meds to regular extra-strength Tylenol, and only have to take it once a day now. I am still using the cold compresses two-three times a day to relieve the swelling, some discomfort and occasional itching. Last night, I took a Benadryl to help relieve some itching and to relax a little to help me sleep.
My vision is a little better this morning, and my field of vision seems to be a little greater since the swelling has reduced a bit. It's still a little red around the edges of the lids, but overall, it's looking better - although, I still think it's ugly! I'm adjusting to the whole situation though. With God's help, life will get back to normal in the next few months, and hopefully, when all is said and done, I'll have regained some of the vision I've lost. I continue to pray and hope that these surgeries accomplish what the goal is - to prevent any further damage to my corneas! If we can prevent the ulcers, we can retain my vision! That's my prayer!
Thank you again for your prayers, your emails and your words of encouragement! Love to all,
Debbie :)
I just launched my wonderful husband off to his work day. Those of you who know him can appreciate his sense of humor. After reading my blog entry last night, he assured me that he only married me for my nose! lol :) This morning, as he kissed me goodbye, he told me again, "Remember, I married you for your nose - who else would have told you about the booger hanging out of it on our first date?!" (Okay, it wasn't our FIRST date, but it DID happen! :))
Anyway, I love him so much for his ability to make me laugh! He is truly my sunshine! Even though our marriage seemed rocky in the beginning - many thought we wouldn't last - God knew what he was doing when He brought us together! He has molded us and shaped both of us so that He is now the Center of our relationship! I praise Him every day for that! What a blessing He has given me! And let's never forget to mention the miracle of our baby boy, Hunter! He has held me together, motivated me to push on, and often, he has been the inspiration for Thad and me to work together! All along, God was working our hearts so that when these storms approached, we would be able to weather them together! How AMAZING is our God!!!
Well, I just wanted to share that little bit of inspiration this morning, before I went on to mention a few things that I omitted from my entry yesterday.
After the stitch was removed, I resumed the strict eye drop schedule in my left eye, as well as my right. I had been using the Refresh, GenTeal and Serum drops in my right eye through the recovery of my left, but now I have started using them in my right one again too, per the doctor's instructions. I am also still using the post-surgery Bacitracin in the outer corner of my left eye at bedtime. I have reduced my pain meds to regular extra-strength Tylenol, and only have to take it once a day now. I am still using the cold compresses two-three times a day to relieve the swelling, some discomfort and occasional itching. Last night, I took a Benadryl to help relieve some itching and to relax a little to help me sleep.
My vision is a little better this morning, and my field of vision seems to be a little greater since the swelling has reduced a bit. It's still a little red around the edges of the lids, but overall, it's looking better - although, I still think it's ugly! I'm adjusting to the whole situation though. With God's help, life will get back to normal in the next few months, and hopefully, when all is said and done, I'll have regained some of the vision I've lost. I continue to pray and hope that these surgeries accomplish what the goal is - to prevent any further damage to my corneas! If we can prevent the ulcers, we can retain my vision! That's my prayer!
Thank you again for your prayers, your emails and your words of encouragement! Love to all,
Debbie :)
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