I haven't written for a while and that is good news.
My eye continues to heal. A week or two ago it started becoming a little more irritated and red so I finally went in today to check it out. Nothing serious thankfully. I have to start the prescription drops again for a week and see what happens. I thought that maybe a stitch was starting to protrude again because there is a bump on my eye. However, it is just how my eye is healing. If you think about how a scar sometimes heals on your arm, for example, it will sometimes have rough spots that don't lay down as well. That is happening on my eye and it may have gotten a little bit of dust in the protrusion. So I need to try to stay away from dust and just keep on going.
I am so very thankful that my headaches have been doing so well, though! They haven't flared so much after really busy days which is amazing! My body can't keep up, though, so I still get sick feeling and wiped out. However, I can see that although I am not nearly as strong as I should be, I have definitely made progress. My wheelchair hasn't been out for me in about eight months. That is good news!
My family continues to make progress. Kylie is having more problems with reflux so she is having testing done for that. She had a procedure done today to scope her esophagus, etc., and is struggling with nausea now. Tanner eagerly awaits going to Pennsylvania for college. The younger two are growing older and that is interesting at times! It feels like we have four teenagers in the house now although that is not technically chronologically true. :)
Blessings to all that continue to read this blog! I've had several people comment to me in person about not writing so I thought today would be a good time for a little update.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Tuesday
Time continues to speed by. I went back for a post-op appointment on Monday morning. My eye had been quite irritated and red yet so I suspected that a stitch may need to be taken care of. Sure enough, there was one stitch lower in my eye and another up in the top of my eye that both needed to be snipped and pulled out. It sounds awful to have stitches in your eyeball snipped and pulled out! Since it is numb I didn't feel so much with the higher stitch but the one in my lower eye did hurt a little more. Really not so bad, though, and it feels so much better having them out!
The best news is that my head still seems to be doing pretty well! Yes, I still have a headache, but it is now more of a minor irritation most of the time rather than in the forefront. What a blessing! The ophthalmologist tested my eyes and he was quite pleased that my headaches were doing so much better and that the correction he was seeking was right on. He is hoping that I will not need to wear the lenses, too! That would just be icing on the cake! :)
It sounds like there have only been a small handful that have had this surgery for this type of correction. Each of the us have had very successful results. He said that he and a few other doctors are working on this together and hope to take in nationally! Amazing that this type of cutting edge treatment is originating right in Sioux Falls!
So now I pray that the Lord doesn't have any more unique or otherwise weird things to reveal about my body malfunctioning. I seem to be one of the very unique creatures of God that has about the most unlikely things happen. So praying that these trials may subside for a very long time!
The best news is that my head still seems to be doing pretty well! Yes, I still have a headache, but it is now more of a minor irritation most of the time rather than in the forefront. What a blessing! The ophthalmologist tested my eyes and he was quite pleased that my headaches were doing so much better and that the correction he was seeking was right on. He is hoping that I will not need to wear the lenses, too! That would just be icing on the cake! :)
It sounds like there have only been a small handful that have had this surgery for this type of correction. Each of the us have had very successful results. He said that he and a few other doctors are working on this together and hope to take in nationally! Amazing that this type of cutting edge treatment is originating right in Sioux Falls!
So now I pray that the Lord doesn't have any more unique or otherwise weird things to reveal about my body malfunctioning. I seem to be one of the very unique creatures of God that has about the most unlikely things happen. So praying that these trials may subside for a very long time!
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Wednesday
I woke up Tuesday morning and realized right away that there was a problem. My left eye that had the surgery was swelled half shut and very red. My eyelid was swelled and it looked wrong. We assumed that I had an infection in my eye and were instructed to call right away with those types of symptoms.
Thankfully the doctor didn't think it is infected. Two stitches that are helping to hold the white tissue in place were poking out a bit. He said that this causes a great deal of irritation on the eye and eye lid. So after numbing my eye he attempted to pull them out. They didn't come out so he pulled them a bit and and clipped them off. Since my eye was numb I didn't feel much and the light was so bright in that eye that I couldn't see which is best. :) When the numbing solution wore off I could tell right away that it was much less abrasive to blink.
The surgery is considered successful. I am slightly cross-eyed which they planned. The muscle will gradually tighten so they prefer that it be a little over corrected to start. I can tell the muscle in that eye is very weak because it is harder to stay focused in that eye and it is harder to look around staying focused. That will come with time.
My head has been feeling considerably better! The primary goal so far seems to be in sight. If I do to much with my eyes I get a little more headache-y but I think that would be normal for anyone. So we continue on!
Thankfully the doctor didn't think it is infected. Two stitches that are helping to hold the white tissue in place were poking out a bit. He said that this causes a great deal of irritation on the eye and eye lid. So after numbing my eye he attempted to pull them out. They didn't come out so he pulled them a bit and and clipped them off. Since my eye was numb I didn't feel much and the light was so bright in that eye that I couldn't see which is best. :) When the numbing solution wore off I could tell right away that it was much less abrasive to blink.
The surgery is considered successful. I am slightly cross-eyed which they planned. The muscle will gradually tighten so they prefer that it be a little over corrected to start. I can tell the muscle in that eye is very weak because it is harder to stay focused in that eye and it is harder to look around staying focused. That will come with time.
My head has been feeling considerably better! The primary goal so far seems to be in sight. If I do to much with my eyes I get a little more headache-y but I think that would be normal for anyone. So we continue on!
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Easter Eve
A few days have passed since the surgery. Today is the first day that I can say my eye is feeling a little better. I've only been using ibuprofen for the irritation but up until today had been taking it every six hours. Today I didn't take any until this evening. I'm very thankful that I haven't need anything stronger!
My eye is still pretty irritated though. I am struggling with seeing well. With my left eye shut I can see clearly but with both eyes I am still seeing double, especially things at a distance. I am noticing that my vision is improving each day. It is rather tiring, though. I have been exhausted by mid-afternoon.
Tomorrow is a special day to celebrate the risen Savior, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords. Have a blessed Easter!
My eye is still pretty irritated though. I am struggling with seeing well. With my left eye shut I can see clearly but with both eyes I am still seeing double, especially things at a distance. I am noticing that my vision is improving each day. It is rather tiring, though. I have been exhausted by mid-afternoon.
Tomorrow is a special day to celebrate the risen Savior, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords. Have a blessed Easter!
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Twenty-four hours later
The surgery is done. I was under general anesthesia and as usual, they had challenges with getting an iv in. Thankfully the anesthesiologist came in and he was able to numb an area in my wrist and then got it in without problems.
For a surgery, it was pretty easy. It sounds awful to have the surgeon cut into my eye to get to the muscle behind it. Once I was used to the idea, though, it wasn't so bad. My eye is very red and blood shot and bleeds off and on. Yesterday it was too swelled up and full of matter to really open much. Today I can open it but it looks yucky.
All that being said, this is probably going to be the easiest surgery to recover from it seems. I just take ibuprofen sometimes because my eye is uncomfortable. Because there are stitches in my eye it feels like it is full of sand. The other challenge is that I am seeing double when both eyes are open and after a while that wears on me. The doctor said that it would take 2-4 weeks for that to clear up but I would imagine that each day will get better.
At this point I am not wearing the prism glasses. Both doctors have said that I most likely will need to continue wearing them but the level of prism will not be nearly as strong as they were. If I understood things correctly, the ophthalmologist suggested that it is possible that this muscle will continue to strengthen and in about 10 years I may need to repeat the surgery. I hope not! But if I can have 10 years of much improved headaches, it will be worth it.
To answer the question of the day--my head is feeling quite a bit better today. Way to early to tell if this is due to the surgery. Part of it may be that my left eye is shut about half the time anyway!
For a surgery, it was pretty easy. It sounds awful to have the surgeon cut into my eye to get to the muscle behind it. Once I was used to the idea, though, it wasn't so bad. My eye is very red and blood shot and bleeds off and on. Yesterday it was too swelled up and full of matter to really open much. Today I can open it but it looks yucky.
All that being said, this is probably going to be the easiest surgery to recover from it seems. I just take ibuprofen sometimes because my eye is uncomfortable. Because there are stitches in my eye it feels like it is full of sand. The other challenge is that I am seeing double when both eyes are open and after a while that wears on me. The doctor said that it would take 2-4 weeks for that to clear up but I would imagine that each day will get better.
At this point I am not wearing the prism glasses. Both doctors have said that I most likely will need to continue wearing them but the level of prism will not be nearly as strong as they were. If I understood things correctly, the ophthalmologist suggested that it is possible that this muscle will continue to strengthen and in about 10 years I may need to repeat the surgery. I hope not! But if I can have 10 years of much improved headaches, it will be worth it.
To answer the question of the day--my head is feeling quite a bit better today. Way to early to tell if this is due to the surgery. Part of it may be that my left eye is shut about half the time anyway!
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Sunday evening. . . the night before. . .
Tomorrow is surgery number 15 in the string of surgeries for my headaches. Tonight as I have been contemplating the surgery I have questioned again whether this is the right decision. Why so many surgeries? Am I to quick to just jump into another surgery? But yet I have tested the theory at home by covering one eye and then the other for periods of time. It truly does help a lot. Do I think that my headaches will be gone? No. My prayer is that the Lord is providing a way to decrease the intensity of the headaches although I trust that He could remove the headaches.
My head has steadily been stronger although some days worse than others. This last week has been particularly challenging. Kyle finally gave me a Toradol shot Wednesday afternoon and I felt better Thursday. Then I had him give me one Friday morning--the last day I could have one--in hopes that I would feel okay Saturday. I had woken up Friday morning with the headache pretty strong again. Thankfully the strategy worked and I felt pretty good on Saturday. That was very important to me because my sweet niece, Bethany had a shower in the morning and my sister-in-law and I were putting on a second shower in the afternoon. Feeling well was an answer to prayer!
So tomorrow I will have another surgery. It should be simple and easy to recover from. I so hope and pray that the Lord will allow me to have more relief from these headaches!
My head has steadily been stronger although some days worse than others. This last week has been particularly challenging. Kyle finally gave me a Toradol shot Wednesday afternoon and I felt better Thursday. Then I had him give me one Friday morning--the last day I could have one--in hopes that I would feel okay Saturday. I had woken up Friday morning with the headache pretty strong again. Thankfully the strategy worked and I felt pretty good on Saturday. That was very important to me because my sweet niece, Bethany had a shower in the morning and my sister-in-law and I were putting on a second shower in the afternoon. Feeling well was an answer to prayer!
So tomorrow I will have another surgery. It should be simple and easy to recover from. I so hope and pray that the Lord will allow me to have more relief from these headaches!
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Another day
So it turns out I am scheduled for another surgery. . . . .
Kyle and I met the ophthalmologist on Thursday first thing in the morning. He did some testing and concurred with the Headache Clinic that my headaches would improve with surgery. They will cut through the left side of the left eye in the white area. back behind the white area is a muscle that they will cut, retract 9 mm and attach again. It is scheduled for April 14 (I think--I'm not by a calendar). It is going to require anesthesia but is a relatively short 20 minute same day surgery. The recovery should take around three days. Simple.
My heart is rebelling against another surgery, though! I so just don't want to deal with again! Simple surgery, simple recovery, simple, simple, simple. Compared to brain surgery this is nothing. I think it is just the thought of it! It is two years this month that I was last in the hospital and had a surgery. This isn't really what I had in mind to "celebrate" the milestone.
Okay, I am really whining and that will get me no where. I am thankful that another solution has been found. As we have reflected on all the surgeries that I have had, we believe that the chiari surgery and getting the shunt were necessary at the time. We don't know if this will eliminate the headaches and the doctors were quick to say that although it should help a lot they couldn't guarantee anything. My body seems to be a mystery with very odd or unique problems. Honestly I am not a hypochondriac or a person that craves medical procedures and hospital visits. They seem to come knocking on my door over and over, though.
For now I am patching my left eye as much as possible. One full day without it and I am pretty miserable by night time. I hate going out in public with it patched, though, so that is a quandary. Going back and forth several times can cause a bigger headache as well so I will see how things go. :) One day at a time!
Kyle and I met the ophthalmologist on Thursday first thing in the morning. He did some testing and concurred with the Headache Clinic that my headaches would improve with surgery. They will cut through the left side of the left eye in the white area. back behind the white area is a muscle that they will cut, retract 9 mm and attach again. It is scheduled for April 14 (I think--I'm not by a calendar). It is going to require anesthesia but is a relatively short 20 minute same day surgery. The recovery should take around three days. Simple.
My heart is rebelling against another surgery, though! I so just don't want to deal with again! Simple surgery, simple recovery, simple, simple, simple. Compared to brain surgery this is nothing. I think it is just the thought of it! It is two years this month that I was last in the hospital and had a surgery. This isn't really what I had in mind to "celebrate" the milestone.
Okay, I am really whining and that will get me no where. I am thankful that another solution has been found. As we have reflected on all the surgeries that I have had, we believe that the chiari surgery and getting the shunt were necessary at the time. We don't know if this will eliminate the headaches and the doctors were quick to say that although it should help a lot they couldn't guarantee anything. My body seems to be a mystery with very odd or unique problems. Honestly I am not a hypochondriac or a person that craves medical procedures and hospital visits. They seem to come knocking on my door over and over, though.
For now I am patching my left eye as much as possible. One full day without it and I am pretty miserable by night time. I hate going out in public with it patched, though, so that is a quandary. Going back and forth several times can cause a bigger headache as well so I will see how things go. :) One day at a time!
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