Shower Test Run

Day 2 post-surgery

One of the things you get told post-surgery, is that you can't get water in your eye, because water isn't sterile. And mindful of the countless horror stories I've recently heard about eye infections, I'm determined to keep my eyes safe. However, I do need to shower! And being able to use the gym shower, with its abundant hot water and great water pressure, is one of the perks I enjoy with my gym membership. I also like the fact I can just step in to the shower stall, because our house has only the single bathroom with the shower in our tub. And when you tape one eye shut to protect it from water, you lose your depth perception. Not a good thing when you're fumbling around with shampoo and soap. Falls in the bathroom are a leading cause of accidental death and injury! Especially among the elderly. Not saying I'm old!

I taped the eye cup to my face last night and slept just fine. Getting the tape off took a bit of doing though. Then I ran a few errands and eventually got to the gym. It's not the first time I've been there just to shower, although that's normally because everyone's power is out and we all need showers. I admit it feels a bit weird not working out! My arm is still all bruised up from where I had the IV inserted. I had no idea that was going a leave a mark! But it's fading and by next week, it'll be gone.

Alcon was one of my clients when I worked
in pharma advertising. I did a lot of work
on their lens posters and collateral pieces.

I tape up my eye and gingerly make my way to the shower. But first I compulsively step on the gym scale. 109.6 lbs. I'm surprised! I haven't worked out since Tuesday so I actually expected to weigh more, especially since we went out for sushi last night! Hot and sour soup, and the soy, pickled ginger and wasabi contain a lot of salt, and I'm salt-sensitive! Today, my face feels a little swollen, but just around my eye. My vision, however, is loads better. I can read my computer screen with a little effort. There's still some blurriness, but this eye was the bad eye, the one with 20/25 vision. I'm hoping the vision continues to improve, but I'm under no illusion that my vision will be better than it was originally.

Showering is weird with just one eye. I spend half the time with both eyes closed because that's just easier, and less taxing on the facial muscles. It's also hard to soap your face when you have tape on half of it. I'm also not suppose to bend over so that makes drying off and putting my socks and shoes on a bit more challenging. Not as challenging as my friend who had hip replacement surgery and now seems even more limited because she can't bend over far enough to reach her feet. She claims the surgery shortened her muscles! She's been to weeks of physical therapy, but she's still unable to compensate. The surgery left her with one leg a good 1/2 inch shorter than the other, and the arrogant surgeon claimed the operation was a total success. Of course, I told her to complain, but she wouldn't, and that makes me so mad that this "doc who thinks he's god" is out there causing such misery and not being held accountable. Ugh.

Cataract surgery just to implant this tiny little device!

The only thing that's really bothering me is that sandy feeling like I got dirt in my eye, and I can't do anything about it except wonder if it's time to put in some drops. Drops sting at first, sometimes make the gritty sensation worse, then eventually everything feels better. My brother's been texting me because he had a retinal-tear scare. (He also suffers from glaucoma, but not as severe as mine. He says his pressures respond well to medication so that's a lesser worry for him.) However, he wears glasses (because his eyeballs are too small for contacts), and has already had to have retinal surgery to repair a tear a few years ago. This time it's just bright flashes of light, and massive floaters he says look like the hair clot you pull out of a sink drain. Ewww.