Post Operation Musings

I won't be posting any interesting workouts for several weeks since I'm restricted to mild exercise, and that means something akin to walking on a treadmill. My second cataract surgery went well yesterday, except it got delayed by several hours. But, drawing on our experience from the first surgery, the doc and operating staff were able to affix the Phaco laser properly to my smaller than average eyeball. They did have to tape my lashes out of the way though. I had a slightly bizarre after effect in the recovery room: a swirling black & white backward figure 9 in the center of my visual field, reminiscent of an optical migraine. Except I wasn't nauseous, didn't have a headache. It eventually dissipated once I got home.

Because I was having surgery with mild sedation, I wasn't allowed to eat or drink after midnight the night before. By the time I was prepped, I was hooked up to a blood pressure cuff and a heart rate monitor that was attached to my fingertip. While I was chatting with the nurse, who was administering a slew of eye drops, there was an incessant beeping.
"What is that noise?"
"It's the heart rate monitor. It means your pulse is too low."
"What?"
"It beeps when your heart rate drops below 50."
I glance over and realize the monitor says my heart rate is 48 and dropping. It bottoms out at 45. Weird. The nurse asks if I'm a runner because athletes have low heart rates. I've never been known to have a low heart rate, but I have been doing 4 X 4s. Could that be it? I joke that I'm on the verge of going into hibernation because I'm cold, hungry and have dry mouth. They hook up an IV to keep me from becoming dehydrated. When I don't drink enough fluids, I tell them that they won't be able draw any blood, not that I need blood thinners or anything...

Meanwhile, my blood pressure is high. But I'm stressed so that's not unusual. I remember how difficult the last surgery was, and I'm extremely anxious. My bp reads 147/83. Well, that's not healthy, but being stressed is normal. Especially for being in a hospital.

After the surgery, I'm allowed to eat, which is great because I'm cold and spacey. It's about 3 pm and I've been in the hospital since 11 am. I eat a lousy chicken salad sandwich and drink coffee. My heart rate rises to 70. I guess that's a lot more normal.

There's less trauma to the eye this time around so I can actually see fairly decently afterwards. It's still a bit blurry, but nothing like the first time around. Still, it will be 2 weeks of light exercise, and another 6 weeks of moderate exercise before I can resume my routine. Meanwhile, I still have to worry about my left eye and I hope the retina specialist I'm seeing tomorrow will tell me that I have nothing to worry about. I finally told my glaucoma doc about the intermittent flashes of light floating in my peripheral vision. She examined my eye and saw bubbles of fluid in my retina. She's not sure what they are so I'm off to see a different doc. Oh boy...