The Whole Grizzly Tale... Stop Me if You've Heard This Before

So what happens when you think you’re doing something good and you perform an action that should have a positive outcome? Chances are, something stupid happens and you have an ACCIDENT.

I had just such an unexpected occurrence last Sunday. Bob had tripped over a section of wire fencing that we were assembling to make a garden/dog fence (because it was lying on the ground) so I thought to prevent further possible injuries by rolling up said fence and moving it aside. Hahahahaha. The coiled fence sprang back and hit me full in the left eye.

I guess the initial best thing that can be said is that my right eye is my dominant one, so thank goodness for that! Bob rushed me to Waterbury hospital, where (again thanks goodness) they realized that my need for care was greater than their ability to provide and they transferred me to Yale New Haven hospital where a bunch of eye specialists were ready to jump to action.

And they did. I had emergency surgery to suture the great gaping hole I had created in my eye. I kept reminding everyone that I am an artist and that eyes are important but to me my eye is VERY VERY IMPORTANT. I needed ten stitches. (I have only once before had surgery- to remove my wisdom teeth waaaaaaaaay back when I was 11). We went home and fell into a very deep sleep.

The next day, I had a follow up visit, all looked good and they were already telling me that I could return to work and drive. Just take it easy, no heavy lifting but I’d be okay. And the prognosis was great: no talk of loosing my eye or loosing my eye sight permanently, in fact I was told I might have better vision as they were going to have to insert a artificial lens in my eye. This was to be several months off. (Of course, I’m wondering how I’m supposed to cope with/ adapt when I felt like I was looking through mayonnaise with light blotches in my left eye…)

But Tuesday night saw the left side of my face erupt into pain blossoms and I thought of three possibilities. Either I was having an allergic reaction to one of my (many) medications, or I had an infection in my eye or something totally (ironically) painful but unassociated (like a toothache) had decided that now was the time to explode.

It turns out (as far as I understand) a cataract that formed from the trauma to my eye was displacing fluid that then in turn pushed everything in my eye forward and it all expanded. Instant intense pain of a magnitude I cannot even begin to relate or comprehend. I spent from 8 in the morning until 1 in the afternoon at the doctor’s office, doubled over moaning as they gave me pills and drops and finally succeeded in reducing the pressure in my eye. I took codeine and fell into a profound sleep.

Because of this incident, they moved my second surgery up from a couple of months to Friday morning. That went well, and I now have some bionic lens that will outlast me (never need to worry about cataracts again… at least in that eye!).  I am not in pain, am anticipating being able to see (better) and am shuffling around in a one-contact lens in non-stereoscopic world, but I’m having righteous and bounteous dreams (more on that in another blog).

I do keep falling asleep and I suppose that part of this moribund state can be attributed to drugs, eye drops, pills, and my body recovering from an initial trauma and subsequent two surgeries under general anesthesia. (Again, I don’t really “do” medical stuff.)

I’m exhausted just telling this. I’m going to take a nap. Oh, and what have you been up to anyway?

Don't worry! That artist-made super hero eye patch is all mine! Yale New Haven doctors are off the hook on that one... but I did think I looked a little like a member of KISS!