Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Eye Surgery Part 1

I met with an eye surgeon this afternoon. I was told they don't  do corrective eye surgery on patients until it's a year after they first had their injury. This way it allows enough time to see how much the muscle behind the eye heals on it's own. I have to meet with the neuro-opthamologist I saw over the summer again in December, then meet with the eye surgeon again before I have surgery in March.  There's an 80% chance it will work. They have to warn you about the risks involved, bleeding, etc.  With eye surgery there's the possibility I may have to have additional surgeries in the future.  It's good I haven't lost the use of the muscle behind my eye.

In the meantime, I can get a prescription for a prism lenses sticker to put on my glasses lenses which will allow me to see one image instead of two. I didn't expect to have the eye corrected until sometime next year, as this is what the ophthalmologist had told me over the summer. I wasn't sure if this would be done before the end of the year. The surgeon had explained the reason why they don't rush these surgeries is because sometimes there's an improvement in the eye muscle and then it works too well or too poorly. Therefore, it's best to wait and see what happens. Am I happy about having eye surgery? No. I'm glad it can be corrected and the nerves behind my eye aren't dead. It will be nice to be able to see through both my lenses. I was afraid the surgery would be local anesthesia, where you're awake the entire time. I was told it will be general anesthesia and I won't be in the hospital overnight, I'll be able to go home the same day. Recovery time is something like 3-4 days.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Ears and then some

I had surgery and multiple brain injuries in March, went to rehab for three months ( one month as an inpatient then two months for outpatient therapy ) and was back in school by April.  In August I returned to art which was a struggle cognitively. Since September, I've been interning at a local hospital three days a week and going to classes all day on Saturdays and twice a month on Wednesdays.  Tonight and all day tomorrow I'm taking some time off for myself.....

I can understand why the neurologist I was seeing at Helen Hayes thought I was crazy when I told him I was ready to return to school so soon after all this mess...I have attention issues, I have to really focus and pay attention to certain things. My energy level fluctuates from high to low.  When I have to interact with a variety of people, perform tasks, walking from here to there it take a lot of energy physically and mentally. Technically I'm still in the first year of recovery from a stroke and two brain hemorrhages....

Two months ago I had the hearing in my right ear tested. I could hear a continuous tone, the ear felt full and the sound was diminished. I would also feel a sharp pain inside my ear. I had my hearing tested again this morning and my right ear is almost back to "normal'' I noticed the change recently and wasn't surprised when I heard the news. I no longer hear a tone in my right ear or feel the fullness I had felt before. When people speak, I can hear a slight echo of the voices around me whether it's from the television, or others speaking. Receiving sound inside my right ear is causing me slight pain, i.e. pressing the phone to my right ear. The tonal quality of voices and sounds in the right ear is distorted. Not sure if this will go away. I am suppose to see the ear doctor again in December.  I hope in six weeks I no longer hear and echo in my right ear....

Next thing which needs to be fixed is my eye...I see an eye surgeon at the end of this month...