The first anniversary of my injuries were a bag of mixed feelings. I was happy I had survived the surgery in 2014. I was anxious and sad because I had to have strabismus surgery to fix my eyesight as I had spent the last year and 12 days with double vision. Not that I was counting. I couldn't drive and either took the bus or my mom would take me were I needed to go.
12 days after the 1st anniversary of my injuries I went in to have strabismus surgery on my right eye. I had to wear a full body suit with booties for my feet. I had to walk into the operating room. This was different from my other surgeries where I was wheeled into the Operating Room. Once I was on the table, one of the nurses told me she was going to get me blanket for me. She left the room, I closed my eyes and was out....
Here are some excerpts from the operative report:
Part I: The patient was brought into the operating room and
placed under general anesthesia. The eyes were prepped and draped in sterile fashion. The right eye was in a slightly adducted position. Forced duction testing demonstrated mild increased tone to the right medial rectus, and reduced tone to the lateral rectus. The left horizontal muscle tone was normal.
An eyelid speculum was placed into the right eye. A radial fornix incision was
created in the inferonasal quadrant and the medial rectus muscle was placed onto
a Guyton hook.
And later...
Part II: The muscle was reposited and verified to be hung back 3.5 mm from the insertion
against the noose. The pole sutures were left untied to allow for post-operative
adjustment. A four-limbed traction suture of 5-0 Mersilene was placed through
the insertion and the sclera near the limbus.
Towards the end....
Part III: The remaining stump was excised from the globe and hemostasis was established with cautery. Both ends of the Vicryl were passed partial thickness through the original insertion and tied with a surgeon's knot. The conjunctiva was closed with interrupted sutures of 6-0 plain.
The eyelid speculum was removed. One drop Betadyne ophthalmic solution followed
by several drops Blephamide were placed into the right eye. A patch and shield
were placed. The patient was awoken and taken to the recovery room in good
condition.
An hour and a half later, I awakened to see the surgeon and another doctor who waved at me.
Dr. RL (surgeon) Veronica, this is Dr. Y, he's going to remove the strings from your eye.
They were strings hanging out of my right eye.
VB: Ok.
Dr. Y removed the strings out of my eye.
For the first time in a little over a year I no longer had double vision.
Dr: RL - So Veronica, If your eye drifts too far to the right and falls out, let us know because that would be a problem. Your eye will be red for a few months then it will clear up.
Then he went to lunch. My mom came into the room and asked me:
VB's MOM: How many of me do you see?
VB: One.
She ran out of the room. I later head from my dad that she called him and was crying the phone that I could see properly again.
It took about three months for my eye to clear up:
