I think I detailed some time ago that, for many years, I have had what is called “lazy eyelids”. The proper medical term is ptosis (the p is silent like the x in caterpillar). In February, after waiting a year to be allocated a place in Day Surgery, I had the right eyelid done. When I went back to see the specialist for an after-operation check-up, he pronounced himself happy and said that now I could get the other one done.
He replied that it would be another 12 months (I don’t have private health cover). I was a bit horrified and said, “Can’t you make it any sooner, I don’t want to walk around for a year looking like The Rock?” He smiled and looked at it again and said, “Well, it is pretty pronounced, isn’t it? I’ll try and hurry it up for you.”
Well, he was as good as his word and last Thursday, I went back into hospital to have the left eyelid done. All went well, even if the after-operation appearance wasn’t that great. Something was different, though, from when it was done in February. I’m pretty sure that the dressing was much thicker than the last time because, as you can see from the photo, my glasses were decidedly skew-wiff and I couldn’t see clearly at all with the right eye.
So, for three days, I struggled with almost zero binocular vision and no long-distance vision at all. SO frustrating.
Anyway, this morning I was able to remove the dressing and go back to Dr Lee and have the post-operative checkup. He pronounced himself very happy with the result and the whole gruesome process is now over. I’m not sure I’m going to go out in public for a few days as the result, while medically excellent, is not aesthetically so.
I told Dr Lee that I was going to stay home for few days so that people din’t find out that my wife had been beating me up. He laughed, even though I am sure he’s heard it before.
It’s certainly great to have full vision back and I can’t wait to see how much the operations have improved my vision while I am riding. One of the real issues with the drooping eyelids is that vision when looking upwards is restricted. You can imagine how frustrating this is while negotiating uphill corners.
Of course my wife is mostly happy that the operations should considerably reduce my propensity to bark my head on overhanging objects that are above my line of sight. I must say that I am looking forward to this also.
Anyway, that will do, thanks for reading.
