POSTED UNDER Eyelid Surgery REVIEWS
54 Years Old, Wanting To Be Able To Wear Makeup Again + Hopefully Improve Myself Too! Riverside, CA
ORIGINAL POST
I just had my procedure yesterday. My surgery was...
WORTH IT
I just had my procedure yesterday. My surgery was performed by Dr. David Choi, Riverside, Ca. I didn't go looking for a doctor to do this procedure, he's part of the medical group that my insurance covers. My procedure was 100% covered by insurance! I didn't even pay a copay.
I was unhappily awake for the surgery. The anesthesiologist told me that I'd be relaxed and aware, but I wouldn't care what was going on...so not true! I'm no stranger to nasty procedures while being awake. I have Osteoarthritis. I'm 11days post-op from rotator cuff surgery on my right shoulder. So surgery is pretty fresh in my mind at the time!
I was given shots of numbing agent all around my eyes, those were pretty painful. Forgive my lack of knowledge of medical tools. The doctor used the device to cut my eyelid that burns the flesh to remove it to lessen bleeding. The smell and sound of your burning flesh is pretty unpleasant! There were areas he'd hit that I could feel it. I'd slam my fist down on the bed rail, he got my message and poked me further with numbing agent. This happened a few times, and toward the end on the last eye he decided, "We should just push thru this to finish", I knuckled down and bucked it up until he finished. I was fully aware the whole time, I couldn't even go to my normal " happy place" I was stuck in the now. The only hint that I had any kind of relaxation was that the entire procedure took 1 1/2 hours, I guessed it at 30 minutes. Other than that I was experiencing the whole time!
Recovery was quick since there was no sedation, I wasn't in any real pain from my eyes. I am in pain management for my back, so I was in need of a narcotic hit, which they gave me in recovery, so that would have knocked down any eye pain as well. The recovery room nurse was awesome! It's always a good idea to be nice to the recovery nurse, it's not hard, they're usually super caring. I left recovery with a handful of packages of gauze, sterile water to wet the gauze I'm supposed to put between my eyes and the ice pack. 5 reusable eye-shaped ice packs (that I filled with peas and they wok like a charm) plus a pair of sunglasses that they give cataract patients that has hoods on the top and sides to block your eyes from the sun, they look odd, but I've been warned to keep the sun off my eyes all the way thru my recovery to lessen the scarring.
When I got home I wasn't super swollen. Really no pain. I have antibiotics to take, cream for my incisions and artificial tears to wet my eyes. My doctor took off enough excess skin so that my eyes barely don't close right now. He said the skin will loosen up and I'll be able to fully close my eyes plus having tighter eye lids. My eyes look creepy, it looks like I'm crying blood. I'm to only dab the blood away, not wipe. I think I'd look awesome if it were Halloween!!
I was able to sleep just fine, but I do take a sleep aid on a daily basis anyway. My eyes didn't wake me up with pain or any other discomfort. I opted to not look at myself during the night, I saved the thrill for today!
Today I'm swollen and puffy and mighty colorful! I normally wear glasses, but they are of no use to my today, I can't see for crap thru the small, goopy eye openings that I do have. I've put my cream on, I'm not needling the wetting drops as I'm pretty much pouring the water out of my eyes like I'm having a good cry, but I'm not., I've got a headache, which is to be expected I think. No blood seeping from anywhere. Some dried blood is making it's way onto the gauze I need to put between my eyes and the ice pack. I'm being diligent about my icing today, trying to get the swelling down, so it's 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off with the ice.
What I'm trying to do here is document this process the whole way thru. I like to know what to expect and I had a hard time finding pictures right after the surgery. I want to be different and give you the day by day. I'll keep it short, but a good decision is an informed decision. Instead of before and after, you're getting day by day with me. I'll have to spell check myself later, I'm posting on a iPad mini and I really can't see what I'm writing too well today!
I hope you'll join me along the way!
I was unhappily awake for the surgery. The anesthesiologist told me that I'd be relaxed and aware, but I wouldn't care what was going on...so not true! I'm no stranger to nasty procedures while being awake. I have Osteoarthritis. I'm 11days post-op from rotator cuff surgery on my right shoulder. So surgery is pretty fresh in my mind at the time!
I was given shots of numbing agent all around my eyes, those were pretty painful. Forgive my lack of knowledge of medical tools. The doctor used the device to cut my eyelid that burns the flesh to remove it to lessen bleeding. The smell and sound of your burning flesh is pretty unpleasant! There were areas he'd hit that I could feel it. I'd slam my fist down on the bed rail, he got my message and poked me further with numbing agent. This happened a few times, and toward the end on the last eye he decided, "We should just push thru this to finish", I knuckled down and bucked it up until he finished. I was fully aware the whole time, I couldn't even go to my normal " happy place" I was stuck in the now. The only hint that I had any kind of relaxation was that the entire procedure took 1 1/2 hours, I guessed it at 30 minutes. Other than that I was experiencing the whole time!
Recovery was quick since there was no sedation, I wasn't in any real pain from my eyes. I am in pain management for my back, so I was in need of a narcotic hit, which they gave me in recovery, so that would have knocked down any eye pain as well. The recovery room nurse was awesome! It's always a good idea to be nice to the recovery nurse, it's not hard, they're usually super caring. I left recovery with a handful of packages of gauze, sterile water to wet the gauze I'm supposed to put between my eyes and the ice pack. 5 reusable eye-shaped ice packs (that I filled with peas and they wok like a charm) plus a pair of sunglasses that they give cataract patients that has hoods on the top and sides to block your eyes from the sun, they look odd, but I've been warned to keep the sun off my eyes all the way thru my recovery to lessen the scarring.
When I got home I wasn't super swollen. Really no pain. I have antibiotics to take, cream for my incisions and artificial tears to wet my eyes. My doctor took off enough excess skin so that my eyes barely don't close right now. He said the skin will loosen up and I'll be able to fully close my eyes plus having tighter eye lids. My eyes look creepy, it looks like I'm crying blood. I'm to only dab the blood away, not wipe. I think I'd look awesome if it were Halloween!!
I was able to sleep just fine, but I do take a sleep aid on a daily basis anyway. My eyes didn't wake me up with pain or any other discomfort. I opted to not look at myself during the night, I saved the thrill for today!
Today I'm swollen and puffy and mighty colorful! I normally wear glasses, but they are of no use to my today, I can't see for crap thru the small, goopy eye openings that I do have. I've put my cream on, I'm not needling the wetting drops as I'm pretty much pouring the water out of my eyes like I'm having a good cry, but I'm not., I've got a headache, which is to be expected I think. No blood seeping from anywhere. Some dried blood is making it's way onto the gauze I need to put between my eyes and the ice pack. I'm being diligent about my icing today, trying to get the swelling down, so it's 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off with the ice.
What I'm trying to do here is document this process the whole way thru. I like to know what to expect and I had a hard time finding pictures right after the surgery. I want to be different and give you the day by day. I'll keep it short, but a good decision is an informed decision. Instead of before and after, you're getting day by day with me. I'll have to spell check myself later, I'm posting on a iPad mini and I really can't see what I'm writing too well today!
I hope you'll join me along the way!
UPDATED FROM Gr0ve
2 days post
1 Day Post-Op
The day following surgery I just rested and iced all day. (not good to leave ice on for more than 20 minutes each time.) I felt pretty good, couldn't see for crap. I normally wear glasses but my sight was actually worse with my glasses on, so I just left them off. I tried to read a book on my iPad, but I wasn't too successful despit enlarging the text to the size of a preschool book!
Replies (1)
January 20, 2015
For just having Surgery the day before yesterday you look AMAZING my friend had this procedure done last year and she looked like she was in the ring with a prize fighter. She looks great now ( she is very happy with results ) I believe you will truly love what this Dr has done.
UPDATED FROM Gr0ve
2 days post
2 Days Post-op & It's Getting Interesting !
My second day I woke up to lots of swelling beneath my eyes, even tho nothing was done down there. I slept really bad. My left eye was [RS bleep] this morning, but I'm on antibiotics so I'm not going to worry about it now. I'm putting my cream in at least 4 times a day, icing and trying to rest. There really isn't any pain or even discomfort.
Replies (4)