Second Eye Job

Last week I went for cataract surgery, this time the left eye (the right was done last August).  I was really quite apprehensive this time round as the eye doc wanted to do the op under GA. Apparently I had blinked too much when I did my right eye and was also overly anxious.  Fearful thoughts racked my brain just thinking of having to "go under" - will I wake up or will I find myself zooming through a dark tunnel with a light at the end ....?  Of course I could have insisted I wanted to remain awake and know what's going on, but at the back of my mind, I knew he knew best.

So the night before, I stopped eating after midnight (not that I'm in the habit of eating after that hour) but I did make myself an extra two sandwiches for supper so that I wouldn't feel hungry in the morning.  At the hospital, they took my blood pressure and did an ECG before I went into the OT.  Then the anaesthetist told me she was giving me a small injection and that I would wake up ten minutes after my eye was done.  I felt a small prick on my right wrist, then on came the oxygen and the next thing I knew, someone was shaking my shoulder and telling me to wake up!

But that's not the end of the story.  I felt really quick sick on waking up - there was the urge to throw up and my legs were strangely aching.  Finally, I did throw up ... into a pink plastic bag which an attendant quickly rushed to get ... a nurse then gave me an anti-vomit shot and I was then able to lie back and relax.  When I was wheeled into my room, I already felt much better and was even able to eat lunch!  But of course I was still drowsy and a friend who came to see me with a box of cinnamon buns, had to yell into my ear to wake me up.  I spent the rest of the day sleeping on and off and thankfully I was able to tuck into a nice dinner before resuming my sleep.

The next morning I went downstairs to see the doc for a check and was given some eye drops to take back. After lunch I was discharged.  I left with some misgivings that I didn't spend one more night at the hospital - strange how I can rest quietly in the hospital, something which I couldn't have done at home.

Well, I'm glad it's all over and I'm also glad I have only two eyes - I wouldn't want to go through all this again!