tales of a transplant

>> October 6, 2008

hey everyone.  It's me...1 1/2 weeks after my transplant writing to you with one eye (sorry for any typos that you might find).  Just wanted to give you an update of how everything went and how I'm doing.  The actual surgery went well, according to the surgeon.  He said it was a good, healthy cornea that fit my eye well and my check-up appt. went well too.  So far so good.


Recovery on the other hand was not so fun.  Between having severe menstrual cramps (starting 1 hour before we left for the hospital - good timing I know), to throwing up in the car not once, but twice in 1 week...I felt a little miserable.  My intraocular pressure also rose to dangerously high levels (according to my symptoms) which gave me additional pain in my forehead, ear, and jaw.  It sort of felt like I got in a really bad fight and was punched repeatedly in the eye over and over and over (well, you get the idea).  At first my eye was really swollen and red, but looks much better now.  I have to take eye drops 4 times a day and have some pretty intense restrictions (including no physical activity for 1 month and no sit-ups or push-ups for 3 months...no gym for me!).  The first week I felt like a slug, dragging myself off the couch every so often to go to the bathroom, but otherwise being waited on hand and foot by my sweet hubby.

This week is going much better.  I still don't have a lot of energy (taking 2 hour naps after a 20min. trip to Costco), but no pain.  It's going to take some time getting used to wearing only 1 contact, driving with a blurry eye and working full-time again, but things are looking  up.  Thanks again for all the prayers, phone calls, and yummy meals.  It really means a lot!

Oh yeah...I almost forgot.  No pictures to show right now because my eye is really sensitive to light and the thought of a camera flash in my face makes me want to vomit.  So...just imagine my smiling face with a strangers cornea in my right eye.  

3 comments:

Chad and Cate Kuhlmann October 7, 2008 at 3:10 PM  

I'm glad everything went so well! Sorry that the recovery sucks, and hope you get back to 100% soon.

Heather October 9, 2008 at 1:27 PM  

so...is your eye the same eye color? or are they different colors? just wondering! glad to hear that you are on the mend.

Vance Family Adventures October 12, 2008 at 10:19 AM  

no...it's still the same color. That would be cool if it changed though! And, no...I don't see dead people, or have visions from my donor's past (not really cool, probably would be creepy!).

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