Not for the squeamish

When my friends and family and co-workers ask about my recent eye surgery, the ensuing conversation leaves them weak-kneed and pale.

Hmm.

I’m totally with them, y’know. When I knew the surgery was on the calendar, I kept the printout of the Lacrimal System at my desk, and would look at it several times a day so I’d get used to the idea of some doctor guy probing my very delicateness with sharp instruments. At each appointment, I would have to steel myself against the arms of the chair so I wouldn’t pass out. During the pre-op session, the surgical consult woman handed me the tube they’d be using on me…thin and 8 inches long…and the room started spinning, and I had to deep-breathe like Lamaze to keep from throwing up/passing out.

It got better post-op. I could talk about it without retching, and just last night I was looking at my eye and saw the tube…THE VERY TUBE…running down across my tear duct. Freaked me out. But normal.

This morning I saw the ophthalmologist for a second post-op appointment, and he said everything looks great. That portion of the tube is supposed to show, and as I blink, my eyelids move up and down along it. I have new eye drops, and an appointment in two months. And a better sense that yes, even though I can’t wear eye makeup or rub that eye or sneeze thru my nose or blow my honker hard, in 4-6 months it’ll all be over.

Wanna see?

Go here. Scroll halfway down to “The Balloon (Non-Incisional) DCR”. There’s a photo/illustration of what I got. Modern medicine…whoa. Freaky.