Cataracts and the 23rd Psalm and Thanks

Well, I survived the first surgery!  What a hoot!  I had great nurses and love my Doctor.  I thank everyone who sent out good wishes for me.  I was so prepared anxiety wise (finally) on Monday for the procedure on Tuesday BUT then you know that there is always something that can cause things to go off the rails!

Clay had a checkup on Monday afternoon for his 2nd eye surgery and as we entered the building there was a man in a wheel chair that we recognized from when Clay had his surgeries.  (Cataract surgery business is now booming with all the baby boomers and those who are 2 years ahead of them).  When Clay was in the RR the man started telling him all about the problems his wife had during the surgery and Clay told him emphatically “do not tell my wife”  it will upset her.

About 5 minutes later as we waited to see the doctor, this man wheeled up to me and started giving me all the issues and I politely told him I did not wish to hear them.  Then when we got into the room waiting for the doctor, Clay told me that he had specifically told the idiot to not tell me!  I wanted to choke this man and would have if I had know the entire story!  He got my anxiety level over the hill and I did not calm down at all.

Later that evening the incident kept bothering me and I remembered that a very happy Lady had been there at the same time and was so bubbly and happy about the fact that she could see perfectly and would not have to wear glasses.  The moral of the story is this – God placed a very hateful, vindictive, unhappy, evil person in front of me and then placed a very good person in the same room.  A clear example of good and evil!  But when one is as hyper and Type A as I, I struggled with the anger that I had for the man.  I tried hard to erase the anger, but couldn’t.  The incident hurt me more than him as he was probably happy that he could scare someone (reminds me of my sister whom I never got along with).

Needless to say I could not rest well worrying about the surgery!  Up at 2:00 AM!  We had to leave at 5 AM for the hospital.  During the 2 hours I began to recite the 23 Psalm – the one that I always say over and over to myself right before a surgery as I knew that I would need this one desperately for peace and tranquility!

I finally began to settle down as they got me ready for the surgery (I am blessed as I am the first one in each time).  I knew what they would do as I was with Clay and he told me he did not remember anything the first time, but the second time he did not go out as fast and remembered the Operating Room and talking to the Doctor!

They knew that I was very anxious and that I did not want to see the swinging doors into the OR.  I remember that they had put the Vesad into the IV and started me through the swinging doors and I remember telling them, “It’s not working, It’s not working, It’s not working”.  Think that is when they gave me a good dose of Propofol!

I came through the surgery fine and will be so much calmer next Tuesday since I also got to see the OR room, or let me say I kept my eyes closed.

Yesterday I had my post op checkup and my doctor and I started talking about how the Versad did not work and what I had kept telling them.  She told me that due to the medication I take for Meniere’s that it would have kept the Versad from taking effect and we started laughing about how many times I kept telling “it’s not working”!  BUT then told me “you did not have a problem with the Propofol”!  She has such the infectious laugh!

She then told me that I started reciting the 23rd Psalm over and over, that I would start out with Verse 1 and go to the 3rd Verse and back to the 1st Verse and back and forth!  We had the greatest laugh about it all, and she has requested that Tuesday that I work on another Sermon for them.  I think she wants me to recite the following Bible Verse!

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

Hum, maybe that one would be easier, but I am sure they will hear the 23rd Psalm again!  I will brush up on it so that I do not get things mixed up – the mind is a beautiful thing – or maybe it was the Propofol!  LOL

I am thinking that this is the one that I need to recite.  I purchased this years ago while we were in Arizona for the winter at the San Xavier Mission and it is another one of my favorite sayings when I need to forgive:

As far as the Cataract surgery, the mind and eyes are also a marvel!  I can cover my left eye and see perfectly, but doing that with the right eye it is nothing but blurred vision without my glasses (which are of no value to me now).  BUT when I look with both eyes, the right eye takes over the left eye and things are not blurry!  So if anyone has to have this surgery, do not worry and become anxious like I did unnecessarily – it is very very easy and it is fine with having the surgery one week apart.  The drops are not bad (just having to do them every 4 hours is).  It takes about a month to get through the checkups and recovery for both eyes!  Moral of this story – just go with the flow (something I cannot do but Clay has that one mastered).

Have a wonderful week!  Will give an update as to if I am a good patient next week or another namby pamby idiot in the OR!  Stand By!

Forgive if I do not respond to your comments as my eyes do get tired.

Hugs

Nanette