Follow up consult with Jane Olver : Tues 7th March 06

I'm on my three and a half month period post surgery. Week 14 post surgery this week.

Today I had my consult with Jane Olver 2 weeks post my punctal plugs. I was running late due to traffic and Jane was about to leave when I arrived as she had to catch a plane. She was going to Geneva for 3 weeks - she's always heading off somewhere ! :) Luckily I just caught her and we spent a little time going through how I've been with my punctal plugs. I summarised all that had been happening and she took notes; and then examined me. She did note that the left plug was slightly protruding which is why I could feel it and I think she said there were a couple of scratches etc. All in all my eyes have had a weird time as some days they can't take the plugs and other days they're perfectly normal, like today, though today I can feel the left plug a little.

Jane was suggesting putting in upper plugs as well but when she examined me she said my eyes were watery enough and there was no need. She didn't talk about removing the current plugs though said that if I ever felt they were too uncomfortable, I could pull them out myself. I'll see how it goes as since I discovered that using extra Lacrilube at night really helps, things have been more bearable and the mornings are great in that my eyes aren't as dry as they always have been and only take a few blinks before they are watered. Before, they'd be blurred for ages and ages with me constantly blinking.

Jane examined my eyes and said that my left eye still has about 3mm lagophthalmus and right eye about 1mm approx and this is a huge cause of my left eye dryness and problems which I agree with. It wasn't this bad before the original surgery though my 1st surgeon at Blackheath Hospital has made things much worst for me especially after the canthopexy which was in July last year (2005) and has made absolutely no difference whatsoever.

Jane was really rushing and said that as she had to catch a plane, that we'd set a date and time for another appointment to discuss the details of my next surgery. I understood as I preferred that she'd be able to spend time to focus on me rather than rushing as mistakes are always done when rushing (usually anyway). We did agree however a date for my lower eyelid surgery, which will be the date of my choice, ie Monday 5th June 2006. Yeah! So I have about 11 weeks to wait before my lower eyelid reconstruction (bilateral) and my fat transfer hopefully to my lower eyelids and also my left upper eyelid.

I forgot to mention to Jane that I've been suffering the past 3 months from severe thrush (oh boy) and while Vagiclear has been helping, it hasn't eradicated it while I'm taking the course of medication (which lasts 10 days). It's more the area outside that gets extremely red and painful - I will do more research online to see if I can find anything holistic to massage onto the area and/or if there are any recommendations. Yoghurt would probably help though that's really messy. I don't have problems inside the yoni (sanskrit word for vagina) as the Vagiclear takes care of that - it's just the outside which is strangely (to me) inflamed. Even if Jane and/or my doctor prescribed medication, I wouldn't take medication and would still search for a holistic way to heal the thrush as conventional medicine only serves to surpress the condition and not heal it from within. I have given myself some reiki in the area though as time is limited, I've only been able to give myself small quick treatments which do work as I can feel the energy there.

Jane noted that my left eye still has problems closing, which I totally agree with. It's an effort to close my left eye and blink whereas my right eye closes and blinks naturally.

I've noticed something funny the past few days - in that when I use my eyeliner on my upper eyelids, my scalp starts to tickle and tingle. Very weird sensation! Jane said my nerves are returning as the areas are connected to each other. It's really weird cos you touch one area and another area tingles and tickles - kinda like touching your feet and your nose itches or something like that!

I'm scheduled to see Jane on April the 28th if I recall properly for my next consult.

At least now I can book my 3 week annual leave from the office and plan ahead and get the ball rolling which is great.

Wig
I wore my wig to my appt and Jane said she loved it and that if I hadn't told her it was a wig, she wouldn't have known. I told her that I still wasn't comfortable showing my own hair cos though the Y-V incision areas are growing hair, it's still in it's early stages and I'm more comfortable hiding behind the wig. Jane was fine with this though said it was a shame to hide my natural hair.

Jane took a look at my incision lines and confirmed the hair was growing back on the left and right and a bit slower in the middle but that it was growing there too; and said that in a few months (eeek) from now, it should all be fully healed. I told her I was taking Nourkrin but that it wasn't a medication but rather a supplement. I don't think she'd heard of it. She then talked about a product that helps eyelashes to grow and I mentioned that my lower left eyelashes had almost been bald since my first surgeon operated on my eye and she asked me to remind her to tell her what the product is as it could perhaps help.

Talking of wigs, did I mention that I bumped into an assistant today I hadn't seen for a while - and one whom usually always asks about my eyes when she sees me and she did the same today though as soon as I said fine, she started commenting on my hair and how she didn't recognise me, and that she loved it. She is a black girl and herself wears wigs/extensions etc. I whispered to her that it was extensions and she continued to say she loved it and that she loved the colour and to keep it up as it made me look 10-15 years younger! Wow! I was floored by that and felt very humbled. I was speechless and could only look at her and smile to express my thanks. She walked away continuing to express her praises saying she wouldn't lie to me and was telling the truth that I looked so much younger and wonderful .... wow! I found it humbling though at the same time hard to grasp and sink in ... thinking inside..... is it me she's talking about? Wow!

Jane's secretary today asked me when I was making my appts whether anyone had said anything and I replied that most people talked about my hair and I had a few people do second takes and I was finding it very confusing as it's new to me to have cute guys do second takes especially when I'm feeling extremely very self conscious about my wig and feeling dreadful inside my body ie the pain and discomfort of the browlift and the dry eyes, and the healing process and also the emotional and mental trauma along with the thrush discomfort etc which all plays a huge part; and when one is feeling all these things inside - to have stranger smile and do second takes is to me "huh"? What are they looking at cos I feel like crap!!

I do try and make an effort to dress up at work in feminine clothes lately (as I'm a kinda tom boy and like to dress in men's trousers and white shirts (grins) - though lately have been wearing skirts and blouses. This brings me more attention and smiles from the guys in my team (grins) - which is nice cos they talk to me and smile ... whereas before they'd just walk pass and smile differently .... hmmmm interesting.

If this attention is all just cos of the wig, I sure will miss it when I return to my normal dull boring hair (grins) though I intend to have it cut and styled to a Jennifer Aniston look - I like Debbie's hairstyle from MMH (smiles)!