DAY 1 - AFTER surgery (catch-up post)

I was allowed home after some tea and biscuits (about 45 minutes after coming out of theatre). The surgeon came out and spoke to me, he asked me to lay on my right hand side for 3 hours when I got home so that the fluid could drain from my eye and then to sleep on my back. I was given an appointment for the next day and told to keep my eye pad on until that time and not to touch it or do anything. I was given drops but told not to use them until I had been seen the next day. I couldn't open my left eye, nor did I try to!

I spent a long 3 hours on the sofa laying on my right side and I could feel the anaesthetic starting to wear off. At this point I took 2 paracetemol. After my 3 hours were up I went to bed which is where things get a bit hazy. My eye was really sore and I had a cracking headache. I remember shaking a lot, feeling sick and being in agony. It was so bad that I got my husband to call the hospital. They couldn't really suggest anything. As soon as I could I took some co-codamol. It was the worst pain I have ever felt, (and I've 2 kids so I've been through labour). I would recommend co-codamol straight away, before you get any feeling back and if I ever (God forbid) have to do it again then I will be taking co-codamol straight away.

Once the co-codamol kicked in I felt a lot better and was able to sleep fairly comfortably on my back. My eye kept leaking watery bloody fluid which was a bit annoying but was ok.

This is my eye in the pad. Excuse the grumpy face - it hurt my eye to smile!

Meant to also say that they did gas bubble surgery in the end which involved removing the vitreous and inserting gas in a bubble to push the retina back flat against the eye.