An Overwhelming Morning

In my cancer adventure, yesterday morning was the last set of activities scheduled before beginning radiation therapy and their 3 pre-therapy actions. The dental work and eye surgery . . .

My Dentist First

As earlier announced, I already had my dental appointment scheduled for 9 April at 9AM with my local Atenas dentista, Dra. Karina Valerio whom I’ve used for 6 years now – partly because she speaks Spanish only which gives me more “forced practice” which I greatly need! 🙂

And I scheduled my transportation to San Jose at 10AM from the dentist office – yes, I’ve put my scheduling skills to work this week with 7 appointments! 🙂

And because she was through with the two tiny filling early, we got to chat and she showed me some of her artwork around the office, mainly oil or acrylic painting of flowers and landscapes.

Then the Painful Eye Surgery

After all the paperwork and credit card payment, a nurse escorted me to a changing room with lockers for another infamous hospital gown then escorted me to the operating room where Dr. Benavides and her female assistant and my male nurse were all ready to start early!

First the nurse put anaesthesia eye drops in my left eye which seemed to do nothing to eliminate pain (maybe later in just the eyeball). Then the doctor stuck a needle in both the upper and lower eyelids that nearly killed me – one of the worst pains I can remember though she told me I was exaggerating as I hollered. This was for the local anaesthesia which of course helped later when she removed a tiny amount of skin on the underside of both eyelids and then stitched them together at the outside corner. I could feel her stitching but it didn’t hurt like those two needle pricks for the anaesthesia. And the whole time that one eye was staring at this horribly bright operating room light – but not quite the bright light of heaven beckoning. 🙂

Then the nurse escorted me to the changing room and my locker (key tied to my hospital gown) and offered to help me dress. I told him I was okay, but later I had to find him to escort me out of the building which is their requirement. My driver helped me back across the street to the car and back to Atenas with pain in my eye all the way. First thing I did at home was take one of the pain pills prescribed.

This morning, Saturday, I took the bandage off as instructed and began the regime of eye drops and ointment on eyelids 3 times a day the first week and twice a day the second week plus another ointment to go in the eye at bedtime. She said I didn’t need the eye patch anymore, not even at night. but after 6 hours of reading and computer work this morning my left eye was burning, so I put the patch back on and probably will again this first night anyway. Covering it helps it relax and not burn and water so much. I follow doctor’s instructions but will use a little common sense here, especially since my pain threshold seems lower than hers! 🙂 If it burns or bothers me, I will put a patch on.

Monday & Tuesday Plans Postponed

Dr. Bonilla (Radioterapista) called me Thursday night and said she wanted me to rest more after the eye surgery and was thus going to reschedule the MRI, Cat Scan and Mask-making until later next week, instead of Monday & Tuesday as originally scheduled. She will email me the new times which may be all on the same day. I haven’t heard back on that yet. I’m hoping it doesn’t change radiotherapy beginning time more than 1 or 2 days because I plan to make that July trip! 🙂

At least now, mostly all I have to deal with is the Radiotherapy people, who are really nice and easy to work with and so far, all speak English as a second language. She also told me that the second Covid Vaccination Shot could be done as scheduled on 22 April, the same day I do one of my radiation treatments and that she could adjust therapy time if necessary since the government vaccination clinic is not very flexible. And that same week, the 23 rd, I will also balance radiotherapy with Dr. Benavides removing the stitches from my eye (which I really dread as briefly painful). At least Dr. Hernández delayed his next post-op visit until after radiotherapy and my July trip! 🙂 Very thoughtful guy he is! 🙂

And finally, I choose to not “hurt more” by keeping silence, but rather have chosen to share everything through my Cancer Journey . . .

I have learned now that while those who speak about one’s miseries usually hurt, those who keep silence hurt more. 

~C. S. Lewis

¡Pura Vida!