I MAY NOT BE ON HERE FOR A FEW DAYS

Tomorrow I am to have an operation on the area above my right eyelid. It is called blepharoplasty.  A few months ago I noticed this swelling below my right eyebrow and asked the doctor about it.  He referred me to my eye specialist who unfortunately at that time was ill so I didn't see him until a month or so back.

He told me the swelling was actually fat and it was common in older people and they didn't necessarily have to be fat (or was he just being diplomatic?) but frequently happened as one aged.  Anyway he said it would only get worse (and I must admit it is becoming a nuisance now) and he would, after inserting a local anaesthetic, make a small incision above the eyelid, remove the fat, and restitch it.

This sounded to me similar to operations ladies (and men too perhaps) have for aesthetic purposes to stop that eyelid droop that people develop.  The doctor said it is a similar operation but fortunately as it is not classed as cosmetic surgery but done to cure a medical condition, it will be covered by Medicare.  We have not yet reached the Safety Net this year so it will still cost me a fair bit but I felt it was worth it.  I will have the left eye done in August as I suppose they need to match and I must admit there is some obvious swelling on that side, although not nearly as bad as on the right side.  By then we should have reached the Safety Net so the second op could be free!!  One can always hope.

I mentioned having this operation to my ENT specialist who said they too do this type of operation and said I should definitely have it done as the condition would only worsen over time.  The interesting thing though is that he would use a general anaesthetic and when I mentioned this to my eye specialist, he said he wouldn't do it under a general, but only using a local anaesthetic.  Now, why didn't I ask him why that is?  Perhaps, if I get an opportunity, I'll ask him that tomorrow or when he takes the stitches out on Tuesday next week.

At my age I don't expect to look more beautiful but am hoping my eyesight will be clearer without looking through my eyelashes as I seem to be doing at present.

I just wanted to mention it as upon reading up on the operation it does say not to overuse the eye and to try and abstain from doing things such as watching TV, using computers, or reading for up to a week.  I will ask tomorrow exactly what his advice is but perhaps I can just use one eye???    I will not miss TV as there is little to watch but I will miss my computer and I've just bought a new Lee Childs book so that may have to wait too.