It's just five days shy of the nine month mark since my bilateral orbital decompression and today I saw my surgeon to discuss the next step: lowering my upper eyelids. Most people with moderate to severe thyroid eye disease (mine was moderate) need one to three surgeries to correct the damage, which takes anywhere from one to two years to fully flare up and fully calm down. I got lucky in that mine only flared for a few months and I was able to have surgery #1 this past September. Had I woken up with double vision, it would've meant six months on disability, unable to drive or work until I was recovered enough for surgery #2 - strabismus surgery to correct the double vision. Praise cheez-its, I woke up with single vision and have no complications from surgery #1 aside from the numbness on my right cheek. That's where surgeon #1 (oculofacial surgeon/Dr. C) spent the bulk of the three-hour surgery digging around to create more room for my right eye. Aside from that, I feel great.
So today I was cleared for surgery #2 (or #3 for those unlucky ones who develop double vision) - eyelid lowering, or mullerectomy. Because my eyes bulged out so much for so long, my upper eyelids have permanently retracted. So although my eyeballs no longer bulge thanks to a successful surgery #1, my upper eyelids are stuck up there and so I always look surprised.
This surgery is not cosmetic, and there are no out-of-pocket costs to me. Except my deductible. Unfortunately, because my thyroid was so unstable this past year, I had to wait longer than expected for surgery #2 and my health insurance plan restarts July 1, meaning I will be on the hook for the first $1,000. My orbital decompression was in the $20,000 neighborhood and I paid not a dime since I met last year's deductible on exactly July 7 when I had a $5,000 MRI of my orbit (head/eye area) in preparation for surgery #1.
Here's the snafu: my last day of work is July 10. My current health insurance plan will be canceled at 11:59 p.m. that night. My new insurance won't pick up until my first day of work, July 15 and even when it does, it's only going to cover physicians out in the Boston area. My surgeon has a colleague he recommends out there, but Dr. C has been so great. I started seeing him in March 2012 and literally put my life in his hands back in September with this major surgery that could have left me cross-eyed or blind. I want him to perform surgery #2. He agrees.
So, his surgical coordinator is going to see if there's any way to fit me in between now and my last day on the books at my current job. I have plenty of sick time left (a week and and some change) so that's not an issue. I mean, I really don't want to miss much work since I only have another three weeks left but I have to do what's best for me.
The procedure and recovery will be much less invasive and involved than surgery #1 was, but Dr. C cautioned me that I will probably look just at bruised and battered due to my fair skin and ease of bruising. We even discussed my crazy Niacin reactions and he said it's totally normal for someone as fair as me to continue to have the sunburn-like reaction after two+ months on the drug.
There's a very good possibility I will show up to my first day of work in sunglasses, and not want to take them off. However, my first day is actually orientation and is for every new hospital employee, resident, intern, etc. So the physicians will probably love asking about my stitches and bruises. Tuesday is my actual first day of work, and I wasn't going to tell them anything about Graves' until I had to, and it's looking like I'm going to have to. A warning email the day before might be in order so they don't think I got mugged on the T on my way into the office. Or should I go with that story...?
Anyway, I'm really hoping I can schedule the surgery for my last week of work so I don't have to show up to the bridal shower I'm hosting with a swollen face and sunglasses even if it rains and we move inside. However, I have been waiting for surgery #2 for about eight-and-a-half months so whenever they can make time for me, I'll take it. As long as I'm able to get everything ready the days before and set up that morning, and can enjoy myself, I really don't care about being bruised and swollen.
In case the surgery is scheduled sooner, I'm started my surgery prep today, which basically just means eating healthy, exercising a little extra, and no ibuprofen. You're supposed to stop ibuprofen, aspirin, or any other blood thinners 10 days before surgery. I don't take the latter two, so I'm good. I decided last week I wasn't drinking this week because I had been having a glass or two every night with dinner and then sleeping like crap when normally I sleep like a baby. I'm sure new job stress/anxiety has more to do with it than anything, but I also wanted to save that $20 instead of spending it on wine, so alas I am wine-free this week and might as well continue until after the surgery.
By the way, Twiggy over at Quarterlife Ramblings had her eyelids lowered back in April and everything went swimmingly. I think she said it best when she said, "I no longer look like I've permanently seen a ghost."
Oh, and I totally said I was going to exercise extra starting today but I have been so dang tired lately (thanks Bruins) so it's bedtime. I'll start tomorrow.
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