It's going to be an eye-opener....literally!

Quick update to share some breaking news with you all - you may remember that, during my original surgery in May 2011, the outer corner of my left eye was sewn to reduce the amount of cornea exposed. This was because blinking is very often compromised when the facial nerve is severed and reducing the eye surface reduces the risk of debris damaging the eye. However, my blinking is good and so my eye surgeon agreed to reopen the eye.

This was scheduled to happen in December 2012 (the surgeon has a loooooong waiting list!) but yesterday I had a phone call from the Queen Victoria Hospital to say that my surgeon has had a cancellation and I can have my surgery on Monday next week. Did I want it? Hell, yeah!

I am now vacillating between excitement, nervousness and apprehension, in almost equal measure! The reverse-tarsorrhaphy (to give it its unpronounceable - to me, anyway! name) will be carried out under local anaesthetic and sedation, which I am told will  mean that I will be awake during the procedure but won't remember any of it. Most people would say that this is no different to my usual modus operandi :-) I blame the radiotherapy for my shocking memory nowadays - some of my brain cells have clearly been frazzled!

Tomorrow brings my check-up at the Royal Marsden - my first since April. I have found myself getting a bit anxious over the past couple of weeks, simply because three months feels like a long time to go without the reassurance of a specialist examination. I tell myself that the doctors wouldn't have let me go three months between check-ups unless they were certain that it is safe to do so, but the niggling doubts wriggle to the surface every so often. It's just the way it is. However, I take comfort from the fact that my dentist had a good feel around my head and neck only a fortnight ago and was happy with everything (she knows my medical history) so let's hope that's the case tomorrow as well.

I still can't tell you my exciting news, to which I alluded in my previous post. I will soon, honestly! Sorry to keep you in suspense....