The op

So, after a restless night, I turned up for the graft on my left eye on Thurs 11 Sept, as requested at 1 o'clock.

My previous visit to the ward had shown it to be crowded and chaotic with mixed-gender patients milling around and equipment everywhere. It was not a pleasant prospect: so much inferior to the now-redundant but purpose-built eye hospital where I'd had a graft 6 years previously. The reality was not too bad though. The ward has around 40 beds but divided into separate rooms. Initially I was in a 4 bed single-sex room, with its own bathroom, and later moved to a similarly-equipped 6 bed room. There was far too much noise from staff during the night but otherwise the environment was not unnecessarily unpleasant.

The ward manager booked me in very efficiently and informed me that I was first on the list for the afternoon's surgery. So, unless those plans changed, I had an hour. In that time I was to discover that white knee-length compression socks are now de rigeur for all surgery. Very fetching. Slightly elevated BP 135/67 with fast (for me) pulse of 73.

A junior anaesthetist arrived to see me first. I told him the saga of my last visit and he very closely read the notes from my GP. He was happy to proceed. Phew. Later, in the anaesthesia suite I realised that the anaesthetist who was giving me the anaesthetic was the doctor I'd met last time - the junior was dealing with the mask and oxygen. He didn't acknowledge me let alone make any mention of our previous meeting: I don't know if he was aware of the sequence of events.

The opthamologist who saw me pre-op introduced himself as the Registrar. He seemed so young... but despite that confident and reassuring. He was both pleasant and professional. I felt I could ask him what his role in the op was going to be. I hope he didn't feel that to be threatening: I tried to assure him I was simply curious. I certainly didn't want him to increase any anxiety he might be feeling. (That wasn't entirely honest though. I suspect the 'less than perfect' outcome of the previous graft in the other eye was due to the inexperienced work of the Registrar on duty that day.) His answer was that he expected to be doing the 12 infill stitches, after the consultant had positioned the graft with the first four.

The operation took place first as scheduled, so I had almost no waiting time. Good. I was wheeled to the theatre waiting area down two floors, using the public lifts. Apparently they are more readily accessed than the private lifts. Then to a holding area next to the operating theatres. 'Lambs queuing for slaughter' was the image invoked. Having felt so disoriented immediately post-op last time I got the orderlies to point out where I'd be taken for recovery.

Very soon I was moved again into the anaesthesia suite and the anaesthetic was quickly handled. But there were some bizarre aspects like being told that they'd keep my pillows in the anaesthesia suite for me after the op since pillows left on ward beds (presumably in the corridor) often disappear.

The op replaced a 7.75mm diameter of my distorted cornea with a 8mm diameter disc from a donor.

The next time I was aware of anything much I was back in the ward. I didn't notice being in recovery nor going back up 2 floors in the lift. As far as I can tell I think the op took about 1 hour 30 mins. I can remember the oxygen mask being removed then, apparently immediately, being told my oxygen level was dropping and I needed to take a couple of deep breaths. I recall the cannula being removed from my hand. So, so thirsty. It was probably quite a while before I was anything remotely like full conscious. Certainly they took my BP 3 times in that period: 131, 137 then a better 117, I think. This was about 4:30. I recall, presumably whilst still in recovery, the anaesthetist saying to the nurses 'be generous'. Paracetamol and codeine were given - 2 of each.

A request for a cup of tea lead to a response that the tea trolley will be around soon. A jug of water was delivered, complete with ice. Lovely. Drank loads in an attempt to rehydrate. Fearsome headache developed. It took me a while to realise that this was being induced by the water temperature: started to remove the ice from the drinking cup. A refill was requested without ice. This was abruptly thumped on the table, the auxiliary pointedly, sneeringly saying 'without ice'. "Thank you." The headache soon cleared.

Around 5 o'clock the dinner trolley came around. I wasn't offered any food but really didn't care. Tea trolley around 5:30 yielded a very welcome cuppa. About this time beds were relocated between bays in order to free up some beds for men. This was nothing like as alarming and disorienting as a similar experience had been last time: this time my unoperated eye (even without its contact lens) had enough vision to allow me to move around, find the loo and so forth. Made a huge difference.

Husband visited from about 7. At about 7:30 I was offered a snack. Macaroni cheese came around 8. Much better to wait until then than to try to eat through the earlier fuzziness. More painkillers some time after 9 then try to sleep. Noisy night, uncomfortable bed, aching eye, short snatches of sleep.

Morning tea came at 6 o'clock. Why? Nothing happened for a further hour: the drugs round. More painkillers - thanks. The nurse came to remove the overnight dressing from my eye and put in my first drops: Predforte (anti-inflammatory steroid), cyclopentolate (pupil dilator & lens disabler) and chloramphenicol (antibiotic). She said the doctor would be up to see me between 8 and 9 and expected that I'd be able to go home after that.

The doctor, the young Registrar, arrived to see me shortly after 8. His verdict was that the new cornea was nice and smooth in both directions - good. However there was a slight leak along the extreme left stitch. He agreed that fitting a bandage contact would be a good idea, because of the leak, though usually their use would be avoided since they increase the risk of infection. That suited me fine. I remember from last time just how hugely they increase comfort. I could just about make out much of the top line on the eye chart. Eye pressure was a healthy 13.

Discussions with the nurse, I was discharged about 8:50 on a regime of Predforte (2 hourly), cyclopentolate (3 times a day) and chloramphenicol (4 times a day). Husband arrived and we went home, via the eye dept to get a bandage contact lens fitted.