There is so much we know now that we can relay to our renters about what to expect when recovering from eye surgery. This is a physical and emotional experience for everyone.
I have joked with Steve the last few days that he is my alien. Being face down overnight (and for most of the day) causes large amounts of swelling in both eyes as well as quite a signature bump between his eyes and the disappearance of the top of his nose. While he still has black eyes, the swelling has reduced considerably the last two days, for which we are thankful. My alien has left the building!
The last 2 days have had their fair share of blessings and frustrations. We returned to the doctor yesterday morning and he indicated that everything is healing as it should and that Steve can now be up for two hours at a time as long as his head is tipped forward followed by one hour down. After being up for two hours he is ready to lay down and sleep for an hour as his body continues to recover. As of Friday, he will be able to sleep on his left side as well as face down. That means he can rotate between the massage table and our bed, as long as we have pillows against his back to keep him from rolling off his left side. Perhaps we can soon say goodbye to our his' and 'hers' beds in the livingroom!
For Steve, frustration set in a couple of days ago. The stress of knowing his work is piling up and he is unable to do it had him feeling quite down. Today we are trying to find a solution so he can see his laptop. His good eye will not allow him to see the screen without either being extremely close or too far away. Please pray for the endurance and patience he needs to be able to finish the healing process.
We have felt such a range of emotions the last few days. We have felt blessed and encouraged by the friends and family who have rallied around to help with meals, kids, and a bathroom reno. We have felt frustrated in trying to find solutions so he can use his good eye. We have felt sad as we have realized a camping vacation is just not going to happen for Steve this summer (and I am not sure I camping without him would be a vacation for me). Paint all of these emotions with a coating of "tired" and that makes the picture more realistic.
If I peek into the future, I feel completely overwhelmed. I have a new understanding of grace (that may end up being a blog post on its own!), as I often ask for grace to make it through the next hour, and then the one after that. In essence, I am learning to live the way God intended us to live - right here, in this moment.
"So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today." Matthew 6:34
Thanks for praying.
*This post was not in any way intended to make you believe I am a Star Trek fan or even anything remotely close to that! :)
