#scleralbuckle

Because vitrectomy recovery consists of having to be “face down” for a week, we had to rent special equipment to aid in my healing. Simply holding your head down for a week is actually impossible and terrible for your body, so please don’t think you can get away with that. My neck and upper back hurt so bad after one day of face down and I had fancy equipment. 

I rented/bought a bunch of different things to help make me the most comfortable. I found an inflatable airplane pillow that is used to sleep on planes that actually would allow me to position correctly while sitting on the couch or in bed. This was a life saver and you need it. Being able to switch between this pillow and my massage chair helped remedy some of my ache. SOME! lol. 

I rented my “face down” chair (its just a massage chair) from a company local to Georgia. Your retinal surgeon definitely has a company that they work with that you can rent from. I rented just a chair -- but most companies have sleeping attachments they can put on your bed for you since you will need to sleep face down as well. Sleeping was the most shitty part by far. 

During the day, I positioned like a champ and passed the time by watching the Olympics and Tiktok and youtube and all the things. My phone was my best friend. I really didn’t end up watching near as much TV as I thought I would and never used those two way mirrors they can give you to watch TV with family. Mostly I just sat on my phone and slept on and off. 

My step-dad actually had a massage table that I thought I would sleep on every night, but that shit was god awful and luckily I ended up just sleeping in my bed facedown by resting my forehead on my arms in a weird position. It took a lot of finagling to find this precise position but it was SO much better than the massage table. Sleeping was uncomfortable and shitty but I got through it. I probably got between 4-6 hours every night. Usually I’m a 9 hour kinda gal. 

Positioning sucked SO BAD and was just as terrible as I thought, but I survived and you will too. If there is one thing you need to take away from this, it’s that you NEED to have someone massage you every night before bed. The pain from staying face down will debilitate you if not. My mom gave me 30 minute massages every night and this helped with my pain SO much. 

The only times you are able to lift up your head normally are to eat, shower, and take your ten minute break. It’s best that you save meal time and showering time for the ten minute break so you position as much as possible. I was SO strict about positioning and you should be too, even if it’s shitty. 

So - I had my surgery on Monday, and on Thursday I noticed new flashes in my left eye. I panicked. Called my surgeon and she said to come in same day just to be safe. The thing about retina surgery is that flashes and floaters are indicative of normal healing, and also that your retina is falling off again. super fun! 

I went in Friday for a check up and my surgeon said everything looked great, and that the flashes I am having are just a part of the healing process. She did see one tiny problem area of fluid that she said she might have to laser off the following appointment, but that other than that my retina looked “perfect.” I was so happy!! I even got to sleep on my side after this appointment since my retina looked so great. I was over the moon and just honestly counting down the days to rejoining society as an upright person. 

Fast forward to today and I am positioning free! My vision is still really distorted and wacky, but I have no discomfort other than feeling like there is something in my eye. I can open my eye basically all the way, but it’s still super red. Still having persistent flashes, but they are small and I’m pretty sure it’s due to that little problem area she saw last time. No curtains in my vision, though. My next appointment is this Tuesday to see if it’s still attached and to see if we will need to laser that spot off. Then I’ll have another check up a month post op. 

I am still really nervous that something will go wrong again. Deep down I have a lot of different concerns: what if this happens over and over again forever? What if this happens in my other eye? What if it never heals correctly? What if I go in on Tuesday and its detached? The uncertainty of it all is terrible. 

Overall - take it easy on yourself. Having surgery, no matter what for, is really overwhelming and a lot to digest -- especially with the recovery that a vitrectomy has. It’s tough, but ultimately we need to save our vision. If any of you have any questions -- feel free to reach out to me on instagram. My handle is kaitlinestark. 

Good luck, friends!! :) 

My surgery went well. So glad I went under for it. I woke up in the hospital super groggy from anesthesia and an eye patch on my left eye with little to no pain. Ideal. 

My surgeon let me know that she injected a gas bubble in my eye to help my retina heal. I had to maintain an upright position for 24hrs post surgery so the bubble hit the right spot on my retina, which was easy. I just slept propped up with pillows and was honestly so tired and out of it that it was a non issue. 

I spent the next three weeks continuing my drops and regaining normal vision. I still had pretty persistent flashes (although they looked different than my initial ones) and A LOT of floaters. Flashes and floaters can be normal after surgery, but in my case, this was indicative of a new detachment and a hemmorage in my eye. I just didn’t know yet. 

Then shit hit the fan. My vision improved over the course of a few weeks, and so did my eye cosmetically (the swelling went away, the redness decreased) but I woke up one day with a black curtain over my vision. Half of my eye was covered my this huge shadow, and I knew that something went wrong with the recovery. 

The issue was -- at this exact point in time, I was in LA for work (live in ATL). I was about three weeks post op at this point, and my eye looked totally normal, but I knew my retina detached again. It was honestly kind of devastating to me. The whirlwind of knowing that they would probably have to operate AGAIN and this time have the more intense surgery was crushing. I am a very sensitive person, and was having a hard time. 

I called my surgeon while I was in LA and she referred me to a UCLA clinic that specializes in retinal detachments. They fit me in the same day. The surgeon there confirmed what I thought: my retina was detached. It had actually most likely never healed in the first place because the fluid in my eye never drained. For context: most peoples fluid after scleral buckle surgery drains within a few hours -- mine had been sitting in my eye for WEEKS. Not good. Luckily my macula was still on and looked good, but a new surgery was needed as soon as I got home. But this time, I would need a Vitrectomy. 

A Vitrectomy itself is a super easy surgery for retinal surgeons. They remove the jelly from your eye, repair the retina, and then insert either oil or gas to help support the retina. The thing that sucks ASS about a Vitrectomy is the recovery. It is definitely not for the faint of heart. And I am the faintest of them all. 

Most people have to do what is called “positioning” for up to TWO weeks after a vitrectomy for retinal detachment. This can mean a couple different things, but usually means having to be “face down” for twenty hours a day so that your retina attaches the correct way and is supported by the gas/oil. Yes -- having to hold your head in a downward position ALL the time for up to two weeks. I was SO upset upon being told I would have to do this. I always knew that this was a possibility, but this time it was actually happening and I panicked. How the fuck would I be able to do that? It sounds impossible and honestly I felt like the surgeons don’t realize the toll hearing this news takes on patients. It’s so overwhelming, and that was the worst part of all of this. 

My surgeon said that because I already have a buckle that looks great, and because I have an inferior “macula on” detachment, that I would need to position for 7 days face down, 20 hours a day. I would get one ten minute break every hour. This seemed like an impossible task, and I was completely dreading it. 

The thing is -- the time you position is truly dependent on your surgeon. They are all trained differently, and have different opinions. My doctor I saw at UCLA said that, if he was doing my surgery, I would only have to position for 48 hours. My surgeon in Georgia said seven days. Always follow the directions of your operating surgeon, like I did, but that made me mad. What is with this huge difference in positioning requirement? It seemed wild to me that it can range that much in the same field.