Sutures to Off (S.T.O.)

30th July (Wednesday) - From 21st July since the day the surgery has been performed, it had taken a week for the wound to finally close. It has been rather dull because I can only stay at home and rest, like a liability but no more. So, following my appointment card, I went back to the Dr. for a follow up plus, if all goes well, removing the sutures. After a check on the stitches and on the wound, the Dr. announces it's clean and healed and allowed the sutures to be removed. Hooray.
Or not.
Back in the days when I had to do S.T.O. and Removal of Drain procedures, I often ask the patients, "Does it hurt after I remove the stitches?" And most of them smile and shake their head, "No, it doesn't hurt at all..." So, like a complete naive fool, I actually carried that thought with me. Boy, was I wrong. I thought to S.T.O. that are close to the eyes are something that the Dr. will do, but to my surprise, it's a Staff Nurse who removes them. She's young, and looks sweet so I asked her whether she's going to be assisting the Dr., but she gave a laugh and said she'll be the one performing the procedure.
To start off with, she had me laid down on the bed and clean my eyes with Normal Saline, and then I could feel her holding something cold and metal against my eyes and I was thinking, "Oh boy, here comes the blade." She told me to take deep breaths and tell her if there's any pain, and I went, "Okay." The moment she pulled the stitches, I felt like shrieking. It HURTS. The stitches being tight is one thing, but when it's pulled upwards, all my receptors were screaming. She kept apologizing for causing me pain but I told her it's alright and to keep going, that I'll say something if the pain becomes unbearable. One time she pressed the cold metal too hard against a rather stubborn stitch and I asked her whether the blade will cut through and she said, "We're not using blades, it's scissors." Ah, okay.
When she was done with my left, she moved to my right. The right stitches are more painful than the left and involuntary, even though I had my eyes squeezed shut, tears poured down from my eyes because of the pain. The nurse understood and stopped for a moment and said, ""Stitches in the eyes are rather hard to remove. I'm sorry if I have to keep pulling at the stitches." She's alright, really. She's just doing her job. After all, you can't cut at stitches without pulling them, you'll cause injury to the patients. The last thing you need is patients screaming at you, and in worse case scenario, the Dr. as well. I told her I had never seen patient yell in pain when sutures are being off, and she said face are usually the ones that are painful because the stitches are tiny to prevent scarring. I understood. Face is the most important because scars on the arms, legs and abdomen can be covered, but not face. You can't exactly wear a veil, hat and sunglasses 24/7.
After she had removed the remaining stitches, I asked her how many stitches were there. She then said we could count them together. So we did. Mentally I thought 10. But the grand total is...
18.
Holy. I never expected this much. It's 9 each on both eyes.
Then the nurse commented, "You know, this stitches are actually absorbable types."
That caught me by surprise. "But the Dr. said she used non-absorbable types."
"Well, it is, but if it were to absorb, it'll take a long time." Then she gave me several gauze to dry my eyes and told me to be careful as the skin were still new and sensitive; and that the holes and clots will heal naturally. This is the result. Can you spot the difference with the previous photos in the previous blog? Of course you can. ;)

As a Patient

21st July (Monday) - It was a dreaded, long-awaited day. I was diagnosed with Entropion, a condition which what people would usually called "Aging Eyes". It was getting worse by the minute. Certain times I couldn't look at bright lights and I couldn't focus on Powerpoint presentations because of staring at the screen for too long. What's more irritable is that I have to keep rubbing my eyes due to constant tearing. So here I am now, proceeding to admisssion in Daycare with all consents and documents ready to go. I was the second case after a kindly gentleman. I was taken to OT to undergo Bilateral Lower Eyelids Correction Surgery under LA (Local Anaesthesia). It was my first time undergoing a surgery and I've seen people undergoing LA, but to be honest, it was a very different experience when you undergo it yourself. Being under LA, I didn't need to undergo a full sedation, just numbing the part where I was about to get operate on. The surgeon gave me Lignocaine jabs to my face and let me tell you: The sensation is agony. I nearly cried and scream when the drug was given because I felt my whole face is burning, like it's on fire. Outside I wasn't saying anything, but inside I was screaming, begging for the burning to stop. When the surgeon began the first cut, I can literally FEEL the scalpel, sized 11, cutting into my skin. Under LA, I was not drunk, or numb as I supposedly believed, but I can HEAR everything. The scalpel cutting wasn't so bad, but when it comes to the suturing, I nearly shriek in pain when the surgeon poked the needle to sew my eyelids back. I kept clenching my hands shut and bite my lips hard just to avoid screaming. All the time I was begging for the pain to stop, and the burning effect of the Lignocaine was no help either. (1.5cc wasn't enough) After an hour of agony, my eyes were covered with eye pads and firmly taped and I was instructed to rest in bed til I was stable. All the while I kept thinking how would the after effects be, and I was traumatized by undergoing LA, because I can remember and hear every single words what the whole OT team were saying. I think after this experience I might run for General. Another hour later, a nurse came to open the eye pads and I was shocked to find one of my eyes still bleeding, but the nurse assured me that's its a temporary and normal thing. After cleaning my eyes with Normal Saline and gauze, she handed me a small mirror to see the after event and this is the result.

Cross-stitches. The following day I went back for a follow up and the surgeon said the wound is clean. All I have to do now is rest and the sutures can be removed. I can't wait. It's terrorizing everyone to take inquisitive peeks at my eyes and lurch back in fear. Thank goodness for the invention of sunglasses.