S2 5 weeks -3 days post op

3 days short of 5 weeks post op, feels like it has been much longer!!
So... the newly spit stitches I told you about last week; did you think I could just leave them be? Of course not. 2 days later I decided to see if I could pull them out and guess what? They came out! The one on the right came out in pieces, like when you pull yarn apart into separate threads. It took some time and patience but I got it all out--piece by little piece. The one on the left was different. As I started to pull that one out, it was obvious that it hadn't dissolved as much as the other one. It was no longer knotted and the material was still intact. While I was pulling on it, it got stuck, like it didnt want to come out. I almost started to regret having touched them at all. I stopped for a minute to evaluate it and decided that I was not going to leave this string hanging out on my face so I started tugging again. I didn't want to pull too hard on it but I did have to really pull and once it started sliding out again, I didn't stop until it was all the way out. I have to admit, it hurt but the stitch was out. It was going to have to come out one way or another anyway. Afterwards, I put a blob of the antibiotic ointment on the newly created holes and hoped for the best. That was 3 days ago. Today they feel fine and the holes are closed. The areas where these 2 stitches were is now smooth as opposed to the rest of the scars which are still lumpy from the remaining stitches. I have no idea how long it will take for them to absorb and judging by the 2 that I pulled out, that time could vary from stitch to stitch!
Something I dont think I've mentioned yet. While on vacation I noticed that my left eye doesn't close tight like the right one. It closes, but I had to "squeeze" that eye to keep the ocean water out of it. I normally swim in a pool with open eyes but salt water burns after a while so I usually close them in the ocean. I think I had noticed right after this surgery also, that the left eye wasn't closing all the way but I thought it corrected itself. I guess it didn't correct all the way!
That's it for now. Here are today's photos. They look about the same as S1-5 weeks except for the slight dark areas that I know are stitches.
See ya in another week.

S2 4 weeks -1 day post op

I'm back! It rained a lot but we still had a good time. I think my scars did well in what little sun we had. No sunburn at all--anywhere! I still used the sunblock stick on the scars to be sure.
The biggest update for today is that I'm spitting more stitches. At least 2 that I can see and I think 2 more that haven't broken through the skin yet but are trying. I have no idea what to do about these. I have a slightly odd sensation where the stitches are peeking through but I wouldn't call it pain. There is no redness at all so I'm sure they aren't infected or anything but you can see them. In person, they just look like little black or blue spots. The camera picks it up better and in the close up shots you can see they are actually stitches. Lovely right..? I'm thinking that I'll wait until next week and if they are still there, I'll make another appointment with Dr. T to have these newest pieces removed.
I still have the darkish areas around the scars and I'm thinking it's more stitches underneath. I have no other explanation for it since this didn't happen with the last surgery. I don't know how long these bluish/purple stitches take to dissolve but they're very clearly still there! I'm also starting to wonder if all of them are going to try to rise out of my skin. Weird and a little annoying too!
Everything else is good.
Lots of sun in the full eye shot, close-ups are all flash. It was really hard to get these today. I guess I'm a little out of practice! Anyway, I'll update again in a few days~

S2 3 weeks post op

Wow~3 weeks since the surgery, and also the day before I leave on vacation. Looking at my eyes in the mirror, I don't think I'm where I wanted to be at this point. I have to keep reminding myself that it has only been 3 weeks and that healing takes time. I know this! I still wanted them to be more healed by now. Looking back at the previous surgery, I was about the same at the 3 week mark, so it's not like I'm not healing, it's just not as fast as I want it!
Anyway, the raw spot is finally noticeably smaller. It itches a lot but I just put ointment on it and it helps. The lower end of the right incision has finally closed. I'm glad for that. Both incisions still look dark, darker than last time, but I attribute that to it being a slightly different procedure and the internal stitches. When I look in the mirror, I clearly see the lines and under my eyes just looks dark in general. I'm sure it will all fade to normal one of these days. One thing I did notice today was that all the swelling is gone. I still feel some lumpiness here and there but no swelling.
I have my 50spf sunblock stick all ready so that these areas don't burn. I'm hoping a tan will hide some of the darkness and that I wont look freshly operated on within the next day or so!
Here are today's photos. See the improvement? Yeah like I've said a few times before, the photos look way better than how they look in person!
See ya next week!

S2 19 days post op

Sorry I didn't update yesterday. Too many things going on and I just didn't get the time. By the way, the party was great! Everyone had a great time and my mom was happy! Yea!

Okay, now for the eyes.
I still look like I'm very tired. The bruises are mostly gone but the dark areas in and around the incisions remain. The raw spot on the left is still there. Very slowly, it's getting smaller. The bottom of the right incision is still a little behind the rest as far as healing but considering the issues with it, I guess it's okay. I didn't put any ointment on them last night because I wanted them to dry out. Well, really I mostly wanted the raw spot to dry out and it did. It itches like crazy today too! I'll go put some ointment on them in a little bit. When I touch either incision, it's kind of tender underneath and I can feel lumps. Just tiny little lumps probably from the internal stitches that haven't absorbed yet. I'm sure they'll go away in time along with the tenderness. Everyone at the party yesterday said they looked good and photos taken came out good. I'm hoping that means that photos taken on vacation will be good too! On close up shots, I could see my incisions but photos taken further away looked normal. Another thing I noticed is that in July, photos of me showed my eyes really close together, almost like the skin was pulling them both towards my nose. In the photos yesterday, it looks like my eyes are back where they should be. Maybe removing the tissue underneath allowed the skin to slacken a little? Either way, I like the result. After 45+ years of seeing my eyes a certain distance apart, it was unnerving to see them pulled together in the middle! As I'm typing this, I realize that I'm likely the only one on the planet that even noticed it. LOL~
Here are today's photos. As I said above, the incisions are a bit dry. After I wash my face again, I'll put the ointment on and they'll be back to normal... normal for post op that is!
See ya~

S2 17 days post op

Another quick update today.
The newest stitch that was hanging out a few days ago is now gone. I promise I didn't do it intentionally either! I washed my face last night and when I was done, the stitch was gone!! I'm fine with that because it was annoying anyway! The right incision should go ahead and close up the rest of the way now. The left side still has the raw spot. It's dry and itching now. I also still look like I haven't slept in a week but I'm sure that will fade eventually--hopefully within the next 4 days!

I have lots of work to do today to get caught up before vacation so I must get to that. Tomorrow is my mom's 80th party. I actually have to dress up for the place we are taking her. Frank has to wear a suit too. I haven't seen him in a suit in years. He's a personal trainer so all he ever wears is sweat suits! Should be fun~

Here is today's regular photo. The closeups came out really blurry, probably because I'm in a hurry. I'll post some of those tomorrow so you can see where the stitch is gone.
See ya~

S2 16 days post op

Hello~
My mood is a little bit better today, yea!
My eyes are about the same. The stitch that was hanging out yesterday has retracted back in a little bit. I don't know if that's a good thing or not. I guess there isn't much I can do about it anyway. There's still some remnant bruising around both incisions but now it just looks like I'm tired. The raw spot on the left continues to get smaller but still exists, for now.
I noticed something a little different over the past couple of days. I feel these sensations in the areas of the incisions. It's not pain, and it only lasts for a few seconds. I feel it in different spots, and I'm assuming it has something to do with the dissolvable stitches. The best way I can describe it is to call them little pings so that's what they'll be. I'm trying to remember the last surgery, if I felt this kind of thing and I don't think it was quite the same. I remember feeling something that I described as the tissues knitting together but the feeling isn't the same. I have no idea what it is really!
Here are today's photos. They look better in the photos than in person...

S2 15 days post op

Just a quick update today. No real change, except another thrown stitch. It was a new one too. I dont know what to do about it and it hurts a little. The incision has closed some since the other day but I dont know if it will close all the way with a stitch hanging out of it. By the way, dissolvable stitches dont actually dissolve. They are basically attacked and absorbed by the body. Well, my body cannot attack and absorb it if it's on the outside can it? I'd really like to cut it out but as with the other ones, it's way too small. Maybe I'll wait and see if it comes out any further and then see if I can cut or at least trim it so my skin will close. I'm starting to get worried about scarring in that spot. Its been over 2 weeks and it's not completely closed.
No photo today. I didnt sleep very well last night and I have dark circles under my eyes making them look way worse than they really are. I'll spare you!
See you tomorrow~

S2 2 weeks post op

Good Morning!!
I'm very early today. I imagine that is because I fell asleep around 5:45pm last night and nearly slept through the night! I woke up around 11pm for about an hour or so but I got a lot of sleep. I guess I needed it.
Remember the bump I mentioned that was forming at the bottom of the left incision? It's going away! It definitely looks flatter today. Yea. In fact, that whole incision doesn't feel as bumpy as it had been. Maybe the internal stitches are finally melting? I hope so!! I still have a little bit of the crescent bruise but now it looks more like a low dark circle. The raw spot is still there but only visible on the close up photos. The right incision looks better today than it did yesterday. It still looks a little bruised at the lower end but the incision itself is closing much better. It's not as sore either. I still have a dark spot about a third of the way up that incision from where one of those stitches was coming out. The stitch is gone and the area looks to be about 2 days behind in healing from the rest of the incision. I hope it clears up by the weekend. Remember, my mom's 80th birthday party is Sunday. I'm sure we'll be taking pictures and I'd rather not have bruises and holes under my eyes! If the incisions are all closed and just a little bruised, I can cover them with makeup. That should be interesting.
That's about it for today. I have work to do LOL~
Here are the photos. I think it's looking better. Finally!

S2 13 days post op

Just got back from Dr. T's and CVS. 2.5 hours! No, I didn't spend all that time with Dr. T. CVS had issues but that's irrelevant.
This morning, when I was checking my incisions, I noticed that the areas with the stitches hanging out were starting to close more. I got a little worried about that thinking how in the world will he see them and how will he get them out? Turns out my fears were unfounded. As soon as I pointed to them, he saw them and knew exactly what had happened. He says these were internal stitches, and called them thrown stitches. He cut them out and then said he was going to put more in! The area around the stitches hadn't closed and he wanted to make sure it closed properly. I felt little pinches but it didn't really hurt. He said it didn't look infected but still gave me a prescription for Bactrim to be on the safe side. I asked him about the little bump at the lower side of the left incision and he looked at it, felt it and said not to worry about it and that he wasn't worried about it at all. I'm thinking that there are more internal stitches than I had originally thought and that they will eventually dissolve and the bump (and blue tinges here and there) will go away in time. No change in the follow up appointment 11 weeks (now 10) from now. As for the new stitches, which are clear and super tiny, he says they will dissolve in about a week.
When I got home, I looked at what he did. The dark spots are gone and the areas look closed but reddish. I'm not sure if that's remnant bruise or what. It's also kind of sore. I'll start taking the antibiotic tonight and hope for the best. While I was at CVS I also refilled the erythromycin ointment. I still had some but you never know and I think it's good to have it anyway.
Here are today's photos. Lots of sunlight in the regular shot but the close ups are all flash so they look different. The raw spot is still there but as I keep saying every day, it's getting smaller. It's healing and that's good. I hope the right incision heals up now. I'd much rather it be closed before I go on vacation in 8 days. As always, I'll keep you posted.

S2 12 days post op

Happy Monday...
First thing I did was call Dr. T's office. He's in a different office today, and they had a 2:30 appointment but I've never been to that office and have no clue even where it is so I opted for 11:30am tomorrow in the regular office. I've waited this long, what's one more day?
Other than that... The right side doesn't look swollen today. Still bruised a little and it still has the stitch hanging out of it but I cant say it looks bad. The left side still has the crescent bruise, but it continues to look better every day. In the past few days, I've noticed a small bump forming at the base of that incision. It feels a little hard too with a blue tinge under it. I'm starting to wonder just how many of these blue stitches are inside and how many of them are going to try to rise up and out of my skin! The little raw spot at the top is healing. It's dry and clear so I'm sure in time, it will go away. It definitely doesn't bother me like the raw spot from the previous surgery so I'm happy about that.
As for today's photo, I sat here and shot no less than 35 photos---all blurry! Too much coffee on a Monday morning perhaps?? Probably. I finally got a decent one and it's below. Nothing looks really different to me. I didn't take the close up's today since it took way too much time to get a regular photo. Sorry!
Tomorrow, I wont update until after I see Dr. T. Hopefully those little black looking spots will be gone!

S2 3 pm update

So you thought I was going to leave well enough alone right..?
Sorry, it's just not my style... LOL. I got the bright idea of using my gemstone imaging gadget to take a look at my unhealed areas. The open area at the bottom of the right incision is most definitely a stitch. Okay, so we already knew that. But there is another smaller unhealed area further up that same incision and guess what? There is stitch there too! I printed out the images to show Dr. T when I see him. It's very easy to see how he missed these. They're super tiny and are not visible to my naked eye. In fact, it's entirely possible that he intended for these to stay inside with the skin closing over them. I'm not sure that makes any logical sense though because they are blue and would show through my skin...
Anyway, here are 2 magnified images. Sorry about the quality and I'm not totally sure of the mag factor. I want to say it's 200x, but that could be a little off. The gadget was designed to look at gemstones, not incisions with stitches! You can see now why these areas wont close properly. I'm very curious as to how he's going to get these out.

S2 11 days post op

I'm a little late with the update today because I woke up with puffy eyes this morning. No particular reason that I know of, just normal puffiness. I decided to wait until they went back to normal before taking the photos.
No real changes today. The left side still has the crescent bruise but it is getting smaller and lighter. The raw spot at the top is still there but in the photos appears to be getting smaller. It sure is taking it's time. Then again, the last raw spot did too. The right side looks to have a little bruising around the lower edges that I don't remember as being quite as prominent in the past few days. Maybe my fooling around with it yesterday did something? I don't know. I cleaned the area around the stitch again last night and this morning. The part that hadn't been healing looks a tiny bit smaller today. I'm not sure that's such a great thing because that stitch is in pretty deep and I'd hate for Dr. T to open it back up to get it out. There is still a tiny bit of swelling on the right and it's mostly in the area near the stitch. Yeah, that stitch has to come out.
Now that most of the bruising and swelling has subsided, I can see what is left of the new xanthies. They are definitely not gone like last time either. It looks like Dr. T took off the bottom 3rd of the new lesion on the right but left the top 2/3rds. On the left, the spot that Dr. L left right over the tear duct is still there along with a few pieces down the incision. It's much narrower than it was so I guess it's an improvement. Looking at these today is kind of depressing. I have to hope that Dr. T removed the tissues underneath so that they don't reincarnate again but I just don't know anymore. I'd like to get more of the right side removed but how many times do I have to go through this surgery to get it right...? Blah. Maybe it's just the mood I'm in today.
Here are today's photos. I was able to get the close up shots with less glare so you can see more detail. You can so see how much xanthie is still there on the right side. It's that yellowing right above the incision. All of that is remaining xanthie, just as wide and just as ugly as it was a month ago. :(
Hopefully I can get this stitch out tomorrow or Tuesday. The longer it stays in, the more chance of scarring. That would suck too.

S2 3pm update, the renegade stitch

Okay, if you've been following along since the beginning, you have to know that the thing sticking out of the bottom of the right incision was going to drive me nuts. I decided to clean the area really well and take an even closer look at it. I was right. it IS a stitch. Once it was clean and the area around it was cleared, I could definitely make out the blue stitch material and if I pulled it a little, I could see the actual knot of the stitch. I now understand why it hurt when I tugged on it earlier. This area is not going to heal until that stitch comes out. Naturally, I tried to see if I could cut it out myself, but since I had to use my reading glasses and a jewelers loupe to even see the thing, there is no way I can get it out. I don't have anything here small enough to cut it and it's too tight to pull it loose. I also think I'd need a very steady third hand. Never mind that it would be a stupid thing to do, I already know that but so is popping a stye(see 16 day post op from 1st surgery)...
I'm going to try and keep it really clear and then call the dr's office on Monday to get an appointment as soon as possible. This thing has to come out and I'm reasonably sure it will not come out on its own! I'm thinking that once it is removed, that area will heal within a few days. That's very important at this point because vacation is 11 days away. If I cant get a fast appointment with Dr. T, maybe my PCP can get it out. It's really tiny so I don't know if my PCP would have the right tools. Ugh.
Of course, now that I've been fiddling with it, it hurts. Great. I put some ointment on it, and I'm going to pop a few advils.
I'll update again if anything changes. Otherwise, see ya tomorrow~

S2 10 days post op

Good Morning!
Today I decided to take a closer look at that bottom part of the right incision. When I put ointment on it yesterday, I noticed a few spots of blood so I wanted to see what was up with it. I washed my face and a tiny chunk of dried blood came off. What was left looked an awful lot like a stitch. Remember back several days ago there was a little piece of something sticking out that I mushed back in? It's the same thing. I tried to rub it off, and also pulled on it a little bit with tweezers. That hurt--up into the incision it hurt! I'm almost convinced it's a stitch now. That would explain why that area isn't healing too. Think of an ingrown hair; it doesn't heal until you pull the hair out right? It's like that. I'm not sure what to do about it either. Dr. T. had said he used dissolvable stitches on the inside but I'm not so sure this is one of those as I think it should have dissolved by now! I cant tell the color of it either. The outer stitches that he removed were blue, and this one doesn't look blue but slightly further up it does look like blue under the skin. It's weird so I photographed it for you to see. What ever it is, if it's not better by Monday, I'm going to make an appointment to have Dr. T check it out.
Otherwise, the swelling is just about gone. Still a bit of puffy on the right but the left seems normal. The crescent bruise on the left is still there but is continuing to fade, little by little. The raw spot at the top is healing, and it is not open like the last one was but it's still there. It's not that noticeable in the regular photos I take but since I was doing close up shots of the right I did some on the left too. That's where I really see it.
I'll keep you posted on the stitch/thing issue. I'll also take close up photos of it so I can see if it's changing over the next few days. For now, here is today's photo along with close up's of the incisions. They look much better in the close up shots, maybe the flash is doing that where the regular eye shot today is mostly sun. I dont know.

S2 9 days post op

Happy New Year!

I've been lazy all day and I don't even know why. I did absolutely nothing last night. No party, no celebration, no company, no nothing but I still feel sleepy today! Maybe it's the continued cloudy weather. I need some sun!!!
There isn't a whole lot of change since yesterday. The right incision seems a little less puffy but it's still puffier than the left. That area at the end is still there and appears to be continuing to heal. Any tips for making it happen faster?? LOL. The bruising on the right is still yellowish but is minimal. It looks like I haven't slept for a few days--but just on that side. On the left, I still have the crescent shaped bruise that looks like I have a black eye. It's fading though. I also still have the raw spot near the top of that incision. You can see it pretty clearly in today's photo. It's dry, no redness and like the raw spot from the last surgery, it's healing slowly from underneath. I do think it's getting smaller too. Overall, the incisions are still kind of indented but I know from the previous surgery, they will fill in with time. I keep comparing these photos to the photos from June. I really do think the incisions are healing faster (except for the tip of the right one) and at this pace, I should be good for my vacation. 12 days and counting!!!
Oh.. something I haven't mentioned in a while. Remember my plan to lose weight? Well, as of today, I have lost 13 pounds! Yea me! Of course, I went up and down a little over the past few weeks, but 13 pounds off is 13 pounds off. I'd really like to lose 7 more before I go away. I'm not so sure that will happen but I'm going to keep trying. If I do get that 7 pounds off, I'll be the weight I was 2 years ago when I think I looked okay. Still overweight, but not bad. At least more of my clothes will fit me!
Enough of that. Here is today's photo. I took it earlier this morning to keep with the 24 hour increments. Better and better every day, right?
See ya tomorrow~