Surgery Number Three

Sunday, October 29, 2023 —

I felt it—again. That deep, stabbing pain behind my eye. Even blinking hurt.
But it was Sunday. The clinic was closed.
So I sat in darkness, relying on ibuprofen and prayer to get through the night.
It didn’t help much.

By 6 AM Monday, I was at the hospital.
“Your eye pressure is high again,” the doctor said.
More drops. More waiting.

Two weeks later, at a follow-up, my surgeon frowned.
“There’s a membrane growing in your eye. We need to remove it.”

Another surgery.
Another blow.

I tried to stay calm, but my face gave me away. The thought hit me like a brick:
How will I pay for this—again?

The doctor paused, noticed my struggle, and said gently,
“Don’t worry. This one is free.”

I nodded, grateful… but inside, I was unravelling.

When I told my mom and siblings, they were visibly upset, angry that I had to go through this yet again.
I forced a smile:
“It’s nothing. We go do am again.”
But deep inside?
I was breaking.

That night, during my devotion, I tried to pray—but the words wouldn’t come.
Instead, I broke down.
I wept.
I wailed.

“God, why me? Why is this happening to me?”

I must have stayed like that for hours.
I wasn’t angry at God—who was I to be?
I was simply… heartbroken.

November 21 – Back in the Operating Room

The wait dragged into the night.
It was midnight before they called me in.

The injection—Xylocaine—burned deeply.
I squeezed the nurse’s hand so tightly that the entire room chuckled.

The surgeon successfully removed the membrane.
But then came another blow:

“Your retina started detaching again. We had to replace the oil sac.”

Another bandage. Another set of post-op instructions.
This time: Two weeks of face-down sleeping.
Another battle in a war that wasn’t over yet.

But here’s the thing: I’m still standing.

To be continued…

Missed part 5. Read it here

Glossary

• Silicone oil – A temporary implant used to hold the retina in place after detachment surgery.
• Pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) – Surgery to remove the vitreous gel to repair a detached retina.
• Xylocaine – A local anaesthetic injected to numb the eye during surgery.