Eyelid report
October 29, 2007 by Scott
Friday afternoon, I headed over to my eyelid doctor for the third time in three weeks. All day the lid had been feeling a little better — up until then it had a huge painful pressurized seeping lump in it, but that day it was just a huge lump. Oh, and the lid’s skin was burnt from all the hot compresses I had been doing, as instructed. Anyway. The doctor looked at it and declared that it didn’t seem too infected anymore, and (unlike last Friday) he was able to clamp the lid inside out and inspect the inside. And, huzzah, he decided to cut it open (from the inner side of the lid) and drain that sucker. I’ve had this done at least four previous times, so this was a relief.
The Novocaine shot into the lump hurt like a mother this time. After that, it all went normally, but with a bit more elbow grease during the “scooping” part than usual — evidently there was quite a bit of stubborn solid matter in there he wanted to get out, in addition to the easy-to-handle liquid filling. It’s kind of interesting having your eyelid clamped inside out during all this, since it means that you can’t close your eye. You can do the muscle movements of closing your eyes, but the one they are prying and scooping at? Still open. Ah well.
After that’s done, they pack the now-closed eye with a lot of gauze and tape over that. You need to leave this patch on for about an hour. I’ve actually gotten reasonably comfortable at driving home with my left eye patched close, but it still isn’t exactly fun. An hour later, I took off the patch to find my eye the oozing bloody mess that the doctor told me it would be. A lot of the blood-laced ooze was actually coming out of the spot he’d shot the Novocaine into, on the front of the lid, an effect I don’t recall from previous incisions. We decided to stay home that night, instead of attending a Halloween pub crawl.
The next day, it was clear that lid was getting better rapidly, and I felt happy enough with it to go out of the house without sunglasses. This morning it is still a bit swollen, terrible bruised, flaky and burnt looking — in other words, enormously improved.
This is a chalazion, right? You say you’ve had four ops to remove them in the past. I’ve got my second chalazion now. I had the first one in July, had it removed in October, then it came right back. I’m doing the hot compress thing, burning my eyelid just like you did. Tell me, has the hot compress ever resolved it for you in the past? It’s time consuming and doesn’t seem like it’s helping. The darn thing just keeps getting bigger. Should I say screw it and do the surgery again? It hurt like a mofo the first time.
Yep, it’s a chalazion. I have a recurrent one that I’ve had incised, what, four or five times or something? Usually it remains somewhat compact, hard, totally non-painful, and non-discolored. Not a big deal in that case. I don’t usually find the incision to be too big a deal, really.
But twice now, it’s become infected. From the lump, a swelling spreads across the entire lid, or even a little beyond. The first time this happened, they gave me some antibiotics and it was much better very quickly — and the original lump was gone too! I suppose it self-excised (burst) or something. This second time, though… ugh. Several courses of antibiotics, a painful incision, and weeks later… it’s still healing, still a little swollen and discolored.
Oh, and, no, I’ve never noticed the hot compresses doing much. The most I can say about them is that when the eye is draining infected gunk, the heat seems to encourage the process.
Which part of the surgery hurt? For me, it was pretty much just the Novocaine shot.
I’m curious as to where you folks live. I lived in Utah and for 65 years I never had a chalazion or blephamitis. I do have oily skin. Three years ago, I moved to Hawaii and I have been plagued with this condition ever since. I have tried everything you have mentioned. One Utah doctor suggested eyelid injections because he was concerned at the distortion of the cornea as a result of these infections.
Well, I live in Portland, Oregon. Hard to imagine a wet climate having much to do with what goes on inside our eyelids, but who knows? Or maybe allergies?
I just had one removed a week ago, I live in Nevada by the way. I’d have to agree, the shot was the worst part! Also, the hot compresses were not helpful at all. Mine was infected too, but it never went away so surgery was suggested. I had to have a stitch (dissolvable) on the outside of my lid (the removal was on the inside but for some reason it oozed out to the visible part of my lid) Overall this was quite a disgusting experience if you ask me. What is the white yellowish stuff coming out? Is that normal? Whatever it is, its gross! Almost every post I see says that once you had one removed it comes back within a few months, so is the surgery pointless altogether then? Its nice to know that these weird eye pimples are relatively common though, what causes them anyway?
Hi,
i’ve been having these for 3 years,no one can tell me why…. thought it was an allergy to a new parrot but i already had 2 parrots so seemed unlikely.They seem to come and go, had to have one removed by surgery 18 months ago but been controlling them with large doses of anti bacterial handwash since….if i catch them when i first feel them flaring up they usually go away.
Happily been without any problem for about 6 months but now my marriage day is due next saturday guess what?
Over 2 days one has flared up on my upper left eyelid,doesn’t really hurt (as normal) but looks a mess.Surgery out of the question in case i have a black eye for the wedding so desperately trying all sorts of things !
Anyone have a quick solution i’d appreciate it….not sunglasses !
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