The Significance of Support Systems

Discussing your ptosis surgery with others is incredibly important for emotional and psychological support. From personal experience, I can tell you how much it helps to have someone to talk to, whether it’s family, a therapist, or online communities like Ptosis-Perfect. Before and after my surgery, the stress and anxiety that I had would have been overwhelming without a supportive outlet.

Looking back now, I wish I would’ve opened up more, because the few times I did, my mind was definitely set more at ease. While I did not have the opportunity to discuss ptosis surgery with someone who has actually experienced it, talking to my dad who has undergone multiple major surgeries helped me understand what to expect before and after the surgery. Another thing I wish I would’ve done was to make a list of questions before meeting with my surgeon prior to when the surgery took place. Having a list of all the possible questions on my mind and having a professional surgeon answer them would’ve pushed away any doubt and helped me find comfort in his knowledge and confidence in the procedure. 

The surgery itself was less intimidating than I expected. I was under anesthesia, so I didn’t feel anything during the procedure. Afterward, there was mild discomfort and a throbbing in my head, but nothing too painful. The real challenge came in the days following as the swelling made my eyes look higher than usual. It was difficult to look in the mirror and see such a dramatic change. But as time passed and the swelling went down, my eyelid gradually settled at a perfect height. That’s why it’s an important thing to know about your ptosis surgery is that they elevate your eyelid higher than usual, so when the swelling in your eye deflates, so does your eyelid, eventually resting at a perfect eye level. Try not to spend time fretting about whether or not your eyelid will perfectly settle down the second you get home from the surgery (like I did). Afterall, one of the great things about ptosis surgery is that it is easy to correct; I had multiple operations on the same eye for this reason. The same people that were supportive of me before were still there for me post-operation. They helped me get through the recovery process, making sure I was comfortable and did not strain or damage my eyelid while it was healing. 

Places such as Ptosis-Perfect offer a perfect foundation for communities to talk about going through ptosis surgery and their stories. Connecting with others who are going through similar experiences can be a big part of your recovery, both physically and emotionally. I realized that the support from my family and eye-care physician can be great on its own, but that talking to people who had gone through the same experiences as me would have definitely helped a lot. This is what has led me to create Ptosis-Perfect; through blog posts such as these, we try to raise awareness and uphold a supportive network for those affected by ptosis. While the organisations mentioned in the Resources/Donate page on the Ptosis-Perfect website can answer further questions about ptosis, opening up about your ptosis surgery is a powerful way to gain emotional and psychological support from those around you. Don’t be afraid to reach out- whether to your eye-care physician, family, friends, or to those at Ptosis-Perfect- we will always gladly help!