December 2, 2016. Madison, Mississippi. Eye Drops.

My full time task these days is putting drops in my eyes.  I have four different drops to put in my eyes.  It seems simple enough but trying to remember when you put the last drop in and at what time is actually difficult.  Dr. Kosco gave me a chart: 6 times a day with the bottle with the white top in the left eye, 4 times a day with the tan top bottle in the left eye, two times a day with the red top bottle in the left eye and one drop in my right eye with the pink top bottle.   Keeping it straight is not easy.  At first I was using a pen to mark on a chart but I finally arrived at a clever system that is working like a charm.

I made a chart for the times each day when I use the drops for each of the four bottles.  I spaced the times out on a paper.   The chart gives me the times throughout out the day so as I put in the drops at 8:00, I moved the white top bottle onto the 8 on my chart.  I do the same with each bottle.  So I know immediately what drop needs to be put in my eye at any time.  My system has worked for two days.  It is a bit like playing snakes and ladders in that I move the bottles across my chart.   For instance, this evening I have only one time slot empty which is the white bottle for the 11:00 drop.  The system is simple and effective.  Of course, if anyone moves my little bottles off my simple chart I will be in trouble.   Ken will leave them alone but Elizabeth the cleaning lady will never leave the clutter on the bathroom counter.  But there is hope.  I see the surgeon again on Monday and he doubtless will change my schedule.

The brain is a funny thing.  When you do the same action multiple times, the brain stops registering what has been done, which is why we must keep medications in a little box separate for each day because we do not remember what we have just done.  Actually the same is true for muscles.  You must change your pattern of exercise to increase strength.  Now I am set with my drops.   But I will be ready for this eye to be healed from the surgery even though I have solved the problem of what drop to use.  My system works well, finally.