Eyebraskis

Today is my parents' 52nd wedding anniversary and they are even more in love than they were yesterday. That whole "in sickness and in health" vow has certainly be kept by them over and over and over, especially now that they're what some people call "old."

 My mom had eye surgery last week and came through it well, hoping it results in added peripheral vision.

 She had typical bleeding, swelling, and bruising around both eyes,  and the only ice therapy/cold compress the surgeon's office sent her home with weighs too much for sore eyes, it sits too high and thus freezes the forehead, it doesn't drape well, but it covers the nose, thus preventing proper breathing.

 It's obvious that the surgeon never had to recover in the same manner he prescribes for his patients.

She had trouble sleeping one night, and during that block of awakeness, she thought, "I bet Zo could use her creativity to design something better than this heavy block of ice that has no drape to it."

 Right she was.  I spent Saturday designing eye masks to her specifications:  lightweight, soft, fitted to cover the whole area of the eyes and bridge of the nose only, able to hold bags of crushed ice for 15 minutes without her (the patient) having to hold the pack on.

After seven prototypes, I finally came up with a design she really liked. It looks like a strapless bikini filled with ice in the 'cups.'

I call them Eye Bra Skis, a play on my last name.  Perhaps if I were to market them, I might simply call them Eyes Packs, but we were having a bit of fun.

When I fitted my mom with her first EyeBraSki, I told her looked good in a bikini.  She laughed and  said, "Well, I never have before."  And I said, "That's because you never wore it on your face!"   Oh, my , I thought she was gonna bust her stitches.

Laughter is great medicine until you're trying not to undo what's supposed to hold you together.

The Eyes Packs have 8 layers of 100% cotton--four in the front, four in the back, and hold a snack size bag of small crushed ice in each side. (Think pita pockets for the ice.)   It's just wide enough and heavy enough with 1/4 cup ice in each pocket to drape easily for 15 minutes.

The problem is that the ice sweats after about 10 minutes. So I double-bagged it. But then it didn't get cold enough for her.

 With my sewing machine at my parents' kitchen table, I was able to make three different EyeBraSkis with decorative stitches.  I have to stay my stitches look better than hers.  Perhaps
I'll pitch my invention on "Shark Tank" and make my millions making bikini-shaped ice packs for post-op or injured patients.  Or I might just be happy with my parents' appreciation of what they call "creative caring."  That's good enough for me.