LASIK!
It's been almost two weeks since I had laser eye surgery (scary I know). I had been debating on doing this for years. I've worn glasses since I was 5 years old and always wondered what it would be like to wake up and actually be able to see the clock on the table next to my bed. Well, now I can and I must say that it's he best experience ever. So here's the lowdown on lasik.
The reason people have problems with seeing far distances is because of this: Picture a ruler as the length of your eyeball. When light enters, instead of reaching the back of the eye (or end of the ruler), it stops short. This is what determines how well you can see. The less light that is able to get to the back of the eye, the worse your vision will be. When you do lasik, the laser re-shapes the cornea of your eye so that light can efficiently reach the back of your eye (or end of the ruler), therefore restoring your vision.
The procedure I did is called Custom View Intralasik. With regular Lasik, the doctor performing the surgery directs the laser where to go and which part of the cornea to reshape. With Custom View Intralasik, the information is uploaded into the computer, which then directs the laser to the parts of the eye must be reshaped. I had to go without contacts for 10 days before more intense testing could be done. Basically, contacts change the shape of your cornea. In order for the doctors to know if you are a true candidate, as well as to get your correct prescription, you must allow time for your eyes to go back to it's natural shape. They then take the measurements of your eyes and dilate them so they can make sure your eyes are healthy and there are no eye diseases present. Once everything turns out fine, you can officially schedule your surgery.
Ten days prior to surgery, I had to stop wearing my contacts. As the time approached, I felt myself getting more and more nervous. What if something went wrong? What if I couldn't see? This was a scary thought for me as I am a very self sufficient, independent person. I rarely ask for help unless it is absolutely necessary. I couldn't imagine not being able to do everything on my own, simple things such as going to the bathroom, driving, going food shopping, and even writing! Now, I know that many people have learned to adjust their lifestyle after faced with traumatic events, and life does go on, but it just made me see how much we take the little things for granted. The scary part was also the fact that this was an elective surgery, and I would have no one to blame but myself if something went wrong.
On the day of surgery, I arrived at the laser center extremely nervous, but trying not to show it. I had been given a prescription for Ativan and was told to bring it with me the day of surgery. It would help take the edge off as I would be awake throughout the procedure. I was then taken to the back where I was informed of the post op instructions. I had to take a steroid and an antibiotic for five days after surgery. I also had to stock up on preservative free eye drops which I would need to at least 3 months after surgery. This would aid in common post lasik dryness. I was given sunglasses which I would have to wear when outdoors for at least 1 week, although it is recommended that anyone that has surgery wear sunglasses whenever they are outdoors.
The surgery itself took about 15 minutes. I was given the choice of holding a stress ball, a teddy bear, or a blanket. I guess this is their way of trying to help the patient relax. I chose all three comfort items. First things first, they put numbing eye drops in your eyes so that you don't feel anything.The doctor then says you will feel some pressure, and boy oh boy, you sure feel pressure. They clamp your eye down and put some sort of suction thing to help create the flap. Then, you're told that everything will go dark for 25 seconds. This is where they raise the flap. It is the scariest thing ever. It's not like simply closing your eyes, you literally see everything clearly, then everything fades away slowly until it's complete darkness. Then, they count backwards to 1, and that's when your vision comes back. Let me tell you, when they reach number 2, all you can think of is "what if they get to 1, and it's still darkness?" Thankfully, that was not the case with me. After this step, you are told to focus on the light. This is the part where the laser is re-shaping your cornea so that you can see 20/20. You don't see red when you look at the laser, instead, you see a spark. Then the flap is placed down and you're done.
When I sat up I could see everything, it just seemed as though I was looking at everything underwater which I was told is normal. I was told not to rub my eyes, scuba dive, use a hot tub or sauna for three weeks. When I went home, my eyes teared a lot and they were bloodshot. I wasn't in pain, just discomfort. I slept for the rest of the day and went back for the post-op the next day. I was told that there was mild inflammation (common after the procedure) and I had to up my antibiotic use. Instead of returning one week later, they wanted to see me two days later to make sure that nothing got worse. I must say that this company did a great job with making their patients feel secure. They answered every question, repeated themselves, and showed no signs of impatience.
Two days later I was told that there was no sign of inflammation and that my vision was 20/20. The only downside for me was that I was suffering with post-lasik dryness so I had to use my lubricating eye drops more often. The discomfort has since subsided.
Although it was an intense, nerve wrecking experience, it was totally worth it!!!
