Lasik
I've been losing vision since I was 8 years old, so to not be fumbling for my glasses in the morning to see across the room, take out contacts at night is still foreign to me. I drove home last night with no vision help {besides my husband telling me things I already knew, i.e. lanes ending, hes just helpful that way} and it was just crazy to think I had never in my life driven without contacts or glasses.
I see better than I did with my glasses that's for sure. I am thankful to be without my glasses, so many people gave me double takes, they were thick so I know people were like Wow, didn't know you wore glasses and didn't know you wore THOSE kind of glasses.
So lets start with surgery. My appointment was at 11:15 with my paper telling me we would be there at total of 2-3 hours. We were there 4 because they ran behind. I told them no problem, but I have to send the hubby to get food. Nerves and hunger=me almost passing out. Not good. I kept asking about the Valium making sure they wouldn't call me back and NOT give it me, I felt like a neurotic druggie, but my fear was I would twitch or be so nervous I would somehow mess it up. And they made me watch a 10 minute video of all the risks and that I knew there was no guarantee I will have perfect vision and in fact could do more damage to it. PEOPLE, give me the Valium before this video so I can be like, oh well, life is good, who wants a hug? Instead I was perspiring more than ever, which was bad news for everyone since you can't wear deodorant, fragrances or any kind of makeup on surgery day.
Finally I received the Valium and became relaxed and ready for a nap. Then I heard my name, went back and they placed surgery cap over my hair and booties over my shoes. They placed numbing drops in my eyes and put iodine over my eyes and had the doctor 'mark' my eyes. Not sure why, I had hoped he knew what we were going to laser, but that's ok. The tech told me to close my eyes and relax. I asked to use the restroom one last time, only to find out Aunt Flo showed up. 2 days early and not what I was prepared for. I just made the best makeshift coverage I could and knew I could find some product in my purse that was with the hubby. I am 100% positive that by Aunt Flo's visit on this day, my pain was elevated....or I was just a wuss.
When I went back into the office the tech came by again and said, OK, you need to relax your eyes, so give me your glasses. Yikes, I thought it was just to be nice, not like a pre-surgery requirement. So then I was like crap, did I just mess it up again? Will this affect my outcome??? This wasn't on the video.....
So they came and walked me into the surgery room, I could see/hear about 4-5 people, including the doctor. They explained how to look at the red light, don't blink, and just keep looking at the red light. They gave me a teddy bear and I was so thankful for that dude that I choked him out the whole time. Valium helps you not jerk and twitch, numbing drops help you not blink, but praying, prayers over me and that teddy bear got me through and the sweet techs patting my hand and being so sweet.
The surgery itself, not painful. The suction cups on your eyes and the lasering of the flap made it seem like you were underwater and then the actual firing of the laser and the smell....like a hot curling iron or pan on the stove was just intense, at one point I thought why are you doing this?
As soon as we were done, maybe 10 minutes, they walked me to the end of a hall and I could see my husband walking around and waved at him, he was shocked and so was I. It wasn't 100 percent but more vision than I had 10 minutes ago, or for the last 10 years for that matter.
We strapped on my goggles after some drops and a quick look by the doctor and we headed home. I thought wow, not too bad. Then I was like...oh, what is this pain? Ouch. So I closed my eyes for the rest of the 25 minute drive home. By the time we got home I told my hubby, water please and pried my eyes open to get some drops in and laid down in bed. Hubby forgot to get water, which I was like, forget it, just go to sleep, but I was in so much pain I couldn't. After 10 minutes I was so dehydrated and in so much pain. I got up to get my water and the hubby felt horrible but I didn't care-my pain was bad. I took some Advil and went to bed. After realizing I was wringing my hands and feet and rolling around I was like, this is what I do when I am ready for my epidural when having my kids. Is this normal? So I did what any respectable 35 year old would do. I called my mommy and cried like a baby! Is this normal? People, including her said, 'uncomfortable'. I would say 'awful, pain, burning, dryness, and headache' and she later told my husband, 'I didn't want to scare her, but it is painful right after.' Good night, yes it is. I finally put on Friends on my phone through Netflix since I have every episode memorized and focused my mind on that even though I couldn't watch it and eventually passed out.
I woke up 2 hours later feeling better until I walked around and my 17 month old saw my goggles and wanted them OFF! So back to bed for 45 minutes after drops and back up again to have dinner with my family and I was doing great. Woke up the next morning thinking maybe it was all a dream, and it wasn't. I could see the clock in our room that my husband describes as a 'globeatron' and finds its unreal I couldn't read it for so many years. I didn't have to grab my glasses. I went back to the doctor for a checkup and I am at 20/20 in my left and a my right eye is there but blurrier, probably from swelling. I couldn't believe it. How 10 minutes, $3740 {that includes drops and all post op appointments}, I have near perfect vision.
I am 5 days out now, still using alot of lubricating drops, the 2 prescription drops and still looking for my glasses in the morning and wanting to take my contacts out at night. I am thankful for my families support and the finances to be able to do this surgery.
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