Sight!!

Ok! Went to my post-op visit with the doctor yesterday, and my eyesight is already 20/20!! And the eyes are healing beautifully as well.

Here's how the procedure went, for anyone thinking about it but may be hesitant because it might be kind of freaky:

They lay you down on a table (at least where I went). They put numbing drops in the eyes, put a patch on one eye and tape open the other. Then they put some sort of clamp to keep the eye open (so you don't blink while they cut the flap in the cornea). Then, a dark circle comes at your eye. You don't see anything for about ten seconds. You hear a short buzzing sound. The circle then goes away, and the doctor lifts away the flap. You then look at a red light for about thirty to forty-five seconds. The doctor then replaces the flap, smoothes it out, and takes the clamp out and untapes the eyelid. He then removes the patch from the other eye, repeats the process, and you're done! No pain, barely any tug or pressure when they create the flap. The whole entire process itself took about six (yes 6!!) minutes. From the time I walked into the laser room to the time I walked out was at most ten minutes.

For the next four or five hours, I was very sensitive to light and seeing was like having your eyes open underwater. I rested my eyes from about 5:30 (five minutes after the operation) until about 9:30. It was very hard to open my eyes during that time, and they actually recommend a long nap during that time (and you have to have someone drive you to and from the surgery). By 9:30, I could open my eyes and see pretty well, though they were still sensitive to light. By 10:30, even the light sensitivity had disappeared completely and my vision was even better. The next morning, I was able to drive my kid to school and that afternoon, I went to see the doctor, who pronounced my vision to be 20/20.

This was truly a COMPLETELY PAINLESS process. There was irritation the first evening, as I mentioned, a little tiny bit of irritation during the morning hours the first day after the operation. After that, NOTHING!!!

Anyway, I just thought I would explain what happens during the LASIK procedure. It took longer to write the description than the actual procedure itself!

Oh, funny story: The nurse took my blood pressure before the procedure. it was 132/90, which is a bit high (not too bad) and she said that was normal due to nervousness. Then, I took 5 mg of Valium, which is optional but recommended in order to relax one's muscles (don't worry, it's not nearly enough to make a person loopy). About half an hour later, I had take the blood pressure again. It was some ridiculously low number like 82/40 or something!! GO VALIUM!!! :)