Practically Domestic

I never posted all the details about my LASIK surgery at Louisville’s Eye Care Institute. Back in October, I looked into getting LASIK done.

I decided to go with Dr. Meyer.

On November 4^th, I had my surgery.

I didn’t write out the details, but I am going back for an enhancement (I’ll explain later) to the surgery this Friday and I have been thinking about the procedure again. It was so quick and painless, but a lot of people have asked what it was like.

I first got a name tag and signed the consent forms with Susan, the coordinator. I put on a hair net and shoe booties. Then I saw Dr. Meyer. He checked out my eyes again and then they started me on eye drops- all different types. I’m not sure what all they were for, but I remember the numbing drops. I really wanted those to get in my eyes and numb them up!!! Then, I remember Dr. Meyer coming in the exam room and looking at my eyes again. And he wrote on them with a special pen. I didn’t even realize that was what he was doing until he said that he had done it. He said he was marking on them for measurements.

He said that I would do great during the surgery because I did so well during that part. I was glad to know the numbing drops worked so well and so quickly!

We then walked down the hall to a dark room where about 3-6 people were. That’s a wide range because I had my glasses off and it was dark- so give me some slack! I sat down and back on a table and it moved me underneath the machine. I think that they started with my right eye first. They stuck something like a ring around my eye. It was a little tight with a little bit of pressure, but it didn’t hurt. I also remember that they taped my eyelashes out of the way.  I looked up at the blinking orange light. First, they cut the flap. That means that they cut an opening in the eye and then they peal it back. Dr. Meyer said that the orange light would go blurry and it did. I was glad that he told me beforehand because I probably would have panicked otherwise. I could hear a big machine warming up and then I heard ZAPS!! Maybe 8, but I could be totally wrong. This might be gross, but I think I smelled the laser after that.

Then they rinsed my eye with some other drops and put the flap back. I could see the blinking light again! Hallelujah! That was it! And then they went to the next eye and did the same exact thing again. It took me longer to explain this and write it out than the actual procedure took. They took off the stuff and let me sit up. The room was still dark, BUT I COULD SEE. The opposite of that was what I was most worried about- coming out worse than what I came in seeing. I was praying that something awful wouldn’t happen and that I wasn’t that “less than 1%” with complications. I walked through the hall and back into the exam room.

Dr. Meyer said everything went well and after looking at my eyes, said everything looked good. Yeah, I could see pretty well, but a little foggy/hazy. Susan gave me a goodie bag with all my eye drops and instructions, and a lovely eye mask to wear while sleeping. I probably looked dorky in it, but I didn’t worry about accidentally touching my eyes while sleeping. I confirmed my appointment for the next day and left the office. I don’t think that we were there even 45 minutes. Again, it was quick and painless. I was nervous on the way there, but once I talked with Dr. Meyer about the procedure, I wasn’t nervous anymore.

For the first 4 hours, you HAVE to rest your eyes. We stopped at Subway on the way home and I ate my sandwich with my eyes closed. That was difficult. It was actually put things in perspective and for a few hours, I experienced what it was like to not see anything. I am blessed, in many ways other than that, but this was probably the most difficult part of the whole procedure- I got bored and restless with my eyes closed. I think I may have only slept just a little bit, but listened to my iPod mostly.

You have to put drops in every few hours and each drop is a little bit different, so you have to keep track of the frequency and when you last did it. Some drops stung a little bit and something else gross- some of them would go down my sinus (is that what it’s called?)and I could taste it- YUCK!

Again, I did use the eye mask while sleeping for the first week. I was paranoid! I was also afraid of getting water in my eyes, so I was really careful in the shower. Another of the worst parts (but again, it wasn’t that bad), is that you can’t rub your eyes! EVER! Well, I don’t know about forever, but I would be afraid to. I didn’t realized how much I rubbed my eyes until I couldn’t do it anymore!

That’s about all I can remember. It was definitely a good experience. My surgery was 10 weeks ago. My vision isn’t 20/20 (or whatever they mean for perfect), so that is why I am going back for an enhancement. That is where (gross, but here it comes) they go back and lift up the flaps again and correct it more (by zapping it).

My vision was around -6.0 and the surgery got my eyes around -.5 and -.75, so just a little more to go. It not being perfect has been a little annoying because I can’t say that was great YET and I can’t see perfectly YET- although everyone has been asking. Hopefully everything will go fine on Friday! Wish me luck!