My Point of View

For about 10 years I've been terrified of getting lasik. I took my mom to get her eyes done right before my wedding shower (I think it was actually the day before). This was back when they used an actual blade to make the flap cut. The idea of being awake while all this happened to your eyes just seemed horrifying.

I've had to wear glasses for a long time. The first time I got my eyes looked at was in middle school, I got glasses...and hardly wore them. I got more glasses in high school ... and again, hardly wore them. It wasn't until I was out of college and got a job with eye insurance that I started wearing them regularly. And I've been wearing them ever since.

So I decided 2012 will be THE YEAR I get lasik.

And I did...yesterday.

Thanks to the lovely photo journaling of my hubby and son - they have captured some of my finer moments on camera.

I was SO super nervous.

They called me back. Gave me a sexy blue hair net thing to put on. Then they put two long gauze strips on top of each ear. I looked like a droopy eared dog.

Photo courtesy of my son. This was pre-doggy ears.

Here's a beauty. With my doggy ears...and while the lady was cleaning/sterilizing my eyes. Thank god it is blurry!

Eyes are all clean and sterilized! Just waiting for my Valium!

Rob got to watch the surgery through a window and a video screen. I told him to take photos but he didn't. So here's what happened....

About 4 minutes after getting the actual Valium I go in to the room. It's FAREEZING. Thank goodness I wore a sweatshirt!
I lay down on this bed, put my head under the laser. They position the laser above my head. My nerves were really starting to kick in to full gear at this point. I clasped my hands together - white knuckles to keep me still from shaking.
They put more numbing eye drops in my eyes. Multiple times. I guess they don't want me to feel the burning sensation when the laser does its thing on my eye balls. Thank you very much!
They put this clamp on my right eye to keep my eye lids open. (this is fun)
Then they put this round suction cup thing on my eye. The pressure is pretty intense. Because the suction produced so much pressure on my eye, I couldn't see anything. They tried several times to keep the suction on my eye - but it just wouldn't work. Then they would say - keep your eye still. You're moving your eye - just keep looking forward.
I'M SORRY BUT WHEN I CAN'T SEE A DAMN THING - I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE %$#@ I'M LOOKING!!
So the fact that I have wild crazy eyes and the suction just wouldn't stick (I guess I have steep eyes??) they moved me to another machine. By this time they had tried a few times on both my right and my left eye and they were getting a little swollen. And my nerves are kicked in to 5th gear.
This time they suctioned my eye just fine. (This machine, by the way, is the one that they use to make a cut flap in your eye lens.) That went fairly quick.
I move back over to the other laser, they use the clamp to keep my eye open and do my left eye first.
"Stare at the blinking green light" Honestly at this point I'm afraid I'm going to get crazy eyes again and go blind from moving my eyes. So I literally hold my breath and just stare at what I think is supposed to be the green light. (Keep in mind, by this point they've already lifted up my flap so I can't see anything really well).
"What's that smell I thought" - oh that's just my burned laser-ed eye ball. No big deal.
Time for my right eye. Held my breath - stared at the blinking light that was supposed to be green - and it was over 20 seconds later.
At this point in time the Valium STILL HASN'T KICKED IN.
And it's over.
They put these sexy clear, plastic lenses on - attached to my face via tape. Give me some rockin' sunglasses and send me on my way home.
My hubby and Brad led me out to the car.

Mad Libs time! What adjective do you think I'm using - Fill in the blank:
Get that ______________ iPhone out of my ______________ face!

I snooze on the way home. Yes, the Valium finally kicked in....after the fact.

They tell you to go home and sleep for about 3-4 hours to get passed the "discomfort" period after the surgery. You have to sleep on your back with the clear lenses on for the first 5 nights after your surgery. I hate sleeping on my back. I actually did fall asleep. But only for about 30 minutes. Then I woke up to the feeling of my eyes BURNING. It hurt so (bleeping) bad. We had our bedroom blinds shut - but it was still too much light. I couldn't open my eyes it hurt so bad. They said "discomfort" this isn't discomfort. This is great (eye) balls of fire - P.A.I.N! I put in some eye drops, take about 4 ibuprofen, and 2 sleeping pills.

3 hours later I woke up a new woman!

Despite all that - I would recommend it to anyone considering making the investment. While I still see foggy - I can tell my eye sight has already improved. And it only gets better from here. I'm really looking forward to seeing the end result!