GlassJaw
Hero
Ok, it's about 24 hours removed from the procedure...
Got to TLC yesterday around 8:15. Finished up some paperwork and gave my credit card a nice workout in addition to the damage it's already taken from Xmas shopping. Oh well.
I had to do some waiting before the procedure though. Seemed liked the doctors were doing a lot of prep work. I eventually got a valium and then waited for about another 20 minutes. I didn't really feel any different, just that I could have maybe taken a nap. That was until they called for me and I stood up. Whoa. It felt like someone had tied concrete blocks to my feet.
I entered the operating room and sat on a reclining bed. The assistant put some anesthetic drops in my eyes. He then used a pen that looked like a Sharpie marker and made 2 dots on each eye on each side my pupil. It didn't hurt but there was some pressure.
After that they had me lie down. The doctor actually handed me some kind of stuffed animal. I looked at it quickly and in my light-headed state (I was feeling the valium at this point) it looked like some kind of crazy bear with one eye. I was like "WTF!" I laughed and asked what this was for and he said some people are more apprehensive than others and they like something to squeeze. Wonderful.
No turning back now. The doctor taped my left eye shut. He then took two pieces of rubbery, adhesive material to hold my eyelids open. The doctor then put a thin metal brace on the inside of my eyelids. More eyedrops, including what looked to be a small tube that the doctor used to douse my eye liberally with fluid.
Time to make the flap. At this point, the doctor takes a clear plastic cylinder and puts it on top of my eye. He says "suction" to the assistant and I feel some pressure and then something pass over my eye and everything gets very blurry and goes dark for a few seconds. I barely see a metal instrument move something on my eye (the flap).
After this is done, the LASIK machine gets very close and I see a dark circle with a flashing orange light in the middle. The doctor tells me to relax and keep my eye still and concentrate on the flashing light. I must have been a spaz or something because he repeated this a LOT. I then hear a somewhat loud clicking sound for a few seconds (10-15 maybe, I don't remember). There is a slight odor (like burning) but it's very faint.
When the laser is done, the doctor folds back the flap on my eye and then puts a TON of fluid in my eye. He actually uses what looks to be a brush and swabs my eye for a good minute or two. He then takes out the brace and the rubber adhesive and I close my eye. He tapes it shut and then I get to do it all over again for the other eye.
The whole experience feels like your eye is being held open underwater. Once they started putting all the fluid in my eye, I really became disassociated with my surroundings. I felt like I was transported from a fairly large white room into a dark, fluid-filled box the size of my eyeball with a flashing orange light off in the distance. I've never had an out-of-body experience but I wouldn't be surprised if this is a similar experience.
The doctor was excellent. He talks you all the way through it, even though I was wondering if I was a bad patient because it sounded like I wasn't keeping still. Honestly, I had no idea what my eye was doing. I couldn't really feel anything. As soon as it was done, he told me I did great (which I'm sure he says to everyone) but I still appreciated it.
After it was done, they sat me up and told me to look at the clock (analog) on the wall straight ahead and asked me what time it was. "Ten twenty something," I said. Very cool.
Everything was still very blurry though. They brought me to a dark room and had me sit with my eyes closed for about 20 minutes. I went into the doctor's examination room after that and he checked my eye once more. Everything looked good. An assistant came in and went over the post-op instructions.
I slept a lot yesterday. My eyes just felt like they wanted to be closed. I have a lot of eyedrops: 3 types every two hours the first day, every 4 hours for a week after. One is an antibiotic, one is an anti-inflammatory, and then other a lubricant. You also have to wear eye guards while you sleep so you don't scratch them while you are sleeping or graze your pillow, etc. They just tape on and I actually didn't really notice them at all while I slept.
After taking a nap yesterday, I noticed a big improvement. Things were still a bit fuzzy but I was able to read and watch tv. Looking at a computer monitor was a little blurry, as were bright lights in general. There was no pain but it felt like I had a small piece of sand in my eyes at time. It was very mild though. The doctor called me in the evening which was awesome. I asked a few questions about my up close being a little fuzzy (normal) and about a small red dot I had on left eye (just a bruise, will go away in a week).
Things are even better today. My eyes were a little dry this morning but my vision was great. I read the paper and used the computer. It's unbelievably clear. There is still a slight odd sensation but it's tough to describe. It actually looks better outside or looking through a window. When I'm inside, it looks like I'm looking through some kind of lens. Again, all normal. I'm heading to my optometrist today for the day after follow-up.
I'm definitely glad I did it. I'll be honest though and say that it was probably the strangest thing I've done in my life. As good as everyone told me it was who had it done, there isn't really anything that can prepare you for the actual procedure. In the whole process though, the actual procedure took the least amount of time. So if you can get through that, you're golden.
Any questions? Ask away!
Got to TLC yesterday around 8:15. Finished up some paperwork and gave my credit card a nice workout in addition to the damage it's already taken from Xmas shopping. Oh well.
I had to do some waiting before the procedure though. Seemed liked the doctors were doing a lot of prep work. I eventually got a valium and then waited for about another 20 minutes. I didn't really feel any different, just that I could have maybe taken a nap. That was until they called for me and I stood up. Whoa. It felt like someone had tied concrete blocks to my feet.
I entered the operating room and sat on a reclining bed. The assistant put some anesthetic drops in my eyes. He then used a pen that looked like a Sharpie marker and made 2 dots on each eye on each side my pupil. It didn't hurt but there was some pressure.
After that they had me lie down. The doctor actually handed me some kind of stuffed animal. I looked at it quickly and in my light-headed state (I was feeling the valium at this point) it looked like some kind of crazy bear with one eye. I was like "WTF!" I laughed and asked what this was for and he said some people are more apprehensive than others and they like something to squeeze. Wonderful.
No turning back now. The doctor taped my left eye shut. He then took two pieces of rubbery, adhesive material to hold my eyelids open. The doctor then put a thin metal brace on the inside of my eyelids. More eyedrops, including what looked to be a small tube that the doctor used to douse my eye liberally with fluid.
Time to make the flap. At this point, the doctor takes a clear plastic cylinder and puts it on top of my eye. He says "suction" to the assistant and I feel some pressure and then something pass over my eye and everything gets very blurry and goes dark for a few seconds. I barely see a metal instrument move something on my eye (the flap).
After this is done, the LASIK machine gets very close and I see a dark circle with a flashing orange light in the middle. The doctor tells me to relax and keep my eye still and concentrate on the flashing light. I must have been a spaz or something because he repeated this a LOT. I then hear a somewhat loud clicking sound for a few seconds (10-15 maybe, I don't remember). There is a slight odor (like burning) but it's very faint.
When the laser is done, the doctor folds back the flap on my eye and then puts a TON of fluid in my eye. He actually uses what looks to be a brush and swabs my eye for a good minute or two. He then takes out the brace and the rubber adhesive and I close my eye. He tapes it shut and then I get to do it all over again for the other eye.
The whole experience feels like your eye is being held open underwater. Once they started putting all the fluid in my eye, I really became disassociated with my surroundings. I felt like I was transported from a fairly large white room into a dark, fluid-filled box the size of my eyeball with a flashing orange light off in the distance. I've never had an out-of-body experience but I wouldn't be surprised if this is a similar experience.
The doctor was excellent. He talks you all the way through it, even though I was wondering if I was a bad patient because it sounded like I wasn't keeping still. Honestly, I had no idea what my eye was doing. I couldn't really feel anything. As soon as it was done, he told me I did great (which I'm sure he says to everyone) but I still appreciated it.
After it was done, they sat me up and told me to look at the clock (analog) on the wall straight ahead and asked me what time it was. "Ten twenty something," I said. Very cool.
Everything was still very blurry though. They brought me to a dark room and had me sit with my eyes closed for about 20 minutes. I went into the doctor's examination room after that and he checked my eye once more. Everything looked good. An assistant came in and went over the post-op instructions.
I slept a lot yesterday. My eyes just felt like they wanted to be closed. I have a lot of eyedrops: 3 types every two hours the first day, every 4 hours for a week after. One is an antibiotic, one is an anti-inflammatory, and then other a lubricant. You also have to wear eye guards while you sleep so you don't scratch them while you are sleeping or graze your pillow, etc. They just tape on and I actually didn't really notice them at all while I slept.
After taking a nap yesterday, I noticed a big improvement. Things were still a bit fuzzy but I was able to read and watch tv. Looking at a computer monitor was a little blurry, as were bright lights in general. There was no pain but it felt like I had a small piece of sand in my eyes at time. It was very mild though. The doctor called me in the evening which was awesome. I asked a few questions about my up close being a little fuzzy (normal) and about a small red dot I had on left eye (just a bruise, will go away in a week).
Things are even better today. My eyes were a little dry this morning but my vision was great. I read the paper and used the computer. It's unbelievably clear. There is still a slight odd sensation but it's tough to describe. It actually looks better outside or looking through a window. When I'm inside, it looks like I'm looking through some kind of lens. Again, all normal. I'm heading to my optometrist today for the day after follow-up.
I'm definitely glad I did it. I'll be honest though and say that it was probably the strangest thing I've done in my life. As good as everyone told me it was who had it done, there isn't really anything that can prepare you for the actual procedure. In the whole process though, the actual procedure took the least amount of time. So if you can get through that, you're golden.
Any questions? Ask away!
