Getting my vision corrected has been one of the best investments I have made in 2016. Before my procedure, I was near-sighted almost at a - 6 prescription for both eyes. I now wake up free from the discomfort of stuffing contacts in my sleepy eyes, being able to watch TV without my glasses shifting off my face, and not planning around a day to go spend money on a new box of lenses.
I received the standard laser vision correction. In this procedure, a thin flap is created on the cornea and is folded open so that a laser can be used to reshape the inner cornea. The flap is then returned to its position and is left to heal naturally. (Thankfully, I have really thick corneas to work with that made me a great candidate for this procedure.)
On the day of my surgery I was given numbing drops in my eyes to prevent discomfort, a small dose of Valium, a warm blanket and a Thunder Rumble doll to hold. The most uncomfortable part of the whole procedure was the device placed on my face to hold my eye lids apart. (You don't feel any pain, but you sure do feel the pressure of it suctioning to your face.)
The room was freezing and I was placed under a bright light as the eye surgeon sat behind me, looking directly over my head. He told me to keep still and open my eyes wide as he carefully pulled back the flaps of my cornea with a precise surgical tool. It was interesting because the light above me eclipsed over and all I could see was darkness with a crescent of bursting light. He then shifted my head over according to which side he was working on, under the laser that would shape my cornea to correct my vision. The procedure took 3 minutes per eye.I couldn't feel the laser, but I could hear the loud clicking sound it made and could smell it burning away the cells in my eyes. After, he moved the flaps back over my eyes and I was done! The room was blurry and I couldn't see immediately after as I rushed to put on my darkest shades and walk out to the lobby where my boyfriend sat waiting to drive me home. (Always. Have. A. Driver.)
I was in excruciating pain within minutes of being outside. I spent the day in a dark corner of my room huddled in the corner with a hot pocket. I was provided numbing drops which helped greatly over the next few days before the pain finally subsided and healed after sleeping most of it off. Blood vessels started to surface around the incisions of my eyes for a few weeks making me look crazy. Every now and then I still see bursts of light at night when I drive, but it's not as bad.
My eyes are still going good as long as I keep them and myself hydrated. (They have a tendency to revert back if not properly cared for.) I only get bad dry-eye effects when I wake up in the morning. Now, I don't even think twice that I even owned glasses or contacts. I would hate to have it done again if needed, but I hopefully i'm good for the next 20 years or until my eyes start aging.
