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Lasik touch-up.
Well, I had my LASIK Touch-up this morning.
My last Lasik operation went fine except for the fact that I had problems seeing in low level light situations and saw aberrations. On top of that, my prescription was off by a slight degree so I wasn’t getting the best vision I could get.
My doctor told me it would benefit me to have the enhancement done and I took his advice.
I arrived around 9AM with my wife and went upstairs for a ‘day-of’ exam to make sure everything was in order.
The doctor checking my eyes said I needed minimal corrections and I was going to be fine.
I rarely get nervous about things happening to me. Few things actually scare me to the point where I actually want to turn tail and run. Surgery makes me feel ill. Just the thought of not being in control of the situation and trusting my safety to someone I’ve only met in doctors visits isn’t something I relish.
After the short eye exam the doctor brought me down stairs to wait for anesthesia before surgery.
My wife held my hand as I was somewhat visibly nervous. We waited almost an hour before I was asked to come into the ‘prep’ room.
Reluctantly I got up and walked with the nurse over to a seat in the ‘prep’ room. She went over some last minute details about the I.V. and asking where I wanted it. I took the needle in the arm and she started hooking up other things to my chest and finger to monitor my heart rate.
Then the anesthesiologist came over and talked to me for a little while. He mentioned some medications I take and asked a few minor questions.
At this point I was beginning to feel sick. Maybe it was from the anesthesia, maybe it was from the thought of someone opening my cornea flap and shooting a laser into my eye.. either way I wasn’t feeling my best.
Then the doctor stood me up and moved me into a wheel chair after I was properly sedated. He strolled me into the next room which had a huge Wavefront Lasik machine and my doctor, the one performing the procedure was talking to me but I was already zoning out.
He said some last minute pearls of wisdom to me, which I completely didn’t understand and more to the point, was to tired from the anesthesia to care about. They reclined the chair and my doctor positioned the laser machine of doom over my right eye.
Now, the last time I had this procedure done they put a cone like object on my eye and it had a small razor attached to it, which cut the cornea into a circular flap which the doctor then pushed aside so the laser could work its magic.
This time, the doctor simply plied at the cornea on my right eye, which actually lifted up and was folded over to the side with enough ease to alarm me. Here I’ve been, for the past few months sleeping on my side having the pillow rub my eyes and not had any problems, but the doctor was able to prod it a bit and it gave right in…
After the flap was set aside I started looking up at the laser light in the machine. I focused as best I could on it as the doctor was spraying some water into my eye. I heard him tell me to look at the light and this time, unlike the last time I didn’t argue.
Zap zap zap zap zap.
The laser made noises that sounded oddly enough like a Taser. I started to smell burning hair.
My doctor suddenly said, “Okay, that eye’s done, next!”
Wow. That was it? Okay, one more eye and I was home free.
He repeated the procedure on the left eye and sooner then I thought had patched me up and sent me wheeling my way out of the surgery room in nurse push-power.
I couldn’t see very well, almost as if grease were covering my eyes. Everything was a visual haze. This isn’t the first time I have seen the world like that so I wasn’t to nervous. I felt totally calm to be honest.
The nurse came over to me with a tray of crackers and ginger ale. One of my favor snacks.
I felt a little sick but that soon faded as I ate my food as my wife held my arm.
The doctor gave me some way-cool shades to wear and eye drops. I knew this routine all to well from the last time I had the Lasik done so this was nothing new.
I went home and put on the goggles, passing out next to my wife.
Waking up a few hours later my vision was somewhat better but I know that it’ll be a few days before I’m good enough to head back to work.
Think I may take the day off tomorrow depending on how my eyes are.
Worse comes to worse, I can just hop in a partners car and ride out the day.
I will say this about Lasik, I’d almost rather be shot at again then go through Lasik one more time.
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