post-LASIK: day 1

[jrtom]

(I was going to set the current music to "In Your Eyes", but this is, in some ways, even better. Although the fact that the other includes the lyrics "the light, the heat/in your eyes" is a plus, I admit.)



For those just showing up: two days ago, my eyes were -10 and -12 diopters (read: bats saw better than I did), and I got custom LASIK yesterday.

The operation was a bit odd (and tedious, since one of the beds I was on had no neck support, which makes a difference after 20 minutes); it was quite strange to not be able to see at all out of the eye that was preparing the flap (via laser rather than microkeratome, if you care), and much stranger to watch the flap being lifted. The discomfort was actually more pronounced in my neck than anywhere in my eyes. After I got home, the pain increased somewhat, but Tylenol pretty much took care of it.

Yesterday afternoon/evening I was supposed to rest and keep my eyes closed as much as possible. So I decided to go whole hawg and wore a set of airline eye covers over the eye shields (so that I wouldn't be tempted to try to see at all) and spent the time finding out what it's like to be really blind as opposed to just really, really fuzzy without lenses. Interesting.

For the record, Megan was very supportive; she took me there and home, watched the whole thing, and took care of me afterwards. (This while she's 9 - epsilon months pregnant.) Go Megan!

Results so far: 20/20 in one eye, 20/25 in the other. Halos around bright things. Not particularly unusually light-sensitive. No pain since yesterday.

Damn, this is cool.

By the way, I'd like to publicly thank red_frog for supplying a sympathetic ear yesterday as I worked through my pre-op jitters, and for giving me more of a "user's perspective" of what to expect. I didn't bring a stuffed animal, but I did sing quietly to myself while waiting between the flap creation and the surgery. Hey, it worked for me.



Don't know if this is true or not, but I was told by one of the techs that they used to have music in the operating room, supplied by some CDs that one of them brought in. Then someone pointed out that perhaps Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder were not the best artists to be playing to that particular clientele. Even if it's not true, it should be. ;)

Comments

This...

[fdmts.livejournal.com]

This is how medicine ought to work. Way to go, and gutsy too. I'm totally squeamish about lasers near my eyes.

Re: This...

[jrtom.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know, "DO NOT LOOK INTO LASER WITH REMAINING EYEBALL". :)

It didn't really take guts of that sort, for me, though; I'm not particularly squeamish about that sort of thing, and these are really low-power lasers. But yeah, this is how it should work. (Although it would be nice if it were cheaper...and possible to do earlier in one's life.) I just hope that things continue to go well.

[red-frog.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad that this went so well for you. The haloing will improve. And yes: if that story about the music is not true, it should be.

[darcydodo]

Damn, this is cool.

Isn't it just? :)

One (hyphenated) word: eye-drops. Use lots of 'em, until you think you're crying eyedrops.

For me, the most annoying part of the surgery was the pressure they put on your eyeball.

Just think, you'll be able to see the baby from all the way across the room in the middle of the night. ;)

[jrtom.livejournal.com]

Yeah,

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Yeah, <lj-user "red_frog"> mentioned the eye drop thing. I am programming my Palm to beep at me every couple of hours. :)

The pressure was disconcerting, true. But it helped that (a) I knew it was coming, and (b) the doctor told me how much longer it was going to last. A good bedside manner really can help... :>

[gwyd.livejournal.com]

I admit, I generally pretty touch about these things. I had a bone set once with pain killers and did much teeth under novacane. I generally look when the phlebs stick me and kind of enjoy watching my blood cycle. Nevertheless, I don't think I could cope with being awake while they messed with my eyes.

You are a better man than I.

[jrtom.livejournal.com]

I've done plasma donation numerous times, and I usually pay attention to the stick, yeah. (If only because sometimes they screw it up--which is not easy with the vein in my right arm, properly primed.)

If it helps, though, this is a surgery that has to be done with the patient awake and aware, because you have to focus on a particular spot in order for the surgery to happen. (If you lose focus, the laser stops, so that it doesn't do anything it shouldn't.) I think that I'd want to be awake anyway--given the amount of pain involved, which really isn't much--but by definition, anyone that's gone through the surgery has to be able to cope with this. (They do mildly tranquilize you--half a tablet of Xanax, in my case--but they don't want you to be dopey enough to keep losing the focus.)

I don't think it's really a matter of being brave (or any other definition of "better"); I'm just not so constituted as to be bothered much by this sort of thing. It's not clear how much that has to do with anything conscious on my part. :)

[gwyd.livejournal.com]

My eyes are a weak spot. Ever since I got that bad poke at camp as a kid I've hated anyone else to mess with them. (I do contects fine when I can afford them, but someone else touching my eye? I have a hard time not getting violent.

nice!

[amnesiadust.livejournal.com]

Great that it turned out so well. Happy seeing!

[(Anonymous)]

yay for eyeballs!!

t.