Lasik surgery: 6 hours later, several hours later

We left the house at 9 o'clock. I hated that my husband had to drive me today because he is sick. He drove. We talked little. I tried to doze but couldn't.

15 miles from the doctor's office, I toke my very first ever Valium. It did ease my nerves. Going into the office, there was a sign clearly stated no cell phones turned on because of surgeries scheduled. I made sure I left my phone in the car.

The receptionist said I did not have to sign in. Soon, I was called to make my payment for the surgery and within a few minutes I was called to come to a room.

A technician asked me some questions, gave me a few eye drops, and 600 mg Ibuprofen. She went over my care when I got home. I was then evaluated by the doctor who also put a few drops in my eyes. I was then directed to the operating room.

The room was substantially colder. I shoved my hands in my jacket pockets because of the cold. I consciously kept my hands open and not clinched, but in my pockets.

The doctor told me to watch the red light. It will move but sometimes it will not be visible. He covered my left eye, then he put a suction on my right eye. The suction was the only part of the procedure that was slightly uncomfortable. I think because the pressure around the eye felt weird--not that it was really uncomfortable.

The doctor said I would hear a click. I heard it, but it was meaningless to me. This part of the procedure eventually led to my sight going dark. I must admit this was at least a little disconcerting. I could hear a woman say 15 seconds left. I started counting with 1, 2, 3, etc. I was trying to keep myself calm and my hands unclenched. Then, the same was done to the left eye was done.

The second part of the procedure took a little longer. The suctions were removed from my eye and my bottom and top of my eyelids was taped so I could not close them. Again I looked at the red light. The machine engine started and I heard a clicking. I found this noise somewhat irritating. But, it reminded me that the machine with its programmed technology was making the procedure. I was doing what I could to make myself take my mind off of the situation. I thought that if the machine had made the noise like a dentist drill, I would have freaked. :)

The clicking and the motor were not so bad, just unexpected.Again I heard a woman give us the time left. 45 seconds, 35 seconds, 15 seconds. I again counted starting with 1, 2, etc. Amazing how accurate my counting was. When I reached 44 the machine was at zero.

Between concentrating on the red light and keeping my mind occupied, I forgot that I was cold and the procedure was amazing fast. The left eye was then done.

After the procedure, another doctor evaluated me. He noticed a small bubble on the right eye, but said that was normal and would go away. The left eye was just fine.

Walking out into the lobby I could see much better than I had without my glasses. My eyesight then was a long way from what it needed to be, but was much improved. I was really surprised how good my eyes felt and how well I could see.

I think the drive home made my husband tired. His sickness and the drive were taking a toll on him. I wore the sunglasses gave me. At first, light did not bother me. Thankfully, today was mostly cloudy, but as we drove, the sensitivity to light worsened and my right eye itched. The feeling was if I had scratched my eye.

I was really glad to get home because by then (about 1 hour after we left the doctor’s office), both eyes itched and the sensitivity to light was almost unbearable. I put the eye drops in my eye, taped the funny hole-filled goggles over my eyes, took my second ever Valium, and went to bed. It took me a few minutes to go to sleep, but when I did slept deep. (That Valium is some good stuff.) I slept almost four hours.

When I awoke the sensitivity to light was very mild. I could see even better than before-amazingly better. My vision seemed and still seems cloudy. It has been 12 hours since the surgery and I call see really well. Though my vision is not perfect it is certainly good enough to function. The street and car lights are definitely halos. Hopefully, this will go away...we'll see.

My eyes have a slight itchy feeling and are cloudy. If I were wearing contacts I would take them out clean them and possibly wear my glasses because my eyes . I am now getting ready for bed. I will go through regiment of eyes drops and taping the holey goggles on and going to sleep. I expect to be able to take the kids to school and go to my local eye doctor for a checkup just fine. AND I expect my vision to be better. We’ll see.