It was awful! Seriously, why has no one ever mentioned Lasik surgery is basically like signing up to pay someone to torture you? I know I tend for the dramatic, but honestly this doesn't feel like one of those times. If I learned anything, it is how much of a wimp I am. If ever kidnapped, God forbid, they'd only have to push on my eyeballs and I'd spill all the details and then some.
Lasik surgery involves two lasers. The first creates a flap, which is described at consultation as a little pressure. The second ablates the cornea. The eyeballs are numb, true, but pressure is sensed via a different receptor and those are 100% active. The "little pressure" they describe is actually a lot of pressure, which is required to cause the eyeball to bulge so the first laser can create an adequate flap. So as you lay completely still, staring straight ahead, trying to ignore the feeling that your eyeball is being gouged out, the laser then is applied. The intense pressure increases even more, and with it there is heat and your vision goes black. Let's just say I handled it somewhat less than gracefully.
To compound the fact that I was already poorly handling the procedure, during one of my eyeballs, the laser grinded to a halt halfway through creating the flap and the machine shut down. The room grew tense, and though he kept any concern or panic from his voice, there was definitely frustration bubbling as the ophthalmologist worked to get the laser re-engaged in order to finish the flap creation. He would tell me to look straight ahead, which is so much easier said than done when everything is black. I would look in the direction that I thought best focused forward, to which I would get another "look straight ahead" and I'd have to guess again where exactly to look in the burning blackness that had replaced my eyeball.
Torture now done and in the past. My perspective of course shifts again. I can see without any aide, no glasses nor contacts. Of course I say it's worth it. A few minutes of torture, for the freedom to see 20/20 again. Even the healing process is improving everyday. The first 3-4 hours were continued torture as the irritation caused by lasers destroying layers of the eyeball resulted in constant watering of the eyes. Thankfully that was only the rough 3-4 hours that they had warned about. Since then I can tell the irritation, and edema continues to improve. Even to the point, where I forget and go to rub my eyes absentmindedly. Whoops! Thank you Jehovah-rapha for your healing grace!
Now I am enjoying a few more days away, eye drops and vitamins in tow, but no glasses or contacts! Plan is to no longer require constant eye drops by the time I need to get through a longer surgery.
Much Love.
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