I
finally took the plunge! I got rid of my contact lenses and all the added
stress of maintaining it, I got my LASIK surgery done. To those who aren’t acquainted
with LASIK it’s an eye surgery to correct your vision. Keep reading to know m
complete experience.
CONSULTATION
& PREP
I went for a consultation where they
did several painless tests to determine whether or not I was a good candidate
for Lasik. They gave me the total price of the surgery based on the state of my
eyesight. After meeting up with the doctor I was informed I would be going
through the “Femto Lasik” procedure, which had a very high success rate. Femto
Lasik basically means a totally bladeless laser surgery. I was instructed not
to wear my contacts for at least 1 week prior to the procedure and sent home
with a prescription for all the eye drops I would need before and after surgery.
THE LASIK
PROCEDURE
I filled out consent forms whilst I waited for my turn .
Then they gave me a few eye drops to help calm my nerves in preparation for the
procedure. I was already feeling pretty nervous, and this feeling only
increased after they lead me to an empty room to wait for my turn. I was
informed that I was “up next.”
While waiting in this room I saw through the open
doorway a girl who looked like she had just gone through the procedure. She was
reclining on a chair in a surgery gown. After a while, she got up to leave and
I could see she was blinking intensely through her wet lashes.
I have to say, this waiting period was probably the
worst part of the whole thing. Finally, it was my turn to be led into the
operating room. I laid down on a bench with a circular opening for my head to
rest in. The room was chilled and buzzing with the sound of the AC. I was given
tons of eye drops and was asked to hold on to a handle in case I felt anxious. This
was the time the reality hit me and I was giving second thought if I wanted to
do this. The entire setup looked so intimidating.
It seemed to take Dr. Akbar a long time to enter because
he was held up by another patient. I almost drifted off to sleep while waiting
for him. My nerves had cooled down a little. Regardless, by the time my doctor entered
I was ready to just get it over with.
“We’re going to start with the left eye,” he informed
me. They taped over my right eye and started the procedure. More eye drops — and then my left eye was
positioned under a long tunnel of red and green lights. This part was
disconcerting because I could actually see my pupil at the end of this tunnel.
It was reflective enough where I could even see a scalpel near my eye. But soon
I felt my eye being clamped open — more eye drops — and I was instructed to look at the blinking green
light.
Next I felt a little pressure around my eyeball and my
vision clouded over. Imagine a PVC pipe a little wider than your eye. Put some
rubber padding around the rim. Then push that against your eye socket. YUP felt
like that :p.
“Just a few more seconds” Dr. was saying above me.
At last the pressure was released, and then I felt
myself being moved a little . Some of my vision returned but at that point I
could only see gigantic fuzzy green and red lights.
“Keep looking at the blinking light,” a disembodied
voice instructed me. “Almost there, a couple more seconds…Perfect.” Tons more
eye drops, and then I could see a small spatula being brushed repeatedly, but
painlessly, over my eyeball. At last my left eye was allowed to close. “We’re
done with your left eye.” Inside, half of the tension in my heart finally let
go.
It seemed like the procedure for the right eye went more
quickly, probably because I knew what to expect and wasn’t as nervous.
I lay there with both my eyes closed when it was over,
but only for a few moments. “Sit up and look around,” they told me. I sat up
and tried to open my eyes. What I saw was a blurry reality, but — I could already read the digits
on the AC!
I was led to the same reclining chair
that I saw before and instructed to rest for about 5 minutes. Afterwards, the
nurses helped me put on my protective shades and I met my family across the hallway.
I wanted to check my eyes but the blurry-ness due to the intensive drops hazed
my vision.
My name was called out for a post
surgery check up and bright lights were blazed into my eyes. “You are good to
go” the assistant said, we took the eye drop prescription and left for home.
I was asked to put these drops at a
very frequent interval. Due to which my vision hazed a lot by the time I
reached home. I had to visit the hospital the next day to do another minor
check up.
The next three weeks I spent wearing a
pair of hideous shades and no phone, TV or direct light. After my prescribed
time for wearing the shades was done, I gradually shifted to my normal routine.
However I had to keep putting the eye drops for an entire month. This would
help in the longevity of the surgery.
I am so so thankful to my parents who
pushed me and I got the surgery done. The fact of not having to wear contact lenses or glasses any more is
the besssssssssssst .
Let me know if you have questions or anything below. Happy to
answer or give more insight, where possible!
Until next time
Polý agape (lots of love) and stay cheerful :)
