L-Day

I have worn glasses or contacts since the 5th grade and today, I will be free of them!

My friend drops me off at the doctor's office.  See you in 2 hours!

The technician takes me aside to go over my post-op care.  He's a bubbly man with a huge smile that has made me really comfortable this entire process.

• Continue to use the anti-bacterial eye drops and anti-inflammatory eye drops 4 times a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner, bedtime).  Use the re-wetting eye drops as often as you need -- your eyes will be dry.
• Your eyes will be light-sensitive immediately after the surgery so here are your protective sunglasses.
• Sleep with this Eye Shield for the next week so that you don't accidentally rub your eyes in the middle of the night.
• Don't wear eye makeup for the next 4 days.
• Don't get water in your eyes for the next 4 days.  Be careful in the shower, no swimming, and no strenuous exercise.
• When you go outside this first week, wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from dirt that may be blowing in the air.  We don't want you rubbing your eyes.

Anyone who knows me knows that I don't really like being told what to do without understanding why I have to do it.  My questions in return:

• So why the 4 day rule and 7 day rule?  What can happen within those first days that I am trying to prevent?  Your corneal flap will not be completely healed so we don't want you to rub it and dislodge it.  It'll become more sealed by the 4th day.  Also, you will be more prone to infection.  Your eyes should be completely healed within a week.

I imagine what my contacts look like when they flip and decide I don't want my corneal flaps to do this.  I stop asking questions.

The doctor comes in to go over what will happen in the surgery.
Doctor:  Do you need a Valium?  
Me:  No. 
Doctor:  Are you sure?
Me:  Yes.  I'd probably be asleep for the next couple of days if I took one.  
Me  (Do you notice how you question your own decisions when someone asks you something twice?):  Why would I need a Valium?  For anxiety?  
Doctor:  Yes.  But you seem like a calm person.  You should be fine without one.   

I go to the room with the laser.  It has a big glass viewing window for anyone who wants to watch.  I lie in the chair which is reclined all the way back.  As the technicians prop the neck pillows around my head, I notice that my chair is vibrating.  My hands are shaking like crazy!!!  I relax my hands and put them by my side.  My arms are still shaking!  Breathe...three-part yogi breath...fill your belly, chest, top of the lungs...exhale...top of the lungs, chest, belly...breathe....

The doctor tells me to look at the blinking light and puts a ring around my eye.  The suction begins.  This will be the most uncomfortable part he reminds me.  It's a little pressure around my eye.  But I'm thinking...oh my goodness, he has just cut my eye!  Breathe.  You should be losing sight now.  Yes -- mission accomplished!  He swings me to the laser.  His technician does a countdown.  35 seconds...20 seconds...Is my eye closed?  Because I can't see and just want it be closed right now....10 seconds...Eeewwww...it spells like burning hair...5 seconds...done.  He covers my right eye and says we're going to repeat everything on the left side now.  Breathe.  I see a little spatula going over my eye.  He's smoothing out the corneal flap.

Good job.  You did great.  Everything looks good.

The technician asks me to sit up.  Can you see what the clock says above the door?  It's almost 2pm.  So this is what I can see without contacts or glasses?  Yep -- but it'll get even better once you are healed.

Amazing.