Strange fact about me #142: I am terrible at eyedrops.
Last Thursday I got LASIK surgery and let me just tell you, I love it. I am glasses-free! Here is the spiel I’ve been giving:
Went in at 1:15pm, was given a valium, waited 15 minutes, headed into the back office. I was able to keep on my street clothes. I was given like a million eye drops. Laid back in the chair, they pulled my eyelids back, everything went dim and some pressure while they made the flaps. After both eyes were done they took me to another chair where i stared at a green light, they started up the laser (I could smell the burning). No feeling at all and boom, done. More eye drops, headed to recovery room where the doctor looked over the flaps. He said everything looked good. More drops were given, plastic clear shields were placed over my eyes and I sat for five minutes and was home before 2pm. They kept saying the worst part would be when the numbing eyedrops wear off (around 30 minutes after surgery). They warned me that it would feel itchy, painful and irritated and said the best thing to do was just to go home and sleep. No problem right, I’m the queen of sleep.
I get into bed and I am wide awake. Go figure.
I was awake for the first 90 minutes, during the “worst of it”. I describe that “pain” as a mild case of eye allergies, so I kind of laugh at that “pain”. And maybe I was extremely fortunate that it was just this. Then I slept for 90 minutes afterwards and proceeded to a normal Thursday except for the multiple eyedrops and the eye shields that I had to wear the rest of the night.
Friday I went back to Wolfe Eye Clinic and my eyes were reading the 20/20 line pretty easily and they said my vision will more than likely get even better.
Side effects: I have two effects which should only last 2-3 weeks. I have blood spots in the whites of my eyes. I also see the halos that most people deal with. These halos really only bother me at night with lights and if that is the worst of it, that is fine with me.
For the first two days after surgery, I had to have 12 eyedrops a day and then after that 8 eyedrops a day. For most people this isn’t a big deal. For this girl, it is awful. I have never been good at eyedrops. So, my knight in shinning armor, Nicholas, got the job of trying to administer these drops. 9 out of 10 times my eyes will close right at the moment the drop is suppose to coat my eye. Nick then proceeds to sigh and say “are you kidding me”. Today is the last day for drops and that is awesome.
Why did I choose to do it? Well, I’ve always was curious and I’m very bad at contacts. I’m sure that comes to no surprise considering I can’t give myself eyedrops. And even though my prescription isn’t that bad, the inconvenience of glasses drove me crazy. Once I looked into it some more, talked to various friends and family, I was convinced. I had to give up some of my identity, my glasses, that I sort of hid behind. They sort of made me unique and gave me a certain look. Now, I’m a little exposed, feeling a little naked. But, I will work through it.
And there it is, my LASIK experience, got to love science. Here are my four favorite pairs of glasses that I’ll be donating soon:




