Lasik; Week Two

I had my Lasik 12 days ago, and so far things are going well. The red spot on my eye is almost gone, and I'm really glad, because I was tired of the strange looks. Several times I found myself contemplating saying something like "WHEW, That was a close call! You know....my Mom was right. It does stop being fun when somebody puts an eye out." or, "My husband thought the pot roast was dry." I didn't though.

What I want to impress upon anybody who is considering the procedure, is that it is not an instant fix. I was told that my vision would fluctuate for two weeks, after which it would become much more stable, but could still be inconsistent for a couple of months, and that I could expect intermittent side effects (dryness, blurred vision, halos, sensitivity to light) for as many as six months. Also, if you haven't researched it on your own already, for about 5% of those who have Lasik, those side effects are permanent.

My vision has been steadily improving, with longer periods of clarity, and the frequency and severity of side effects decreasing every day. But it's still not perfect. Sometimes I have absolutely crystal clear vision. But sometimes, one eye will be blurry, and sometimes both. This can last for a few moments or a few hours. I'd say that it's really a pretty minor issue. The most troublesome thing for me has been dryness, which at times, has been extremely uncomfortable, and the eye strain headaches from constantly trying to refocus. Certain things seems to exacerbate that, one of which is using the computer. If I had a job where I had to be on the computer for a large portion of my work day, I think it would really be problematic right now. The other is not getting enough rest. When I'm tired, these issues are much more pronounced.

My right eye is giving me the most trouble, because it required a much higher degree of correction. The side effects are much less severe in my left eye, so if the right had been similar to the left, I think my recovery would have been pretty easy. Some people have told me that there was no pain and that they went back to work the next day and I can see how this might be true for people with less severe vision problems.

So anyway, all of this is NORMAL, which is something I think most people don't realize. I know I didn't, until my consultation. Even though I know all of this, I had a pretty major anxiety attack after reading about Kathy Griffin's Lasik nightmare and viewing pictures on her site. Long story short, her surgeon pretty much butchered her eyes and then tried to fix them. She ended up having five surgeries, (with a new doctor) the last of which left her with seventeen stitches in her EYEBALL. Yikes. The vision in one of her eyes is irreparably damaged; not even correctible with glasses or contacts, and she has an visible spot on her eye.

Now, while I tried to be as informed as possible, I did make a conscious effort to avoid Lasik horror stories, because I knew I would never go through with it if I convinced myself something like that could happen to me. Even after the fact, it has made me question my decision, which is just silly, since I know I'm healing well and that my results are exactly as expected. So, do yourself a favor and don't go to her site. I'm purposely not linking it here because I don't want you to be dissuaded by one horrible and tragic example of Lasik gone wrong.

I will say this though...it really underscores the need to choose your doctor carefully. Kathy went to Dr. Maloney, who is a well known, well trained and experienced surgeon. He has performed Lasik on hundreds of celebrities, and has been featured on Extreme Makeover. She chose him because he was "the" doctor to go to. He was high profile and glamorous and he owns his own practice, which means he is not accountable to anyone else if/when he screws up. He can cut corners, he can bend rules, he can push the envelope. I do not consider that an ideal situation when someone is pointing a laser at my corneas and that's one reason I chose Emory Laser Vision. Emory is an extensive health care system which has a solid reputation in a variety of fields. They do not let just anybody put their name on the door.

I am pleased with my results. Even if my vision never got any better than it is right now, I could cope quite nicely. Everyday I marvel at the fact that I can drive, watch television, read, shave my legs...all without glasses. Everyday, there are small instances that remind me how profoundly I have been liberated.

Today it is has poured rain from dawn until dusk. And after dashing to the car for the umpteenth time as I ran errands today, I realized I hadn't had to stop once to wipe the rain from my glasses. WOW.

I wonder how long it will take before I stop groping the beside table for them. Every morning for the last two weeks, without fail, I have reached for them. Well, I guess a thirty year habit is gonna take some time to break. :?)