My eyes have come a looooong way.

I had my 6 month post-op visit last night with the eye surgeon who did my LASIK procedure. 

Doctors use the Snellen chart to measure visual acuity (20/20, 20/30, etc.). It looks like this:

20/20 means that if you're standing 20 feet away from an object, your eyes see it as clearly as if it was 20 feet away.
20/15 means that if you're standing 20 feet away from an object, your eyes see it as clearly as if it was 15 feet away (this is typically better than 20/20).
20/200 means that if you're standing 20 feet away from an object, your eyes see it as clearly as if it was 200 feet away (you're incredibly nearsighted).

In visual acuity terms, my left eye is currently 20/15 and my right eye is 20/25 (my right has always been weaker). 

Before the surgery, my left eye was 20/400 and my right eye was considered "unmeasurable" because it was so bad. Instead of reading the chart, the doctor would have to hold up fingers. 
"Legally blind" is 20/200 which is when you can make out the big "E" on the chart and that's it.


I am so happy and thankful that I was able to have this surgery. It has truly been a blessing in my life.

LASIK update post 1 week

So yesterday was officially a week after my LASIK procedure. So far so good!

It's been amazing being able to work a full day and not get a headache for the rest of the night. When I had glasses I always got headaches (because the last two eye doctors I had gave me the wrong Rx). 

My only complaints are the dryness and the glare when I'm driving at night. My eyes constantly feel like I have an old pair of contacts in. Refrigerated artificial tears are my new best friends. 

Driving at night has been a little scary for me. I can obviously see the cars around me and buildings and the road but there's so many lights that I get a lot of glare and then I can see if there's something in the road like a pothole. The doctor said that that's normal and as my eyes heal it'll improve. 

The other thing that bugs me is I have a red splotch in my right eye by the iris where they made the flap. It's a normal side effect of the surgery and it'll go away but it's still freaky. 

The white liquid on my eyelashes is residue from my eye drops not pus! I'm so glad I don't have to put in the medicated drops anymore. I was able to taste them in the back of my that and it was nasty! 

Overall I am SO happy I had the procedure done. The side effects and post op healing I'm dealing with are totally worth it. 

LASIK Update.

A few people have been texting me asking how my procedure was and how recovery's going so I'd figure I'd just write a quick little update.

Friday I left work early with my mom and got to the Dr.'s office. The procedure itself was REALLY fast--maybe 15 minutes tops. I was awake the whole time, no Xanax or anything. They gave me a little teddy bear to hold onto. I almost decapitated it because I was terrified that if I moved slightly, that the laser would mess up my eyes!

The worst part for me was at the beginning when they put this suction cup thing on the eye so they can create the flap in the cornea. My vision blacked out during that and I felt a lot of pressure. The laser part wasn't bad but it was a little freaky since it crackles, and I was able to smell my eye burning(?) afterwards. You focus on a blinking red light and then when it powers up it's like there's lightning circling around the blinking light.

At my post-op appointment yesterday they had me read the Snellen chart and I have 20/20! I am SO freaking excited! What's been hard for me is the fact that I'm so used to automatically holding papers and things close to my face in order to read them, so now when I do it, it's blurry. I have to totally reverse 20 years of poor-vision habits. I drove last night to NJ for a wrestling show with my friends (I didn't realize it was the same weekend as my surgery). It was a little harrowing at times but I was able to drive straight and stuff. My eyes just felt tired after a while.

For the next week I have to put two types of eye drops in every four hours and sleep with this flexible goggle thing and wear sunglasses when I go outside. One of my eyedrops I can't stand--its a suspension and it's white and I can taste it in my mouth and the back of my throat after I administer it. :(

I think I'm still in shock at not having to put glasses on my face or put in contact lenses to see. My eyes are dry but they don't feel too bad--kinda like you have a pair of contacts in for too long. Now I need to figure out what the hell to do with all my glasses and contact supplies! :-P