Since I started Kindergarten, I’ve been a glasses-wearer. I started off with glasses, but eventually got older and switched over to contacts. And let me tell you, having already sensitive eyes on top of wearing contacts was a recipe for constant watery eyes. I knew that I got my near-legally blind eyesight from my dad, and he had gotten Lasik eye surgery at around 30. So, from the day I started wearing glasses, I knew that Lasik was an option. But the catch is that your eyes have to be done changing, so you have to be around 21 to get Lasik surgery.
I got Lasik eye surgery about three months after my 21st birthday, and it was an interesting experience, to say the least. I was awake for the whole surgery, and while I couldn’t feel anything, it was definitely freaky to have your vision blackout on you.
The surgery starts with a brief explanation of the post-op care, like eye drops and medication, and then I was given a muscle relaxer and numbing eye drops to help me calm down before the surgery. I was then taken into the surgery room and was laid down under the first machine where they cut an incision in my eye (gross, I know) so they could reshape my lens. This is where it got freaky. I had to stay perfectly still while they cut the incision, and my vision started to get spotty. After the incision was completed, the technicians helped me stand up and guided me over to the next machine where they used a laser to reshape my lens. This part was particularly freaky because I had to keep my spotty vision still on a red dot, but I could still hear and smell (yes, SMELL) everything around me. The doctor performing the surgery was super kind and talked me through every part of the surgery.
After that, it was done! The post-op care was super easy. All I had to do was sleep for a little bit to help the pain wear off, and put in medicated eye drops every hour. The pain in my eyes was definitely new, but after sleeping for a few hours I was able to open my eyes and was already able to see better than before!
I would highly recommend Lasik to anyone who needs it because it is such a simple process, and the post-op period is nearly painless!
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