Jo's Cafe

I started wearing glasses in the first grade. As the years moved forward I have worn contacts, soft and hard, all styles of glasses and “clip-on” sunglasses.

I finally got tired of it. Each year my prescription gets more and more expensive. This year when the SGM asked what I wanted for my birthday, the answer was right there on the tip of my tongue: “Lasik”.

He hesitated for a split second and said, “okay.”

I made the appointment for the initial exam and spent two and a half hours in the eye doctor’s office. They did everything to my eyes short of removing them and examining them. If after all that I wasn’t fit for the surgery, it was good to find out my diabetes had not effected my eyes. But I was a good candidate and the surgery was scheduled for July 2nd.

The day of the surgery started out normally, but due to the sensitivity of the machine (I was told), no fragrance products could be used by the patient, ie: no over powering the doctor with tons of second rate perfume, but I followed instructions and left off the deodorant.

I really wasn’t that scared driving over to the doctor’s office, nor while sitting in the waiting room. But once I was taken back to the pre op room, where I received a lovely hair net and cotton tucked behind my ears, my nerves went into overdrive. The SGM held up four fingers to the technician, asking I be given a double dose of Valium, but his hopes were dashed as they only produced two pills. But that was enough and within about thirty minutes you could have cut my toes off and I’d've probably laughed at it all.

–> Lasik – Wikipedia’s Information <–

Once situated under the machine, the doctor taped my eyelashes (top and bottom) back away from my eye. By this time my eyes are numb and the Valium is in full effect and I don’t really care if he tapes them to the ceiling. After this was done, he placed some square looking object (from my vantage point) in my eye for what reason I can’t remember and then he cut the flap. At least that’s what he said, again Valium is a wondrous thing. After the flap was moved away he set the machine, told his technician to count down from the max time for the laser (30 seconds for my right eye, 35 for the left) and then I heard a ticking sound as the machine went to work. I don’t recall “seeing” the light from the laser while it was working, but there was on orange dot above my eye I could see and the doctor said it was the laser.

When both eyes were complete and they moved me away from the machine to sit up – the first thing I noticed was a strange person in the room. I knew the doctor and the female technician, but there was some dude in scrubs in there too! I don’t remember him being there (yes, the Valium) before! I could see his eyes, his mask …. wait … the clock on the wall said 10:10 a.m. clear as bell!! I laughed and said, “I can see!”. I learned later the SGM could hear me in the waiting room (thin walls).

I rested that day in a dark bedroom with some funky looking, cheap goggles on to keep the eyes safe. I was to remain with my eyes closed until I returned the next day for my follow-up unless getting in and out of a vehicle, using the rest room or eating. For the most part I did do all that. But there was only so much sleeping I could do, so I laid there and listened to what the SGM had on the television in the living room.

When we went in the next day, my vision was at 20/40. I was “very” disappointed, but found out the eyes were swollen from the surgery and to not panic. He said everything looked good that day and he’d see me the next weekend.

Since then I have had one more follow up and the SGM has his surgery scheduled in August.

Unfortunately, due to the massive amount of correction that had to be done on my eyes, I may need an enhancement in the future. Although I can see without glasses (except to read), my distance vision is still blurry at times and my comfort level in driving is not there. The doctor gave me glasses for that but asked that I remember my eyes are still healing.  I don’t use the glasses but for driving, and the not all the time then either. 

Time will heal the eyes and once I am past the point of no more healing, if the issues with fuzziness are still there, I will get the enhancement surgery.

I still reach for my glasses in the morning off the nightstand out of habit and I’m still getting used to an unobstructed view around my face, but no matter the outcome, 98% of the time I do not have glasses on my face and I am loving it!

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