Post-Op

Had my post-op exam this morning: 20/15 in one eye, 20/20 in the other. Previously they were 20/40 and 20/600. Night vision is terrible, with halos around every light source, and focusing is a problem (especially when I change my field of depth quickly) but those things should improve with time. In the meantime, I'm completely functional, driving and working on the computer, although I haven't tried to drive at night yet.

Two tips for anyone getting the surgery: 1) Pay up for the blade-free (all-laser) option, and 2) take twice as much valium as they recommend, at least.

It is difficult to describe the sensation of a whirring saw blade cutting a flap in your eyeball, but I can say that it was everything I imagined it would be, only more horrifying. It was not painful, but there was enough sensation that I could feel the blade moving through my eye. The doctor kept telling me to "try not to squeeze." I'm not sure what he meant exactly, since I had Clockwork Orange-style metal clamps around my eyeballs holding my lids open, but I do know that my entire body tensed up during those moments. The 5mg of valium did absolutely nothing to calm me. I felt a bit drowsy, but I was not relaxed in any way.

Yesterday was painfully boring, and I broke just about every rule they gave me (don't watch TV, don't work on the computer, don't take off your goggles), but I seem to have survived.