Eye surgery

So this past Monday I went to get my eyes lasered. The total appointment time was about an hour and a half, but the actual surgery took about 20 minutes. The rest of the time was taking exams, prepping my eyes with about 5 different kinds of drops (numbing, cleaning, hydrating, etc). And then instructing how to take care of them (no touching, no contact sports, drops 4 times a day, goggles at night, dark glasses in the sun, no makeup).

Everyone I spoke to said the surgery was easy, quick and painless. I think they either lied, or, like some mothers describing their labor, black out certain difficult parts because the end result is so worth it.

Well, everyone that's asked me has gotten an honest answer. I was a little scared. I admit it. I was not nervous at all until we were in the room and they laid me down and started putting a ring around my eyeball, to hold the eyelids back, and also the nurse gave me a Valium for my nerves. I wish I hadn't taken it. Why do I blindly trust doctors and nurses and take whatever medication they give me??? I know my body quite well, and my experience with Valium has not been good in the past. But I figured - she's a nurse, everyone takes it before their surgery, I should probably take it too.

Ew. Way to be peer pressured. It made me nauseous. And did nothing for my nerves. Gross. Also, it's a good thing my appointment was later in the day and Ka'ihi went to bed early, because it knocked me out by about 7pm.

Anyway, I obviously don't tell everybody that part because it's not the actual surgery. So, once they put the ring in place (my precious - haha just kidding) it suctions onto your eyeball. That's not so scary, but then it's attached to a big machine (kind of like the one at the dentist with the moveable light) that creates the flap in the cornea. It's quite weird that you can see it, although it's blurry, not like you can see a blade. But the panic-inducor is once it cuts, you can't see for a couple of minutes. Like your eye is wide open, but it's black. Except for stars (seriously).

Then you can kind of see but everything is still blurry. The freezing cold room and the blanket they gave me suddenly feels like a sauna as I try to stop myself from blacking out completely. Cold sweats - I kid you not. I actually was praying pretty much the whole time, and then started humming (quietly) church songs to myself. A different machine reshapes your eye (this one makes a tapping noise, and has this smell) and the doctor pokes around with it (fyi on my left eye I could feel this, and it was a bit painful) but I try not to notice because for some reason I am almost more scared about having my eyes worked on than I was getting a c-section. 

Luckily, like I said, it only lasts about 20 minutes. When it's finished I really can't see anything, but force myself to walk properly and strain to focus. After all the instructions and placing a bandage lens on my right eye to keep that corneal flap in place, I can go home. But apart from red patches on my eyeballs, I don't look any worse for the wear. And they start to heal so fast, by the next morning I can see!!!

It's heavenly! I'm so grateful I was able to do this surgery. I absolutely recommend it to anyone who is considering. And other's may have a different experience. But it's not exactly a walk in the park.

Although it is definitely a modern miracle.