PRK Follow-Up

Right Before Surgery and Immediately After (Needing to BLOCK OUT ALL LIGHT!!! And keep moisture in!)

I'm writing this post so people out there who've never heard of PRK (like me) can know what to expect, at least based on my experience. I found out I needed PRK the day before my scheduled LASIK surgery, and wrote about my response/anticipation here.  Overall, this surgery was not bad, and way better than I was anticipating.

They told me it would be 6 weeks before I see 20/20, whereas most people with LASIK see 20/20 the next day.

They told me it would be kind of painful, and feel like sand was dumped in my eyes for a few days.

They told me my vision would be different daily, getting better, then worse, better, then worse.

The night after my surgery, my sweet friend Jessica brought over Thai (my favorite!) for George and me. I was in a dark lair in my apartment, and even turning on soft lighting was sensitive. I want to clarify the difference between UNCOMFORTABLE and PAINFUL. I think being a nurse and working with patients in elective surgery helped me clarify what I was feeling. 

You know that feeling when you're SO THIRSTY in the middle of the night, you wake up almost in a panic to get water? Maybe not...haha...well, that panic-ridden, absolutely parched feeling doesn't HURT. It just feels super uncomfortable until you drink water...same for my eyes. I would put in my drops, and even then, it wasn't an instant cure-all, but it felt much better. And it never "hurt". If I drop something heavy on my toe, it HURTS. That's different.

On the left was a little note I left George when he was heading over one of the days of recovery. On the right was a picture in my old room in Flower Mound, after my mom so kindly brought me up coffee in bed! 

George took care of me BIG time during this surgery. It made me really excited for our upcoming marriage!!!! He makes a killer grilled cheese. Complete with avocado, pepper jack, and sprouts. Mmmm.

I wasn't able to read instructions or recipes, so while I would have been able to cook old familiars, I would not have been able to cook something new. Fortunately I didn't worry about cooking since my mom, George, and Jessica all stepped in and helped a sista out!

Lush bath products (my fav!) and shampoo/conditioner. Spent a lot of time in the bathtub, just chillin'.

Prior to the surgery, I was wondering WHAT I WOULD DO for 6 days, no work, but also...no vision. TV? Nope. Books? Sorry. Driving ANYWHERE? Out of the question. Honestly, my vision wasn't as bad as I was PREPARED for, but still wasn't that great. By the third day, I was ready to be busy, but couldn't drive, so I threw together some crafts around my house, and felt productive again. I was able to make these things:

http://lindsayelise0527.blogspot.com/2012/02/cork-lined-burlap-covered-bulletin.html

I stenciled the letters. I could see the letters on the stencil but would not have been able to have free-handed this, even with 20/20 vision. Ha! 

I enjoyed time at my apartment hot tub. The weather was amazing, which was so nice. I couldn't handle sunlight very well for the first 48 hours, but then, with goggles and sunglasses and/or a big floppy black hat, I was fine to be outside. Actually, I thrived on it. My mood was euphoric with the time away from work. I think it was because I didn't feel pain, I didn't feel sick, and I was finally taking advantage of sick days from work (I've never taken one! Like, since graduating college!). Forced laziness is actually freakin' awesome.

Moonbathing at my apartment hot-tub.

Hot tub

 I felt some guilt because our wedding invitations came in, and were ready to be addressed, while I was out of commission. My mom was hard at work hand-addressing each envelope! I offered her company but no assistance until about a week after PRK.

Mommy hard at work!
(I think she's gorgeous even with glasses and no make up. Seriously check out her perfect profile and hair. )

BEST OF ALL I got lots of snuggle action with my pups and my sweet fiance.

About 5 days after the surgery, I didn't even need the floppy hat or dark sunglasses. Sunlight was no problem at all, but vision was still kind of blurry (but not awful! Probably 20/80). George took me to Bear Creek to play disc golf with the pups. PERFECT outing. I'm not the best even with 20/20, so I noticed no difference in my disc abilities. Ha.

My boys.

I spent more time enjoying the fresh air, sunshine, pups, and just being outside walking around on a Wednesday. The time off work was refreshing.

AND he brought me flowers. He took me to all my appointments, and surgery itself, then also found time and money to get me flowers. Total sweetheart.

 I would already do it again. And I'm not seeing 20/20 yet!!!! The pain is NOT BAD, the surgery itself is VERY FAST, and I already see so much better than without my glasses. Falling asleep while watching TV is the BEST. FEELING. EVER.

I took all of my hydrocodone, so that might be part of why I didn't feel pain. I'd encourage patients of ALL surgeries to take the prescribed pain pills in lieu of trying to be brave and tough. Nobody thinks you're brave and tough when you call complaining of pain, or complain to your significant other. Take your medicine.

I am still taking steroid drops, and will for 3 more weeks. They have a milky color to them, and it looks like I'm crying white paint. It amuses me daily.

I wake up with a very dry eye sensation, but the mornings are the worst, and even then, it's tolerable. I just have drops on my nightstand for instant gratification.

I was able to watch TV the second day (the first day the screen was just too bright...it's strange how much more light POURS into your eyes after this surgery; it's just blinding), but it was blurry. I've noticed even now, while watching TV or being on the computer, I need to look away at a wall or picture frame for a few seconds. It's like (and I know this sounds really weird) your eyes don't know which is dominant anymore. Like for my entire LIFE my right eye has been dominant, and if I closed my left, I saw everything pretty much normal. If I closed my right, everything shifted a tad. Well now, my eyes are deciding which will be the new dominant eye. And after too much TV or computer (like, for instance, right now...), it feels like they are crossed or just tired.

Anyway, that's where I am now! I'm 2 weeks post-op today, and I would guess I'm seeing about 20/60. I was seeing more clearly at the beginning of the week (maybe 20/40?), but expected my vision to get worse, so I'm hangin' in there.

Good luck to anybody out there going through this! And also, if you're on the fence, go for it. ESPECIALLY if you're young; I already feel like I've saved thousands of dollars on eye exams and contacts/solution.....