Today I experienced a little bit of pain, like I'm having right now. My light sensetivity comes and goes; sometimes it's worse than others. Of course I just woke up from a 2 hour nap, so that might have something to do with it. My eyes feel so dry in between drops...I think I would feel better if I had a constant source of fluids being pumped through my eyeballs. Perhaps if I could just sleep for the next 4 days I would be ok.
I did manage to go gas up my car, run by the post office, and go in to work for a couple of hours today. I had a few things waiting for me to do, although I didn't get any of them finished, but I'm hoping to be able to go back tomorrow for just a few hours. This morning was my follow-up doctor's appointment. I felt really dizzy this morning, didn't I mention that? I don't remember....but I think I took my pain and sleep meds too late last night, so this evening they've already both been taken. He said things looked fine and he set a time for me to see him tomorrow as well, so I will go in at 4 pm for another check-up.
Someone asked me about the long-term benefits of PRK vs. Lasik, since I mentioned that my eye doc said they were better with PRK. With PRK, he said that the odds of my having to have anything redone to my eyes was lower than with Lasik. He also said that injuring my eye was more probably with Lasik. In Lasik, they cut a flap in your cornea and hold it open to do the laser work. With PRK, they completely remove the cornea to do the laser work. So with the flap, there is a risk of moving the flap if you have serious trauma to the eye, such as being hit by a ball or something. He said that even as long as 2 years a trauma to the eye can still endanger that flap. With PRK, my bosy will regrow the cornea tissue that was removed and all will be well. I know I read somewhere that fighter pilots may only have PRK, not Lasik, and that makes me feel kinda cool. Now I know there is a difference between LasIk and LasEk, but I don't know what they is and I don't know how LasEk compares to PRK.
Basically the pain I feel today I will equate to the pain I would experience when I'd leave my contacts in too long and they would get really dry and burn. Only this time, I can't just remove them and feel better. I have been using my Blink rewetting drops and even done the saline rinse a few time today, which helps, but like I said, I think I'd feel better if I had a little tube of it permanently attaches to the side of my head.
It's all going to be worth it in the end, right?
5 comments:
Hi Brandi, Thanks for explaining the difference between Lasik & PRK. I had Lasik & love the results!
Your description of the uncomfortable feeling (like having contacts in too long) is exactly how mine felt too! Even though the procedures are different they have a lot in common from the patient's standpoint. :-)
Can't wait for your vision to clear up so we can hear how you feel about being able to see clearly w/o glasses! It's GREAT!!
Hi! I just found your blog while doing last minute research on recovery times. I am VERY pleased and relieved by the fact that you said you were driving and working on days 3 and 4.
I am getting my surgery next Thursday and plan to return to work in a full capacity on Monday. It's been a couple years for you at this point, but does that seem easily do-able? A lot of other bloggers seem to have taken 1 week + off of work, but you seem not to have been off your feet for very long! Congrats, hope you're very happy with your decision!
Any words of wisdom would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Angela,
I tried to click to your profile to write to you directly but it isn't accessible, so I'm replying here and I hope you see it!
I'm assuming you are having PRK and no Lasik, so that's the angle I'm responding from. I think your plans to return to work could work if you are determined, but expect to be uncomfortable and depending on what you do having trouble performing tasks. When I was up and around on days 3 and 4, you need to understand that I was up after about 9 AM and at work for just 2-3 hours before retiring back home for the day. I was still using pain meds on those days so getting up at my regular 6:30 time was NOT happening because the medication made me sleepy.
Also since I had a computer job, I had a hard time seeing and would get headaches from straining. So as long as you plan to take it easy your first few days back and expect some restrictions based on your vision (it will not be 100% by this time) you should be ok. Just don't push it, take lots of drops with you and stick with your drop schedule, and if it becomes too much GO HOME. You just had flesh burned out of your eyes and are regrowing your corneas...no one will think you weak.
Hi Brandi!
Thanks for the response. I am getting PRK done, since I'm not eligible for Lasik (thin corneas).
It's very helpful to hear how others have recovered. At the Dr's office, they have been telling me not to worry and that I could get away with just taking 1 day off of work. I decided to verify it, so I've been trying to find blogs to see what others have actually experienced.
I'm in front of the computer the whole day for work as well, so I don't think I'll be 100% up to speed at work on Monday, but that should be understandable.
Thanks again!
I have a stigmatism in both eyes and had this done (lasik though, there is also lasik which is the more straightforward one) in the mater private in March.
prk eye center
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