PRK

As many of you know, on Oct. 26th I had PRK ore performed on my right eye. The procedure was quick & painless. I think I was only in the procedure room for a total of 5 min & the laser itself took only about 5-10 sec. The rest was prep time...taping the left eyelid shut and the right eyelid open, attaching the device to keep my right eye open, removing the epithelial layer of the cornea, etc. (Are you squirming yet?). I was given several doses of numbing drops for both eyes, so I really didn't feel a thing. The worst part was the rinsing of my eye with cold water, which they did a couple off times. I did experience a bit of anxiety with not being able to move my hands, move my head or blink my eye. But as I said earlier, it was only for a few minutes, so I was able to get through it. A "bandage contact" was inserted into the right eye to protect the cornea while the epithelial layer heals. This stays in day & night for 5 days. The remainder of the day I was told I should rest...no reading, watching TV or computer work. I was given a Valium after the procedure to help induce sleep. I ended up sleeping a good portion of the afternoon, so it wasn't so bad. I just listened to the TV whenever I wasn't sleeping or dosing myself with one of the multiple eye drops that I had to take post-op. I also had to wear this clear plastic eye shield (that was taped onto my face) over my right eye for all of that first day and then at night for the next 4 nights. That wasn't a big deal except for the indentation it left on your face for several hours after it was removed...very odd looking, but maybe it will start a new trend!

Day 1
I took this day off work, since I was told I could go back to doing pretty much anything except computer work or reading for any length of time. It was just as well, since my vision was still quite blurry. I could tell my distance vision was a bit better, but I still couldn't see near. I never did have any pain. The only discomfort I've experienced was when my eye became dry (as it often does). It just feels like you have an eyelash in your eye. Once I put some rewetting drops in it, the discomfort immediately ceased.

Day 2
This was a Friday, and I had decided to work from home, so I could take frequent breaks. Computer work is next to impossible right now. My follow-up appt went well. My doctor said my cornea was healing very well. I was starting to experience this haziness. The doctor said that was because of the bandage contact...and not being able to remove it & clean it like you would a normal contact. He said that I should see much better once that is removed on Day 5.

Day 5 - Monday
I was told at my initial consultation that I need to be very patient with my recovery period, since PRK takes longer to heal than LASIK. So I remained patient all weekend, and anticipated the removal of my bandage contact. Chad drove me to my appt this morning, as driving is still a scary feat. I'm still experiencing double vision and nighttime halos. My eye doctor said that my cornea had healed well, so he did remove the bandage contact that morning. I immediately felt the haze go away, but I still had the horrible double vision & blurriness. However, I was seeing 20/30 at this point...and was told it should improve more over the course of the next week. My next surgery...for my left eye...was scheduled for Nov. 10th, two weeks after the first surgery. So I remained patient, and hoped for great improvement by that time.

Days 6-9
Computer work...or anything close-up...is still extremely difficult. I have always been nearsighted. So my left eye remains nearsighted. However, my right eye is a bit more farsighted now. I can't see anything close up with my right eye, so I end up squinting a lot of the time, Reading and working on the computer makes my head want to explode. My doctor suggested we remove the right lens from my glasses to assist with my work duties. (Another hot fashion trend that I'm setting!). But it does help when I'm sitting and trying to focus on something close. However it does not help when I'm walking or driving. Holy nausea, Batman! I have never been one to experience motion sickness, but I now am totally sympathetic to those that do! This must be what they are experiencing, I have learned to stomach it for driving though, since I don't want to kill myself or others. Too bad Chad can't be my chauffeur every day! : )
My patience is now wearing thin, and I'm starting to get a bit concerned because I don't think my vision has improved this entire week. So I called my eye doctor, and I'm scheduled to see him tomorrow.

Day 10 - Saturday
I drove myself, very cautiously, to my appt this morning. I couldn't see any of the lines on the chart that he expected me to see. He examined my eye and said that there is a small section in the middle of my eye that is still cloudy and not healing as well as it should be, He said that I should be seeing better. But since this area is in the center of my eye, it is causing my vision to remain the same. He is unsure why this is happening & recommends that I go see the surgeon again. So hopefully I will be able to get in on Monday. I've now become quite impatient & upset. My second surgery is schedule for this coming Wednesday, but I'll probably have to postpone it. The fact that my left eye is nearsighted is the only thing that's been getting me through my work days. I don't want to have the other surgery until my right eye heals more.

I'm still hoping for a positive outcome for all of this though. I was so excited to have the PRK done, but I can't say that I'm glad I did just yet. Wish me luck!



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