August 22, 2013

My Lasik journey: surgery day

Read my pre Lasik journey first =)

I'm a nervous girl. I'm not one of those calm and collected girls who can still be calm through a typhoon. No, I'm the kind that needs reassurance that everything's going to be okay, need both mummy and daddy holding my hands through difficult times, gets all shaky and nervous and the likes of it and especially when it comes to things like needles, surgery and basically anything medicine related.

So naturally, I'm not able to sleep the night before the scheduled Lasik procedure. In fact, I didn't even want to stay at home knowing very well that if I think somemore and the what ifs, I'll go crazy. So I came back quite late and actually slept for a mere 5 hours before I woke up and headed to Mid Valley with my parents.

My Lasik was scheduled at 11am. I wanted it to be early because it was a weekend and finding a parking at Mid Valley could be quite a hassle if we were to go late. I was firstly briefed about the post lasik treatment of eye drops and the dos and don'ts. Then I was given a treatment kit to use after Lasik.

And then I met my doctor, Dr. Hoh. He is a cornea specialist and such a soft spoken person and very warm towards his patients. He is super nice and I knew immediately I would be in safe hands. See, told you, I really liked the environment at Excelview. That's why it is super important for you to choose the environment you're most comfortable in because while you're being nervous and all, a good environment will be able to calm you abit especially with helpful and friendly consultants.



Dr.Hoh did the final eye checkup and I'm good to go for surgery. Before that, he told me since my power is extremely high, I would only be able to do Lasik once in my lifetime and if my power comes back or there's some residue power left behind, I can't correct it with Lasik again. Hence, he said he would try his very best to get a perfect vision without leaving any residue power and I should take very good care of my eyes from now on so that my power will not regress.

Then, it was payment time and I'm off for surgery. I was asked to go to the loo first as I'm not able to go right after the surgery. Then I entered a room where I wore a blue scrub and shower cap. You don't need to change your outfit. In fact, I didn't even realise I was wearing my watch the entire time in the operating theatre(OT)  haha....It was very simple. Put on the scrub, a consultant will help to put the anesthetic eye drops to numb the eyes and before you know it, you're lying on the table at the OT. Oh, you're also given a bean bag to squeeze =)

Instructions given to me:

1. DO NOT move my head

2. Focus on the RED light

3. Try to keep both eyes open at all times

In all my nervousness, I was repeating these three steps in my head over and over again. Then I told myself step 4- JUST BREATHE!

Dr. Hoh really calmed me down. He was saying that don't worry, it's like you're going for facial haha and that point in time, I would believe anything he said. So alright, facial time it is and it's nothing to be scared about. I'm sure extraction in facial would be more painful than this, I thought.

I looked up at the machine and I saw two lights; red and green. Doctor asked me to just focus on the red light at all times.





I did as I was told and then it started. He did my right eye first. There was something to hold my right eye from closing and my left eye was covered but I'm told to open both eyes at all times. The hardest part of all was keeping my left eye open while my right eye was undergoing Lasik. 

I could feel the instrument touching my eyes and felt some pressure but there was no pain. For 30 seconds I couldn't see the light because he was opening the flap. And while the laser was doing its work, you can actually smell burning smell >.< But not to worry and all the time Dr Hoh was talking to me softly and telling me the steps and saying don't worry if you hear this sound, if you smell something burning and it'll be over in a few more seconds, etc. 

I didn't actually count how many seconds the procedure took, but quite fast I think. I could feel after the laser was done, there was some water to drain my eyes and the flap was closed back. Yes, I can see all of these and I was very much awake to know all that's happening. Quite scary but I did not feel any pain though so I thought, okay, I can do this! After the first eye, we rested for 2 minutes and I could actually feel my body more relaxed after that. My poor bean bag almost torn from my long fingernails hehehe

The left eye was the same only that I was a bit paranoid to keep my right eye open this time because it was just fresh from surgery. But I tried my best to keep both eyes open. And then, it was done!! He lied!! It's nothing like facial! Facial extraction is more painful!! *laughs* 

But of course I didn't know what was waiting for me. The after effect when the anesthetic worn off, was a burning feeling! But I only had it in my right eye. I could already see a bit better and my vision on the first day is expected to only be 75%. I was told to rest for an hour but I couldn't rest because my right eye was a bit burning and I was feeling a bit panicky. After an hour, I told the doctor and he checked and said nothing wrong and that it was normal, put some eye drops to numb the pain and everything was good again =)

I was then discharged and could go back home. I had to immediately wear my sunglasses and I felt like a blind person walking in Mid Valley with sunnies. Only thing others did not know was that my eyesight was getting better =)

Everything was good after that. It's like I didn't check into Excelview for a life changing surgery. I could even go elsewhere for lunch with my parents and chit chat like normal after that LMAO!! 


But I was in this for the entire day!
Yes, I was at home with it, bathed with my sunnies and I rested with it haha!
I also couldn't wash my hair and face on that day. I could only wipe my face below and above the sunnies.
So just imagine my oily face >.<


These are my post lasik treatment kit. 1 antibiotic and two bottles of eye drops to defeat dry eyes.
The antibiotic is 4 times a day for 7 days.
The eye drop is HOURLY!! Yes, every hour till the first bottle finishes and for the second bottle, 8 times a day till finish.
So, imagine me everyday putting alarm hourly to remind me for eyedrops >.<


My specs and contacts have been replaced with...


...my new best friends, sunnies and eye drops haha


And these are my sexy eye shields when I go to sleep for the first two days post Lasik.
This is to prevent me from accidentally punching my eyes and cause the flap to move.


I was actually bored already the first day haha. Because I couldn't do anything except rest. I can't watch TV and I was so light sensitive. Even with my sunnies, I felt the lights in my house were glaring! I kept asking my family to off this light, off that light haha So the best place for me was in my dark room, with my sunnies staring at the ceiling until I fall asleep LOL

Overall my first day recovery was good. I was in a rather good mood, vision was a bit blurry with 75%, couldn't read my messages well in my phone, was just on my bed the entire day, religiously putting eye drops and was hoping my vision would be at least 95% the next day and my post Lasik appointment will go well.

Post Lasik post to be continued after this =))

10 comments:

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  3. Hi, I intend to do a lasik too..
    Your post helps me make my decision.

    Thanks a lot ya!

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    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi, sorry I just want to share, I did mine 7 weeks ago, dry eyes, haloes and starbust at night, kind of cloudy even when I go to midvalley megamall. Still under follow up, really hope for better vision

    ReplyDelete
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