My LASIK Recovery
Though I had been told by the staff at LASIK MD and countless friends that the recovery from LASIK was usually quick and virtually painless, I was still nervous when I went in for my procedure. What would it be like to not have to wear glasses to see clearly? Would the surgery really be painless?
Immediately after my LASIK procedure, I was shocked at how clear everything seemed. I looked around to see a smiling doctor and nurse. Their faces were a bit blurry, but for me just seeing their smiles was incredible. I had previously suffered from a generous helping of myopia with a side of astigmatism, bad enough that without glasses or contacts a face merely feet away was identifiable only as an oval of skin colour, features completely obscured. Now, I could see. It wasn’t nearly as blurry as I had imagined it would be.
A friend guided me out of the clinic and brought me home. I was a little disoriented but for the most part I felt normal. Over the next few hours, the fogginess gradually cleared. By the time I went to bed, my vision was the best I could remember it ever being without glasses or contacts.
Waking up the next morning, I sat up and looked over at my clock. Darn—I had forgotten to take out my contacts the night before; I knew because I could see the time clearly. Plus, my eyes felt a little dry. Wait, no—I suddenly remembered what had happened the previous day. I pulled back the curtain and looked out at the street, incredulous and grinning ear-to-ear. My vision was so clear, so much better than it had been. It was indistinguishable from my vision with glasses one day earlier. I watched the glint of sunlight on cars and leaves fluttering in the wind.
I put in some eye drops, alleviating my dry eyes, and headed in for my 24-hour follow-up. Eyes approved and looking healthy, I went to work that afternoon. Everything was surprisingly normal—except that I wasn’t wearing contacts.
Over the next few days, I stuck to the recommended activity schedule recovering after LASIK but found that it didn’t impede my regular life at all. I also made sure to follow the eye drop schedule, which relieved my dry eyes. My eyes slowly got better and better, and when I went in for another follow-up a week later my vision was 20-15—better than it had ever been before, even with corrective lenses. Because of my astigmatism, my vision could never be perfectly corrected with glasses or contacts to quite the same degree.
Before I knew it, my LASIK recovery was complete. Life went on, much as before, but without the constant hassle of glasses and contacts. I still stop, now and then, to notice how crisp and clear my vision is and to enjoy the view.