Day of Reflection

There are certain days of the year which are of personal significance. Today is significant because it was one year ago that I had laser eye surgery.  http://ellick92.blogspot.com/2011/01/todays-day.html  I had been wearing eyeglasses since I was 14, or for the last 22 years. If you do the math you can find out how old I am. If you want to know why I decided to do it, read my very first blog post. That is unless your still working on the math problem. http://ellick92.blogspot.com/2011/01/day-of-change.html

The emotions of that morning were very similar to what I felt the day I was discharged from the US Navy. One of my favorite movies is the Shawshank Redemption. There is one scene, in only the way Mr. Morgan Freeman could do, that described what I was feeling. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRBl0GPBm4o&feature=related

The surgery part wasn't too bad. If you want to know what my vision was like during the surgery, just put some eye drops in and look into a light bulb. It is preferable that said light be switched on. When the procedure was over, I couldn't believe that I could see so clearly. I was told my eyesight would be very sensitive to light for a few days. How little would I know that light would be the least of my problems. The first two days were not too bad, but the third, fourth, and fifth days were hell. It was about 8:00 the third night that my eyes started watering, my sinuses got stuffed up and my nose started to run. Usually if that starts happening I take some claritin-d cold medicine and I feel better, but not even that could stop it. I couldn't lay down or go to sleep. It took until the 5th day for that nonsense to quit. I would have to keep my eyes lubricated and to use eye drops for pain. Sensitivity to light, dry eyes, and pain, the main side effects of recovery, were not that bad. The worst thing was all the gunk that collected in my eyes while I was sleeping. I had to be mindful to wipe away all that stuff before I opened them. Waking up is hard enough, now I got to remember that, UGH. The couple times that I did forgot to clean them out, it would take 20 minutes of blinking to get that crap out and to feel better.

There are two different ways that your eyes can be done. Either a flap can be cut on the outer covering of the eye (lasik) or it can be wiped away (PRK) before the laser is used. When a flap is cut, that person's eyesight is instantly better, but if it is wiped off it can take up to 2-4 months for clear sight. Guess which one I got? If you read  http://ellick92.blogspot.com/2011/01/day-of-change.html  you would know, but if you didn't I will tell ya. I had the one where it is wiped away. Right after I had my surgery I could see crystal clear, but over time that outer covering has to grow back. After the layer grows back the eyes would be as if nothing happened to them, but when a flap is cut, it never heals shut and can be dislodged.

During the day I could see good enough to drive, but at night the glare from the lights would cause me to have double vision. For my job I drive an end dump semi truck for Asplin Excavating.  http://www.asplin.com/  I am layed off for the winter months so the surgery didn't interfere with my job. The company got a contract to haul gravel from our gravel pit in Rollag MN to Kindred ND in early March, but since that is day driving I could work. I work in Fargo ND, so I have to be available to drive when the spring floods come to the Red River Valley. That doesn't happen until late March early April, so I had a little extra time for my eyes to heal. When the floods did come, I only had to drive for a week. I didn't go back to work full time until late April. By that time it was close to 3 months since the operation and my eyes were mostly healed. Another thing was I couldn't see my computer screen very well. I had to have the zoom at 150%. Over time I gradually reduced it to 125%. Even now with my eyes completely healed I prefer to have the screen at 125 zoom. I highly recommend that everybody try using their computers at that zoom level, 100% is too small.

Like any surgery, success is not guaranteed. Getting 20/20 vision isn't always achieved. My right eye ended up being 20/25 while my left was 20/600. Perfect vision is 20/20. My left eye was always weak compared to my right. My eyes have been checked on the eye chart four times since the operation, and it was frustrating for me and the nurses when I couldn't see the letters. I knew I could see, I just could not see that eye cart. It was always a relief when Dr. Strinden would come in the room and check my eyes and not say anything about the chart. The main thing that can go wrong with PRK eye surgery is that the outer layer of the eye doesn't grow back clear and becomes blurry. He would always say that my eyes are healing like they should and not to worry. I know my eyesight is as good as or even better than some people who don't wear glasses, but should. You know who you are. So I am not going to worry about it.

Would I do the surgery again? Yes I would. Not having to hassle with eyeglasses was reason enough, but the main reason was I wanted to be more outgoing. For twenty two years I was using them as a crutch for my introversion. During the past year I have realized it is going to be a long journey to change. Just like Red in the Shawshank Redemption, I HOPE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRBl0GPBm4o&feature=related




the answer is 37