I can SEE! (Intralase Recap)

Well, I did it!! I survived my Intralase surgery and am happy to report that my surgery went perfectly! I am healing more and more each day and most importantly, I can SEE amazingly well without the help of any contacts or glasses. Modern Medicine/Technology truly is amazing.

On Saturday morning, I woke up excited and ready to get to my appointment. We got to the city earlier than expected so we grabbed coffees (decaf for me, didn't need more jitters than I had) and breakfast before my scheduled time of 10:15. When I actually walked into the office, I started to get really nervous. And as I was being prepped for the procedure, I started shaking and my stomach was doing flip-flops. I took an Ativan to calm down, but I'm not entirely sure how much it helped.

The actual procedure is really hard to describe. It was super quick and in retrospect, really easy...but I will say that the first part where they cut the cornea, was really uncomfortable. It lasts about 15 seconds per eye but the whole time I was thinking "What the HELL am I doing?!" But...at that point, where the machine is, you know, cutting your eye, I couldn't exactly back out.

 If you're interested in seeing a video of my doctor doing the same exact procedure he did on me, click here and start at 4:00. This is exactly what I experienced, down to the doctor, the blanket, and the teddy bear they give you to hold onto during the surgery. If you are thinking of getting Lasik or Intralase, I don't advise watching this video until after you've had it done. The numbing drops were amazing, and I really couldn't feel anything (other than a slight discomfort during the cutting of the cornea)

I'm glad I didn't freak out because the rest of the surgery was easy-peasy. I just had to stare at a blinking red dot and before I knew it, the doctor told me to sit up, and look at the clock. I could see perfectly clearly!! I stood up (still shaking from adrenaline and nerves), walked out to meet Chris and ten minutes later was told I could go home. Our entire walk to the car I kept saying "I can't believe I just did that" "I can't believe I just had Lasik done" "I can't believe this" etc, etc. But just like that, I went home with practically a brand new set of eyes!

I came home and spent the rest of the day on the couch with my eyes closed. I only slept for maybe an hour or so throughout the day (I've never been a napper). So I just listened to movies while Chris tried his best to explain what was going on...it was pretty funny.

Quite the looker...Eh?!

I really wasn't in that much pain, I would describe it more as discomfort. Oddly enough, I only felt discomfort in my right eye. It was tearing like crazy and I couldn't keep it open without having to squint. If I didn't know I also had the procedure done in my left eye, I never would have guessed by how normal it felt. My left eye felt perfect all day, and I really haven't had any pain or dryness in that eye. Each eye had the exact opposite reaction to the procedure as the other. Very strange.

It also helped that I had this little cuddle-monster lie in my lap all day to help nurse me back to health. Zoey crawled into my lap as soon as I got home, and really didn't leave my side for the rest of the day.

By the time I woke up on Sunday, I was feeling 100 times better. Getting a really good nights sleep had helped tremendously. I had my check-up with the doctor that morning, which was just to make sure there was no sign of infection, which there wasn't. We grabbed brunch after my appointment and by the time I came back home, I was feeling even better, keeping my eyes open more and more, with very little discomfort. My eyes literally continue to feel better and better each hour. They don't even look that bad, except for the little red dot in each eye.

It really is amazing to me that I can just wake up and see. No glasses, no contacts. When I went to get in the shower on Sunday out of habit I reached to take off my glasses, only to remember...they weren't there. These were my eyes. I was seeing this clearly without anything!

I am so happy I decided to go through with this, and would definitely recommend this procedure to anyone thinking about getting it done. Thank you to all the well wishers and people who checked up on me this weekend. Talking on the phone was really one of the only productive things I felt I could do on Saturday!

Beautiful flowers from my dear friend Molly!

If you're thinking of getting this done and have any questions about it, please don't hesitate to ask! 
Did you or someone you know have Lasik/Intralase? Was your/their experience as good as mine?