Ok, this was a bad day. I planned on going to work but woke up feeling really tired and couldn't focus very well. My right eye was fuzzy and a bit sore. I had a personal appointment in the afternoon so I went to that. Before I left I put on a little mascara for the first time. After about 2 hours my right eye started to itch a little so I put in the last of my BION drops and headed home. While driving it felt like I had something in my eye. By the time I got home the pain was really bad. I put in more drops when I got home and lay down for a while. It got increasingly bad throughout the evening to the point where I couldn't take the pain anymore and I used the tetracaine pain drops. It helped for about 1 minute but the pain got worse and worse. My husband said it looked like I had a hair in my eye so I flushed and flushed my eye with the BION drops. It was really bad. Finally, not being able to take it anymore, I put in the contact lens the doctor had given me for emergencies. Instant relief. I left it in all night. By morning everything felt better but I still haven't taken the lens out. I'm lubricating lots and using the drops as directed. My eyes feel a lot better today. Vision is clear but much fuzzier than usual. Hope it gets better than this! I can see fine but not as clear as I used to see with glasses and my close up reading is atrocious. I've learned to pull things a bit farther away to bring them into focus, It actually works but it makes you feel old.
I don't know if I got a hair in my eye, or it just got dry and sticky and it caused a small tear or possibly I got mascara in my eye. Whatever happened, it hurt a ton and I will be much more careful now. No more eye makeup for a little while I think.
Saturday, August 16, 2014
PRK Eye surgery - Day 7
Best day yet. By early afternoon my vision had improved so much! I think I might actually go to work tomorrow! I'm so bored! My right eye feels a little bit worse than my left eye, which is the opposite of yesterday.
PRK Eye surgery - Day 6
Day 6 - contact removal day. The contact lenses they put in on the surgery day have been feeling increasingly sticky and sore. I could hardly wait to get them out. I woke up in the morning with off and on sharp pains in my right eye which I think was caused by the contact getting dry. I used tons of the BION drops today to keep them lubricated. I let my niece drive me to my appointment in Vancouver and we went shopping for a bit before and after. The doctor looked at my eyes and said they were healing well. He took the contacts out and gave me a new drop schedule. He said I would struggle with close up reading and computer work and he highly recommended I take the rest of the week off of work. He gave me some reading glasses and I tried them, found them useless so he gave me stronger ones. He told me to come back in three weeks.
After we left the office we went shopping on Robson street. It was pretty funny because my close up reading was terrible. I couldn't read any labels or price tags. Kept having to ask my niece to tell me how much things were.
I drove her home to Abbotsford and by the time I left her house it was getting dark. Oops! The drive from Abbotsford to Langley was sketchy. As it got dark, the halos and night vision got really bad. I just prayed the whole way home! I made it in one piece by the grace of God and by the fact that I drive that road everyday. I probably drove by memory more than sight.
By the time I got home my head ached and my eyes burned. I put all the required drops in, took a pain killer and went to bed. I really overdid it!
After we left the office we went shopping on Robson street. It was pretty funny because my close up reading was terrible. I couldn't read any labels or price tags. Kept having to ask my niece to tell me how much things were.
I drove her home to Abbotsford and by the time I left her house it was getting dark. Oops! The drive from Abbotsford to Langley was sketchy. As it got dark, the halos and night vision got really bad. I just prayed the whole way home! I made it in one piece by the grace of God and by the fact that I drive that road everyday. I probably drove by memory more than sight.
By the time I got home my head ached and my eyes burned. I put all the required drops in, took a pain killer and went to bed. I really overdid it!
Monday, August 11, 2014
PRK Eye surgery - Day 4
This "hazy vision, lay around and heal" thing is getting old. I went to church and to a family BBQ and my eyes hurt so badly by the end of the day. I realized at noon on Sunday I was supposed to stop the anti- inflammatory drops on Saturday. So I'm down to 2 different drops 4 times a day.
Today I mostly feel like the contacts they put in are bothering me. They come out on Wednesday and I can hardly wait. They feel sticky and sore, just like it usually feels to wear contacts too long. When I use the pain drops I tend to forget about my eyes and then I don't rest as much as I should. so I think it's best to not use them and instead just close my eyes and rest when they start to hurt.
Today I'm just ready for this to be better.
Today I mostly feel like the contacts they put in are bothering me. They come out on Wednesday and I can hardly wait. They feel sticky and sore, just like it usually feels to wear contacts too long. When I use the pain drops I tend to forget about my eyes and then I don't rest as much as I should. so I think it's best to not use them and instead just close my eyes and rest when they start to hurt.
Today I'm just ready for this to be better.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
PRK Eye surgery - Day 3
This was the hardest day by far. My vision has become quite hazy and boredom has set in. I'm really struggling with reading too! Close up is a blur! Distance is clear but hazy.
I woke up with very dry, sticky, sore eyes. I quickly put in the cold Bion Tears that aI'm keeping in the fridge, which helped. Then I did the other drop regime and went back to bed. My eyes stung and my left eye throbbed a bit. Got up again and took a Tylenol. Back to bed. I listened to an audio book for a while but just wanted to get up and do something. So bored. My family had gone fishing in the wee hours of the morning, so when they got home at 9:30 am I just couldn't resist helping them clean up all the gear and fish. I wore my sunglasses the whole time, inside and out. It was very bright outside! Off and on throughout the day I put Bion tears in and lay down with my eyes closed for 10 minutes or so. This brought relief for a while. I'm resisting using the pain drops as they say they slow healing. Around 5 o'clock I was so stir crazy and my eyes were really hurting so I caved and put in the pain drops. Total numbness and trouble focussing.
Then, because of the drops, I felt better so I rode along with my husband to get groceries and gas, just for something to do.
We crossed the border to the USA for cheap gas and stopped by the grocery store to buy some wine. It's much cheaper in the US than in Canada. On our walk from the car to the store a young mom with two toddlers in a cart asked us for help. While getting her kids out of the huge, black SUV she closed the door with her keys and cell phone inside and the vehicle automatically locked up tight. Her eight month old baby was still inside. We checked all the doors and tried to open it but it was all locked. The baby was asleep. It was about 28 degrees out and the vehicle was in direct sun. She had no one to call (and no way to call with her cell phone inside). My husband ran inside the get the store manager to help. He sauntered out and asked her if she had any way of opening the SUV. She was staying very calm, for the sake of her two other babies, and she told him she needed him to call someone for help. He seemed slow to understand so I said, very clearly, "There is a baby inside a vehicle on a hot day. Call 911." He did. About 5 minutes later the border patrol services showed up. He said he couldn't really help because there was a fight nearby that he needed to deal with. He indicated the police were on their way. At this point the little kids were getting antsy, the 3 year old starting to fuss and cry, the mom was staying calm but I could tell she was trying to keep her cool for the little ones. So I spoke up again. I said, it's been more than 15 minute. We need to get the baby out. We need to break a window. The mom agreed that she wanted to do that. The border patrol guy got a small tool out of his car but his demeanour couldn't have been more hesitant and weak. He says, "I'm not able to do this for liability reasons." My husband puts his hand out and says, "Give it to me." He looks at the young mom and asks he if she wants him to break the window, she agrees she does. He takes a few seconds to choose the best window, furthest from the baby, chooses the passenger front window, as the baby is rear facing directly behind the driver seat. He takes the hammer, a small yellow object with a very pointy head on one side, and taps gently on the right, bottom corner of the front passenger window. Nothing happens. He taps a little harder, nothing. He goes for it and the window breaks, a small hole at first then it shatters. He pulls away some of the glass then calls the mom over to get her to unlock the car. She does and then immediately runs around and gets her crying, hot baby out. Relief all around. A very exciting trip to the grocery store!
By the time we got home I realized I hadn't thought about my eyes at all. And the pain drops were wearing off. For the rest of the night I was using the cold Bion tears lots and by bedtime I put more pain drops in. It might have been a mistake to use them before going out as they made me careless about my eyes by masking the pain. I'll try to not use them tomorrow but opt to close my eyes and rest whenever they start to hurt. Keeping the Bion tears in the fridge was a great suggestion by the doctor. The cool relief is fantastic.
I woke up with very dry, sticky, sore eyes. I quickly put in the cold Bion Tears that aI'm keeping in the fridge, which helped. Then I did the other drop regime and went back to bed. My eyes stung and my left eye throbbed a bit. Got up again and took a Tylenol. Back to bed. I listened to an audio book for a while but just wanted to get up and do something. So bored. My family had gone fishing in the wee hours of the morning, so when they got home at 9:30 am I just couldn't resist helping them clean up all the gear and fish. I wore my sunglasses the whole time, inside and out. It was very bright outside! Off and on throughout the day I put Bion tears in and lay down with my eyes closed for 10 minutes or so. This brought relief for a while. I'm resisting using the pain drops as they say they slow healing. Around 5 o'clock I was so stir crazy and my eyes were really hurting so I caved and put in the pain drops. Total numbness and trouble focussing.
Then, because of the drops, I felt better so I rode along with my husband to get groceries and gas, just for something to do.
We crossed the border to the USA for cheap gas and stopped by the grocery store to buy some wine. It's much cheaper in the US than in Canada. On our walk from the car to the store a young mom with two toddlers in a cart asked us for help. While getting her kids out of the huge, black SUV she closed the door with her keys and cell phone inside and the vehicle automatically locked up tight. Her eight month old baby was still inside. We checked all the doors and tried to open it but it was all locked. The baby was asleep. It was about 28 degrees out and the vehicle was in direct sun. She had no one to call (and no way to call with her cell phone inside). My husband ran inside the get the store manager to help. He sauntered out and asked her if she had any way of opening the SUV. She was staying very calm, for the sake of her two other babies, and she told him she needed him to call someone for help. He seemed slow to understand so I said, very clearly, "There is a baby inside a vehicle on a hot day. Call 911." He did. About 5 minutes later the border patrol services showed up. He said he couldn't really help because there was a fight nearby that he needed to deal with. He indicated the police were on their way. At this point the little kids were getting antsy, the 3 year old starting to fuss and cry, the mom was staying calm but I could tell she was trying to keep her cool for the little ones. So I spoke up again. I said, it's been more than 15 minute. We need to get the baby out. We need to break a window. The mom agreed that she wanted to do that. The border patrol guy got a small tool out of his car but his demeanour couldn't have been more hesitant and weak. He says, "I'm not able to do this for liability reasons." My husband puts his hand out and says, "Give it to me." He looks at the young mom and asks he if she wants him to break the window, she agrees she does. He takes a few seconds to choose the best window, furthest from the baby, chooses the passenger front window, as the baby is rear facing directly behind the driver seat. He takes the hammer, a small yellow object with a very pointy head on one side, and taps gently on the right, bottom corner of the front passenger window. Nothing happens. He taps a little harder, nothing. He goes for it and the window breaks, a small hole at first then it shatters. He pulls away some of the glass then calls the mom over to get her to unlock the car. She does and then immediately runs around and gets her crying, hot baby out. Relief all around. A very exciting trip to the grocery store!
By the time we got home I realized I hadn't thought about my eyes at all. And the pain drops were wearing off. For the rest of the night I was using the cold Bion tears lots and by bedtime I put more pain drops in. It might have been a mistake to use them before going out as they made me careless about my eyes by masking the pain. I'll try to not use them tomorrow but opt to close my eyes and rest whenever they start to hurt. Keeping the Bion tears in the fridge was a great suggestion by the doctor. The cool relief is fantastic.
Friday, August 8, 2014
PRK Eye surgery - Day 2
I slept soundly thought the first night thanks to an Oxazapam. I woke up at 4 am so I took all the drops as required. My left eye was a bit tender and I may have bumped it.
My drop schedule is 1 drop 4 times a day of each of these:
Vigamox antibiotic
Acuvail anti-inflammatory
Predas corticosteroid
Bion tears - as much as is needed (refrigerate for cool, soothing relief)
My left eye is really starting to hurt. I'll tell them at the clinic.
I showered with my Ray Charles glasses on to protect my eyes from splashing, then headed off to the clinic. 1 hour drive, 15 min check, 1 hour drive home.
They checked my eyes and said it all looks good. I told them about my left eye hurting and that I might have bumped it and they put in a numbing drop. I had been avoiding the numbing drops because when Scott had his eye surgery he was using them up and getting refills and they said it was slowing his healing. They said it's ok to use them a bit, just not too much. They also gave me 4 Ativan to help me sleep. They said I shouldn't go to work for another week and filled out my doctors form for work. We will see about that. A week is a long time!
Returned home for another day in the dark. Feel pretty good today though. Took regular Tylenol only. And lots of Bion tears. I'll check in tomorrow.
My drop schedule is 1 drop 4 times a day of each of these:
Vigamox antibiotic
Acuvail anti-inflammatory
Predas corticosteroid
Bion tears - as much as is needed (refrigerate for cool, soothing relief)
My left eye is really starting to hurt. I'll tell them at the clinic.
I showered with my Ray Charles glasses on to protect my eyes from splashing, then headed off to the clinic. 1 hour drive, 15 min check, 1 hour drive home.
They checked my eyes and said it all looks good. I told them about my left eye hurting and that I might have bumped it and they put in a numbing drop. I had been avoiding the numbing drops because when Scott had his eye surgery he was using them up and getting refills and they said it was slowing his healing. They said it's ok to use them a bit, just not too much. They also gave me 4 Ativan to help me sleep. They said I shouldn't go to work for another week and filled out my doctors form for work. We will see about that. A week is a long time!
Returned home for another day in the dark. Feel pretty good today though. Took regular Tylenol only. And lots of Bion tears. I'll check in tomorrow.
PRK Eye surgery - Day 1
Yesterday, On August 7 I finally got laser eye surgery. While I booked and cancelled this surgery 3 or 4 times since last May, I finally just decided that I'm worth it! And I'm brave! So I did it! My husband did it over a year ago and his recovery was long and agonizing. It made me hesitant. Not because I couldn't handle the pain, I can. But because I always feel bad taking time off work.
So here I am on this sunny Friday in August. Sitting in a dark room, wearing sunglasses, with my room darkening blinds closed and my iPad backlight set to the dimmest setting. I found that reading other peoples experiences were helpful to read so here I go.
August 6 - last day of work before the surgery.
I went to work as usual, dressing up and putting my makeup on as usual. I printed off the relevant sick days forms which are required by my HR department, sent an email reminding my boss that I'd be away for the next 2 days and I'd likely see her Monday. Upon my arrival home, my husband greeted me with a kiss and asked me if I am nervous. I said yes, a bit. So he made me a vodka and soda with cranberry juice, fresh mint leaves and a lemon wedge. Yum!
I decided to sit down with the little info booklet the doctor's office had mailed me. As I read I came across these two tidbits:
1. No eye make up 48 hours before surgery. Oops! I jumped up and carefully removed all my eye make up, rinsing my eyes well. I don't wear that much make up so hopefully that's ok.
2. No alcoholic beverages 24 hours prior to surgery. Oops again! I quickly finished it and turned the page. One drink. Pretty weak. No biggie. I'll drink extra water to rehydrate.
August 7 - day of surgery
My surgery was set for 12:15. 11:15 arrival time. So I had lots of time to get there. I got up at 5:30 am as usual, went to my CrossFit box, had my last workout for a while, wearing glasses because I haven't been allowed to wear contacts for the last 2 weeks. The glasses have been a total pain, sliding down my nose and bouncing around. So glad I'm getting surgery. I was running with a medicine ball held up on my shoulder at one point and it kept bumping the arm of my glasses behind my ear, causing them to fly off. Seriously! Can't. Wait. To. Not. Wear. Glasses.
10:00 am off to the doctors office. It's a 1 hour drive from Langley to Vancouver. Scott was driving me and our 12 year old son was begrudgingly coming along. We didn't want to leave home home alone but the little book said not to bring children to the clinic. I'm hoping they meant little children because I think it's interesting to watch this surgery on the screen in the waiting room. A little science class!
11:15 - we arrive, park, check in. They realize that my initial appointment was over a year ago so they want to redo all the tests. So I spend the next 2 hours reading charts, looking at bright lights, testing dominant eye and answering questions about my lupus symptoms and sufferings. The boys got hungry and went and found a snack at the Urban Fare grocery store downstairs. Chicken fingers and fries. Yum! It smelled so good I had to sneak a few bites. Best fries ever! Finally they take me in for my surgery. Scott had warned me to dress warmly because he felt cold during the surgery. I wore yoga pants, a t-shirt and a light sweatshirt,socks and runners. I was very comfortable. All morning I had been thirsty so I drank a ton of water resulting in countless trips to the toilet right up to minutes before the procedure. At least it gave me a chance to wash my greasy fingers. Scott and Silas were right with me, but when I was led to the table they went into the room next door and watched on a video screen.
I lay on the table with my head in a hollowed out pillow form and my knees bent over a support. The assistant put some drops in my eyes, covered my left eye with gauze and the surgeon put a holder in my right eye. It held my lids open. It pinched a little. He then put a metal ring on my eyeball which I couldn't feel at all. The rest went quickly but he swabbed and dabbed, then told me to watch a red light/dot, then I smelled burning flesh and saw fuzzy red lights, I tried to stare at the red dot but it was really hard. He kept reminding me. My whole body was tense and I felt like I was going to grind my teeth hard and I wanted to clench my fists, so I kept my mouth open and my hands held flat. Then he dropped something freezing into my eye and said the first eye was done. I forced myself to breathe and relax. I was totally rigid from head to toe! I let go and relaxed. He started on the second eye. I just kept telling myself, "relax, relax, relax, but don't move!"
Then it was over. They took me into the room with my husband and son, gave me some drops and said to rest for 20 minutes. So I did. I tried not to peek but the temptation was too great. I opened one eye slowly. I could see! Without glasses! It was hazy but not blurry. Another quick check
and I was sent home with a pouch of drops and a pile of directions.
The drive home was very uncomfortable. I took a Tylenol/Advil combo as soon as we got in the car. It was hot and my A/C doesn't work so we had to have the windows down. The wind and the sun was excruciating. I wore the big, dark, Ray Charles glasses they gave me and tried to block the sun with my hands. I fell asleep for about half the ride. The pain was getting worse. I just wanted to get home. Of course my husband had to stop to renew his car insurance as it was expiring today so that took extra time. I was grouchy and irritable by the time we got home. And thirsty!!
Once I got home I took 2 T3s, leftover from my son's dental surgery last year, drank a ton of water and went to bed in a dark room, with my sunglasses on. I basically slept the rest of the day and night. When I woke up at 4am I put in the Bion Tears drops which I had refrigerated, and followed the other drops schedule as directed. I hadn't taken any pain drops yet. My pain level was quite low as long as I sat quietly in a dark room with my eyes shut. I tried to listen to an audio book but I kept dozing off. My eyes felt hazy, dry, a bit fuzzy and I had a small amount of pain. Drops, drops, drops!
So here I am on this sunny Friday in August. Sitting in a dark room, wearing sunglasses, with my room darkening blinds closed and my iPad backlight set to the dimmest setting. I found that reading other peoples experiences were helpful to read so here I go.
August 6 - last day of work before the surgery.
I went to work as usual, dressing up and putting my makeup on as usual. I printed off the relevant sick days forms which are required by my HR department, sent an email reminding my boss that I'd be away for the next 2 days and I'd likely see her Monday. Upon my arrival home, my husband greeted me with a kiss and asked me if I am nervous. I said yes, a bit. So he made me a vodka and soda with cranberry juice, fresh mint leaves and a lemon wedge. Yum!
I decided to sit down with the little info booklet the doctor's office had mailed me. As I read I came across these two tidbits:
1. No eye make up 48 hours before surgery. Oops! I jumped up and carefully removed all my eye make up, rinsing my eyes well. I don't wear that much make up so hopefully that's ok.
2. No alcoholic beverages 24 hours prior to surgery. Oops again! I quickly finished it and turned the page. One drink. Pretty weak. No biggie. I'll drink extra water to rehydrate.
August 7 - day of surgery
My surgery was set for 12:15. 11:15 arrival time. So I had lots of time to get there. I got up at 5:30 am as usual, went to my CrossFit box, had my last workout for a while, wearing glasses because I haven't been allowed to wear contacts for the last 2 weeks. The glasses have been a total pain, sliding down my nose and bouncing around. So glad I'm getting surgery. I was running with a medicine ball held up on my shoulder at one point and it kept bumping the arm of my glasses behind my ear, causing them to fly off. Seriously! Can't. Wait. To. Not. Wear. Glasses.
10:00 am off to the doctors office. It's a 1 hour drive from Langley to Vancouver. Scott was driving me and our 12 year old son was begrudgingly coming along. We didn't want to leave home home alone but the little book said not to bring children to the clinic. I'm hoping they meant little children because I think it's interesting to watch this surgery on the screen in the waiting room. A little science class!
11:15 - we arrive, park, check in. They realize that my initial appointment was over a year ago so they want to redo all the tests. So I spend the next 2 hours reading charts, looking at bright lights, testing dominant eye and answering questions about my lupus symptoms and sufferings. The boys got hungry and went and found a snack at the Urban Fare grocery store downstairs. Chicken fingers and fries. Yum! It smelled so good I had to sneak a few bites. Best fries ever! Finally they take me in for my surgery. Scott had warned me to dress warmly because he felt cold during the surgery. I wore yoga pants, a t-shirt and a light sweatshirt,socks and runners. I was very comfortable. All morning I had been thirsty so I drank a ton of water resulting in countless trips to the toilet right up to minutes before the procedure. At least it gave me a chance to wash my greasy fingers. Scott and Silas were right with me, but when I was led to the table they went into the room next door and watched on a video screen.
I lay on the table with my head in a hollowed out pillow form and my knees bent over a support. The assistant put some drops in my eyes, covered my left eye with gauze and the surgeon put a holder in my right eye. It held my lids open. It pinched a little. He then put a metal ring on my eyeball which I couldn't feel at all. The rest went quickly but he swabbed and dabbed, then told me to watch a red light/dot, then I smelled burning flesh and saw fuzzy red lights, I tried to stare at the red dot but it was really hard. He kept reminding me. My whole body was tense and I felt like I was going to grind my teeth hard and I wanted to clench my fists, so I kept my mouth open and my hands held flat. Then he dropped something freezing into my eye and said the first eye was done. I forced myself to breathe and relax. I was totally rigid from head to toe! I let go and relaxed. He started on the second eye. I just kept telling myself, "relax, relax, relax, but don't move!"
Then it was over. They took me into the room with my husband and son, gave me some drops and said to rest for 20 minutes. So I did. I tried not to peek but the temptation was too great. I opened one eye slowly. I could see! Without glasses! It was hazy but not blurry. Another quick check
and I was sent home with a pouch of drops and a pile of directions.
The drive home was very uncomfortable. I took a Tylenol/Advil combo as soon as we got in the car. It was hot and my A/C doesn't work so we had to have the windows down. The wind and the sun was excruciating. I wore the big, dark, Ray Charles glasses they gave me and tried to block the sun with my hands. I fell asleep for about half the ride. The pain was getting worse. I just wanted to get home. Of course my husband had to stop to renew his car insurance as it was expiring today so that took extra time. I was grouchy and irritable by the time we got home. And thirsty!!
Once I got home I took 2 T3s, leftover from my son's dental surgery last year, drank a ton of water and went to bed in a dark room, with my sunglasses on. I basically slept the rest of the day and night. When I woke up at 4am I put in the Bion Tears drops which I had refrigerated, and followed the other drops schedule as directed. I hadn't taken any pain drops yet. My pain level was quite low as long as I sat quietly in a dark room with my eyes shut. I tried to listen to an audio book but I kept dozing off. My eyes felt hazy, dry, a bit fuzzy and I had a small amount of pain. Drops, drops, drops!
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