I was blind but now I can see!
Nov. 28th, 2005 12:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
robinblokeOr the continuing adventures of Mr. R. Langridge.
So, laser surgery is all done and dusted and although my eyes haven't entirely settled I have very good vison and can again (huzah!) use computers,read and see the TV.
At the moment my vision is still very slightly blurred, but this will clear up over the next week and settle entirely within three months (after a week the changes really won't be that noticable)
Well, they strap you down under this giant blaster ray and burn you until you scream. Erm. Or not, actually what they do for the first 40 minutes is give you eyedrops (4 lots in my case) that stop all sensation in your eyeball. This is a good thing™.
Next you go into the laser room, hairnet and boot covers... I was wearing my chunky new rocks, much to their amusement, so the covers really didn't fit that well - ooops.
They explain it all and then you lie down on a fairly comfy table. Your eyelids are pinned back, not that you can feel this, and you see a little red dot.
Then the surgery begins.
The doc drops alcohol onto your eyeball to make the outer layer (Corneal epithelium) wobbly, possibly the next one too - wasn't sure. Regardless a circle of this layer has to go at this point and it's lifted off.
You don't feel anything at this point, but your vision wobbles all over the place as your eyeball is pokey poked for it.
You're then told to settle down and watch the little flashing red dot, there are four loud buzzing noises counted off by a nurse, each lasting about 10 seconds or so with a pause - during this you can't feel anything happening.
After the second one however you can smell what seems to be vaguely like burnt hair, but not as rank - this is the laser burning your eye.
Finally they place a contact lens over the area as a 'bandage' to be removed a week or so later.
Then you step down, compose yourself for a bit. Or in my case look blearily around as a crapload of adrenalin pumps through my system.
Wrinse and repeat and it's all done.
Out in the reception my vision had already cleared somewhat, I can see fairly okay, definately clearer than with my glasses, already.
Post op I had to be virtually guided back (by my lovely nurse![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
the_mendicant) and there followed a week of increasingly less blearyness until when the lense was removed on friday it all became pretty clear save for a little milkyness on my right eye that should clear up.
My left eye is way beyond 20/20 now, my right is still sorting itself out.
Pain? Well, yes, first two days my right eye gave me agnosing stabs of pain that the drugs delt with when I took them, but still... hurty hurt hurt.
And smoke or any kind of dust etc really screwed me up for the first few days with more pain and streaming eyes.
Now I'm waiting for them to settle (another week) so I can stop wearing wierd moon goggles at night; I've got five more weeks of anti-inflamatory drops to take before I'm finished and my eyes will be settled totally in three months.
Would I recommend it? At the moment a tentitive 'yes' as I want my right eye to sort itself out before I'm totally happy.
But it's revolutionised my life already, it's already very very weird not adjusting glasses, picking up glasses in the morning and worrying about where they are when I go to sleep.
Work is busy, lots to catch up on - they've missed me which is good but I have lots of stuff to do which is bleeeeeeh after two weeks away from the office.
So, laser surgery is all done and dusted and although my eyes haven't entirely settled I have very good vison and can again (huzah!) use computers,read and see the TV.
At the moment my vision is still very slightly blurred, but this will clear up over the next week and settle entirely within three months (after a week the changes really won't be that noticable)
Well, they strap you down under this giant blaster ray and burn you until you scream. Erm. Or not, actually what they do for the first 40 minutes is give you eyedrops (4 lots in my case) that stop all sensation in your eyeball. This is a good thing™.
Next you go into the laser room, hairnet and boot covers... I was wearing my chunky new rocks, much to their amusement, so the covers really didn't fit that well - ooops.
They explain it all and then you lie down on a fairly comfy table. Your eyelids are pinned back, not that you can feel this, and you see a little red dot.
Then the surgery begins.
The doc drops alcohol onto your eyeball to make the outer layer (Corneal epithelium) wobbly, possibly the next one too - wasn't sure. Regardless a circle of this layer has to go at this point and it's lifted off.
You don't feel anything at this point, but your vision wobbles all over the place as your eyeball is pokey poked for it.
You're then told to settle down and watch the little flashing red dot, there are four loud buzzing noises counted off by a nurse, each lasting about 10 seconds or so with a pause - during this you can't feel anything happening.
After the second one however you can smell what seems to be vaguely like burnt hair, but not as rank - this is the laser burning your eye.
Finally they place a contact lens over the area as a 'bandage' to be removed a week or so later.
Then you step down, compose yourself for a bit. Or in my case look blearily around as a crapload of adrenalin pumps through my system.
Wrinse and repeat and it's all done.
Out in the reception my vision had already cleared somewhat, I can see fairly okay, definately clearer than with my glasses, already.
Post op I had to be virtually guided back (by my lovely nurse
the_mendicant) and there followed a week of increasingly less blearyness until when the lense was removed on friday it all became pretty clear save for a little milkyness on my right eye that should clear up.My left eye is way beyond 20/20 now, my right is still sorting itself out.
Pain? Well, yes, first two days my right eye gave me agnosing stabs of pain that the drugs delt with when I took them, but still... hurty hurt hurt.
And smoke or any kind of dust etc really screwed me up for the first few days with more pain and streaming eyes.
Now I'm waiting for them to settle (another week) so I can stop wearing wierd moon goggles at night; I've got five more weeks of anti-inflamatory drops to take before I'm finished and my eyes will be settled totally in three months.
Would I recommend it? At the moment a tentitive 'yes' as I want my right eye to sort itself out before I'm totally happy.
But it's revolutionised my life already, it's already very very weird not adjusting glasses, picking up glasses in the morning and worrying about where they are when I go to sleep.
Work is busy, lots to catch up on - they've missed me which is good but I have lots of stuff to do which is bleeeeeeh after two weeks away from the office.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-11-28 12:43 pm (UTC)Let's hope the rest of the recovery is as speedy and successful as the first week.
Just judging the difference small glasses made for me, I could imagine that you'd be quite senstive to wind when your eyeballs aren't covered by glasses or contact lenses so you might want to be careful/experimenting with that.
no subject
Date: 2005-11-28 12:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-11-28 01:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-11-28 01:48 pm (UTC)It's strange not having that barrier on my face in front of my eyes, makes me feel a little vulnrable!
But one plus side of winter is the sun is behind clouds, shades aren't needed so much :)
no subject
Date: 2005-11-28 01:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-11-28 01:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-11-28 01:54 pm (UTC)Thanks again for the loan, it worked very well!
no subject
Date: 2005-11-28 02:06 pm (UTC)You know, I don't think I could go through with it, but I'm very glad it's all coming together for you :)
no subject
Date: 2005-11-28 03:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-11-28 08:07 pm (UTC)When
He had a friend go in there with a camcorder to make the world's scariest home movie. And a pretty worrying userpic. (-8
private
Date: 2005-11-28 08:24 pm (UTC)Re: private
Date: 2005-11-28 08:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-11-29 02:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-11-29 08:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-11-29 11:16 pm (UTC)What was the name of the particular operation you had done? I remember you mentioned something about there being several types to choose from, but I don't recall which.
no subject
Date: 2005-12-03 07:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-03 09:30 pm (UTC)Because of my job, I could only have one done at a time and then I'd have to take a full year off before reapplying for my medical, and any milkiness would be the end of my career, so I guess it's glasses for me : (
no subject
Date: 2005-12-03 11:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-03 11:33 pm (UTC)I may not wear glasses now, but I don't get to wear an all important Captain's hat like you do!
no subject
Date: 2005-12-05 09:16 am (UTC)*eep* (All references to Greyskull are purely coincidental)
no subject
Date: 2005-12-05 09:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-05 11:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-05 11:57 am (UTC)Re: private
Date: 2005-12-08 07:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-08 07:23 pm (UTC)