By the time this post goes up, it will be Thursday morning, and the end of an era.

Today, I get LASIK.

After today, when I wake in the morning, I’ll open my eyes and be able to see.  No more scrounging for glasses, or fumbling for my prescription sun-glasses while driving, or trying not to scratch my eyes while peeling out contacts.

I’ll be able to see, unaided.

I’ve needed glasses since I was eight years old.

At eight, I was an under-sized, gawky little girl. My sister and I both got glasses at the same time. We spent a long time looking over the few options available for children in the eye-doctor’s office. She picked out a light, pink pair. Me? I picked out a pretty blue, plastic pair that put as much of the world within my focus as possible.

They were probably 1/3rd the size of my face.

As I got older and bigger, my glasses steadily got smaller and my vision stabilized. By college, I just needed new frames, my prescription was still good.

I experimented with contacts. I was okay at putting them in, but struggled a bit getting them out. The week after my junior prom, I made a mistake. This was back when contacts were kept in solution overnight, and rinsed in the morning. I forgot to rinse. My eyes watered so badly, it took me nearly an hour to take them out. It would be nearly 3 years before I’d wear contacts again.

After college, I fell out of practice of contacts. I liked my glasses and so did the guy I was seeing.

Two years ago, I got fitted for contacts again.

I thought, if I could get the weekly-wear ones, I wouldn’t have to struggle with taking them out. Only, there were a couple problems.

My eyes reacted to the contacts as though they were infected! My white blood cells were war mongering to the extent that you could SEE a white spot on the blue of my eyes! That meant I couldn’t get the extended-wear contacts–I’d have to get the daily lenses.

Worse: my eyes had time adjusting to reading. I realized I was now within spitting distance of needing reading glasses. Which, to a glasses-wearer: means BI-FOCALS or Progressive Lenses. Neither were things I was interested in.

Several friends and family close to me had had eye surgery and spoke highly of the results. My mom warned me of a family history of cataracts, so I knew I might be high risk. I started my research into safety and risk complications. After lots of contemplation and nerves, I made my decision.

I decided to get LASIK

On the 12th of April, I saw an eye doctor that was recommended by a friend. There, I asked if I was a good candidate for LASIK. They did a lot measurements and dilated my eyes. And told me I was good-to-go. There, they gave me a recommendation to a LASIK surgeon.

It took about 5 hours for the dilation to wear off, where I could read again without an instant headache. I’m not sure if it’s me getting older or if I’ve never tried to read immediately after an exam before. Or maybe it was the numbing drops making everything return to normal slower? I napped and when I awoke, half my pupil had returned to normal… they were off center, though! Reaching more towards the outer-upper edge.

But, eventually, my eyes were fine again and I knew it was time for me to do it.

I checked with my insurance and the recommended surgeon was in-network. My insurance doesn’t cover the surgery, but did give me an almost 20% discount! When I told my brother-in-law who I’d been sent to, he said it was the SAME surgeon who’d operated on HIS eyes. And that he highly recommended him!

Two recommendations for the same surgeon? And really nice reviews online (except for the people shocked at having to wait at a doctors office or shocked at the cost).

So, I called.

Thursday, April 27th, at 9:15 am, I went in for my consult.

By 10:30 am I had a surgery date exactly 2 weeks out

At least that meant I have very little time to second guess myself?

Thus far, my technique has been not to research any more, think too hard, or ask people about what could go wrong.

At one week out, they put me on meds to prevent cold sore outbreaks, (since those can transfer to the eyes), refreshing drops 4 times a day, and an ointment I apply to the inside of my lower lid just before bed.

I’m not sure if most of the drops/ointment are more precautions, to keep my eyes healthy pre-surgery, or simply to make certain I’m practiced at giving myself drops and eye goop before I have to do it while my eyes are healing.

Once my eyes have healed, I’ll no longer need glasses or contacts to see at a distance. But eventually, reading glasses will be in my future.

Oh, a small correction to this post’s title:

Lasers, 1pm, Today!

Catch you on the flip side!

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Have you had eye surgery? Tell me about it! (I’ll be reading this AFTER my surgery…)