Hey, Gems!
It’s been a year since I corrected my vision using the PRK method. But before I dive into how my procedure went let me rewind to third grade. I remember being asked by my teacher to read the chalkboard from my seat which was about 3 rows from the front of the room. I was squinting so hard that my teacher called me to the front of the class to try again and I still couldn’t see. It was at this moment I knew something was wrong. I went through countless pairs of glasses and boxes of contacts till I finally made the decision to fix my vision permanently. Fast forward to 2016.
I did my research and looked at different companies in my local town that performed the procedure. There were even Groupons for the procedure which I thought was super sketchy. I finally landed on going with Diagnostic Eye Center – Houston. I went in for my LASIK evaluation and when I left the eye care professional recommended me for PRK instead of LASIK. Which I was fine with.
PRK vs LASIK
During the LASIK procedure, the surgeon makes an incision in the cornea to create a flap of tissue. This flap is then lifted to reshape the inner layers of the cornea. The flap is put back in place and the incision is closed. In PRK, the surgeon doesn’t make any incisions rather the outer layer of the cornea removed for the laser to reshape.
Day of Surgery
For some reason, I wasn’t scared, maybe because I was deep in prayer the week before and asked God to give me peace of mind. I was so ready to have this surgery that my evaluation appointment was a week prior. Ha! My mother went with me because that is just who she is. She is always involved and hands-on when it comes to anything health related. I was awake the entire time but I was given eye drops that numbed my cornea so I wouldn’t feel the pressure from the laser. I honestly didn’t feel any pain from the laser but there was a smell of burning cornea. Eek, gross I know! I had to keep my head very still but luckily there was a holster to keep it straight, I was instructed to stare at a red dot for the entire procedure. When the procedure was complete I left with what looked like swimmers googles and I hated it.
Post Surgery
Oh my gosh, I was in soooo much pain. I wanted to cry on the way back home because with every bump we drove over I felt like my eyes hurt. Soon enough I fell asleep for the remainder of the ride home, may have been due to the pre-surgery drugs. I was instructed to not open my eyes for 24 hours. Isn’t that crazy? As soon as I came home my mom went into mommy mode. I had to take a certain drop every hour, a different drop every 12 hours, and lastly, drops every time my eyes felt dry. When my dad came home from work he too went into daddy mode. I honestly couldn’t thank them enough for nursing me back to health. The first day was the hardest especially since I couldn’t open my eyes unless I was putting my drops in.
Today
Now that it’s been a year since I had my surgery, I do have to say this was the best decision I could have ever made. I now wake up and don’t have to search for my glasses to see or I don’t have to worry about my contact lenses ripping apart in my eye. I finally have a feeling of normalcy.
Disclaimer: If you are thinking about either of these procedures please consult with your optometrist first. Do not use this posting as your sole resource.
