Well guys I’m 2 days post surgery, and what a wonderful experience these last few days have been! Vision corrective surgery has been on my mind for a few years now and last year I finally made the decision to go for it. My dad had his vision corrected when I was a kid and I got to see how amazing that transition was for him and I was equally excited for this transition myself!
Surgery Prep
The whole experience with Williamson Eye Institute started last summer when I went in for an evaluation when they determined whether or not LASIK would be a good fit for me. They went over my medical and vision history, what my hopes and goals were, and ultimately decided that LASIK would be perfect for me. I waited to book my surgery appointment until January of 2021 because it’s my slowest month of the year. Surgeries are scheduled for Thursdays, with the official pre-op appointment 1 week beforehand and post-op appointments the day following and the Monday after. At my pre-op appointment they went through EVERYTHING with me. The things I’d see walking in, noises I’d hear, and things I’d smell. They also gave me all of the scripts for the prescriptions I’d need ahead of time so I could have them on hand after the procedure.
To prep for the surgery you’ll need to shower and shampoo both the night before and the morning of the procedure and you aren’t allowed to use ANY products. So…. with my untamed curly hair I was feeling *quite* fashionable the morning of. I opted for a sideways French braid and a low bun on my right side so my head would fit securely in the cradle. Before we knew it, we were on our way for the big surgery!
Surgery Day
I’m not gonna lie, I was ridiculously nervous about the surgery the days leading up to it. The thought of being awake when they slice my eye open…. yea. Needless to say, my blood pressure was a little elevated when I came in on surgery day. They brought me into a surgery waiting area where I put on a hair net, signed the official paperwork, and was given pain medication as well as a relaxant, which I ended up being very thankful for. They brought me back, and loaded me onto the first bed with the machine that would make a flap was made on each eye. I didn’t really feel a thing, other than some pressure. After the flaps were made, they helped me walk over to another bed which had the Excimer laser that reshapes the cornea. Once I laid down, they made sure I was comfortable and opened the flap and aligned my eye under the laser, which reshaped my cornea on each eye in under 30 seconds. After that was done, Dr. Williamson carefully laid the flap back over my eye, put on some saline, and then had me close my eyes. Just like that, it was all done and time for healing.
Post-Surgery Care
I was sent out to my husband in our car with some *sweet* goggles to wear the 24 hours following surgery. That day I was instructed to keep my eyes closed at all times and goggles on, except to eat and go to the bathroom. I was relatively sensitive to light so I spent the day in our bedroom with the lights off, listening to shows that I’ve watched a thousand times before. I was in some pain until that evening, after a few doses of pain medication were in my system. Cold compress wash cloths felt amazing and Kyle kept a 13×9 pan in the fridge with spare ones so that I’d always have a fresh one ready. Trapper spent the day snuggled up right next to me and I think he thoroughly enjoyed the extra attention.
The following day I opened my eyes and I could SEE. What a wild feeling! I’ve worn glasses or contacts since 4th or 5th grade and waking up blurry is all I’ve ever known. Waking up with clear vision has truly been such a great blessing! The weekend post surgery I’ve been instructed to be a couch potato and I have eye drops to administer at least hourly to keep the surface of my eye moist and clean. The goggles still have to be worn at night through the first weekend, but otherwise my eyeballs are free as a bird.
Final Thoughts
After all of this, my biggest piece of advice to someone who is contemplating getting LASIK is to stop waiting and just DO IT. It’s such a liberating feeling to never need my glasses or contacts again. The staff at Williamson was incredibly helpful and made sure that I felt totally prepared for everything that was coming. If I had to make the choice again I would 1000x say yes to LASIK with Williamson Eye Institute and would recommend them to anyone!
