iLasik recovery the second time around
jewel May 23rd, 2011
I really thought I would have more to write about this time regarding recovery from my iLasik enhancement procedure. But, as it turns out (so far anyway), there is a lot less to say. In fact, this whole experience has been a cake walk compared to the first time around (which aside from the vision regression, wasn’t really that bad).
My surgery was 3 days ago and I’ve had no redness, no discomfort at all past the first day, and that was minimal, and my vision is still crisp. I haven’t even felt like my eyes have been dry like the first time around. I’ll still be on a massive regimen of eye drops for the next week at least, but if all is going as well as it seems to be I should be able to taper some of that after my next follow up (next Tuesday).
Honestly, my biggest hurdle has been that I’ve caught myself on a few different occasions going to rub my eyes – that is a big no no for the next few weeks. Since there is no scratchiness or discomfort, the only reminder I really have that I just had surgery is the series of reminders I have on my phone telling me it’s time for one of the eye drops.
Technically, last night was the last night I *had* to sleep with the goggles, but I think I’m going to sleep with them on for at least the next 2 or 3 nights, just to be safe.
One thing I haven’t actually done is test out my night vision. I’ll try to get out after dark at some point this week. I expect that I’ll see the halos around all the lights for the next few months, but as long as I can see, I can live with that. The halos should lessen with time.
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Glad to hear the second time around was much more agreeable, and I hope this continues.
Clear skies, Alan
I’m pretty thrilled so far. I know my vision is still at least 20/20 and I love it. My next follow up is on Tuesday. Being able to really see when I first wake up in the morning is a beautiful thing. Living in the future is pretty neat!
Happily, I’m not having problems with dryness at all (or any other problems that I can discern). So, that must be related to the cutting of the flap like the redness is. At the moment, I’m still on the regimen of steroid drops, antibiotic drops and artificial tears (whether I feel I need them or not).
I still haven’t been out at night, but last night when I went to bed, I took a look around the living room after turning out all the lights and the LED’s on the electronics were star bursts. The digital clock was crisp, though. Since the days are getting longer, the times that I am normally out are now daylight. I leave for work just after 6 in the morning and the sun is up by then.
It would sure be nice not to need glasses, but I worry about the side effects when it comes to amateur astronomy and using telescopes.
I hope things continue to go well, and glasses will be ancient history.
Did you catch the latest “Calamities of Nature?”
Clear skies, Alan
That was certainly a concern of mine with traditional Lasik, but I am so rarely around telescopes I decided to go ahead and do it. The issues seem to be fewer with iLasik, than with traditional Lasik, but only time will tell if my night vision is permanently effected. I know that right after my original surgery, there were halos around all the street lights at night. Seemed to lessen with time, though. Hopefully will completely go away, but we’ll see.
I was not familiar with Calamities of Nature. It’s in my feed reader now
It’s funny. Phil Plait occasionally had posted “Calamities of Nature,” but only recently did I add it to my daily reads. Ditto with Rhymes with Orange.
At my follow up visit today, my vision tested at 20/15. Also, no problems, everything is healing just fine. My next appointment is in 2 months, so we’ll see how things are then. I’m pretty happy so far, though!
I’m very glad to hear things continue to go well.
Clear skies, Alan
Me too
Thanks for blogging about your experience – I’m scheduled to have iLasik on Wed, and getting a little nervous. Your blog has been the first thing I’ve read that actually gave me some kind of sense of what the days and weeks following might be like.
Fingers crossed I’m part of the 98% for whom it works the first time around…
Thanks again! Hope you’re still happy and that this starbursts have gone away by now.
Best of luck to you Joanna! I’m glad I could give you a sense of what to expect. I hope your surgery works the first time around and that you get much enjoyment out of your new vision. Of the people I know that have had the surgery, I am the only one that had to have a second procedure. I just have to be different…
My 2nd procedure seems to have done the trick, I am happy to say! I’m still seeing 20/15 6 months later. My night vision has returned to normal as well. And, I’m using the rewetting drops less frequently, though I have not stopped using them.
I won’t lie, I definitely had some second thoughts after my first procedure, because of the regression. It was pretty frustrating for awhile. However I am now extremely happy I did it and though it took 2 procedures it was well worth it. I wish I had done this years ago.
Stop by again after your surgery, if you think about it, and let me know how yours went.
Will do.
Curious as to how your surgery went Joanna — hope you are enjoying wonderful new vision!
I had my i-Lasik done on Sept. 28th 2011…I still use tear drops,and my vision is close too perfect…I had mini-monovision procedure which left 1 eye slightly undercorrect for reading. However, after 4 months, I am still seeing the halos and starburts when I go out at night…how long did the starburst and halos last in your case? About 6-months? A friend who had i-Lasik said his lasted a long time, and the halos just eventually subside and then disappear altogether. Mine appear to have subsided a bit, but I don’t if I am just getting used to seeing them at night.
Hi David! I don’t see me discontinuing the tear drops any time soon. My eyes get really dry at night, so I tend to use them once or twice when I wake up. I don’t often need them during the day, anymore, though.
I am not certain how long it actually took for the star bursts and halos to subside. I’m not out at night that often these days. My original procedure was almost a year ago at this point and my re-do was 7 months ago.
So, I’ve been walking around with a shortcut to your blog on the home screen of my iPad b/c I wanted to make sure to get back to you… And it’s been almost a year and a half!! Eek.
Anyway, procedure went greats – I had no problems, and I love my new vision! The first time camping was especially fabulous – no having to locate glasses in the middle of the night to keep from walking into a tree. The doc restored one eye to 20/20 and one to about 20/30, and told mei probably would have about a year or two before would need reading glasses again (i’m in my mid-forties and wore contacts for far vision and glasses to read). So far i haven’t needed any, but I’m starting to notice I’m moving books further away to read comfortably. Ah, well… Such is life.
Thanks again for sharing your experience! It definitely reduced my stress going into the procedure!
Joanna,
I’m glad your procedure went well! It is great to be able to see, isn’t it
I’m nearly 43, myself and, though my arms aren’t getting too short yet, I have noticed that it takes me longer to go from something close focus, like reading or sewing, to distance focus. I’m sure the presbyopia will come soon enough. I’ve been using the font size on my Kindle as a bit of a judge. I haven’t had to increase the size of the font yet and, so far, I am still holding it at about the same distance as I was 2 years ago.
I just had my annual checkup (2 years from my original procedure) and am still 20/15 in both eyes. I was giddy leaving the doctors’ office.
I am very glad my blogging of my experience helped you and reduced your stress over the whole thing. I’m glad I recorded the whole experience. It is interesting to go back and read it all again a couple years after the fact just to see what my frame of mind was then.