my lasik story.

Background:

• My eyes first started going bad in second grade.

• As a result of this, my parents scheduled me an appointment and purchased me some hideous lovely blue-green plastic rim glasses.  (I should mention that I did pick them out myself--so I can't totally blame my mom) :)  That was the first of many a pair of glasses.

• I was stoked to get contacts in high school!  Thank you, mom and dad!!

• In our early marriage I briefly thought that LASIK would be really nice to be able to get--even though it seemed very scary at the same time.  But at that point, they told me that I wouldn't be a good candidate because my eyes were getting worse at every appointment.  So it would be wise to wait.  (Plus, at that point I'm guessing LASIK would have cost us a TON of money.  So it probably wasn't an option anyway!)

• Speaking of my eyes continuing to get worse...my eyes were REALLY bad.  Like, Nathan was shocked to find out that I couldn't make out the numbers on his alarm clock (on his side of the bed)--and they were big numbers!  Just looked like a bright green blurry blob to me!

• For the past 10 years or so, I hadn't given LASIK surgery a thought.  It kind of scared me to think about, and I just figured I would deal with contacts my whole life.

• Then...just a couple of months ago, a classmate of ours got LASIK in Kansas City.  He came back to classes and told Nathan and I all about it--including the fact that it pretty cheap (for LASIK)!  As he talked to us about it, Nathan started to think that maybe we should consider LASIK for me...

• I was terrified.  No way did I want my eyes cut open with a laser!!  However, Nathan wanted me to consider our circumstances.  
• #1--Even though LASIK isn't cheap, contacts aren't cheap either.  
• #2--Because of #1, I always tried to use my contacts as long as I could stand it.  I think I was supposed to throw them away every couple of weeks or so, but I would try to make them last months.  More than one person told me that this would be very damaging to my eyes later in life!!
• #3--We are planning to move into a remote jungle.  Hiking through the jungle, living in extreme humidity, probably canoeing for hours or even days...lots of circumstances like this.  Worrying about glasses or contacts sounds like a pain in those living conditions.  

• Considering all of this, we decided to look into LASIK...and we decided to give it a try!

So, this brings me to this past weekend...the big day!  I was actually pretty scared for this surgery, even though over the years it has become a very routine surgery!  But still, there is just something about letting someone cut into my eye that just made me nervous...  

We left our kids in great hands--Nathan's parents drove down to stay at our house with our kids.  Thanks so much, dad and mom!  Also, huge shoutout to Nathan's dad, who just recently had knee surgery--we are so glad you felt well enough to come, dad!

So on Friday morning, Nathan and I arrived at the LASIK place.  They first had to examine my eyes to even determine if I would be a good candidate or not.  And I was!  That was a relief.  They scheduled surgery for early in the afternoon.

Also during the exam that morning, the doctor had noticed that my eyes are pretty dry.  She really recommended that I get "punctal plugs" before the LASIK.  Punctal plugs are basically teeny tiny little "plugs" that are inserted into the bottom tear duct, which prevents my natural tears from draining as fast.  It helps to prevent dry eyes, which is especially a problem post-LASIK surgery.  So Nathan and I consented to get these punctal plugs put in (mainly because they offered to do them for no extra charge!)  It is a really easy procedure--no pain, they just insert the little plug right into the tear duct.  

However...as history would repeat itself, I passed out while she was putting them in!!  (Remember this post from last semester?)  Oh, this was discouraging to me.  The punctal plugs weren't even in yet, and I still had to undergo lasers cutting my eye open!  Oh boy.  I was nervous. 

By the grace of God, (I know there were lots of people praying for me!) the doctor got the plugs in without any more fainting!!  I really gave God all the glory for that one!  Then I was ready for my surgery...

(as we took this picture, I was really hoping it would be my last time wearing glasses!)

I went into the operating room and Nathan took this picture of me--believe me, that is a nervous smile!!

Praise the Lord, the surgery went soooo well!  It wasn't the most pleasant experience, of course, but it really did not hurt at all.  Just some really uncomfortable pressure, plus the thought of what they were actually doing to my eye was not fun to think about.  But seriously, the whole procedure took mere minutes.  The laser was actually only on for like 30 seconds on each eye!  It was so fast.  I was sooo thankful and just thanking the Lord that it was over so soon.  And I was so glad that I could hold Nathan's hand during it--I am surprised his hands aren't bruised I was crushing them so hard!

So they released me with instructions to keep my eyes closed for four hours!  What??  So I took a nap, but when I woke up, my eyes were burning so bad--the numbing drops from the surgery had worn off.  Nathan quick went to the store to fill my prescriptions (and bought me some Diet Coke...what a great hubby!) and when I started taking my prescribed eyedrops, the pain got so much better.  I could hardly open my eyes though--they were so sensitive to light and they just felt really weird.

Nathan took such good care of me :)

The next day, I woke up--and my eyes felt perfectly normal.  And I could SEE!!  Wow, what a strange feeling to wake up and reach over for my glasses, only to see that I could see clearly already!  I am still marvelling over it.  What an amazing thing technology is!

Nathan and I enjoyed the rest of our time in Kansas City--we had fun going to Ikea and Trader Joe's, and out to eat.  Oh, and we also stopped at Cabella's  (we had to pose in front of the grizzly bears to show our kids!)

If I had to sum up this LASIK experience in two words, it would be thankful and amazed.  I am amazed at technology.  I still cannot believe that just seconds under a laser could correct my vision...Wow.  And I am so thankful that God allowed me this opportunity to get my vision corrected.  I imagine it will be so nice to not have to worry about that when I am living in the jungle!  I am also thankful for so many of you who were praying me through this--thank you, friends!