Slavex
09-26-2013, 02:40 AM
So Thursday is 3 weeks since I underwent the laser/scalpel/power sander for keratoconus on my left eye. I had been noticing my vision degrading, especially in my left eye, over the last couple of years. I'd had touchless PRK done on both eyes in January 1998, and the left eye came out of that 20/20. Having a lifetime guarantee on the vision, I finally went back the surgeon to get a touch up. Unfortunately that wasn't in the cards as he then diagnosed me with keratoconus in both eyes, the left obviously being the worst. Essentially the cornea starts to go from a nice curve to almost conical in shape if left untreated. As such I ended up under his laser again, wide awake, looking at the bright flashing red light, as he cut my cornea and folded it back. It was soaked in riboflavin and hit with UV light to strengthen it and stop the breakdown that was occurring. He then took some sort of power sander to my eye (it sounded like that at least), then installed some Intac corneal implants to properly shape the cornea after he stitched it back in place. I can now say I know what a needle in the eye feels like as the freezing had worn off by the time he started to stitch my eye back together, it doesn't feel nice. A few drops of freezing and he started again, in went the bandage contact lens, and off home I went. With the warning to never, ever, ever, rub that eye again.
Prior to the surgery my eye had apparently degraded to 20/200, a week later with the purposely blurry bandage contact lens in I was at 20/50, 2 weeks later 20/40. The lens comes out on the 30th and I should have a much better idea of my vision then. I still have some astigmatism in that eye, although not as much as I had in 98, and they feel that once I'm healed they can final correct that if needed. To be honest, I don't think I'm going to bother unless the weird little double vision thing on the edge of some things continues after a year. Being able to read street signs with that eye while driving is amazing.
Your vision is a lot like your hearing in that the loss is often not noticed until it has become significant. If I'd bothered to go in sooner I probably would have ended up with much better vision than I can expect now. At the very least I wouldn't have been seeing two hits on targets at 7yds when I only had one...
Don't neglect your eyes, get in and have them checked every year. If you wait too long you might end up with no vision, and that would suck.
Prior to the surgery my eye had apparently degraded to 20/200, a week later with the purposely blurry bandage contact lens in I was at 20/50, 2 weeks later 20/40. The lens comes out on the 30th and I should have a much better idea of my vision then. I still have some astigmatism in that eye, although not as much as I had in 98, and they feel that once I'm healed they can final correct that if needed. To be honest, I don't think I'm going to bother unless the weird little double vision thing on the edge of some things continues after a year. Being able to read street signs with that eye while driving is amazing.
Your vision is a lot like your hearing in that the loss is often not noticed until it has become significant. If I'd bothered to go in sooner I probably would have ended up with much better vision than I can expect now. At the very least I wouldn't have been seeing two hits on targets at 7yds when I only had one...
Don't neglect your eyes, get in and have them checked every year. If you wait too long you might end up with no vision, and that would suck.