Quote Originally Posted by run it, ride it View Post
kelowna girl, how goes it? I am sorry to hear that the surgery did not make a big immediate change. Do you have a warranty such that if your vision is not 20/20 with the first surgery, subsequent surgeries are covered?

Do take it very, very easy. I know you know this, but any increase in occular pressure could cause a lot of damage. It's not perfect, but you only get one set of eyes. Bear with them!

I had custom Lasik in 2005. I had been cut off contacts as they were suffocating my eyes and I had the neovascularization of a 40-year-old contact wearer (I was 20 at the time). The torics for my astigmatism scarcely worked anyway, but I absolutely could not tolerate glasses. Further proof I wasn't meant to be four-eyed: I actually caused a motor vehicle collision in the month I had to wear glasses before surgery (no one was injured--the other vehicle was parked). Couldn't see a damn thing out of them. Again, the astigmatism--could never get them to sit such that I could focus my eyes TOGETHER!

I was so lucky to get out of surgery and see immediately much better. The initial slight overcorrection (to compensate for healing regression) made me a little far-sighted. I was concerned that I might need a second surgery within the first few months, but after two years I've settled into 25/20 in the left and 15/20 in the right.

I know this is a long way down the road yet for you, but to warn: though your vision should get better as your eyes heal, NIGHT DRIVING will get worse. I need to wear polarized lenses, and even then... I had been so concerned that my night vision, as in, ability to see in extreme low light, would be compromised. It's not! I can still go running and cycling in the pitch darkness. It's only when it's dark with bright lights that I get the haloes.

If you are riding your bike on the road at night, this is something to be aware of!

Good luck, and do keep us updated!
Thanks for the good thoughts! Well it's been one month and it's going slowly I guess. MY visual acuity is pretty good actually - my right eye is +44 and my left is -1.5 (for reading).

BUT (and it's a BIG but) I am still seeing LOTS of double vision / ghosting. It's driving me crazy. I understand that it's very common for PRK patients to have this for 6-8 weeks (or longer) while the epithelium ayer heals over the cornea smoothly. it comes in and out and my vision changes constantly.

At my last appointment, my doctor stopped the Flarex steriod drops which slow down the healing process so my eyes would heal faster. He said some people see results in 2-3 days. Unfortunately, that was a week ago and they are actually worse, not better. I do believe that it is temporary because my vision clears sometimes if I use artificial tears and/or blink the right way.

Technically, I can drive but I don't need to so I haven't yet. I feel weird all the time, not being able to see clearly. I have trouble reading people's expressions or recognizing people from a distance etc. And I feel like I can't DO anything. I have been running though, and swimming, and my biking is OK but it freaks me out going fast downhill so I hit the brakes a lot. Obviously I can see cars etc but my depth perception is a bit wonky and it's hard to distinguish small rocks and holes in pavement.

Anyway, that is probably more than you wanted to hear. I'll give you another update in a couple of weeks.