I’m bringing this one back from the dead.
I had PRK one month ago. I am almost 41 and relatively healthy. I had a vasectomy two weeks prior to this procedure and healed up like a stallion (or gelding?). I was not a candidate for Lasik because of dry eye. Because of the dry eye and before the surgery, the doctor recommended some procedure where suction cups were placed on my eyeballs and essentially milked my glands to help me tear better. It was the biggest waste of money Ive spent besides a Chevy Silverado I bought new in 2013.
Moving on. The PRK surgery was quite easy with the help of prescribed Valium before and after. The next couple days were not easy. I spent at least two nights on the couch wondering what the hell I had done to myself. Joe Rogan podcasts got me through it because I could not see television or my phone really. I wore metal shields over my eyeballs and my children called me”Fly Dad.”
About a week after the surgery the doctor put punctal plugs in me to help with tearing. I never had to pay for them so maybe they were included with the surgery? No clue, I didn’t ask. I took the prescribed steroid drops and I’m still on them and now down to one a day.
It is very interesting process. One day the vision in my left eye will be better, the next the vision in my right eye will be better. Two days before I went back to work the office staff put my right eyeball in a contact lens to correct it. It helped. On days like today, the vision in both eyes is blurry.
I was out of work for one month using a mix of vacation and sick time. I just went back to work three nights ago and realized I should not have been there. By trade, I work night shift. I quickly realized I couldnt see clearly past 100 feet. The blurry halos and light sensitivity are not good. I could not read the odometer of the work car at the end of my work shift. This was 28 days post surgery. If I worked in an office and on dayshift I likely would’ve returned a couple weeks ago.
On day 29, yesterday—a Friday afternoon, the doctor called me and told me he has a life-threatening medical condition and will not be returning to practice. I explained that my vision was not right, and he referred me to another doctor he had partnered with some 40 miles away to treat his post surgical patients. So on top of the anxiety of healing correctly, there is that…And the grief of losing my doctor, who I actually really liked. He had been in practice for 40+ years.
Current symptoms: blurry distance vision (varies by day/by eye), extreme light sensitivity, halos, double vision (left eye), blurry close vision (both eyes), minor sinus headache, minor pain (behind right eye), and a deep regret for having done this so close to season.
Monday morning when I wake up I will have hopefully heard back from two new ophthalmologists I reached out to. I will likely be taking more time off of work to get this under control. Now I have yellow lens glasses for night driving and blue light lenses for computer work. Makes me think, “what was the point?”
I applaud the patients here who are better in a couple days or weeks. There have been brief moments during the past month where my vision has been great and I have not had to wear any glasses or contacts. It was bliss, but short-lived. There are horror stories. Believe them.
I will try to provide an update when this situation is resolved.
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