It's only fair that I share what I promised to share last night before I went to bed ;p All happen is less than half hour and I'm out. Haha...you must be blur now and think I'm talking craps. Ok, I'll start from the beginning.
On Wednesday, I went to iLaser Center@Island Hospital for my pre-laser operation. As I was very busy previously, I didn't have time to slow down and get my anxiety started. So there I was, sitting at the waiting area while they process my registration. Then a pretty lady took over my form and performed 3 tests before passing me over to the optometrist. Ms Lim, the optometrist went on to check my vision power and answer several question. Along the process, drop after drop of eye drops made their ways into my precious eyes. Purpose? To make my cornea bigger, to cleanse, to ......(fill in the blanks). All I know was my eyes felt slight sting feeling. Well, beauty took over my conciousness. So more test to go. She walked me over to the other clinic, Dr. Adrian Chan's center. The moment I walked in, WHOOO! So many people. Most of them are not local; i.e. Indonesian (rich ones). Even when I was in iLaser Center, there was another Indonesian girl accompanied by her parents. By the way the dressed and talked, definitely not ordinary people. Sometimes I wonder how come the Indonesians can come and do regular check up as if they are here for holidays while some others have to come over and worked their life as maids. They financial gaps must be very huge.
Sorry, off track a bit. While in the clinic, Ms. Lim proceed to test the thickness of my cornea. A normal one is around 550 while mine is only 512. Barely near the normal level also. So I have no choice for to opt for the custom lasik, which cost 2k more than the normal one. Well, I have already planned to go for the custom one even before I know the thickness of my cornea. I felt that eyes are my precious, so paying a lil more to have my security is worth it. Dr. Adrian peformed another series of test and gave the green light for me to undergo the operation.
Fast forward two days, I got myself ready and reached there around 1.40pm for my 2pm appointment. Upon reaching there, Ms. Lim proceeded to clean my eyes. By that time, my heart was beating slightly faster than normal already. Luckily Hubs was with me all along. Doc arrived and signalled for me to go in. A look from the iLaser reception area, the place is very small. But the operation room is HUGE! I was leaded by the nurse dress in cover up (with mask, shower cap, and everything) to get me into the same thing. She cleanse my eyes so many times, I barely feel anything anymore after that, as if the medicine is to make my eyes numb. All the while, I was told to focus on the red dot on the wall. It was a practice as that was what I was going to do for the rest of the operation. Although doc explained the whole process before I was lead to the theatre room (where the operation will be held), I still felt ahem....scared. Immediately after I lied on the bed, my eyes have to focus on the red light.
The first thing he did was cover up the rest of my face, only leaving a hole for my right eye. He even put a stick over my right eye to stick my eyelashes before a thong-like thing pull my eye wide open. So that will be my position from the beginning till the end of the right eye process. More cleaning was done and then a quite heavy object was place on my eye. The feeling was like my eyeball was being sucked out and my vision when from very bright to completely dark. As doc had explained earlier, it didn't freak me out. Upon confirmation that my vision is complete dark, I can feel that a movement of semi circle on my eyeball. From research, it was to cut open my outer cornea. Then the flap was open to a side. On the count of 1,2,3, the laser was shot into my eyes for the first time. There are a total of 4 times all together. After the 4th laser shot, the flap was closed back and more cleaning was done. Doc used a spatula thing to make sure it was at the original place; i.e. the inner cut match the location of the outer cut. After that, we had waited for 2 minutes, with me still focusing on the red light. I totally dare not move or make a sound throughtout the whole process. I was very scared if anything goes wrong, I might be blind for my whole life. So if the red light was to be my focus, so be it. After what feels like 2 hours (actually it was only 2 minutes), finally the thing-like thing was removed and I was told to slowly close my eye and open again SLOWLY. Making sure everything was fine, my right eye was put to rest with a bandage put over it. Then it was my left eye's turn. The whole process was repeated exactly the same. However this time, I could feel that my eye ball was sucked out more than my right one and the laser shot had a burning smell. Eww...
Immediately after Doc released me from the bed, my vision has improved, probably from -0.6 to -0.3. I could see clearer than before. But as I know it's not good to strain the eye immediately after that, I tried to close my eyes as long as I can. I was leaded back to Hubs and waited 30 mins before Doc examine my eye again. After seeing Doc for the last time for that day, I was dimissed and went home. I tried to sleep as much as I can but I don't have to try hard. As I was worn out from the OT a few days before that, I sleep from 4pm to 8pm. Woke up for awhile and continued again till the next morn 8am.
The moment I opened my eye for the first time, I was completely happy I can fly. The vision is exactly like when I wear contact lens, which means me vision is near perfect already. Although not yet 20/20, it was way better than Hubs. FYI, he has power or -0.1. Went back to iLaser Center for another round of check up. This time Doc praised it. I'm not so sure if he praised my eye's recovery or he praised his hand work ;p No matter who he praise, I'll have to thank him from the bottom of my heart for my improved vision. I'm a satisfied customer and a happy person. No more blur vision when I hug Hubs at night.
Well, all this happen without a pain in my eye. Not before, not after. Only a slight discomfort when the eye ball is being sucked out and when I open my eyes for the first day. It felt as if I'm wearing an invisible ontact lens and it dried out, leaving a notch between my eye and the lens (if you get what I mean).
