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Today marked the 1 year anniversary of my Lasik surgery (April 17, 2010). For those that are suffering right now, hope this offers encouragement that things will get better.
For the first 3 to 8 months after my surgery, all I felt was pain (that gradually got better) with the exception of a few hours each morning. I was put off work for 3 weeks, went on Restasis and Lotemax and Alrex for about a month, had 4 plugs put in and to top it off, started taking anti-anxiety meds because I was so sure I'd ruined my life (and believe me, for those who are there right now, I know how you felt). Was taking omega 3 and fish oil pills as well and even flew down to NYC to visit Dr Latkany at my 2 month post op mark (he said I needed more time to heal before assuming my condition was permanent - he was right, so for those thinking of dropping the money on a flight if you've just had Lasik, maybe wait awhile to see how much you heal).
It wasn't until earlier this year, around early Feb, that I would say I was nearly 100% recovered. My plugs came out on their own (they fell out and never noticed actually), have maybe used 2 or 3 drops (not vials - drops) in the past 3 months and overall am in a much better place than I was last year. Some days are still hard on the eyes, but no different than before Lasik when you get very little sleep (we have a 6 week old baby) then go to work all day. Occasionally I notice my tear stability is very weak (short TBUT), but this is usually because of lack of sleep, a glass or two of wine etc. The one symptom that sometimes lingers was a dull ache in my sinuses. This too however has gotten much better with time to the point now where I barely notice it most days. I did have an ENT check me back in November and they found nothing, one theory I read on the internet was that plugs can disrupt the natural flow of moisture into the nose and sinus cavity which can cause painful irritation similar to a sinus headache (funny, my Lasik clinic never mentioned this when they tried to sell me "comfort plugs" aka punctal plugs a month after my surgery when I was in misery - another piece of advice, if they try and charge you for temp plugs, tell them to take a hike and that you want them for free).
Would I do Lasik again? No, as I'll never be 100% certain that I haven't set myself up for some future severe dry eye issue down the road. Do I like my vision right now? Absolutely - like walking around with high def eyes. But in my mind not worth the risk.
So for those who have just come out of Lasik and are reading this thinking you've ruined your life etc, I hope this gives you something to lean on. Feel free to private message me if you want to chat.
For the first 3 to 8 months after my surgery, all I felt was pain (that gradually got better) with the exception of a few hours each morning. I was put off work for 3 weeks, went on Restasis and Lotemax and Alrex for about a month, had 4 plugs put in and to top it off, started taking anti-anxiety meds because I was so sure I'd ruined my life (and believe me, for those who are there right now, I know how you felt). Was taking omega 3 and fish oil pills as well and even flew down to NYC to visit Dr Latkany at my 2 month post op mark (he said I needed more time to heal before assuming my condition was permanent - he was right, so for those thinking of dropping the money on a flight if you've just had Lasik, maybe wait awhile to see how much you heal).
It wasn't until earlier this year, around early Feb, that I would say I was nearly 100% recovered. My plugs came out on their own (they fell out and never noticed actually), have maybe used 2 or 3 drops (not vials - drops) in the past 3 months and overall am in a much better place than I was last year. Some days are still hard on the eyes, but no different than before Lasik when you get very little sleep (we have a 6 week old baby) then go to work all day. Occasionally I notice my tear stability is very weak (short TBUT), but this is usually because of lack of sleep, a glass or two of wine etc. The one symptom that sometimes lingers was a dull ache in my sinuses. This too however has gotten much better with time to the point now where I barely notice it most days. I did have an ENT check me back in November and they found nothing, one theory I read on the internet was that plugs can disrupt the natural flow of moisture into the nose and sinus cavity which can cause painful irritation similar to a sinus headache (funny, my Lasik clinic never mentioned this when they tried to sell me "comfort plugs" aka punctal plugs a month after my surgery when I was in misery - another piece of advice, if they try and charge you for temp plugs, tell them to take a hike and that you want them for free).
Would I do Lasik again? No, as I'll never be 100% certain that I haven't set myself up for some future severe dry eye issue down the road. Do I like my vision right now? Absolutely - like walking around with high def eyes. But in my mind not worth the risk.
So for those who have just come out of Lasik and are reading this thinking you've ruined your life etc, I hope this gives you something to lean on. Feel free to private message me if you want to chat.
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