My First Vacation with Perfect Vision!

Yesterday I got back from a mini-vacation to Mexico City....and it was the first trip I have had without worrying about contacts/glasses and it was GLORIOUS!

For starters, I left on Friday night after a long day of work. Usually, that would mean my gritty eyes would need a break from my contact lenses.

On my first day there, I went to a Temazcal, which is a traditional steam/sweat lodge. I have *always* wanted to try this but each time I've gone to a regular sauna I've either sat in steamed up glasses or totally blind (I learned quickly that contacts would stick to my eyeballs). This trip to the Temazcal was an intensely healing one. I found myself more open than I have been and had a lot of catharsis during the shaman's healing.


On my second day I took a ride in a hot air balloon over Teotihuacan. We left at 5am to make it in time for the sunrise take-off. This was a day that definitely would have been a struggle for me pre-ICL: Too early for contacts, but then a paralyzing fear of losing my glasses over the edge of the hot air balloon. It was amazing to take it all in, with crisp, clear vision.

The rest of the trip was spent exploring and at every interval I had things that made my time easier by not having to worry about dry contacts. Especially the tequila. Just saying... 

One of the big advantages of having ICL was to be able to travel and move unfettered, explore, get lost, without a crippling fear of how to manage and maneuver my glasses and contact lenses. With this mini trip I have definitely confirmed that this was the perfect choice for me!

1 week Post-Op: "See Ya in the Summer!"

1 Week follow-up day! The most exciting thing I was looking forward to today was the green light to stop taping those shields to my face at bedtime!

I came in today and had Natalie get me ready for my appointment with Dr. Ryne. We went to test on one of the machines (the one I lovingly call the hot air balloon thingie) and then to the exam room to check my eye pressure. It was 11, which by all accounts sounded pretty good. My vision is now actually *better* than 20/20- it is 20/15!

Dr. Ryne came in and was full of good news- my eyes are healing very well, I'm cleared to stop all drops (except artificial tears if needed). And, most importantly, I can sleep without those shields!

I still wondered how delicately I had to treat my eyes- Dr. Ryne put me at ease by sharing an update he had from a conference he attended where soldiers in bomb zones had MRI's taken and their ICLs hadn't been dislodged! So, mascara, here I come!

My next appointment is in 3 months....I bade goodbye to all the wonderful staff at Clearview Eyecare- Mackenzie at the front desk, Natalie, Austin, and...Brianne! What an amazing team- what an amazing experience! I am *so* glad I got the courage to do this!

1 Day Post-Surgery

I woke up this morning and my first thought was 'how am I seeing my clock???' Yes, I was seeing my bedside clock for the first time ever (and it wasn't because I had passed out with my contacts in). Of course, I was seeing them through the snazzy shields with perforated holes so that was fun for me, too.

Day 1 post op my eyes have felt quite light sensitive today. I've worn my funky sunglasses most of the day and my drops have saved me. At points in the day, I've been unable to open my eyes in light. BUT, it is day one so some tenderness is to be expected. I went for my post-op appointment today and both eyes are now at 20-20...Hurray!

Dr. Lyons has been such a blessing to us!

I have so many thoughts on ICL. Should you do it? Only you can answer that. It takes a ton of research, self-reflection and bank account analysis to decide the right thing. For me, it was the best option and it was the exact right time in my life to do it. I have reflected on whether I would have chosen it over Lasik if that had been an option... On the one hand, it is a much more popular route and there is more long-term data available. However, of the 3 people that I know personally who have undergone Lasik recently, 1 is not pleased with the results and already needs an adjustment. And I have been surprised to find that more people who I know to be glasses-wearers now actually had Lasik years ago. For me, I wanted something guaranteed.

My ICL Surgery!

Yesterday was surgery day but between all the excitement I simply couldn't find the time to update on what was happening...

We arrived yesterday morning at 8am on surgery day. Once we checked in, we were taken to an exam room where numbing drops were put into my eyes and my eye pressure was measured. All the staff that we encountered seemed very excited and knew it was my 'big day'. We went to the check-in lady who took payment then reviewed all the post-op instructions. We were taken to the Op holding area where I had several more drops put into my eyes. I was prepared for surgery:

Stylish Cap and Eye Dots...All set!

At a few minutes before 10am I was walked back into the operating room. This is where my nerves finally set in. I remember suddenly being in tears when suddenly my hand was grabbed and I heard a familiar, friendly voice. It was Brianne! (Not Brynn as I had previously thought the spelling was)....And just like that, things got a little less "awkward", lol. As she made small talk with me I remember being very comfortable and the IV was started and that is all I remember from my time in the OR. Next thing I vaguely remember was Dean taking me out to eat, he says we went out for Indian, but I don't really recall. I do remember being amazed at my vision over the course of the day. My right eye was clear from the beginning, but my left eye was very tender and cloudy. After lunch we came back for a post-op follow-up -my right eye was 20/20 and my left eye was 20/70. The doctor said there was a fair amount of inflammation in both eyes, but my left one was markedly worse and would get better over the course of the day. 

I took a nap when we got home and over the course of the day my vision did get better- by nightfall I was amazed at how clearly I could see already. By the time my son got home from school and wanted to play his 'how many fingers am I holding up' he was astounded that I could see him clear to the backyard! I took a lovely walk with a neighbor at night and I just couldn't get over seeing the moon and stars so clearly. 

2 Days To Go!

Yesterday was my last dose of the Prednisone Acetate eye drops. Today (and up through a week after surgery) I will be using the Pred-Gati drops which I believe have steroids as well. 4 times a day (same as the other ones) I'll need to apply these ones.

Getting closer!! 

I miss sunglasses!

It's been nearly a month since I last wore contacts and I had forgotten how burdensome 24/7 glasses can be! I haven't worn eye makeup because I can't see without my glasses but can't reach my eyes with them. 

My glasses also get smudged a ridiculous amount every hour, seemingly. 

But, most of all, I miss my fabulous sunglasses! My 'face jewelry' has been sitting for weeks just waiting for me to be able to wear them.... 4 more days! 

Iridotomy Recovery

After my iridotomy on Wednesday afternoon I was, to be frank, in a world of pain and discomfort. I have been reassured several times that this is the worst part of this process. I truly hope so. By late Wednesday night the halos around lights were gone to my great relief. I was prescribed drops that I have been using 4 times a day and will need to stop 2 days before surgery. They help, but leave a bitter taste in my mouth shortly after I put them in my eyes. They are also white, so there is a tendency to get some weird eye goo after I put them in. None of these are big deals though. 

I've noticed that if I go too long, my face starts to feel a bit tender. That happened today and I had to high-tail it home to get some Ibuprofen in me. 

I got my nails done today and am having my hair done tomorrow. The last time I had surgery I didn't think of doing all this the weekend before so I had to go quite a while before I could do both.... #lessonlearned 

What I'm Looking Forward To

Just 6 days until my surgery! I'm so excited! I have a trip booked to Mexico next month and it dawned on me that it will be the first time I'll be traveling with absolutely no concern for my glasses/contacts. And here are some of the other random things I'm looking forward to:

1. Taking a nap: Just the sensation of letting my eyes close without having to worry about taking off my glasses or drying out my contacts.

2. Flying: Every trip has been fraught with the concern of how to maneuver my contacts or glasses.

3. Sunglasses: I stopped wearing contacts 3 weeks ago. Even though these glasses are transition, I miss my sunglasses!

4. Opening my eyes: I can't even imagine what it feels like to wake up first thing in the morning and see the clock.

5. Swimming: I have only been able to swim without glasses or contacts- smacking into the wall is only fun the first dozen times!

I had my LPI (Iridotomy) on Wednesday (2 days ago). I have been using my Prednisolone Acetate Opthalmic solution 4 times a day since then and I will continue using them until Tuesday....2 day break and then....ICL!  More random thoughts later.

ICL Surgery Prep: Laser Peripheral Iridotomies (LPI)

Let me start by saying pardon any typos or grammatical errors- I'm typing this mere hours after having the LPI procedure and let me tell you....that HURT. Today's tech was Brynn, and she sweetly warned me that the procedure could be "awkward"...that is probably the understatement of the century. But, let me start at the beginning.

Rocking my coke bottles in the waiting room

Today's appointment was my LPI- Laser Peripheral Iridotomies. I also had a chance to meet Dr. Lyon who is the surgeon who will be doing my ICL surgery. I was a bit apprehensive when I arrived- there is precious little online about the LPI procedure and all I knew for sure was that the doctor was going to put holes in my eyeballs. Yikes!

The appointment began in the exam room. Dr. Lyon came in and re-explained everything about the ICL procedure including a blow-by-blow of what next Thursday would look like. I cannot describe how much of a relief it is to have every single person in the practice narrate what to expect in exactly the same way- very reassuring! Dr. Lyon was open to questions and responded graciously even when I asked him how many ICL's he had done (over a hundred) and for how long (7 years). While that doesn't seem like a ton, it's important to remember that this is still a newer procedure and the cost is quite high- people aren't exactly rolling in off the street by the dozens to get this done. But, between the cataract surgeries and the Lasik procedures- clearly this is a doctor who knows eyes! One of the nurses put some constricting drops in my eyes and then they had me sit in the waiting room for a few moments to take effect. I took that opportunity to take some Ibuprofen- I was warned by the nurse at my last visit that the LPI would likely give me a headache. As the drops took effect, my nose started running and my pupils started to constrict:

Spooky!

I was called to the procedure room by the most delightful nurse (tech?) named Brynn. Let me just say that Brynn needs to be sought out by Visian ICL to do their promotional videos....this woman knows her stuff and made everything sound perfectly doable. Case in point....she cautioned me by telling me that things might be "awkward". Seriously. "You might pass out, but I'll definitely catch you!" She offered me some crackers and juice as I had missed lunch, and answered even more questions that I had. (another Q & A post to come shortly).

She applied some numbing drops in both eyes and then I got to belly up to this laser machine:

Dr. Lyon came in and sat facing me on the other side of this machine. A 'lens' was put into my eye and then the fun began. Looking straight ahead, Dr. Lyon fired the laser into my eye repeatedly until he was able to break through the cornea to create the hole to prevent pressure buildup. It did feel like a rubber band snapping my eyeball while a bright red light was being shone into it. The second hole in my first eye took a really long time to pierce through and it felt like he had to zap me a ton for it to happen. Through all of this Brynn was there, reminding me to breathe, ratcheting the laser strength up or down based on his request. Once the first eye was done, the doctor removed the lens and as I backed away from the machine to have my eye flushed, I suddenly realized that I was seeing only in black and white out of that eye. That was freaky! It only lasted a few minutes before I could see color again, but it was a very odd sensation.

After both eyes had been completed, my vision was atrocious. I wasn't sure how on earth I was going to drive myself home. There was goop that had been put into my eyes around the lens that was really messing with my ability to see. Luckily, Brynn was on hand to do another eye flush then applied my first dose of my steroid eyedrops that I will need to use 4 times a day until next Tuesday. A few more minutes later and I was able to do a very shaky drive home. Let me share something- if I could do today over, I would definitely take my co-worker up on her offer to drive me today. It was way too bright, the sunglasses they give you didn't sit properly over my glasses and I was just not as comfortable as I would have liked to be. Fortunately, I only live about 15 minutes away so the drive was not too bad.

I took a few more Ibuprofen when I got home and waited for my eyes to clear. Once the night time rolled around, I had a very unpleasant surprise...halos around lights! What? I haven't even had the ICL yet and I already have this??? I'm going to hold off from panicking and hope that this is to do with the stress my eyes went through today. I'll do another Q & A in a few day's time and then......BIG DAY!

ICL Surgery Q & A

Tomorrow I have my iridotomies, followed next Thursday by my ICL surgery. In the meantime, I thought I'd share the questions I asked my doctor (and his responses):

Q: Confirm which Dr. is doing the surgery?
A; Dr. Robert Lyons is a board certified ophthalmologist who has been performing cataract and laser refractive surgery for many years. He previously served as an ophthalmologist in the United States Air Force and is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has performed thousands of surgical procedures and has been a surgical mentor to many ophthalmology physicians-in-training. He has been trusted to perform laser vision corrective surgery on fighter pilots in the United States Air Force.

Q: How soon can I fly following surgery?
A: Give it about 2 weeks to be safe. 

Q: How soon can I engage in strenuous activities?
A: Give it about a week

Q: Will any of the prescribed eyedrops bleach my lashes? (I read that somewhere). 
A: No

Q: Will I experience 'halos' at night?
A: Based on the measurements we have seen, this should not occur in your case. 

Q: Can I drive that weekend? (I have tickets to see Hedwig and the Angry Inch!)
A: Yes. You should be able to drive the next day. The anesthesia wearing off, and not the vision, is the limiting factor. 

Q: Do you have a charity I can donate my old glasses to?
A: Yes. Bring them to your surgery and we will have the Lions Club collect them. 

Q: What if I sneeze during my ICL surgery?
A: As you will be under anesthesia, this is highly unlikely to happen. However, the doctors can read the body's preparation to sneeze and it gives them ample time to remove any objects from the eyes. 

Q: What if my vision is not great after the ICL surgery?
A: Unlikely, but we can make adjustments with Lasik (at no additional cost)

Q: What if something feels 'weird' after the surgery?
A: In the kit provided you have the cell phone number for Dr. Lyon and others. Call them right away. 

Q: What if it's too odd?
A: We'll go in and take them out!

I was pleased with how thorough they were answering all of my questions- he didn't shrug anything off as too silly. I'm getting more excited! 9 days to go now!

ICL Surgery Measurement Day

Today was the first step of my amazing journey! I spent about 2 hours putting my eyes through what felt like the Olympics of eye exams...I had a wonderful tech named Elaine who, once I explained that I planned to fully document the process, did a fantastic job of explaining each machine and allowing me time to take pictures. So, here we go!
I arrived and was called back quite promptly. I was taken to a room which had about 6 stations with eye equipment at each one. I'll do my best to recall each one:

This was the first station I started out. The one on the right measures anterior chamber depth, I think the one on the left measured for astigmatism among other things. Astigmatism higher than 1 is considered bad (and potentially would require additional laser after the ICL to completely correct vision). Mine was 0.27 and 0.33 so the doctor was quite happy with those numbers.  Both machines were connected to each other and the final picture that it put out in the end gave a rendering of my eyes:

Once I was done at this machine, I was taken to this one which measures prescription strength. Looking into the machine I could see what looked like a hot air balloon at the end of a street. Elaine made several clicks so that it went into, then out of, focus:

Next I was moved to a station to measure my peripheral vision. This was the only one where I was allowed to wear my glasses. I was given a buzzer and had to press it every time I noticed a 'wrinkle' appear. It was kind of tricky and I'm not sure if I passed or failed this one:

The last station I used in this room was this one:

The Optos took what felt like a Xerox of my eye once I leaned in. The image it took looked like this:

The doctor was able to tell that my eyes looked healthy and was particularly pleased to see the pinpoint in the center of each eye.

With that room finished, I was taken to the room that had the equipment specific to ICL surgery. All the tests I had done so far were also used for Lasik patients.
The next room had these 2 machines first which again involved sitting and leaning into them. I have completely forgotten what these were measuring, but I did get pictures!

The last machine in that room was to measure the corneal cells. Preferably, a denser amount of cells, close together is found. Here is the machine and the readout:

Once done in that room we went to the exam room. We did the usual machine (is it better like this, or like this?), then my eye pressure was checked using this machine:

Elaine dilated my pupils and after I sat for about 15 minutes she took me back to the first room for the hot air balloon test again.

So, after ALL these tests, I am still a candidate for ICL and when the doctor came in to talk to me he seemed very pleased with everything he saw. Exactly 2 weeks from today I should have, for the first time in my memory, absolutely perfect vision....I am beyond excited! Next week I have an appointment to have my iridotomies (tiny holes for drainage in my eyes). I'll be filling you in on that one next.