On Sep 4, 2004, at 4:26 PM, Michael Kopp wrote:
> Ummm, this is a list for photographers. Do we have any blind
> photographers here?
Heh...I had a -6-and-change dioptric adjustment on my viewfinder eye
until Thursday. I had lasik at 11:30 Thursday morning, though, and can
already see better than I've been able to since I was 8 (when scarlet
fever destroyed a lot of my vision and hearing). The operation was a
strange experience, but worth it.
It was over really fast. Before the surgery they mapped my eyes pretty
thoroughly. It took about ten minutes, I guess, using a couple of
different machines including a really cool Zeiss machine with
concentric glowing circles that looked like something Dr. Evil might
travel through time in. Then there was a short exam that took another
ten minutes or so. When I was led into the operating room things moved
really fast. They put a clamp on the eyelid to hold it open (that I
couldn't help comparing to the rig Alex wore in A Clockwork Orange) and
then they immobilize the eye with a cup that sucks the eye into it and
holds it in place. That's about five seconds of freakishness and when
the eye is under pressure almost all your vision goes dark. Then they
slice a flap open over the cornea. That's about ten seconds or so. It
looks like they're pulling a contact lens out of your eye. Then you see
a red light and they tell you to look directly at it and not move your
eye while the laser is reshaping your cornea. The laser burns for about
thirty seconds and makes a really harsh popping sound as it cooks
tissue. Then they put the flap back in place, which is pretty much
instantly...five seconds or less. Then they do the whole thing again on
the other eye. It's all over really fast, but it's the longest few
minutes you'll recall. Thankfully they gave me a small stuffed sheep to
hold as my "comfort animal" during the procedure or I might have made
fists tight enough to cause myself damage. ;-)
They sent me home with shields taped over each eye and it's apparently
important that you not use your eyes the first day. That was maddening.
Just laying around with my eyes closed all day drove me nuts. The next
morning you can take off the shield. When I took off the shields
yesterday morning it was amazing. I could see pretty well. I'm told
that my vision will change in stages over the next week or so as the
eyes heal, but I was able to drive and go to school yesterday without
glasses. You have to use drops hourly for five days and you have to
sleep with the shields on so you won't accidentally rub your eyes in
your sleep, but so far it seems really cool. My vision tonight is
noticeably better than it was when I came home from school yesterday
afternoon. The whole experience has been a dream come true for someone
who's always struggled with poor vision.
-Rob
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