Eye Update

I had another eye appointment today. After three weeks, my left eye has improved from 20/40 to 20/25. My right eye is still 20/20. Before my surgery, my right eye was 20/250 and my left eye was 20/counting fingers (meaning I could not see beyond my fingers). Needless to say, I am very pleased with the healing thus far and the doctor seems to think I will continue to improve. It is still very weird to wake up in the morning and not reach for my glasses--sometimes I still do out of habit! I have to return to the doctor in three weeks for another check.



I want to ask a favor of anyone who reads this blog. Please pray for Lacey Jones. Lacey is a 6th grader at my school. She has not been to school this year because she has been so sick with cancer. She has been stricken with cancer for a while, and has been through some really tough times during the past year and a half. Recently, her brain tumor reemerged and her doctors at Duke stopped her chemo. They don't paint a pretty picture for her future. She is confined to a wheel chair, does not have very much use of her arms, and is scared to go to sleep at night because she is scared she won't wake up. Please pray for this little girl. Some relatives have done a website for her, you can read her story here: http://www.prayforlacey.org/.

Eye Update

I went to the eye doctor yesterday and my vision is continuing to improve. In fact, I am 20/20 in my right eye WOO HOO! and 20/40 in my left eye. Because I am such a slow healer, the doctor wants to give my left eye ample time to continue healing, so I don't have another appointment for three weeks. He did say that there was the possibility that the laser did more than it was supposed to on my left eye (meaning it overcorrected). I have never been farsighted in my life! They also measured the thickness of my corneas to see if any swelling was keeping them from healing. I didn't get those results yesterday--I guess I will hear from them when I go back. The doctor did say there was a chance that my left eye could come around. The farsightedness had improved from my last visit. That is about all for now on my eyes--I continue to treat them with kid gloves.

Welcome Fall!!

Let me first begin by apologizing for not posting recently. School and family have been keeping me kind of busy.

Secondly, let me express my disappointment in Evil Dick winning Big Brother 8. Shame on America for letting this mean spirited person win that game. Strategy my foot! He is mean down to the core. This was a good example of evil prevailing over good in society. It is just not right!

My eyes are healing. My right eye is seeing wonderfully, even though it was not completely healed last week. I still have a blood spot in it, so I get a lot of second glances. My left eye still has some farsightedness in it, making it difficult for me to see small print. It was really a challenge for me last night at Cracker Barrel to read the menu. I go back to the doctor tomorrow and I will be interested to see what he is going to say. I have gotten to be a pro at putting drops in my eyes. I do not regret this surgery. I am able to see without any glasses or contacts and that is surely a weight off my back. I just pray for clarity to come. I appreciate everyone's concerns and prayers.

Papa Gene, Seth, and I visited a pumpkin patch on Highway 43 yesterday. Seth had a lot of fun looking at the wood cutouts and the spiders, boos, and bats hanging from the trees. He picked out a pumpkin too!

Eye Surgery Update

I feel like I am still in a fog-Rob is doing this entry because it is still hard for me to focus on the computer screen.

Day of Surgery

On Wednesday, August 29, I had LASIK surgery. The surgery was not a walk in the park nor did I think it would be. But, even with two Valium I knew what was going on. The worst parts of the surgery were the thing they use to pry your eye open so you don't blink, the pressure in your eye and the sound of the laser on your eye (it sounds like a machine gun). My mom and Rob got to watch the surgery through a glass--they saw my eye magnified on a screen and what was being done to it.

Upon discharge, I was given a percocet and some Nicole Richie sunglasses. I never had any pain with this surgery. I had to wear the sunglasses until my followup appointment the next day. I also have three sets of drops to take four times a day and one drop every hour that I am awake. I slept a while that first day. My eyes were very matted together.

The Day After

I had heard of several people having this surgery and waking the next morning being able to see perfectly. As much as I wanted to be able to see my alarm clock Thursday morning, it didn't happen. I could see better than I could without my glasses, but it was nowhere near 20/20. I began to question my decision about this surgery but I didn't worry too much yet.

At my followup appointment, a girl was in the waiting room who had also had LASIK the day before. I asked her how her vision was and she said "perfect." After that conversation, I started to worry A LOT. The nurse called me back to the room and began to screen my eyes and I couldn't read hardly anything. She went out and I told my mom, "This does not look good."

When the doctor came in, he examined my eyes and said my flaps looked great and they were the biggest concern. He said the reason I was not able to see immediately was because I had a genetic defect in the outer layers of my eyes. The outside layer is the layer that has to be scraped away before the corneal cut is made. My outer layer is very thin and would ordinarily regenerate quickly after surgery. Mine is regenerating slowly, delaying my ability to see clearly. My doctor assured me that I would see clearer by the weekend, and scheduled me an appointment for Tuesday.

Friday

I planned on going to school today, but I can't see to drive, I can't look at the computer and I can't read fine print. I am able to read captions off of the television though and colors appear more vivid. I do have some blood in my right eye, which makes my vision cloudy. My vision has improved significantly--I can't believe I am seeing this well without glasses or contacts.

Saturday

I am very impatient and am so ready to be able to read a book and get back on a computer, but I know it will strain my eyes. I cannot touch my eyes, so I have three days worth of sleep in my eyes. I think the drops have helped wash some of that away. My eyes are very tired, but my vision is getting better each day. Today I am able to read small print for small intervals. I am planning to be back at school on Tuesday even if I have to have a chauffeur.

Thank you to everyone for their well wishes and prayers. They were felt and helped me to get through the surgery and the recovery. I will keep you posted.

My Last Week As a Four Eyes (For a While)

Wow...the countdown is on. In less than a week, I hope to be glassesless (is that a word?) and contact lensless. I am getting a little nervous. I have had surgery before, but not when I have my eyes open and can see what is going on. Oh well, the C-Section but I couldn't see what they were doing! I am excited to be able to see without the dependency of my glasses. It will probably be tough for a few days though because I have worn glasses since I was about 10 years old! It will be different being able to put on makeup and actually see what I am doing without the magnification mirror. I will be able to swim at the beach and actually see where our beach cottage is! I won't have to worry about getting water in my eyes like I do with contacts. I am looking so forward to being able to see with my renewed eyes!

Eye Surgery Update

Some of you have been asking about my lasik eye surgery. I had another appointment this past week to see my eye doctor. He took more pictures of my eyes and seemed satisfied enough to go ahead and refer me to the lasik surgeon. I have an appointment on August 14. I have been out of my contacts since May 25. So much for getting this done before school starts! If you have an astigmatism and you plan on getting this surgery done, plan on being out of your contacts for at least a month. Contacts wearers with regular prescriptions only have to be out of their contacts for 2 weeks. Oh well, I hope that my patience pays off.