Laser Eye Surgery - 6 Months On

Last October I had laser eye surgery as part of Optical Express' Team 21 Celebrations. In my original post I said I would update you with how my eyes were... so here I am, 6 months post-surgery, to fill you in.

There were 21 of us that were part of Team 21 - all bloggers who would be writing about our experiences with laser eye surgery. Some of the others I had met at one of the events that was held before everyone's surgery took place - I formed friendships with a couple of the girls, both of whom were having their surgery before mine. I was so excited when they reported back that they'd opened their eyes the next morning to near on perfect vision - after all, perfect vision was the goal were were all aiming for.

When I woke the next morning, I was slightly disappointed to see that my vision wasn't much better - I was pleased I could see - but so far there were no improvements. Optical Express make sure you are seen 1 day, 1 week and 1 month after your surgery - and then on if necessary. I made my way to the opticians (wearing no eye make up - you're not allowed for the first week) with very blood shot eyes - for them to check me over.

The optician said he was pleased with how the surgery had gone, and not to worry - everything was fine, just to continue with the drops I had been given, and Vita-Pos (which is almost like Vaseline) which you put into your eyes before going to sleep.

I continued that week, doing as instructed, but at times I found my vision would go very blurry and I could hardly see at all out of one of my eyes. Optical Express assigns you someone you can contact whenever you feel you need help, so I did email my person that week a couple of times - she reassured me and said it was all normal.

At my one week post-surgery check I was told I had severely dry eyes, which is why I was experiencing the blurriness and strange vision - the optician gave me some different drops to use to try to help combat this, and told me that although normally people would have stopped the Vita-Pos by now, I should continue with it.

One month then passed since my surgery, and although my eyes were better, they still weren't great. My eyes were still showing signs of being dry, although not quite as bad, and the eye test showed that there was improvement in my vision from 3 weeks previously. The optician gave me another set of drops, I was told to continue with the Vita-Pos and to come back in a month's time.

During that month, I found the Hyco San Plus drops he had given me really seemed to help. I was using them quite regularly, and I felt I could see so much better once I had the drops in. I even slept without my Vita-Pos some nights, as I felt so fine - although in the morning I realised I wasn't ready yet, as my eyes were really sore and dry.

At my next appointment I was told that my eyes had improved a lot, but were still showing signs of dryness (sorry if I'm sounding like a stuck record at this point!) - they were a lot less dry than they had been, but there was that little niggle still there, and this was causing my vision to be less than 100%. I had to continue with the drops and Vita-Pos, and so it continues.

At my last appointment I was told that my eyes were almost how they should finally be, but if they didn't get there, I could be re-lasered. I feel like my eyes have made such an improvement since being done... my last appointment was 2 months ago and I feel, even in that time, that I can see so much more clearly, and only have to use the drops if I'm extremely tired as my eyes tend to start to get a little dry then. When I see things up close I can see them really clearly - sometimes if I'm doing my make up in the mirror and close one eye I am amazed by how crisply I can see through the other eye. I can now use the computer without having to wear glasses, and without squinting, although it doesn't have that sharpness that I used to get with my glasses on - which is the result I was expecting. My eyes have changed so much in 6 months that I expect that they will continue to improve with time.

So, although laser can be a life changer, it's not immediate - it can be a long, slow process, as I have seen. Optical Express have been great throughout the whole experience, reassuring me every step of the way. 6 months on, I feel I am finally there - I still carry drops in my handbag, but haven't used them in ages. It doesn't always happen like it did in TOWIE - everyone's healing times are different.