The day after Lasik was the first day of taking care of my eyes, so I made sure to know all the steps ahead of time. As like the night before, I had my husband help me with the first round of drops. The drops are easy to do, but I was still recovering from the medication I took for the pain, and minimal food, so I felt a bit weak.
Not everyone will feel weak the next day. If you have ever had surgery, you will have a general idea of how your body will react. My body was tired and a bit weak, some from not eating much, but also pain medications tend to make me a bit nauseous and weak. *This does not happen to everyone. Everyone will react differently.* You may have plenty of energy and feel just fine. I had eaten just enough to be able to take the pain medication, so my body did not have a lot of energy.
I did take a shower, but I made sure not to get my head wet. I wore the goggles in the shower as they do help create a seal around your eyes. I also used a wash cloth to cover my forehead to catch any dripping water. They say not to get your face wet directly. After the shower, I took a warm, damp cloth and wiped the lower part of my face.
Boy was I happy to be able to see across the room when I woke up! I wore the doctor provided goggles for most of the day. They are great to keep bright light out, and the seal around them keeps out air (like from fans) and any dirt floating around. We have two dogs, so it kept my eyes protected from dog hair as well.
Before using drops, always wash your hands first so no dirt gets on the vials. I used the drops at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and bed time. I initially used a timer set for every four hours but found the other way to track easier for me. I made sure to give ample time (5 minutes minimum to 15 minutes) in between the Rx drops so they had time to work and not get rinsed out by the other. I used the Refresh drops every two hours, or more as needed.
Since my Lasik was to correct near sightedness, I anticipated needing reading glasses. I will plan to pick some up tomorrow. Right now I am typing with the document magnified to 160%.
My follow up appointment was for mid-morning. When I showed up, they asked how I was feeling. I said was a bit dizzy and nauseous but knew it was probably from the medications. They agreed. They took me to the general appointment room and had me look at a chart on the wall, first with one eye and then the other and then together. My sight was 20/15! Amazing!
Dr. Teplick asked if I had any extra questions. I asked if I could take Dramamine for the dizziness. He ok’d that without hesitation. He then handed me my “get out of jail free” card. Ok, not really for that (grin), but I will need to carry the card with me. It states that I have had Lasik and no longer need corrective lenses for driving. My driver’s license states I need lenses, so this card is the proof that I will no longer need them, at least for driving. It also states that my corneas are no longer eligible for donation (should you have “organ donor” on your driver’s license).
I did stay a bit woozy during the day. Since I suffer from slight Vertigo, and my eyes are adjusting to being able to see distance, this did not surprise me. Not everyone will experience this.
Also, I had no pain during. Yeah!
A shout out to Dr. Teplick and his team.
Thank you very much for a job well done and for amazing patient care and service!
Daily Observations
- Dry eyes during the day some.
- Wore goggles all day to keep out air and dirt.
- Body felt like it was recovering from major surgery and healing.
- Eyes tiring easily, so took several naps, and closed eyes to rest them often.
- Dizzy as my eyes adjusted to seeing distance vs close up.
- Waking during the night with dry eyes, so used Refresh drops.
- No pain at all.
- Drinking lots of water to hydrate eyes.
- Woozy from the prior day’s dose of Valium and pain medications.
- Some sensitivity to bright light.
