Things are improving day by day but the cloudiness/haze is still there. The haze switches from one eye to the other randomly, so sometimes my right eye is clearer while the left eye is very cloudy. Generally speaking during the first weeks of recovery my right eye was the morning eye and the left eye was the afternoon eye (in terms of clarity). Recently however, the trend has flipped and my left eye is the morning one.
Here is some interesting information as well: The corneal epithelial cells are the fastest reproducing cells in the human body and quickly regenerate.
Hmm...it's been almost 40 days and they have yet to heal. Most patients heal within 2-5 days so I guess there may be some truth to that infomation. I wonder why it takes longer to heal in my case. Could it be nutrition? There has been some research that consuming 1000mg of Vitamin C post-op accelerates the epithelial regeneration.. I've been taking Vitamin C for more than a month now with no immediate results (but gotta say I like the orange flavor).
I also wonder if the whole issue is perhaps the combination of LASEK and the Corneal Cross-Linking, combined with all the anesthetic drops during the operations and the nasty cold I was still recovering from when I did the surgery.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Epithelial Healing History
July 25 is forecasted change. As you will latest find out in the posts above, my eyes did not heal according to this graph and things went back due to having the bandage contact lens longer than usual (which led to an increase in the defect area and longer healing time)
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Day 34 Post-Op (July 24)
More than a month has passed. My vision is still cloudy and blurry but improving little by little. From all the meds I was using I am now left with only dexamethasone and using twice a day (every 12 hours). Not bad. From 6+ meds to just 1, I must be grateful. I also no longer need to keep a table of all the meds I was taking.
So, am I glad so far that I went ahead and did LASEK? Somewhat yes, but I still need another month to figure out honestly if the outcome is good or not. My fingers are still crossed! Please keep in tune now that the blog is up to date in terms of the events that are happening (since today is the 24th of July).
So, am I glad so far that I went ahead and did LASEK? Somewhat yes, but I still need another month to figure out honestly if the outcome is good or not. My fingers are still crossed! Please keep in tune now that the blog is up to date in terms of the events that are happening (since today is the 24th of July).
Day 28 Post-Op (July 18)
4-week post op. It is about time I see some results….NOT.
Area of epithelial defect has been reduced by half from last time (so I am approximating 1x1mm). I feel like the doctor got sick from seeing me every week and suggested seeing him after two weeks instead of one (lol, he already predicted that by next week it will be 0.5x0.5 mm or something like that). Unfortunately he will be off on annual leave after two weeks so I booked an appointment after three weeks. I will probably book with another doctor in the Dubai branch on the Saturday after two weeks (which I have yet to do). I can’t wait three weeks if there is a possibility of getting rid of these contacts in 2 weeks!
Area of epithelial defect has been reduced by half from last time (so I am approximating 1x1mm). I feel like the doctor got sick from seeing me every week and suggested seeing him after two weeks instead of one (lol, he already predicted that by next week it will be 0.5x0.5 mm or something like that). Unfortunately he will be off on annual leave after two weeks so I booked an appointment after three weeks. I will probably book with another doctor in the Dubai branch on the Saturday after two weeks (which I have yet to do). I can’t wait three weeks if there is a possibility of getting rid of these contacts in 2 weeks!
Day 21 Post-Op (July 11)
Today was my 3-week post-op follow-up with the doctor. Results show that the epithelial area has now reduced to 2x2mm….so I’m still not there and I have to keep the bandage contact lens in my eyes. *Sigh*
Day 20 Post-Op (July 10)
This is my first day back to work, and the first day where I drive. My vision is still poor, my screen resolution at work on a 22” screen is 800x600 and I still zoom in when reading text and websites. Tomorrow is my 3-week post-op follow-up with the doctor and I just want the damn contact lens to be removed. Normally people have them removed 5-7 days, but I’m not normal…I’m “special”…and not the good kind L
Day 14 Post-Op (July 4)
It has officially been 2 weeks. My eyes are still blurry and cloudy I cannot read but I can somewhat make what I see on TV. Not bad?
I had my follow-up appointment today and the doctor said the unhealed area in the epithelial layer was around 3x3 mm.
I had my follow-up appointment today and the doctor said the unhealed area in the epithelial layer was around 3x3 mm.
Day 13 Post-Op (July 3)
It was just after the Israa & Miraaj break (3-day weekend). When I arrive at Moorfields in Abu Dhabi they informed me that no doctors will be here today (even though they originally scheduled to be in Abu Dhabi). Had to wait till the next day.
Day 9 Post-Op (June 29)
We head to the Moorfields office located in Abu Dhabi (inside the ICLDC building). The doctor there told me that there was still an epithelial defect (i.e. the epithelial layer has not yet healed) and phones up my original doctor in Dubai who advised him to put back the bandage contact lens. I tell him I have no problem. He tells me the problem is that they don’t have any bandage contact lens in stock in Abu Dhabi….WHAT! I have to drive all the way to Dubai AGAIN!
….1+ hours later we’re in Dubai and they placed a PureVision contact lens in my eyes. The doctor noted in his report that after 1 week they should be removed if the epithelial layer has healed. So I assumed after 1 week I will be contact lens free and with better vision. Oh how wrong my thoughts were.
….1+ hours later we’re in Dubai and they placed a PureVision contact lens in my eyes. The doctor noted in his report that after 1 week they should be removed if the epithelial layer has healed. So I assumed after 1 week I will be contact lens free and with better vision. Oh how wrong my thoughts were.
Day 5 Post-Op (June 25)
I drive back to Dubai again (damn, I’ve never driven to Dubai this many times in such a short period of time..well I was not driving, I was driven to Dubai). The doctor who performed my LASEK surgery was on leave (he did tell me that another doctor will help me and remove the bandage contact lens). Things were very blurry but I imagined that once the lenses were out things would get clear. Oh how wrong I was. When he removed them things just got blurrier! They got even more blurry as time passed by. Was that a good thing or not, I had no clue. The doctor told me to follow up with him after 5 days. Then after a short discussion with reception I found out that they had a small office in Abu Dhabi located in the Imperial College London Diabetes Center and that doctors from Dubai were available there during specific days of the week.
Day 3 Post-Op (June 23)
I called Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai and the pharmacist informed me that during the first recovery period that I SHOULD NOT use dexamethasone with preservatives. The preservative-free dexamethasone was available ONLY in Moorfields Eye Hopsital Dubai since the medicine had the Moorfields logo on it. I figured they probably imported this from their London branch and also added comfort that my choice on where to perform LASEK was good. Unfortunately that meant I had to drive all the way back to Dubai and back to get a small bottle with less than 10mL of a preservative free chemical. This is exactly what happened this day and it helped time pass by even faster.
Day 2 Post-Op (June 22)
Everything was blurry as hell. I still could not see anything. I had a follow-up appointment in Dubai on the 25th of June (which will be 5 days post-op) in order to remove the bandage contact lens. By then the epithelial layer should have healed completely.
One of the meds I was using is called “dexametahasone”. It came in a small glass container with a separate dropper and a label clearly marked on the box [PRESERVATIVE FREE]. My mother accidentally spilled the bottle as she placed it on an uneven surface. The amount remaining in the bottle was not enough to last till the 25th. We tried calling all sorts of pharmacies and LASIK centers in Abu Dhabi but to no avail. Al Maghrabi got their meds from a pharmacy called Babel, which my dad went to and all they had was dexamethasone WITH preservatives. Al Noor hospital did not have a preservative free one, neither did the countless of pharmacies my family looked into. I was reluctant to use something with preservatives (since there were atleast 4 or more chemicals on the medicine list, and the last thing I want is permanent damage in my eyes) so I decided to wait till next morning to call Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai to see if I could use such a medicine if it was not preservative free.
Day1 Post-Op (June 21)
It was dawn. I could hear the Fajr prayers outside. The pain has been significantly reduced to a minor itch. I went to the bathroom, removed the eye guards taped to my face to perform abolution. I went back to my bed and prayed but instead of prostrating on the floor I had to prostrate while sitting (doctor’s recommendation since contact with the floor will significantly increase the chances of infection). I don’t remember the details of what happened next but I do remember calling the reception around 10 or 11 AM to check out by phone.
After that we head straight to the car parked in the underground parking to drive back to Abu Dhabi. My mom gave me her face veil to cover my face (I wrapped it to form a thin cloth which I covered only my eyes with), since I did not have any sunglasses with me and my eyes were extremely sensitive to sunlight.
Once I arrived back home I head straight to my bedroom, close the curtains, cover my eyes with the eye-guard and go to sleep. Throughout the entire time my mother kept track of the eye drops and administered them accordingly.
After that we head straight to the car parked in the underground parking to drive back to Abu Dhabi. My mom gave me her face veil to cover my face (I wrapped it to form a thin cloth which I covered only my eyes with), since I did not have any sunglasses with me and my eyes were extremely sensitive to sunlight.
Once I arrived back home I head straight to my bedroom, close the curtains, cover my eyes with the eye-guard and go to sleep. Throughout the entire time my mother kept track of the eye drops and administered them accordingly.
Back to Reality (June 20)
I woke up, unaware of what time it was. The pain was back but it was slightly bearable. My eyes were very sensitive to light but everything was dark, except for the bathroom light. I look around to find my mother asleep. This was not the reality I wanted to be in and decided to escape. My eyes were already closed and I tried to clear my thoughts. Once again I drifted away from all the pain by sleeping.
The Aftermath (June 20)
The whole process started at 11AM. It was now 4 PM as I entered the room. I went straight to bed to sleep. I had to sleep on my back and had to tape two plastic eye guards to avoid touching my eyes while I’m asleep or for the pillow to rub my eyes. I forgot to mention this, but after the Corneal Cross-Linking procedure they placed 2 bandage contact lens (BCL) on my eyes to protect the treated area from exposure and to stop my eyelids from rubbing my eyes since the epithelium layer was not intact. The pain was unbearable. My entire body was sweating, my clothes were all drenched in sweat, I was freezing as the AC hit me (even though I covered myself with a thick blanket). What follows is pure torture.
As I previously mentioned I was at the final stages of a nasty cold. I still suffered from congestion in my chest and all the riboflavin drops (vitamin B2) that they were putting in my eyes over a 1.5 hour period passed through my eyes, into my throat, mixing with all the phlegm in my system and completely soaking my tongue. What did that mean? Every time I blow my nose there is a yucky flavored phlegm colored yellowish/brown (due to the Riboflavin drops) coming out. I could not see it since my eyes were closed the entire time, but that was how my mother described it. Next, all the absorption of the riboflavin on my tongue caused a condition best described as “cotton mouth”, complete dryness of the tongue (imagine a thick towel inside your mouth that you can’t remove) where I just felt like throwing up. Top that with extreme hunger and stomach pain because the last meal I had was around 7AM (9 hours ago) and I had a voltaren pain pill which causes stomach cramps if taken on an empty stomach.
I was starving, did not have any food, suffered from a stomach cramp, felt like vomiting, felt like my eyes were soaking in Clorox, sweating all over, had chills and all the nerves and muscles in my head were so tense I felt they were gonna snap. My mom went to get some food from the grocery next door as I was blind, helpless and in pain. She came back with some bread, cheese and milk. She prepared a cheese sandwich which was probably the worst thing she could have given me. Imagine putting a little cream cheese on a dry towel and then with an absolutely dry tongue drying to eat it. I was about to puke at that moment but stopped myself since I knew my stomach was empty and for the fear this reaction may damage my eyes that have just undergone some major procedures. I did not have any regrets at that moment and never once said I wish I never did this. All I knew was that I had to keep on walking on the path I’ve chosen, no matter what the consequences were. As these thoughts passed through my mind, I lost consciousness and drifted to the only shelter I could escape to. I was finally asleep and no longer felt any pain as my soul temporarily departed my physical self.
As I previously mentioned I was at the final stages of a nasty cold. I still suffered from congestion in my chest and all the riboflavin drops (vitamin B2) that they were putting in my eyes over a 1.5 hour period passed through my eyes, into my throat, mixing with all the phlegm in my system and completely soaking my tongue. What did that mean? Every time I blow my nose there is a yucky flavored phlegm colored yellowish/brown (due to the Riboflavin drops) coming out. I could not see it since my eyes were closed the entire time, but that was how my mother described it. Next, all the absorption of the riboflavin on my tongue caused a condition best described as “cotton mouth”, complete dryness of the tongue (imagine a thick towel inside your mouth that you can’t remove) where I just felt like throwing up. Top that with extreme hunger and stomach pain because the last meal I had was around 7AM (9 hours ago) and I had a voltaren pain pill which causes stomach cramps if taken on an empty stomach.
I was starving, did not have any food, suffered from a stomach cramp, felt like vomiting, felt like my eyes were soaking in Clorox, sweating all over, had chills and all the nerves and muscles in my head were so tense I felt they were gonna snap. My mom went to get some food from the grocery next door as I was blind, helpless and in pain. She came back with some bread, cheese and milk. She prepared a cheese sandwich which was probably the worst thing she could have given me. Imagine putting a little cream cheese on a dry towel and then with an absolutely dry tongue drying to eat it. I was about to puke at that moment but stopped myself since I knew my stomach was empty and for the fear this reaction may damage my eyes that have just undergone some major procedures. I did not have any regrets at that moment and never once said I wish I never did this. All I knew was that I had to keep on walking on the path I’ve chosen, no matter what the consequences were. As these thoughts passed through my mind, I lost consciousness and drifted to the only shelter I could escape to. I was finally asleep and no longer felt any pain as my soul temporarily departed my physical self.
Corneal Cross-Linking (June 20)
As I stood up from the LASEK machine’s bed, the assistant asked me to follow her. Everything was cloudy as if in a dream but relatively clear (especially since I was not wearing glasses). The second room was larger but did not have any large machines. There was a flat bed which I was asked to lie down on. The doctor was no longer there and it was mainly the assistants who were going to lead this process (since it was going to be a long and boring process). They first started on my right eye.
They placed the same eyelid opening device as the one in the LASEK procedure. After that they had a timer timed at 2 minutes and 30 seconds. They explained that every 2.5 minutes they will place an eye drop. The first eye drop will be a Riboflavin (vitamin B2) drop, then the second drop will be a BSS drop (balanced saline solution…pretty much artificial tears). They will keep switching between them every 2.5 minutes. This will continue for 30 minutes. They also informed that since I have just undergone LASEK surgery, I should ask them to place an anesthesia drop on my eyes should I start feeling pain.
After 30 minutes passed by (where eye drops were placed 12 times on my right eye), they took me to another room to look if there was enough absorption in my eyes. My eyes were all sore and I could barely open them at this moment. They informed me that there was enough absorption and they will now proceed to the second step where they will expose my right to ultra-violet light for 30 minutes while continuing with the 2.5 minute eye drop routine.
So now I am back in the operation room, this time with TWO metal expander pieces, one on each eye, to keep my eyelids open. My right eye has a bright UV light source right on top of it, with two timers on each side of my head and the assistants are keeping track of the eye drops and timers for each eye. From time to time I would feel some pain from the previous LASEK surgery and requested them to place anesthetic eye drops to reduce the pain. They told me to try to handle as much pain as possible before requesting any anesthetic drops since more frequent use of it will hinder the recovery process. So how did all this feel? Imagine your eyelids are forced to be open (and although my eyes were under anesthesia, I could feel the metal expanders, since they are in contact with my eyelids and my eyelids are not under anesthesia), staring at a bright light for 30 minutes straight (and if my eyes wander around the assistants will spot it immediately and ask me to stare back at the light), I cannot take any breaks during this procedure (they even asked me if I needed to use the restroom before the procedure started because breaks were not allowed) and I can feel pain as the time passed by due to the effects of the LASEK surgery. I only had a single thought as I was staring at that damn blue light…when will it all be over.
I hear the timer beep and the assistant removing the UV light from my eyes. At last, I am done with my right eye. Time to repeat the nightmare with my left eye, but they needed to check if my left eye absorbed enough riboflavin so they take me to another room. All seems well and I am back again in the operation room for 30 minutes of staring at a blue light. You may think I would have thousands of thoughts passing through my mind at this moment but all I can think “when will this be over!”. Then I hear the assistant saying “one more eye drop and we’ll be done”. I start counting the seconds 1…2…3…then a thought interferes “this will all be over soon”…then I hear the final beep followed by “we’re all done”!
I stand up slowly, eyes sore and things a bit blurrier than before. The assistant guides me to the seating area while I keep my eyes closed the entire time. The anesthesia begins to wear off and I can feel an incredible pain coming. It is almost as if someone soaked my eyes in some concentrated bleach (Clorox) and the burning sensation doesn’t cease. I ask the assistant to give me some anesthesia to which he responds that from now on the anesthesia drops should only be used as least as possible and no more than 5 times a day. WTH…five times a day!? I already got my eyes treated with the anesthesia about 5 times today. He also told me there was a Voltaren pain pill that can be used every 6 (or was it 12?) hours. I was like a drug addict asking him to please give me some pain meds. I quickly swallow the pill hoping for the pain to cease as the assistant is explaining the instructions of all the meds they were giving me. Although my eyes were closed and my mind was trying to absorb all the pain rushing through my body, I could hear the assistant saying “Drop #1 every 2 hours for the first 3 days, then every 4 hours for the next 3 days, then for every 6 hours the next 2 weeks. Drop #2 commences after Drop #1 has been discontinued for every 6 hours. Drop #3 every….and then I lost it. How many drops were there!!? How the hell am I supposed to keep track of all this! Just get me out of here. After the assistant stopped speaking I followed my mother who was guiding me back to the car. We drove off to the hotel room we booked on the block next to the hospital. It was finally over…or did it just begin?
They placed the same eyelid opening device as the one in the LASEK procedure. After that they had a timer timed at 2 minutes and 30 seconds. They explained that every 2.5 minutes they will place an eye drop. The first eye drop will be a Riboflavin (vitamin B2) drop, then the second drop will be a BSS drop (balanced saline solution…pretty much artificial tears). They will keep switching between them every 2.5 minutes. This will continue for 30 minutes. They also informed that since I have just undergone LASEK surgery, I should ask them to place an anesthesia drop on my eyes should I start feeling pain.
After 30 minutes passed by (where eye drops were placed 12 times on my right eye), they took me to another room to look if there was enough absorption in my eyes. My eyes were all sore and I could barely open them at this moment. They informed me that there was enough absorption and they will now proceed to the second step where they will expose my right to ultra-violet light for 30 minutes while continuing with the 2.5 minute eye drop routine.
So now I am back in the operation room, this time with TWO metal expander pieces, one on each eye, to keep my eyelids open. My right eye has a bright UV light source right on top of it, with two timers on each side of my head and the assistants are keeping track of the eye drops and timers for each eye. From time to time I would feel some pain from the previous LASEK surgery and requested them to place anesthetic eye drops to reduce the pain. They told me to try to handle as much pain as possible before requesting any anesthetic drops since more frequent use of it will hinder the recovery process. So how did all this feel? Imagine your eyelids are forced to be open (and although my eyes were under anesthesia, I could feel the metal expanders, since they are in contact with my eyelids and my eyelids are not under anesthesia), staring at a bright light for 30 minutes straight (and if my eyes wander around the assistants will spot it immediately and ask me to stare back at the light), I cannot take any breaks during this procedure (they even asked me if I needed to use the restroom before the procedure started because breaks were not allowed) and I can feel pain as the time passed by due to the effects of the LASEK surgery. I only had a single thought as I was staring at that damn blue light…when will it all be over.
I hear the timer beep and the assistant removing the UV light from my eyes. At last, I am done with my right eye. Time to repeat the nightmare with my left eye, but they needed to check if my left eye absorbed enough riboflavin so they take me to another room. All seems well and I am back again in the operation room for 30 minutes of staring at a blue light. You may think I would have thousands of thoughts passing through my mind at this moment but all I can think “when will this be over!”. Then I hear the assistant saying “one more eye drop and we’ll be done”. I start counting the seconds 1…2…3…then a thought interferes “this will all be over soon”…then I hear the final beep followed by “we’re all done”!
I stand up slowly, eyes sore and things a bit blurrier than before. The assistant guides me to the seating area while I keep my eyes closed the entire time. The anesthesia begins to wear off and I can feel an incredible pain coming. It is almost as if someone soaked my eyes in some concentrated bleach (Clorox) and the burning sensation doesn’t cease. I ask the assistant to give me some anesthesia to which he responds that from now on the anesthesia drops should only be used as least as possible and no more than 5 times a day. WTH…five times a day!? I already got my eyes treated with the anesthesia about 5 times today. He also told me there was a Voltaren pain pill that can be used every 6 (or was it 12?) hours. I was like a drug addict asking him to please give me some pain meds. I quickly swallow the pill hoping for the pain to cease as the assistant is explaining the instructions of all the meds they were giving me. Although my eyes were closed and my mind was trying to absorb all the pain rushing through my body, I could hear the assistant saying “Drop #1 every 2 hours for the first 3 days, then every 4 hours for the next 3 days, then for every 6 hours the next 2 weeks. Drop #2 commences after Drop #1 has been discontinued for every 6 hours. Drop #3 every….and then I lost it. How many drops were there!!? How the hell am I supposed to keep track of all this! Just get me out of here. After the assistant stopped speaking I followed my mother who was guiding me back to the car. We drove off to the hotel room we booked on the block next to the hospital. It was finally over…or did it just begin?
D-Day: LASEK Procedure (June 20)
The anticipated day has arrived. I wake up early in the morning, stuff myself with what I assumed to be healthy nutritious food (but lots of it) and get ready to head to Dubai. My appointment was at 11 AM in the morning, but I arrived there at 10. I guess that’s the result of too much excitement and over planning. Now to flesh out the details of the entire process!
I step into the hospital, and the receptionist guides me to the operations section (located in a different place than the diagnosis & follow up area). I give the receptionist there my insurance card and relax on one of the numerous couches there as one of their staff asks if I would like anything to drink. I think to myself that I probably need to be well hydrated and choose to have some water (nothing too exciting yet). One of the nurses comes over and asks me to remove my glasses in order to allow for my eyes to relax as much as possible so they can scan my eyes and get a 3D map of its surface. So the next 15 minutes I’m blind, and in a somewhat meditative state as I open and close my eyes and try to be relaxed as much as possible. They call me again, and this time I get to meet the doctor. He takes a full scan of my eyes and asks me to return back to the couch where the nurse will put anesthetic drops into my eyes as he programs the machine.
The nurse comes back with a bunch of plastic things I have to wear before entering the surgical room. There is a plastic cap, plastic wraps to wear on my shoes and an upper body suit that covers my entire chest and arms. He then proceeds to put the anesthetic drops in my eyes followed by the strangest question “How does it taste”. Huh? What kind of question is that!? He tells me that usually the drops pass through the eyes into your throat and many patients express its funky flavor. Lucky (more like unlucky) for me, I was still at the last stages of my terrible cold so I still had some congestion in my chest and could not feel the flavor of the drops since it probably got mixed with all the phlegm in my system.
A few moments later, the nurse asks me to follow him (yes, this was a male nurse) into the operation room. There is a glass sliding door that he opens with his ID card. Following that, there were two large doors that opened up slowly like I was in a Metal Gear Solid game and a huge number [3] on the floor. The room had tons of fans on the ceiling to insure no dust/pollutants are in the air and there was a huge machine with a sliding bed which I later confirmed to be the machine that will laser my eyes. Let me repeat, the machine was huge, perhaps 3x3x3 meters.
I lie on the bed, and they swing it under the machine. There is an ultra bright ring of light with a red dot in the middle. The ring is so bright that looking at it for a millisecond will temporarily leave a blinking ring ghost mark when you close your eyes that is so clear you feel it was burned in your retina. There is a cushion around my neck and head that they shape in order to fix my head and stop it from moving. After that, they tape my eyelashes to stay away from the surgical area and then place a metal ring into my eyes which they expand to open my eyelids and keep them open. Since they already placed anesthesia drops into my eyes I could not feel anything and did not have any urge to blink.
Now that my eyelids are wide open and my eyelashes are out of the way, the doctor proceeded to place a suction device on my eyes. The second it touches the eye surface I react a little and the doctor asked the nurse how many drops of anesthesia he used. Apparently it was not enough, since the doctor put more anesthesia drops (and since my eyes reacted to the suction). The staff informed me that they try to use as little anesthesia as possible since the more is used the slower the recovery time becomes. A few moments later the doctor proceeded to place the suction again. This time I could not feel anything in my eyes (and I felt much better). The rest of the experience felt as though I was abducted by aliens and they were experimenting with me where I could not feel a thing. The suction was in place (I could see a black ring), then there were some sort of drops being placed, following by a tiny brush-like tool the doctor used to wipe the surface of my eye. The doctor then asked the lights to be switched off and for me not to move and keep staring the red light. He then placed a tube between the machine and my eyes and it felt like some kind of steam was being released from it (or maybe I was just imagining things). I could hear the humming of the machine as I stood there in silence staring at the blinking red light. As my heart beat, I knew this moment will change the rest of my life…for better or worse. The silence was then broken by one of the assistants calling my name followed by “right eye”. It was time.
I could hear the sound of a machine gun firing. It sounded more like a thin metal rod being moved right and left as it hit the side of a thin tin can. I tried my best not to move and tried to breathe as slow as possible. The red blinking light would disappear at times or move to the side, going out of focus, but I know my eyes were staring straight up. 30 or so seconds later the sound stopped. The light turned on and the doctor removed all the tools placed on my right eye. Was that it? I didn’t feel a thing and it was too short! The doctor then proceeded to work on my left eye and the process was exactly the same. Now, I had finished the LASEK procedure on both my eyes.
The assistant asked me to stand up slowly as she guided me to another operation room. It was time for the second, and perhaps more medically important surgery, Corneal Cross-Linking.
I step into the hospital, and the receptionist guides me to the operations section (located in a different place than the diagnosis & follow up area). I give the receptionist there my insurance card and relax on one of the numerous couches there as one of their staff asks if I would like anything to drink. I think to myself that I probably need to be well hydrated and choose to have some water (nothing too exciting yet). One of the nurses comes over and asks me to remove my glasses in order to allow for my eyes to relax as much as possible so they can scan my eyes and get a 3D map of its surface. So the next 15 minutes I’m blind, and in a somewhat meditative state as I open and close my eyes and try to be relaxed as much as possible. They call me again, and this time I get to meet the doctor. He takes a full scan of my eyes and asks me to return back to the couch where the nurse will put anesthetic drops into my eyes as he programs the machine.
The nurse comes back with a bunch of plastic things I have to wear before entering the surgical room. There is a plastic cap, plastic wraps to wear on my shoes and an upper body suit that covers my entire chest and arms. He then proceeds to put the anesthetic drops in my eyes followed by the strangest question “How does it taste”. Huh? What kind of question is that!? He tells me that usually the drops pass through the eyes into your throat and many patients express its funky flavor. Lucky (more like unlucky) for me, I was still at the last stages of my terrible cold so I still had some congestion in my chest and could not feel the flavor of the drops since it probably got mixed with all the phlegm in my system.
A few moments later, the nurse asks me to follow him (yes, this was a male nurse) into the operation room. There is a glass sliding door that he opens with his ID card. Following that, there were two large doors that opened up slowly like I was in a Metal Gear Solid game and a huge number [3] on the floor. The room had tons of fans on the ceiling to insure no dust/pollutants are in the air and there was a huge machine with a sliding bed which I later confirmed to be the machine that will laser my eyes. Let me repeat, the machine was huge, perhaps 3x3x3 meters.
I lie on the bed, and they swing it under the machine. There is an ultra bright ring of light with a red dot in the middle. The ring is so bright that looking at it for a millisecond will temporarily leave a blinking ring ghost mark when you close your eyes that is so clear you feel it was burned in your retina. There is a cushion around my neck and head that they shape in order to fix my head and stop it from moving. After that, they tape my eyelashes to stay away from the surgical area and then place a metal ring into my eyes which they expand to open my eyelids and keep them open. Since they already placed anesthesia drops into my eyes I could not feel anything and did not have any urge to blink.
Now that my eyelids are wide open and my eyelashes are out of the way, the doctor proceeded to place a suction device on my eyes. The second it touches the eye surface I react a little and the doctor asked the nurse how many drops of anesthesia he used. Apparently it was not enough, since the doctor put more anesthesia drops (and since my eyes reacted to the suction). The staff informed me that they try to use as little anesthesia as possible since the more is used the slower the recovery time becomes. A few moments later the doctor proceeded to place the suction again. This time I could not feel anything in my eyes (and I felt much better). The rest of the experience felt as though I was abducted by aliens and they were experimenting with me where I could not feel a thing. The suction was in place (I could see a black ring), then there were some sort of drops being placed, following by a tiny brush-like tool the doctor used to wipe the surface of my eye. The doctor then asked the lights to be switched off and for me not to move and keep staring the red light. He then placed a tube between the machine and my eyes and it felt like some kind of steam was being released from it (or maybe I was just imagining things). I could hear the humming of the machine as I stood there in silence staring at the blinking red light. As my heart beat, I knew this moment will change the rest of my life…for better or worse. The silence was then broken by one of the assistants calling my name followed by “right eye”. It was time.
I could hear the sound of a machine gun firing. It sounded more like a thin metal rod being moved right and left as it hit the side of a thin tin can. I tried my best not to move and tried to breathe as slow as possible. The red blinking light would disappear at times or move to the side, going out of focus, but I know my eyes were staring straight up. 30 or so seconds later the sound stopped. The light turned on and the doctor removed all the tools placed on my right eye. Was that it? I didn’t feel a thing and it was too short! The doctor then proceeded to work on my left eye and the process was exactly the same. Now, I had finished the LASEK procedure on both my eyes.
The assistant asked me to stand up slowly as she guided me to another operation room. It was time for the second, and perhaps more medically important surgery, Corneal Cross-Linking.
A Crappy Cold (June 13)
This day was supposed to be the day where my eyes would have been undergone some major restructuring. It is also the day where I got sick with an extremely severe cold/flu. I was really grateful that my surgery has been pushed one week ahead, since there was no way I could have done it today. The flu was so bad that I even had to take a day off work. It was also funny because the first day I was sick (and went to work), I had to keep stuffing tissue up my nose to avoid my runny nose from leaking all over. It was a very weird kind of runny nose, where without any prior notice, it would start dripping like water from a faucet. Every 5-10 minutes I had to replace the tissue in my nose since it got so soaked that eventually the tissue itself would start dripping. Even the tea boy passed by me and asked if I was ok. It was terrible.
I spent that week boosting my system to tons of food and vitamins in order to recover completely by next week where I have to undergo the surgery. I probably gained a couple of kilos in the process but convinced myself that it was all for a greater purpose and that weight can always be lost.
I spent that week boosting my system to tons of food and vitamins in order to recover completely by next week where I have to undergo the surgery. I probably gained a couple of kilos in the process but convinced myself that it was all for a greater purpose and that weight can always be lost.
Booking the Surgical Appointment (May 29)
I don’t know what reminded to call the hospital to book an appointment for my LASEK surgery. They informed me that surgeries are only performed on Mondays, and that the earliest they could book me in was on the 13th of June. I agree and decided I would have to discuss this with my colleagues at work to see if I could take that week off.
Unfortunately things did not go as I wished. My colleague was already planning to go on leave the same week I booked my appointment. Although I was impatient to get the surgery done, I thought to myself that I’ve been wearing glasses for almost an eternity, and that one more week would not make a difference. I call the hospital and move my appointment to the 20th of June.
Unfortunately things did not go as I wished. My colleague was already planning to go on leave the same week I booked my appointment. Although I was impatient to get the surgery done, I thought to myself that I’ve been wearing glasses for almost an eternity, and that one more week would not make a difference. I call the hospital and move my appointment to the 20th of June.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
The Moment of Realization (April 18)
I’m sitting at work during a meeting facing the window. I notice that there is a very weird light aimed at me and figure that this was caused by the crack in my glasses as the sunlight hits me at a specific angle. This does it for me. I got fed up with glasses and wanted to be free from them and all this hassle of getting new lenses, waiting, getting used to new lenses and frames.etc… I decided to call Moorfields to book a time for the surgery but after a hectic work day I forget about it. It’s not only my eyes that are bad….my memory was perhaps worse.
New Glasses! (April 17)
I received my new glasses two days ago and it did feel like I will need some time to get used to them. They were very light and the larger lens made things look funny when I looked down. As I was cleaning them one day I heard a funny cracking noise but didn’t notice anything in the glasses. As I put the glasses back on my eyes I notice a small water drop…which was in fact not a water drop. Congrats…I managed to crack my lens two days after receiving them (the lens themselves cost AED 1,000). The crack was very small and on the side and I didn’t notice it at all when wearing the glasses (nor can anyone else notice it). To me this felt like a message that it was time to move away from glasses to a better solution. A few moments later I forget about the whole thing and carry on with my life.
Ordering the New Glasses (April 10)
I got new glasses after yesterday’s appointment at Moorfields. I selected the maximum compression on the lenses (1.74) and some airlight frames to reduce the pressure on the nose pads. I should receive them after 5 days.
Keratoconus 5-Month Follow up (April 9, 2011)
5 months have passed and I decided to go for a follow-up. Good news was that my keratoconus condition was stable and I was a good candidate for LASEK. Dr. Edmondo Borasio informed me that my risks were similar to a good candidate for LASIK, and that he will have to perform Corneal Cross-Linking after the LASEK procedure to strengthen the cornea and avoid any issues with my keratoconus. To me this meant no eyeglasses and also avoiding any future issues with a progressing keratoconus condition (which may require a corneal transplant if it turns out to be severe)…2 birds with one stone. You would think that at this moment I would take the leap. Unfortunately I head back home to think about it…and eventually forget about it.
Breakfast at The Palm (November 13, 2010)
This was the first time I ever entered The Palm. To be honest, I was very impressed. To imagine that all this is man-made and noticing the sheer size of the place was unbelievable. I managed to find the place where my brother and his friend were having breakfast and join them.
Since the weather was nice, they decided to sit outdoors. Now my pupils were dilated and I preferred a much darker place, but decided not to ruin the moment and good weather and just sit outdoors. I don’t remember what I ate there but it was pretty good (not amazing, but not bad either). I actually liked the setting a lot more, since it was outdoors and you can see the beach.
After the usual greetings, I tell my brother of the results of my eye checkup. He told me to look at the bright side and go back after 5 months just for a general health checkup even if I am not going ahead with any procedure. It was good having him and his friend around to discuss the results and eventually my mixed feelings unmixed themselves and out went the bad ones, leaving me a lot happier.
Since my brother and his friend just arrived back from Bali last night, we spent the next 15 minutes or so talking about their adventure there. Now all their talk about their adventures pumped me up for a trip I was planning with friends in January to visit either Thailand or Vietnam. I think after breakfast we wanted to walk off all the food we ate and headed to Dubai Mall.
Since the weather was nice, they decided to sit outdoors. Now my pupils were dilated and I preferred a much darker place, but decided not to ruin the moment and good weather and just sit outdoors. I don’t remember what I ate there but it was pretty good (not amazing, but not bad either). I actually liked the setting a lot more, since it was outdoors and you can see the beach.
After the usual greetings, I tell my brother of the results of my eye checkup. He told me to look at the bright side and go back after 5 months just for a general health checkup even if I am not going ahead with any procedure. It was good having him and his friend around to discuss the results and eventually my mixed feelings unmixed themselves and out went the bad ones, leaving me a lot happier.
Since my brother and his friend just arrived back from Bali last night, we spent the next 15 minutes or so talking about their adventure there. Now all their talk about their adventures pumped me up for a trip I was planning with friends in January to visit either Thailand or Vietnam. I think after breakfast we wanted to walk off all the food we ate and headed to Dubai Mall.
Am I a good candidate for LASIK? (November 13, 2010)
My appointment was at 7:30 AM. I wake up early in the morning (since I live in Abu Dhabi) and depart to Dubai. The sun has barely come up but I was just too excited. Before I know it I have arrived in Dubai at 7:00 AM. I was half an hour early and impatient to get in. As I wait in the parking lot staring at the clock in the car, impatient for it to reach 7:30. The second I saw “7:30”, I turn off the car and head straight for the hospital. I think I was in the hospital before most of the staff even arrived!
After checking in, they take me to the waiting area where they serve complimentary tea/coffee/water and mamoul (small pastry filled with soft sweet dates). Before seeing the doctor they had to run some diagnostic tests to check the health of my eyes. However, to do so they had to dilate my pupils which meant putting special eye drops in my eyes to help my pupils dilate. After my pupils have dilated enough the checkups could start
.
The first checkup they did was a general retina check I assume, where they shine some light into your eye as you stare into a machine with the assistant looking into your eyes jotting down some notes. After that there was another test which tests the pressure of your eyes where you feel a puff of air into your eyes. After that they take me to see the optometrist where you do the regular eye check you usually do at optical stores (reading letters, etc…) where they come up with the new prescription you may need. This was all not interesting to me at all. After that they did another checkup where you see a horizontal bright line that turns 360 degrees. I assume this was mapping the surface of my cornea. After all of these tests it was finally time to see my doctor.
The doctor who I was assigned to was named Edmondo Borasio. I already looked him up in Google Scholars and he already had some research papers he wrote. Not only that I also found some newspaper articles that mention him so he was not only experienced, but also coming up with new surgical procedures on his own. That added to my comfort. He was also very courteous, friendly and happy to discuss anything I needed to talk about.
However, to my dismay, he informed me that I was NOT a good candidate for LASIK. Apparently I suffered from a condition called keratoconus, which meant that I had irregular astigmatism in my eyes where my cornea was conical shaped. He said that this condition could progress at any time in my life or just remain dormant, but there was no way of knowing. If he performed LASIK, that would weaken my cornea which meant if It ever did progress it would do so easily and severely and that LASIK was a terrible choice that I should not undergo.
I had mixed feeling now. I was happy that I had the opportunity of meeting a good doctor who really cared about people’s health instead of money (which was one of my fears). On the other hand, I was sad and discouraged that I would have to remain stuck with wearing glasses for the rest of my life. On the upside he informed me that he could perform LASEK (not LASIK) followed by a procedure called Collagen Cross-Linking (or Corneal Cross-Linking) if and only if my keratoconus was not progressing at this stage. This meant coming back after 5 months to see if there has been any change in the corneal surface. First of all since LASEK does not involve creating a flap, this meant it would not weaken my cornea. Second, Corneal Cross-Linking strengthens the structure of the cornea in order to stop further progression of keratoconus. However, at that time all I heard was “I am stuck with glasses for the rest of my life”.
Discouraged and full of mixed feelings, I left the hospital with my still dilated eyes. I knew they would dilate my eyes but still decided to drive myself since it was a Saturday morning, and I left way too early before any of my family members woke up. The sun was up in the sky now and things were a little brighter than I expected. I knew my brother and his friend were in Dubai and it was just about breakfast time. I give them a call and find out they are in The Palm having breakfast (actually they just arrived). I drive with my dilated eyes, squinting to avoid the bright sun, and hoping I wouldn’t crash into anything.
After checking in, they take me to the waiting area where they serve complimentary tea/coffee/water and mamoul (small pastry filled with soft sweet dates). Before seeing the doctor they had to run some diagnostic tests to check the health of my eyes. However, to do so they had to dilate my pupils which meant putting special eye drops in my eyes to help my pupils dilate. After my pupils have dilated enough the checkups could start
.
The first checkup they did was a general retina check I assume, where they shine some light into your eye as you stare into a machine with the assistant looking into your eyes jotting down some notes. After that there was another test which tests the pressure of your eyes where you feel a puff of air into your eyes. After that they take me to see the optometrist where you do the regular eye check you usually do at optical stores (reading letters, etc…) where they come up with the new prescription you may need. This was all not interesting to me at all. After that they did another checkup where you see a horizontal bright line that turns 360 degrees. I assume this was mapping the surface of my cornea. After all of these tests it was finally time to see my doctor.
The doctor who I was assigned to was named Edmondo Borasio. I already looked him up in Google Scholars and he already had some research papers he wrote. Not only that I also found some newspaper articles that mention him so he was not only experienced, but also coming up with new surgical procedures on his own. That added to my comfort. He was also very courteous, friendly and happy to discuss anything I needed to talk about.
However, to my dismay, he informed me that I was NOT a good candidate for LASIK. Apparently I suffered from a condition called keratoconus, which meant that I had irregular astigmatism in my eyes where my cornea was conical shaped. He said that this condition could progress at any time in my life or just remain dormant, but there was no way of knowing. If he performed LASIK, that would weaken my cornea which meant if It ever did progress it would do so easily and severely and that LASIK was a terrible choice that I should not undergo.
I had mixed feeling now. I was happy that I had the opportunity of meeting a good doctor who really cared about people’s health instead of money (which was one of my fears). On the other hand, I was sad and discouraged that I would have to remain stuck with wearing glasses for the rest of my life. On the upside he informed me that he could perform LASEK (not LASIK) followed by a procedure called Collagen Cross-Linking (or Corneal Cross-Linking) if and only if my keratoconus was not progressing at this stage. This meant coming back after 5 months to see if there has been any change in the corneal surface. First of all since LASEK does not involve creating a flap, this meant it would not weaken my cornea. Second, Corneal Cross-Linking strengthens the structure of the cornea in order to stop further progression of keratoconus. However, at that time all I heard was “I am stuck with glasses for the rest of my life”.
Discouraged and full of mixed feelings, I left the hospital with my still dilated eyes. I knew they would dilate my eyes but still decided to drive myself since it was a Saturday morning, and I left way too early before any of my family members woke up. The sun was up in the sky now and things were a little brighter than I expected. I knew my brother and his friend were in Dubai and it was just about breakfast time. I give them a call and find out they are in The Palm having breakfast (actually they just arrived). I drive with my dilated eyes, squinting to avoid the bright sun, and hoping I wouldn’t crash into anything.
Researching LASIK (October 2010)
Memories of the bad set of prescription glasses caused a strong wind to blow in the depths of my mind, removing all the dust from the idea of LASIK eye surgery. Before I knew it, the dust has all disappeared over the past couple of months and my brain brought the idea up again. Perhaps I should pull the trigger and just go for it. I mean, what’s the worst that can happen? Ehm…well there were some very bad things but what are the chances? I had a conversation with my brother and he convinced me to just take a single step, that is, see if I am a good candidate or not. After all if I am not then a decision is made. If I am a good candidate then I can make a choice. I decided that it was better to know than not know at all and started researching places in the UAE on where to do LASIK.
I ask my friend who worked in hospital for more than 4 years and he came up with recommendations. I researched different LASIK machines and came with the conclusion that the VISX Star 4 (something like that) was the best one. After further research I decided on going with Moorfields Eye Hospital in Dubai located in Dubai Healthcare City. After all, they have been in the UK for more than 200 years, the doctors were really credible and they were on the higher end in terms of price (which makes me feel like I am paying for quality).
I call them and book an appointment for the 13th of November. I just couldn’t wait for that day to come.
I ask my friend who worked in hospital for more than 4 years and he came up with recommendations. I researched different LASIK machines and came with the conclusion that the VISX Star 4 (something like that) was the best one. After further research I decided on going with Moorfields Eye Hospital in Dubai located in Dubai Healthcare City. After all, they have been in the UK for more than 200 years, the doctors were really credible and they were on the higher end in terms of price (which makes me feel like I am paying for quality).
I call them and book an appointment for the 13th of November. I just couldn’t wait for that day to come.
The first thought about LASIK (Summer 2008)
It is the summer of 2008 and I just finished my 3rd year at university. I have only tried contact lenses for around a month previously and it wasn’t a pleasant experience. Toric contact lenses were uncomfortable and half way through the day my eyes would be dry and turn red. This made me consider undergoing LASIK eye surgery. Further to that, my brother has recently undergone LASIK eye surgery and was doing well, which was pretty much all the motivation I needed at the time.
However, before I booked an appointment decided to call my other brother (who has also undergone LASIK eye surgery years ago) to get some input from him. He informed me that the reason why he did the surgery was in order to be able to do things that he wasn’t able to do with glasses or which hindered him in his ability to enjoy sports (mainly soccer and scuba diving). I didn’t play much sports and as a student I did not find that I had a good reason at the time. I changed my mind and pulled the plug on the idea of messing with my eyes.
However, before I booked an appointment decided to call my other brother (who has also undergone LASIK eye surgery years ago) to get some input from him. He informed me that the reason why he did the surgery was in order to be able to do things that he wasn’t able to do with glasses or which hindered him in his ability to enjoy sports (mainly soccer and scuba diving). I didn’t play much sports and as a student I did not find that I had a good reason at the time. I changed my mind and pulled the plug on the idea of messing with my eyes.
I need new glasses...or did I? (March 2010)
The idea of undergoing LASIK eye surgery was now dormant in some dark part of my brain. There was so much dust covering it that even if I looked for that idea I wouldn’t find it. I have been wearing the same prescription glasses for roughly 3 years now and I felt like I should go for a checkup, after all, I didn’t know if things were actually slightly blurry or if my mind was playing tricks on me telling me to just get a new pair.
I head to Optical Center for a routine checkup and I find out that indeed my myopia has changed although my astigmatism was the same. My new prescription was the following:
Right Eye: Sphere -5.50, Astigmatism -2.50, Axis 180
Left Eye: Sphere: -6.75, Astigmatism -1.00, Axis 175
I pick a new pair of glasses that look more trendy that my previous ones, selected the most compression possible for the new lenses and wait a week to receive them.
A week passes by and I finally received my new pair. I wear them the next morning in order to better acclimatize to them but things seemed a little too sharp. Not only that everything felt funny due to the change in shape of the lens (they were smaller that my previous pair). I visit the store again to see if this was just my imagination or if there was something indeed wrong with the prescription. The optometrist told me that because I had severe myopia and astigmatism that getting used to new glasses will take some time and that I should give it a week. I am not the most patient person but this was just something I had to get used to.
As the days pass by I notice that things were just getting worse. I could feel all the muscles and nerves in my head being tense, I would get constant headaches and after a long night’s sleep people still said I looked like I didn’t go to sleep. My body was giving me enough messages to tell me that perhaps the prescription was indeed overpowered. After a week passes by I give up hope, stash the glasses in some dark place in my cupboard and return to my old glasses. Things weren’t as clear but I was a lot happier and comfortable.
I head to Optical Center for a routine checkup and I find out that indeed my myopia has changed although my astigmatism was the same. My new prescription was the following:
Right Eye: Sphere -5.50, Astigmatism -2.50, Axis 180
Left Eye: Sphere: -6.75, Astigmatism -1.00, Axis 175
I pick a new pair of glasses that look more trendy that my previous ones, selected the most compression possible for the new lenses and wait a week to receive them.
A week passes by and I finally received my new pair. I wear them the next morning in order to better acclimatize to them but things seemed a little too sharp. Not only that everything felt funny due to the change in shape of the lens (they were smaller that my previous pair). I visit the store again to see if this was just my imagination or if there was something indeed wrong with the prescription. The optometrist told me that because I had severe myopia and astigmatism that getting used to new glasses will take some time and that I should give it a week. I am not the most patient person but this was just something I had to get used to.
As the days pass by I notice that things were just getting worse. I could feel all the muscles and nerves in my head being tense, I would get constant headaches and after a long night’s sleep people still said I looked like I didn’t go to sleep. My body was giving me enough messages to tell me that perhaps the prescription was indeed overpowered. After a week passes by I give up hope, stash the glasses in some dark place in my cupboard and return to my old glasses. Things weren’t as clear but I was a lot happier and comfortable.
Introduction & a little history
I am nearing the age of 24 as I am writing this. For as long as I can remember, I spent my entire life wearing eyeglasses. To be exact though, I have been wearing eyeglasses since third grade (when I was 8 years old). So we’re talking about almost 16 years of my life. To be honest at first I didn’t mind eyeglasses. However, as my vision got worse and worse, not to mention the astigmatism, I really started feeling that eyeglasses were no longer doing it for me.
Change in Blog Name from 日本語４０１ to Blue Gaiwan
Having spent the past 2+ years in the UAE, this blog will no longer cover topics related to Japan/Japanese Language. While the blog was previously known as 日本語４０１ since it was what I used during my University years, I will now change its name to Blue Gaiwan to match my addiction to tea (which for health reasons I stopped drinking, even though the topics I will post will not relate to tea.
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