The Man with Two Eyes (part four)

Scream if you like, but that will only make it worse.

September, 2003, my sister-in-law, Lenore, was sitting with me in the waiting room of the eye doctor's office. I was told that it would be safer to have someone accompany me home after the procedure was completed. I soon found out why but I'll talk about that a little later. I had finally made the decision to get the Lasik laser treatment done. Hopefully, I would never again need lens of any kind in order to see the world. Mixed feelings of fear and anticipation moved me forward as the doctor's assistant called my name.

After I sat in the special reclining chair, the assistant attached the cold, metal contraption to my eyes. Okay, so I'm exaggerating about the cold part but my mind was beginning to make up things while I was waiting for the laser beams to start flying. This device (trying not to say a clamp) was holding my eyelids wide open  for safety purposes and this all seemed to make sense.

Even the slicing of front area of the eye (let's call it a flap) was not bad. I guess the best comparison is like peeling the skin back from a grape.This had to be done in order to gain access to the cornea. Now the world from this eye was a blur as I waited for Flash Gordon to begin. Joking aside, all of my questions about the procedure had previously been answered and most of what went on was a little frightening but calming at the same time.
 

There is was one minor detail which I found unnerving though. The patient (that would be me) had to be awake and alert throughout the operation. I had a slight problem with what the doctor next told me. She said that I should stare at the fixed point of light that was behind her while the laser was doing its work. If I were to look over to the right or left, I would do damage to my eye. Of course, I don't mean that my eyeball would get sliced in half but the level of eye correction might not be as accurate. As I lay as still as possible, there was the ominous click, click, clicking sound of the laser as the cornea of my left eye was being reshaped. The doctor moved the thin flap back in place and then the same procedure was done for my right eye. Amazingly enough, the flaps heals back on the the eye by themselves, sans stitches.

I was told that I could get up from the chair and the assistant then walked me to the nearby waiting room for a few moments. I was shocked to be able to see my sister-in-law but when I glanced out the picture window and clearly saw the lettering of the bill board across the street and the people passing by, tears were welling up in my eyes. I could see again! Lenore, whose vision was as bad as mine was, said she was happy for me and I knew she understood. Forty years of finding ways to adjust my sight and now at age fifty, I was able to view the world normally again, with my own eyes.

The assistant took me back to the sitting room where I had to have clear, concave cups taped to each eye. This was to prevent me from touching and damaging my surgery. On top of this went large, plastic shades for a more natural look. I looked as natural as a bug-eyed monster but it was better to wear the dark shades than to just walk around with the suction cups over my eyes.

I was discharged to Lenore's care and we found our way to the Metro North train station. Actually, I could see through the bubble lens and dark shades but it was safer to be with someone. As we brushed pass the curious masses, I looked like a blind person but I felt far from it. She deposited me home and I took the apparatus off my eyes. There was little discomfort and everything was crystal clear.While I slept, I wore the bubbles taped to my eyes for about two nights . Had to make certain that I didn't accidentally rub my eyes while they healed.

I know that there are others who have had problems with their surgery but it's been eight years since my mine and I've had no regrets. I'm glad that I live in an age where I can get my eyes back and the world looks beautiful. That's my story with a happy ending.

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