It's been 3 months

I went for my 3-month followup today. For the most part, everything is going just fine. The halos are still a problem, though, when I don't use the drops. But I learned through an ICL Yahoo Group that allergy medicines can dialate your pupils and I've been on allergy meds for months, so I'm going without now for a few days to see if it makes a difference. So far, it does seem to make a small difference in the intensity of the halos, but after 6 days of no allergy meds, I do still have halos. Here's what they look like at night:


But, like I said, the drops that were prescribed do make the halos go away. My surgeon did offer me some hope today that the halos could still diminish over time. He said that it can take up to a year for 'settling' in the eye. Part of the problem, too, is that I have larger-than-usual pupils for my age. Even so, I'm still happy I went through with this procedure.

Post surgery - It's been a month...

So far, so good. I'm done with the post-surgical drops (yippee!) and now continuing in the healing phase. The doctor said it would take at least 3 months to heal. I've had no pain, but a lot of "Is this normal?" moments. Outside, particularly when it's sunny out, the sharpness of my vision is impressive. Perfect. It's weird, though--I still feel like a contact lens wearer. Maybe it's because I've always been very nearsighted and don't know what it's like being without vision problems. My eyes have the sensation of 'artificial lenses'. It's hard to describe. Doesn't hurt, it's not uncomfortable, but when I blink, I sometimes still have that sensation of...something. I don't know. That might go away with the healing process.

My biggest problem post-surgery is halos in low-light situations. Prior to surgery, I had halos when outside at night, but they were tolerable. Mostly wedge-shaped and they were over car head and tail lights. Now, they're completely round, more intense and I even have them indoors. There's a glow around the tv, even if the lights are on in the living room. The worst is when driving. I see them on car head and tail lights, street signs, my dashboard, the cat-eye reflectors on the interstate--everything. They're so intense that, at times, I don't feel safe driving at night, so I've avoided driving at night if possible. If I look directly at a light, the halo will disappear for a few seconds, but the instant my pupil expands in the darkness, the halos reappear.

I mentioned the halos to the doctor the day after the second surgery, and he said they would fluctuate. Maybe they do fluctuate in some people, but not me. They are consistently there whenever the light is low. I've reminded myself that I have a lot of healing to do, and they could still diminish or go away. So I'm not freaking out just yet.

I went for my one-month check to my regular optometrist this week and we talked about halos. I've been given a prescription drop to try. It's intended for glaucoma patients, but what it does is cause the pupil to constrict. I've used it twice and it worked like a charm. No halos! It makes my eye ache a little bit, but not bad. I just use it 30 minutes before I have to drive in the dark. At least now I have an option. I'm going to research driving glasses next. Something just to wear at night.