STEP 1: THE YAG IRIDOTOMY
Boy, what fun! Or not. This procedure occurred about a month before my ICL surgery. I had to go a week without my contacts before the procedure. The YAG creates 2 tiny holes in the iris of your eye to allow fluid to pass between the natural lens and the artificial lens. Without it, you risk glaucoma from the increased pressure. It's done with a laser. It was actually the part that gave me the most discomfort throughout this whole experience. The laser zapped my eye 8 times in each eye (4 zaps per hole)--kinda felt like getting popped in the eye with a rubberband. Not the worst pain you'll ever feel, but it's not pain-free either.I had to hang around for another hour or so, so they could check my eye pressure. The YAG procedure can cause the eye pressure to raise, so they want to make sure it's back within range before you leave. It was a little high at the first check, but was fine about 20 minutes later and I was cleared to go.
They told me I'd need to rest my eyes for the rest of the day. No problem there! My eyes felt like they had sand in them afterwards and I didn't want to open them. Now, I do have a severe dry eye problem, and that surely contributed to my post-YAG discomfort. I kept my artificial tears (Refresh LiquiGel) handy at all times and used it liberally that night. My eyes were really sensitive to light changes for a couple of days--the expanding and contracting of the pupil pushed on those new holes.
I still have visible holes in my irises. They're tiny, though, and they're in the upper part of the iris, so my eyelids cover them even when my eyes are open. Most people have trouble finding them even when I point them out. My eyes are light blue-green, so that makes the holes more visible.
STEP 2: ICL IN THE FIRST EYE
ICL has to be performed at a surgical center, and so we arrive there at the crack of dawn to register beforehand, on an empty stomach like most surgeries. Surgery is at 7am. I've never had surgery before, so I was surprised that I was not more nervous. Finally, it's time. I go back to the surgery prep room and get the usual pre-op type stuff. Turns out that you can have enough water that morning to take any meds you're on. Insert of an IV. Lots of drops in the eye before surgery. They dialate the eye for the surgery, so I'm sure I looked really weird with one big pupil and one little one.I was awake for the whole procedure, but was given Valium beforehand, as they don't want you jumping when the doctor pokes you in the eye. Go figure. ;) I think the whole procedure lasted about 15 minutes. They spread your eyelid out really wide so the doctor can work. I didn't 'see' much, though--just lots of swirly colors and shadowy shapes. So anyone who gets the heebie-jeebies when things come near your eye shouldn't have any trouble. The eye is really dialated--not just like when you go for the annual eyecheckup. I felt pressure, but no pain. Not bad, really.
I couldn't tell right away that my vision had changed any--the dialation was still there and the doctor immediately taped a protective shield over my eye. It was one of those plastic shields with the holes in it--I could sort of see around the edges, though I didn't want to further stress my eye by straining it.
Afterwards I was a little woozy between the Valium and no food. And I was essentially blind--one eye had the protective shield, and the other eye was without its contact lens, since it was getting surgery two days later. So I was being led about.
Went home, ate breakfast, wondered how I was going to keep up with the numerous drops I had been given. My dad and I went over the list of things they don't want you doing right after surgery: bending over, lifting heavy objects, etc. The usual.
There were 5 drops, I think, all with different schedules. One went in 6 times a day the first week and then 4 times a day the second week, and so on. There was a pill to take, too. And then there was a over-the-counter artificial tears drop, too. Plus the Restasis drop that I was already taking for my dry eye. My dad set it all up in an Excel spreadsheet so I could write down the times I used the drops. I'd have been lost without that spreadsheet! As my mom helped me with the first round of drops, I was laying on the couch and when the shield was pulled away, I realized I could see the texture on the ceiling perfectly clearly (I have stucco walls, which I hate, but that's another blog).
Anyway, around noon I discovered something new: Valium and I don't get along. AT ALL. It was like an instant hangover, without the fun the night before. Pounding headache, and nausea. I ate crackers all afternoon, fighting it as best I could. But around 6:30pm, a huge wave of nausea hit me, and I had to...well, let's just say that I made an offering to the porcelain gods. Not good on the same day as eye surgery, but boy did I feel better. I called the doctor on call and she had me meet her at the vision center office right then. So, we head to town for a check. Everything was fine, she said. Gave me a prescription for the nausea.
The next morning I had to go into the vision center office for a check of the eye. Everything was fine and they removed the shield. I still had to use a shield when sleeping or showering for the next few days.
STEP 3: ICL IN THE SECOND EYE
Same chorus, different verse. ;) I asked the doctor if I could have something besides Valium this time, and he decided to halve the dosage, rather than switching, and had me take an anti-nausea pill with it. This meant I was a little more aware (tense) during the second surgery. I actually said "ow" a couple of times, but it wasn't bad. Imagine an "ow" without the exclamation point at the end.I was still a little nauseous that afternoon from the Valium, but it was nothing like the previous post-surgical experience. Now there's twice as many drops, now that the second eye needs them. What a hassle! But, now that both eyes have had the surgery, drop-insertion time meant I got a peek at clear vision in both eyes (since the second eye still had its protective shield over it).
Again, went to the vision center the next morning for a check. With this surgery, I had a lovely bloody spot where the hole was made to insert the lens. Dr. must've nicked a blood vessel. No big deal, but looked icky. Grossed myself out every time I looked at it.
With both eyes now having had ICL at this point, they did a visual acuity test to see how I was seeing. I was 20/25 in each eye, and 20/20 together. Pretty cool!
Appointments were made for my regular optometrist in one month, and back to the vision center in three months. Otherwise, I was to continue the drops til their schedules were met.
