My Lasik Surgery Experience

If by now, you don’t know that I wear glasses, it means you’ve not been reading my blog posts and if that’s true, *inserts rolling eye emoji*. Jk.

So, for my first-time readers, I am short-sighted. I started wearing glasses 15 years ago officially and that is more than half of my life. WOW! Well, I’ve gotten used to it over the years so it doesn’t bother me anymore unlike when I just got my glasses. I’ll be hearing stuff like “Oju igo, how far nah?” interpreted as “Four-eyes, how are you?” If you’re one of those people that make jest of people that wear glasses, then, my God will judge you o. some even call me a nerd. But like I said, I have gotten used to it. I even slay with my glasses, makeup and all. There’s a blog post on how you can do your makeup if you wear glasses. You should check it out.

When I started wearing glasses, I started off as a consistent person but that one is a long story now. Because I avoid wearing my glasses regularly, my eyesight got really worse (what was I expecting, right?). I got used to not being able to see so many things. I even avoided reading billboards altogether. Even now, I’m still not the regular ‘glasses person’, and considering the fact that the lens of my glasses is pretty thick, I have been playing myself. I get headaches most of the time because I have to strain my eyes and I still wouldn’t wear my glasses *I get coconut head. I no dey hear word* 

Last year, after a lot of research anyways, I found out that there is something called LASIK surgery. I didn’t know that something could be done to correct your eyesight. I mean, glasses correct your sight over time or at least not make it worse yeah? But this would permanently correct your sight. Permanently! Yep guys! But I had just one tiny little problem.

SURGERY!

In the eyes!

Ah! What if it goes wrong?

Trust me now, you can relate to this especially if you grew up in Nigeria. So I just waved the whole surgery thought aside that ko necestree. Urmm… I like my glasses. I don’t want to be blind pleaseeee…….

There are actually different types of surgery to correct the eyesight. 

There is

• LASIK which is short for laser in-situ keratomileusis.

LASIK is a laser refractive surgery that reshapes the front surface (that’s the cornea) of the eyes. It enables light entering the eyes to focus on the retina without the aid of glasses or contact lens. In simpler English, you will see better.  It is ideal for patients who are shortsighted, longsighted or those who have astigmatism. This is the one I opted for since I’m shortsighted. 

Others include;

• LASEK also short for laser epithelial keratomileusis
• PRK (photorefractive keratectomy)
• ALK (automated lamellar keratoplasty)
• RLE (refractive lens exchange)
• EpiLasik
• PRELEX (presbyopic lens exchange)
• Intacs
• Phakic Intraocular Lens Implants
• AK (astigmatic keratotomy)

Since I am short-sighted, I opted for LASIK and so another round of research began.

‘what makes me a candidate for LASIK?’

‘what are the possible side effects?’

‘what could possibly go wrong?’.

Actually, I got to know about LASIK back in Nigeria when someone close to me had his done and for a couple of days, he couldn’t see well and it was just so uncomfortable. Although this went away and he had 20/20 after some days but… I was there. I saw how uncomfortable he was. So I decided there and then that nahh…. this can’t be me.

About a week ago, a friend of mine, here in Dubai had his done and in like a day or so, he could see perfectly well. It was that fast! I got gingered and I had to consider it. As luck would have it, where he had the surgery done, they are currently running a Ramadan promo where you pay almost half the actual price. You people will say I like awoof now. But it’s actually a great deal. 

I went ahead to book an appointment at the North American LASIK centre here in Dubai and I was told not to wear my contact lens before coming for the surgery. Since I haven’t actually been wearing lens for a while now, I was good to go.

Now To My Experience…

On the day of my appointment, I had to go through a series of tests before the surgery. The first thing was to get my eye-power read. The machine read it to be -6 (minus 6) then a manual test was conducted and it read -5.5. They had to check my prescription glasses as well and it read -5 and -5.5. The doctor goes, “It’s not supposed to read this”. He said two of those readings were supposed to match at least. I almost panicked. 

I was then given an eye drop to relax my eye nerves and I went for another test.

It was at this test that I found out I had been wearing the wrong prescription glasses for about 3 years. E shock you?! Me too! I discovered that I should be using a prescription of -3.75 thereabout and the current prescription I use reads -5. I wasn’t sure whether to be angry or happy. Happy because I might not be that ‘blind’ after all.

I proceeded to ask the doctor how I was able to see with the glasses for so long. He told me that my nerves accommodated it and that I needed to get my nerves in place before I can eventually get the surgery done. I was given another prescription and he recommended that I also get daily contact lens, disposable ones.

In short, I wasn’t able to get the surgery done. To think I was already anticipating how wonderful my sight would be and how I would pepper all the haters. Anyways, I decided to console myself and I went on a shopping spree. I call it “my consolation shopping”. I went to the Dubai Mall and got me some new filming equipment. I got an iPad 2020, microphones, variable filters to mention a few. Luckily for you, I filmed the whole process so you can head on to my YouTube channel (@Mimie Jay) and help yourself.  

Moral lesson: if you’ve planned for something and you couldn’t get it done, go on a shopping spree (you didn’t hear it from me oh).

I know this is supposed to be a journal of my LASIK eye surgery but then, it is what it is. 

Thank you so much for reading to the end.

Xoxo,

Mimie Jay.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE: