9:15 a.m.

I’m sitting in the waiting room at LASIK MD Brossard. After years of toying with the idea of seeing clearly without glasses or contacts it looks like I’m actually about to go through with it. My nerves are on high alert. You wouldn’t know that I managed to get through 2 child birth experiences. The laser surgery is supposed to take less than 10 minutes. When you ask around, so many people have opted to have this procedure done...

9:45 a.m.

I just went in to see the “counsellor” (a.k.a the lady who takes all your money away AND provides you with a relaxant if your nerves are shot... like mine). Apparently the optometrist marked on my eye exam that it was HIGHLY recommended that I have the more advanced procedure (ie. the mores expensive one). It wasn’t the impression that I got from her during my consultation – at all – so I was a little flustered at first. I still (sigh) opted to pay the extra fee because if I’m going to do it, I want it to be done right. At least the more advanced procedure includes a lifetime guarantee AND a 20/20 vision guarantee. With the standard one I was going to be paying extra for 5 year guarantee. Sigh (again). I’ve also now had a few minutes since I took the relaxant – a little pill that I let melt under my tongue. I think I feel more relaxed but I suppose we’ll only really know when I’m actually lying on the table and having my eyes sliced open (for lack of a better term...)... OOF (that’s just a louder and more uncertain this is a good idea “sigh” in case you were wondering)...

So I’m sitting in the waiting room. I’m thinking that this isn’t a big deal. Dozens of people have the procedure done in this clinic on a daily basis. When I came for my consult a couple of days ago I probably saw close to 20 people come out of the room with the “LASER” sign on the door. Their eyes were a little teary and a little red, but all things considered, they looked just fine.

I’m still nervous. Though a little less... I actually feel pretty calm right now. Hoping it lasts.

It’s Friday morning so where are the girls? As any parent knows, it’s not always easy to get a few moments away when you have 2 little ones. Personally I booked the procedure as quickly as possible for day that I knew my MIL wouldn’t be working – despite the fact that my SIL is in town with her 3 kids – and crossed my fingers that it would work out. I should have asked first but I figured that I could call and re-schedule if it didn’t work out. It took a little juggling and I know I disrupted some plans that were already in the works, but I think we found an arrangement that worked for everyone. I think. I hope.

What about me? At the moment I’m sitting here all alone (and have a chance to write out some of my thoughts for AOK) but my super sweet friend Aimée offered to help me out. She should be here just before I go into surgery, to sit with me afterwards, and to bring me home. She has 2 small ones too, but she re-arranged her day and asked her MIL to watch them while she helped me out. Good friends like that are hard to come by these days. I’m very lucky to have found her.

Once the procedure is done, I’m not supposed to watch tv, go on the computer or read for the rest of the day and evening. Maybe I’ll get Aimée to help me finish up this post and get it online... it would be very timely to post it the day of the procedure.

Here’s hoping I don’t pass out on the table...

11:00 a.m.

So here we are, back in the waiting room. ("we" meaning ’Aimée and myself, she arrived a couple minutes after they put the numbing drops in my eyes... just in time to hold my hand through the pre-op anxiety and the actual procedure). My vision is really blurry right now.

I'm rockin’ my Jack Nicholson look with sunglasses on, awaiting instructions on eye drops and other such important things. The procedure went SO - MUCH - BETTER than I expected; maybe it was the relaxing medication I received before hand, maybe it was the hand of Aimée, which I latched onto as they fried my eyes, one after the other...

The weirdest part is not having your eyelids taped open or even the actual laser itself, it’s seeing the little flap of your cornea being lifted up. I actually commented out loud - "well that's strange!". Without getting to philosophical on you, it was like the literal window to my soul being opened. But weirder than that, it brought me to the realization that the true window to my soul is somewhere much deeper than my eyes. Why? Because I was watching something happen on my eye... I don't know how else to explain it.

Beforehand I was the most nervous about the fact that I wasn't going to be able to close my eyes and pretend I was somewhere else (while they sliced and fried my eyes). What I didn’t realize was that the incision happens when there is this vacuum contraption putting pressure on your eye. The pressure on the optic nerve makes you black out and so you don’t see anything anyway. AMAZING.

2:00 p.m.

So... although I felt great coming out of surgery (surely the relaxant and numbing drops did what they were supposed to do) the last hour or so has been a little more uncomfortable. My eyes are burning and I'd just like to be able to keep them shut a little longer (Note: I am actually writing this part the next day because I wasn't allowed to look at a computer screen in the 24 hours following the surgery). Thank goodness Aimée offered to stick around until Brandon arrives home. Now she's even agreed to stay for dinner - lamburgers - that I'm sure she'll end up making. Did I say thank you yet? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

4:00 p.m.

I feel pretty good. My vision is clearing up. I can see... without my glasses. So bizarre. I think I've now passed through the most uncomfortable part of the procedure - it just feels like I've been wearing contacts for too long.

7:45 p.m

Aimée and the family have gone home, the girls are in bed, Brandon has some things to take care of for the pets... I can't watch tv, I can't read, I can't go on the computer... I guess it's bedtime for me too.

Let me just put on my super wicked hot LASIK sunglasses... (yes I have to wear them to bed to make sure I don't rub my eyes) and climb into bed...

Did I mention that I can see?

Without my glasses?

Awesome!

A.