I haven’t updated this blog with my recovery progress since having PRK. PRK is a laser eye procedure different than Lasik. PRK has a much longer recovery time. The goal of both Lasik and PRK is the same, which is to enable people to see without glasses. I had wavefront guided custom PRK.
For the first few days with PRK there was a great deal of discomfort and it has taken about a week to regain semi-functional vision without the use of eyeglasses. In fact yesterday was the first day that I felt comfortable driving a car.
Without any glasses, I can now see objects in the distance quite well (television, road signs, clocks, etc). There is some occasional fuzziness still. I find it difficult to read the newspaper and writing this post is turning out to be a bit of a challenge. Items near by is a slightly different though. Close up vision is improving each day though.
Every day my vision gets much clearer and it is getting easier to see things up close. My Doctor told me that over the next couple of weeks it will be even better (no need for cheater glasses) and after about 3 months everything will be even crisper.
One suggestion I’ve heard that while recovering from PRK is to pick up some cheater reading glasses at the drugstore. This will enable to you to read or work on a computer while recovering. Since I am on a break, I haven’t been doing that and have instead have been resting my eyes. I don’t want to strain my eyes so I can be in full force once I return to work in September.
People have written me asking about recovery times and returning to work from PRK. I think its hard, if not impossible to base your recovery time upon another’s experience. Everyone’s eyes are different. I’d definitely recommend taking the week following PRK off of work. Especially if you do computer work or intense reading/writing. Some folks recommend that with PRK you only do one eye at a time. That might be a smart thing to do.
I’ve been fortunate to be a on a break from my job at Microsoft. This has enabled me to take my time in recovering. It was also a pleasant surprise to find out that Microsoft healthcare contributes $500 towards laser eye surgery. No company on the planet has health care like Microsoft.
I had my surgery at the TLC Laser Eye Center in Bellevue, Washington. They have a wonderful staff, were patient with my questions and really put me to ease. If you decide to have Laser Eye surgery you might want to add them to the list of Doctors you check out. One thing I did not know is that not everyone is a candidate for Laser Eye Surgery. In fact the TLC office in Bellevue told me that they turn away about 30 per cent of the interest patients.
Being able to see without glasses, after wearing them for almost 25 years is an almost un-describable experience. In the morning I can see the clock without glasses or the stars at night out our window while laying in bed. If Josie wakes me up in the morning ( a regular thing these days) I can see the smile on her face. All without having to first put on my glasses.
This summer has been an awesome break for me. Leading into this break, I felt very tired or as my friend Frank Arrigo would say, “Wasted!” I’m getting caught up on many things around the home. Sleep, relationships, chores, rest and family.
Thank you Microsoft, Sanjay and Steve for allowing me to take this break. I never thought it could be this good.
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