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PRK Story - Procedure on 1/19/2024
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AsceticHedonist47 is age 2
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Hey all! I'm almost a week after my PRK wanted to share some quick insights.
First, my first three days were MISERABLE. One of the drops you use 4x a day felt like literal acid, I was basically on the ground crying and swearing each time I used it lol. The procedure was pretty aggressive and unfun, but it was like 20 minutes so no big deal there.

Second, I am recovering extremely well (I'm on Day 6)! 20/20 vision in one eye, 20/25 in the other. Haven't felt much pain at all in three days, other than general tiredness and occasional dryness/scratchiness I'm having no issues. Doctor said I'm the "model PRK patient" and have healed faster than anyone he's seen in years. So, below are my recommendations for PRK to hopefully minimize the atrocious recovery experience.

  1. They are going to give you post op instructions. FOLLOW THEM EXTREMELY CLOSELY. Additionally, buy ultra-dark sunglasses and a sleeping mask. I followed my instructions and wore a sleeping mask the entirety of the first three days, and did almost nothing except nap and lay around.
  2. Just plan on living blind for a few days. Your eyes are in terrible shape right after the surgery, and I suspect this is why so many on this forum have been upset about their recovery. PRK is not LASIK, if you do not respect your mortality your eyes will not respect you and it will be a horrible time.
  3. Try to have someone with you during the first few days - specifically someone helpful. I love my partner to death but she did not help me literally at all, and it frustrated me more than my surgery did. Clean your house thoroughly before you go in , and if possible find someone responsible to help maintain things like food, cleaning, etc.
  4. Finally, be patient. Take lots of day off work, plan some fun podcasts or songs, and just survive. One of the fun side effects that I noticed was some extremely vivid and bizarre dreams. One was terrifying but the rest were pretty cool!

All in all, I'm glad I did it. When I was laying on the floor with my eyes on fire, I was still glad I did it. A lifetime of vision is a wonderful gift and I'm extremely grateful to modern medicine for giving me this opportunity. A few weeks of unpleasantness is nothing compared to never wearing glasses again.

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9 months ago