Testimonial from LASEK patient Diane C.
Diane C. writes:
On July 23, 2008, I had LASEK and epi-LASEK eye surgery to correct my vision, and Dr. Chynn at Park Avenue Laser Vision gave me something I’ve never had as an adult - the ability to see without corrective lenses. When I was four years old, I had sinus surgery and shortly after recovering, after dealing with terrible headaches, I found out that I needed glasses. From that day, I wore glasses for everything.
I wasn’t one of those people who could get away with only putting on my glasses to read or see things far away, I felt completely useless without them. I kept my glasses on for every shower, every day in the pool, every nights’ sleep, since I was 4, until I was 17, when I started wearing contacts. Since I have large pupils and a high prescription, I could never get contacts that were quite the right fit to correct my vision and comfortably sit in my eyes. I always saw halos around lights.
This May, I graduated from NYU’s Steinhardt School of Education with a B.S. in Childhood Education and Special Education. Dr. Chynn, an NYU graduate, donated LASEK surgery to a graduating senior, and I was lucky enough to win the raffle held at our graduation fair. I would not have even considered having my eyes fixed at this point in my life, I’d thought about doing it when I was older, settled into a job with some extra money, so inning LASEK eye surgery now was really fantastic! I now get to begin the next chapter of my adult life with perfect vision!
I met the staff of Park Avenue Laser Vision in early May and by my second appointment, they already knew me by name and I was excited to go back for each of my work-ups. I attended a LASEK seminar in June, and after watching someone else have their vision corrected right in front of me, I felt much more confident about going under the laser with my own eyes. The day of my surgery began with a series of drops and pills to get my body ready and kick start the healing process that was about the begin. There are quite a few pills and drops to take, but Park Avenue Laser Vision has very helpful charts and great color coded sheets that make it easy to remember and make sense of all the bottles and packs. As a seminar patient, my friends and family, as well as other NYU students and potential patients
who were interested in LASEK gathered around the office to support me and watch the surgery.
As I settled into the chair, I remembered some thoughts I had while watching the other seminar patient a month before. I wasn’t convinced I wouldn’t feel anything, surely I had to feel something. I thought I would feel the small metal spreader that’s used to keep your eyes from blinking, but I didn’t feel it at all. I didn’t “feel the laser” or any of the other supplies used during the surgery either. Honestly, the only thing I felt was the cool water used to rinse out my eyes afterwards, and even that was just the feeling of the temperature change.
The actual surgery was so quick that I still barely believe I went from wearing a -7.50 contact in my left eye and a -7.00 in my right eye to being 20/60 a few minutes after surgery and 20/25 less than a week later when I came in for my second follow-up visit! For a few days after the surgery, I kept my eyes closed as much as possible and caught up on some sleep - something that I could always use a little extra of. As hard as it was not to text message and check my email ten times a day like I usually do, I resisted and relaxed. I felt some minor sensations in my eyes, like dryness and a bit of burning, but the bandage contacts that Dr. Chynn put in helped my eyes to heal quickly. The contacts were both removed during my four day post-op follow up.
I’m seeing better now that I EVER saw wearing contact lenses, and my eyes are still healing! I’m writing this at the ten day point, and the doctors estimate that you will see at your new vision level after two to three weeks, so there is still even more clarity in my future!
