My Journey to 20/15 Vision

So I'm going to attempt to write down my Lasik experience here. **be warned, this might get a bit graphic. okay you have been warned**
Prepping for my Lasik procedure was very simple. I filled two eye drop prescriptions at Target and bought some artificial tears for dryness. Two days before my procedure I started using drops four times a day and began using a hot pack at night for my eyes. The real kicker is you can't wear any eye make up for two days before and two weeks after. Uh oh.
Anyways, the day of my procedure arrived and I was soooo excited. Seriously, it felt like Christmas morning. Mom drove me to my appointment and we handled payment. Then the doctor came in and looked at my eyes. He proceeded to go over a consent form with me and told me how important it was for me to lay still and open my eyes WIDE during Lasik, especially when he was cutting the flap. Then he very kindly gave me some Valium and mom and I went into a waiting room.
In the waiting room a man and his wife were in there and BOY was he out of it. He started taking pictures of us and telling the most ridiculous stories. Soon they whisked him away for his procedure and I was fitted with booties, a cap and gauze around my ears to catch the drops. Then, I waited.
Waiting was probably the worst part. I spent an hour taking numbing drops and sitting in the room with my eyes closed. The valium started to kick in and I went crazy. Seriously, I'm soo embarrassed of the things I said VERY loudly. Mom thought it was a hoot. I started to get very anxious though and it was made so much worse when the man came in from his procedure and said, "oh my gosh that was so freaky... the things he did to my eyes..."
At this point I was near panic attack mode but held on. Soon a tech came and told me it was my turn. He took me into the operating room and I was amazed at how large the laser machine was. He sat me down in a swivel chair and the actual doctor came in. He started to make jokes with me and I laughed hysterically for five minutes (thank you, valium). First he took a marker and placed two dots in both eyes, which I actually felt. This led to more numbing drops. The tech directed me to lie down under the machine in the chair and gave me a puppy stuffed animal to hold. He told me to squeeze it whenever I felt the need to shut my eyes tight and it would help.
They slid me under the machine and the brightest light I have ever experienced clouded my vision. It hurt soo bad. My doctor was AMAZING. He talked me through everything and did it so fast.
First, he taped my left eye with an eye patch and then taped my upper and bottom lashes on my right eye. Then, he fitted the metal device into my eye to hold it open. It didn't hurt at all. What did hurt was the little suction device he put on my eye to make the flap errggghhhh. He then said "I just need thirty seconds, Whitney, open your eyes as wide as you can." I did as I was told and felt my vision fade out. This is normal, he said. I just felt pressure as he made the cut and focused on squeezing the dog. That was the hardest part and it was over so fast. Then my vision came back and I focused on a red light while the laser shot into my eye. I couldn't feel this at all but it smelt like something was burning. It was over in a matter of minutes and he was putting the flap back (which was a bit freaky). Then it was on to the other eye! After that was done he inserted tear ducts into both eyes that will fall out within three months.
When you get home, you're supposed to sleep for at least four hours and boy did I! I've been wearing these nerdy glasses around and doing my drops all the time but I am already so amazed at the results. The next day I went back and they told me I have 20/15 vision!! This is better than perfect. The next two weeks my eye will be healing and I have to continue with drops but I honestly feel like a new person already.
Lasik is soo worth it and I would recommend it to anyone. I feel very blessed!