Stephanie Martin-Smith
Soul Purpose
Wow , life looks so much different now after Lasik eye surgery!
The biggest challenge was getting everything ready so I could be relieved for the few days to recover. As usual everything fell in the same week! We had more teachers away at our music store in that week than ever before, Les was off to California, Jesse had hockey in Collingwood and I realized just how high on the caregiving totem pole I am and yet it’s good practice for a control freak like me to accept help from others and allow things to take place without my grand illusion that I am in control of it all!
Staff and teachers filled in for each other and ran the ship, neighbour Cathy covered kids and dinner, friend Denise drove me to London for surgery and humoured my “OCD” she diagnosed me with.
It was unnerving signing off on the risks and rare side effects but I didn’t feel so alone in my fears as a tall burly man (Glen) mentioned to one of the assistants that he was petrified!
We waited in our caps and shoe covers and could hardly believe the woman who had just left and returned was already done. Glen reported he was still petrified but we were relieved it was such a short procedure! I realized I knew the other woman in line and we quizzed everyone who came out of surgery.
When it was my turn, I laid back on the table and the machine came down above my face. My heart began to pound, my claustrophobic tendencies decided to emerge (even with the Ativan), my body thought it should get up and run but then I decided, only 10 minutes, I can do this, and I did. Once I relaxed into it I focused on the voices and lights and procedure, it was really quick. They told me I was doing well and apparently my heart pounding did not appear to be moving my head. Besides my short lived claustrophobia attack it was a walk in the park and I didn’t feel a thing, but I did see everything!
The Lasik surgeon and staff were so relaxed and friendly and the system ran like a well oiled
machine.
Leaving was bizarre with frozen eyes and it was so bright even with the huge dark shades they gave us to wear. I trusted Denise to make sure that I was not going to get hit by a car, since my eyes kept wanting to close. I did close them for the car ride home (another strange sensation) and Denise assured me the bumps I felt were not pedestrians.
My eyes were really scratchy but by the time we arrived back home the freezing wore off and the scratching subsided.
Then I realized I could see very clearly! Crystal clear, clearer than glasses or contacts! When I woke I could see the alarm clock, the leaves on the trees across the river and at my eye doctors the next morning she even let me read the smallest line on the chart! They call it a miracle and I believe it is!
