PRK – 2 Weeks Later
It is now 14 days after my PRK vision correction surgery. Improvement during this past week has been much slower than the first week. There is still a significant amount of ghosting, making reading a chore and driving somewhat questionable. I am very liberal with the preservative-free rewetting eye drops, since I’ve found that dry eyes will only perpetuate this ghosting effect.
I’ve been able to work full days in the office yesterday and today, though I’m a continued object of mockery by my coworkers when they see the huge fonts on my screen. Vision still seems best after using the rewetting drops and closing my eyes for a while. In fact, after a long nap today, my left eye was surprisingly ghost-free for a good ten minutes. The right eye was more smudgy, but still decent for awhile.
Throughout the day, the ghosting is worse in one eye than the other, and it switches throughout the day. Good, then bad, then good again. It’s frustrating at times, but I’m still optimistic. Once my vision is stable, I plan on creating a few images demonstrating what effect this has on vision while driving and reading. If you’re considering PRK and have a job where reading is involved, such as computer work, make sure you’re not in a huge busy season. I’ve heard that everyone’s recovery time is different, but it has a significant impact on work performance.
At times, I can close one eye and force myself to focus in or out with the open eye, in a way which I focus through an object, and it seems to resolve the ghosting temporarily. It allows me to see slightly clearer for a few brief seconds, but due to the effort and strain involved, is not a permanent solution. It’s more of a way to pass time or experiment, though it can clear up some smudgy text for a brief second.
What else is there to say? Tomorrow I start taking the steroid drops only twice a day, then once a day the following week, after which I’m free of the burden of Pred Forte. The improvements aren’t quite as drastic, so it’s harder to tell when something is noticeably better. Therefore, I’ll probably wait to write to this blog again unless a significant jump occurs.
I’m still in good hopes, albeit a frustrated mood during times when I have to read. Good luck to anyone else out there undergoing the same.
How are the eyes?
I am nearing my 10 days post PRK here. Have significant ghosting aas well. Post an update I would say my current eye healing is about on par with yours. Just now barely able to read the computer with huge fonts.
Good luck with your healing.
I too have had PRK and am at 2 weeks post op. It’s so scary to not be able to see well, when 2 weeks ago I was able to see adequately with glasses. People keep asking me how the vision is going, and I keep having to report “not so good”, which results in them rattling off stories of people they know that have had lasik and had instant results! I keep worrying that I will never see properly again,and wonder why I wanted to not wear glasses in the first place (although I do know why). I guess its a lot like child birth – bear with me on this – that no matter how much you read and hear, nothing really prepares you for what is to follow. I too am seeing double, and feel like if I could just put on a pair of glasses I could see properly as everything is out of focus most of the time. It seems this is ‘normal’ and I just need to be patient. I guess seeing through a clear ’scab’ is going to be a little hazy. Then my brain will have relearn to see, adjust to certain lights, distances etc. Thanks everyone for your posts.
Yvette – I’m in the same boat. I’m optimistic with a gnawing feeling of dread that I’ll have to go back to glasses/contacts.
At this point I would gladly put on a pair of glasses to see clearly. I suppose when the eyes heal that will be an option if I am not happy with the final result.
Why did I do this again?
Same situation for me. I think 10 days is the point where we all start to get frustrated with this and dread the thought of glasses and contacts again. Today is my tenth day and I’m still blurry. Thanks God they only did one eye. I would be unable to function had they done both at the same time. Is there anyone out there who cleared up at the two week point? three weeks?
I am at day 12, I have no problem reading with my right eye, but the left is fuzzy, my best vision is when I wake up. I drive 45 minutes to work in tha AM and see so so, I dont see starbursts which I am happy about, but the lines and signs are doubled (ghosting). But I do see crisp and clear aside from that. My biggest problem is driving home in the afternoon. The ghosting is bad, and I have a hard time judging speed of cars ahead of me. I am still being optimistic that my vision will be great. I tested 20/30 at my follow up, although the letters on the chart were ghosted.
Wow! I’m really glad to come across your log, and to find it nearly two years after you posted it! This has really been helpful to me. I’m at the 2 wk mark now, and although I can see, it’s definitely a slow process. I actually went back to work on day 4, but it definitely was a struggle. I don’t work on the computer nearlly as much as you (I am a nurse). On day 5, I saw my Dr, he took out the contacts and said I could drive. I had drien to work that day against my husband’s advice, so I was relieved that the doc said it was ok! Anyway, I still have the blurriness and haziness and I am tired of people asking me if that’s normal. I know they are just concerned for me, but they all think it’s nearly instantaneous and compare it to Lasik. Oh well, I just keep looking to the day that I can finally focus and hope that I didn’t do this all in vain. I had a horrible astigmatism before, so even if I have to wear soft contacts in the end it will actually be an improvement over the gas permeable ones I wore before. But I hope to go contact and glasses free! Thanks again for the log and the fresh hope!