I got my eyes lasered...

You might have read some of my previous posts about my up and coming laser eye surgery, well I'm pleased to say I finally had my wavefront guided Intralase LASIK surgery at Freedom Vision in Manchester on Monday! Well, where do I start?

As with my previous visits the clinic was clean and tidy, the staff were all really welcoming and friendly and I was seen on time.  As it's a smaller clinic they really do have the personal touch and you don't just feel like a number on a conveyor belt.  My boyfriend came with me as you definitely can't drive afterwards so he offered moral support and a lift there and back!

You have a few eye tests again to make sure that nothing has changed and to programme the machines for your surgery then you have a chat with your surgeon before going and having an in depth discussion about aftercare. After that it's time for surgery!

I was a little nervous but the staff really put my mind at ease.  The surgery itself isn't massively pleasant but you have anaesthetic in your eyes so you can't feel anything other than a bit of pressure and you can't really see either. I also felt like the procedure was explained really well and any questions I had were answered so I knew what to expect.  The best part was that it was over really quickly! It's a bit noisy with the machines but the nurse and surgeon explain what's happening and what they're doing as they go along.  The machine already has all your eye measurements programmed in so it really is tailored to you, it also cuts out if you pull away or sneeze or anything...phew.  It's all so sci fi and high tech!

Afterwards I couldn't really see, it was really blurry. You have a sit down in a recovery room before heading off home with antibiotic and anti-inflammatory eye drops to use for the first week plus artificial tears to use for 4-6 weeks to avoid dryness. You also get some rather sexy goggles to sleep in for the first week!  Once I got home I just put the goggles on and went and sat in my dark bedroom for a few hours with my eyes closed as my eyes were quite sensitive to light, felt really heavy and a bit gritty. It got better as the night went on and the next day when I got up...I could see!  My eyes were still a bit gritty feeling but much better.

You have a follow up appointment the day after (then a week, a month and 6 months later) and at my follow up it was confirmed that my eyesight has been corrected. My eyelids were slightly swollen the day after so to be on the safe side I had an earlier follow up appointment made and I'll be going on Friday too. I went back to work the day after surgery and I believe the majority of people are signed off to drive the day after surgery...amazing!

Two days on and my eyes feel way better, plus I can see! After 10 years or so of glasses and lenses I'm absolutely amazed by the fact I can see! It makes me realise just how poor my eyesight was.  In total in was there for just over an hour and my time in surgery was just 7 minutes which is such a tiny amount of time for something which I personally feel is a lifechanging experience.

If you're thinking of having corrective eye surgery I would thoroughly recommend Freedom Vision, the treatment and service I've had from them has been excellent.  The difference that this will make to my life is huge and I can't wait until it all settles down. You can't really wear make up or anything that sprays in case it gets in your eyes while they're healing so I kind of feel a bit like I'm in a transitionary period at the moment - I'll keep you updated with my progress as I go along.  I already feel like this has been one of the best decisions I've ever made!

For more information about laser eye surgery at Freedom Vision click here.