Nugget61's PRK Process

[nugget61]

Week 9 (I ran out of fingers and toes to count in days anymore):
I've finished the complete run of meds, so by this point my vision should have stabilized, according to Dr. P. However, I'm not excited about that... I found an online test, and yes, while it is an online test, it gives me an indication of my vision. Anyway, it seems fairly accurate and it put my left eye at 20/20 (read some of the 20/15 line, so if there was a 20/18 line I think I could have done it) but for the bad news my right eye came up as 20/40. I read just under half of the 20/30 correctly, but there was no 20/35... probably could have read it, had it existed, but I don't know. I have noticed this in class too - I sometimes check them individually and my right is noticeably weaker.

Which leads me to my conundrum - while I believe at this point I will be able to pass all required distance vision tests, only needing to be 20/40 when I come in the door, I'll still have to wear a contact and carry glasses. Not a bad deal, considering that my eyes are now eligible to fly. However, I'm allowed free touchup surgery from Dr P for up to 1.5 years. I'd love to take advantage of this and lock in on 20/20 both eyes, however I'm shooting for an Aug1 OCS date through BDCP (for like 3 months, ha). The problem is that I really want to sign on the line - call it job security, but I just don't want to be in my final weeks of school and not know. If I get the surgery as soon as I'm eligible (3 months post op) then I would have to wait till the end of May to apply for a waiver, hopefully to get it around July 1 (with a loss of all BDCP funds, but like I said, thats not a huge loss at this point).

So I ask you folks, is it possible to have a civilian doc do a touchup once I'm in (assuming I can get 3 months of no flight, is that even possible?) or should I have a touchup asap before I'm comitted?

 

[theblakeness]

Week 9 (I ran out of fingers and toes to count in days anymore):
I've finished the complete run of meds, so by this point my vision should have stabilized, according to Dr. P. However, I'm not excited about that... I found an online test, and yes, while it is an online test, it gives me an indication of my vision. Anyway, it seems fairly accurate and it put my left eye at 20/20 (read some of the 20/15 line, so if there was a 20/18 line I think I could have done it) but for the bad news my right eye came up as 20/40. I read just under half of the 20/30 correctly, but there was no 20/35... probably could have read it, had it existed, but I don't know. I have noticed this in class too - I sometimes check them individually and my right is noticeably weaker.

Which leads me to my conundrum - while I believe at this point I will be able to pass all required distance vision tests, only needing to be 20/40 when I come in the door, I'll still have to wear a contact and carry glasses. Not a bad deal, considering that my eyes are now eligible to fly. However, I'm allowed free touchup surgery from Dr P for up to 1.5 years. I'd love to take advantage of this and lock in on 20/20 both eyes, however I'm shooting for an Aug1 OCS date through BDCP (for like 3 months, ha). The problem is that I really want to sign on the line - call it job security, but I just don't want to be in my final weeks of school and not know. If I get the surgery as soon as I'm eligible (3 months post op) then I would have to wait till the end of May to apply for a waiver, hopefully to get it around July 1 (with a loss of all BDCP funds, but like I said, thats not a huge loss at this point).

So I ask you folks, is it possible to have a civilian doc do a touchup once I'm in (assuming I can get 3 months of no flight, is that even possible?) or should I have a touchup asap before I'm comitted?

I had vision improvement between my 3 month and my 9 month visit. In fact, my Doc told me that he wouldnt do touchup until at least a year post-op because with PRK your vision can still improve up to a year.

I think you need to be actually tested by a Doc before you go and jump to conclusions.

 

[SierraWhiskey]

To somewhat answer your question about MEPS, I had my MEPS physical before having PRK and they didn't seem to care that I couldn't see without my glasses. Now that I've had PRK, my OSO isn't even sending me back to MEPS... it seems as though the flight physical will have the final word on whether you're PQ or not and that MEPS seems to be more of a formality than anything else.

My OSO also gave me a form to record some measurements from my 1 month and 3 month post op appointments. I don't remember specifically what was on it, but I remember looking at it and thinking that it's really basic info that the doctors should be keeping in your writeups anway. I think it was just asking your diopters or possibly your 20/__ measurement. Hope that helps a little.

 

[Lights Out]

Now that Iam finally getting around to it, I'm going to post my experience with Custom wavefront PRK/ASA as well. Seeing as how different people respond differently to the surgery, it wouldn't hurt to have another persons perspective on things.

Op day: everything was smooth, nothing went horribly (Thank God), the worst part of the entire surgery in my opinion is the liquid the flush into your eye immediately after they get done zapping you, think brain freeze but through your eyeball. Even with the numbing drops it sucked. Ride home was pretty decent (about an hour for me), all I wanted to do was just sleep at this point and that is exactly what I did. My doc told me not even to worry about drops until the following day because he just wanted me to rest.

Side Note: In preparation for the surgery I tin foiled my windows in my room, a little extreme and ridiculous i know but I had read alot about light sensitivity. And in hind sight am glad i did it, no irritation from outside lights and I could sleep longer= better rest for the eyes.

The following days pretty much sucked, the pain i felt in my eyes wasn't so much pain but, they felt very irritated the best thing i can relate it to is having a couple of eyelashes stuck behind your eye which sucked. The first 3 or so days post op can pretty much be summed up with sleep, food, trying to read my computer screen (which didnt work out). Close up objects were blurry especially letters, MAKE SURE you have plenty of those refresh eye drops I went through the 35+ that my doc gave me like they were hotcakes. I had what i think were starbursts only one night, just random flashings, but then as soon as I would try to focus on something they would go away. Lights around my house seemed to have a fuzz extending about 6"-1' out from the light which was pretty interesting. That also began to fade away as time went by. Then I believe it was either night 3 or day 4, watching TV/ looking at a monitor no longer made my eyes water which was great.

5 Days Post OP- Time for bandage contacts to get removed! those infernal things were the bane of my existence for those 5 days, Even though I was sleeping with an eye shield on I would sometimes knock it off and I would wake up with me rubbing my eyes and of course would panic about whether or not I had just rubbed out a contact and would spend the next couple of minutes trying to look at my eyes in the mirror. Any way I had them removed and my vision was 20/25L 20/30R the Doc that was doing my follow up (different doc than surgery) was surprised at how fast my eyes had improved previous vision was 20/100L and 20/150 R and slight astigmatism. However she said younger guys in twenties who are in shape and healthy are the best candidates for the healing process, not only because of the obvious benefit of being fit and healthy but because guys produce more tears than women do. Learn something new everyday.


Between my 5 day post op and my two week post op didnt really notice anything with my vision drastically increasing or decreasing, no real bad double vision, a little bit with my right eye, but only enough to make things appear 3d such as numbers on buttons, I would sometimes have trouble focusing on my gas needle in my car. (i would honestly be testing my vision everywhere I went and if you get the surgery done you will too! trust me) During my two week post op the doc actually didnt tell me how my vision was, so unfortunately i cannot give an update here.

Another side note: Drink WATER, hydrate...I notice that the only times I woke up and my eyes are pratically sealed together is when I had not been drinking enough water. If anything it will give you practice for OCS .

Between then and now, the only things I have noticed are the following, my vision will get blurry when i become tired/ late in the day. I still compare my vision every chance i get, some of my profs probably think i am a weirdo for randomly shutting one eye and looking at things around the room and then doing the same with the other eye closed. I had one night when I had been up all day and was driving extremley late at night or very early in the morning whichever way you want to look at it, and i got some pretty crazy deflections off road signs and such, but I credit that to me being sooo tired and not really having eye drops in.

1 Month Post Op was last monday, Doc said my eyes were healing great everything was looking sharp, then when I took the vision test I was surprised 20/15L 20/20 R!!! It was freaking sweet to get "official" confirmation on my eyes, so that is where I am now, I will update this periodically 60/90 day and in between if something happens, but so far so good Thank God.

PS- Just finished off the last of my drops about 2 days ago and now am just doing refresh as needed. This is not any sort of medical advice but just things i learned from my own experience, your mileage may vary but I hope this helps. If you have any questions feel free to PM me, if your in the central Texas area I can recommend a great surgeon. The one thing I will say and this has been said before, BE PATIENT! Of course it is one thing to say it, but is another to have it happen to your eyes! There are/ were times when my vision would get blurry during a series of pick up games and I would just have to shake my head and say to myself, its all just apart of the process. So have fun and honestly I can say this is one of the best decisions i have ever made.

 

[nugget61]

I had vision improvement between my 3 month and my 9 month visit. In fact, my Doc told me that he wouldnt do touchup until at least a year post-op because with PRK your vision can still improve up to a year.

I think you need to be actually tested by a Doc before you go and jump to conclusions.

Well thats good to hear that you can improve in the 3-9 month range - my doc told me that I would be fully stabilized just before 3 months. Based on that info I won't even consider a touch up surgery till after I get out of OCS (that'll put me at ~10.5 months post op).
I probably am jumping the gun thinking about this now but I'm just eager to get in.

Regarding MEPS, I was told that you have to be cleared by the vision tests (and they would probably run me through all of the tests) after PRK; dunno if that is different for the Marines.

 

[creilly]

Just got Custom PRK

Hey guys, just had Custom PRK this past Wednesday (January 29th,2009) and just had the protective lenses removed today (Monday, February 2nd). Before the surgery, I used -2.5 contacts for both eyes and had slight astigmatisms in both eyes. Had the Custom PRK done through TLC. The post Op I was 20/40 for both eyes combined. The Doc said the surgery was flawless, however I seem to be seeing a difference in clarity between my eyes. The left is currently at 20/40 and the right is now at 20/80. I know this is only Day 5 but I was just wondering if this was normal or if I should be seeing clearer than this at this stage in the game. Thanks -C

 

[ea6bflyr]

They will get better with time. Now it's just a waiting game. Follow your doctor's orders.

-ea6bflyr

 

[nugget61]

Hey guys, just had Custom PRK this past Wednesday (January 29th,2009) and just had the protective lenses removed today (Monday, February 2nd). Before the surgery, I used -2.5 contacts for both eyes and had slight astigmatisms in both eyes. Had the Custom PRK done through TLC. The post Op I was 20/40 for both eyes combined. The Doc said the surgery was flawless, however I seem to be seeing a difference in clarity between my eyes. The left is currently at 20/40 and the right is now at 20/80. I know this is only Day 5 but I was just wondering if this was normal or if I should be seeing clearer than this at this stage in the game. Thanks -C

They'll get better, worse, hazy, clear and everything in between (independently of each other) before you're stabilized. Waiting sucks, but you'll end up happy with the results.

 

[creilly]

thanks guys, I was beginning to get a little worried when I read you were all having like 20/20 vision after the first few days and my vision was pretty far from that.

 

[MPH]

Hey guys, just had Custom PRK this past Wednesday (January 29th,2009) and just had the protective lenses removed today (Monday, February 2nd). Before the surgery, I used -2.5 contacts for both eyes and had slight astigmatisms in both eyes. Had the Custom PRK done through TLC. The post Op I was 20/40 for both eyes combined. The Doc said the surgery was flawless, however I seem to be seeing a difference in clarity between my eyes. The left is currently at 20/40 and the right is now at 20/80. I know this is only Day 5 but I was just wondering if this was normal or if I should be seeing clearer than this at this stage in the game. Thanks -C

Almost exactly the same as I.

Bet you're glad to be rid of the lenses... nothing feels better than getting those things off. I thought I was going to go insane.

I was 20/30 before they took out the contacts, and I had a big negative spike (20/50+) after. Things will fluctuate like mad in the next couple days. Hang in there though, a month from now you'll be bragging to all your friends.

Still at 20/10. :icon_smil

 

[nugget61]

3 Months Post OP:
Had my 3 month checkup today and was 20/15-0 and 20/15-2, so I'm stoked. Pretty sure I can get 20/20-0 in both eyes, so alls good.
Paperwork went to the ORs office shortly thereafter and he said to expect a 3 week wait for the waiver paperwork to go through and come back to him.
Not sure how or why (not that I'm complaining) but my Oct pro-rec is still waiting for me (I wasn't granted any med hold or anything), so whenever the waiver comes back I'm hopeful for a FS shortly thereafter.
Its a good day.

 

[Vegas]

3 Months Post OP:
Had my 3 month checkup today and was 20/15-0 and 20/15-2, so I'm stoked. Pretty sure I can get 20/20-0 in both eyes, so alls good.
Paperwork went to the ORs office shortly thereafter and he said to expect a 3 week wait for the waiver paperwork to go through and come back to him.
Not sure how or why (not that I'm complaining) but my Oct pro-rec is still waiting for me (I wasn't granted any med hold or anything), so whenever the waiver comes back I'm hopeful for a FS shortly thereafter.
Its a good day.

I have never seen that third number you referenced, do you know what it measures or means?

 

[Inexorable]

I have never seen that third number you referenced, do you know what it measures or means?

20/15-0 means he read the entire 20/15 line. 20/15-2 means he missed two letters in the 20/15 line. What it really means, however, is that Nugget has kick-ass vision.

 

[nugget61]

Inexorable is right, its the # that I missed per line. For sna you have to be 20/40-0 each eye, so I'm pretty excited that I can do that now.
And he's right about the kick ass vision Best 4k I've ever spent.

 

[ea6bflyr]

nugget,
Congrats on your successful PRK. I'm glad it worked out. Good luck on your final selection. Again, great thread for those who follow in your footsteps. Nice job.

-ea6bflyr