4 comments 28.8.10

I can see!!

Posted by Miss Fong - Filed under , ,
Ladies and gentleman, it's true, Miss Fong is no longer blind as a bat! And contrary to what many nay-sayers people around me had thought would happen, I did not a) go blind, b) have my eyes/lids burned off and/or c) suffer any life threatening complications (as of yet, knock on wood!).

So here's my update: So far, so good! I could see pretty much immediately after sitting up from my surgery, but I'm still being extra careful like typing with my eyes closed so that I won't strain them too much with the computer screen.

Lasik really is a modern day miracle. Like most people, I had been thinking about doing it for a long long time, but hadn't really taken the next step of doing the background research or finding out whether I was even eligible for the surgery. I was a bit afraid to do it, because I had heard horror stories from friends about Lasik gone wrong, but I never really knew what exactly had gone wrong.

I guess it's human nature to be afraid of the unknown. A classic example of this happened at the office a few days before my surgery. Upon hearing that I was about to do Lasik, one of my colleagues dropped his jaw at me and said, "OMG, that's sooo dangerous," and gave me a disapproving look. He went on to say that although his mother had done it without any complications, his mom's friend who had Lasik needed to be hospitalized afterwards and undergo further surgery. "Are you sure you want to do it? It's dangerous," he repeated with a know-it-all attitude.

A little annoyed, I fired back, "What was the nature of her complication? Thin cornea? Bad doctor? Eye movement? Blade vs. Intralase? Retina issues?" to which he replied, "Err...I don't know..." 

Moral of the story? Do your research. Obviously, whether you do Lasik or not, it's always good to know what you're afraid of and why. Perhaps you won't be so scared of it once you find out all the facts, which is why I eventually went ahead and did it. Maybe some people don't think it's worth the risks, and that's perfectly fine. But what I don't like is when people go around spreading the fear of what they just don't know.

Having said that, I must admit that the surgery itself scared the sh*t out of me! I mean, maybe it was subzero temperature of the operation room, but once I laid down I couldn't stop shaking like a leaf. Even though I had watched numerous YouTube videos of Lasik operations (OK, that was stupid), it's just not the same when you're about to have your very own eyes sliced open in a dark room full of fuzzy outlines of people and a loud laser machine going "ZAAP-ZAAP-ZAAP!" repeatedly. Luckily, it didn't take too long because I'm sure I would have bounced off the surgical table and out the door from all my shaking.
Hmm, I hope I haven't scared anyone off now, because it really isn't that bad... In fact, going to the dentist is actually much more painful and miserable, if you think of the giant needles they stick into your gums, the drill tools they use to excavate your teeth (which is actually your skull!) and that wretched uncomfortable rubber dam they use to pry your mouth open. In summary, Lasik is a lifechanging, painless procedure that is EXTREMELY worth it for (previously) blind people like me. So, do it already!! :)
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1 comments 26.8.10

Memoirs of a Four-Eyes

Posted by Miss Fong - Filed under ,
On the eve of my Lasik surgery, I thought I'd reflect a little on my 20+ years as a four-eyes. I know it might not be that special since about 70-90% of Asians are near-sighted, so perhaps my bespectacled memories are shared by many others out there, including:
  • Getting hit in the face with various balls (basketballs, American footballs, tennis balls, etc.) and having my glasses knocked off
  • Waking up and patting the side of the bed for my glasses, getting increasingly pissed (Good f##king Morning, eh?!), giving up about 10 frustrating minutes later and not actually finding those damned things until 2-3 days later in some remote wall/mattress/ass crack
  • Mistaking my cat(s) as cushions and/or pillows, or not seeing them at all (*miao!!*)
  • Feeling a tad fearful of getting mugged/robbed/raped or worse if anyone ever were to steal my glasses (yes I'm that blind)
  • Seeing my eyes shrink 40% once they are behind prescripted lenses (a la Milhouse)
  • Being reminded that I don't really have a nose, as indicated by my glasses perpetually sliding to the bottom of my small stump
I've now been wearing glasses for 2 weeks straight (after years of only wearing contacts daily), and I actually don't think they are that bad after all...but I'm still super excited/nervous about tomorrow. I'll try to post an update once it's done (just not immediately of course, haha). Wish me luck! :)
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