Update and a half

Hey all! So two things to share with you all:

My eyes: Feeling almost back to normal, although they're horribly dry at the moment, so I have to put lots of fake tears in them. This is a very common side effect of LASIK, since in the creation of the corneal flap they sever a bunch of nerves in your eyes. These nerves, which normally fire and stimulate your lacrimal (tear) secretion, obviously can't when they're severed. So until they heal (a few weeks to months) you get dry eyes. Fun, eh? Nothing to worry about though, as long as I keep using my drops often!

In addition, I have such better night vision now. It's revolutionary, seriously. Before with contacts or glasses I would see a sort of starburst around EVERY light. Obviously, with dimmer lights like traffic lights it wasn't so much a problem, but even when someone didn't have their bright headlights on, they would dazzle me, and god forbid the roads were wet I could barely see anything but light. I actually thought this was how everyone saw lights.

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This was more or less what I saw around every light when driving at night (traffic lights, streetlights, reflections, brake lights). Not quite this badly, but badly enough that I did not enjoy night driving. (ironically, this pic is from a LASIK complication website. Ha!)

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NOW, however, all I see is a little bit of halo around the lights, which should go away as my eyes heal. I drove home from campus in the dark yesterday, and I could look straight at headlights and still see the rest of the road. Without the new CustomVue Wavefront it is possible that starbursts can get worse and other problems can develop (which is why I found the starburst pic on a LASIK-bashing website), but Wavefront takes a computer scan of the surface of the lens, and works to smooth out the aberrations as it corrects the prescription.

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Now all I see is slight halos. Much less obtrusive. I'm sure we can all agree that, even if for whatever reason these halos don't go away, it's SO much better than the way it was.

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Anyway, so the second thing I wanted to share is a blog: Hyperbole and a Half. **NOTE: if you are offended by the occasional (humorous) use of swear words and some (very) mild politically incorrectness, please be warned that it is used often on this site, however it is done in such a way that I don't find it offensive, and frankly neither should you.**

If you can overlook the swear words, this illustrated blog shares some hilarious stories, all accompanied by the funniest drawings. The entry in particular that the link above will bring you to is one about the author's move across country with her two dogs. The link to the whole blog is in my side bar. Make sure to check out this entry as a priority: The Year Kenny Loggins Ruined Christmas. Enjoy! :D

Exams, an Edinburgh Christmas, and 20/20

Sorry, it's been awhile! Things have been busy busy busy, as usual!

To update you on the last post, the snow led to an entire week of no classes, which was amazing. Especially because it gave us more time to study for the exam! Results haven't come out yet, but they will soon. Cross your fingers for me!

So after the exam we had Christmas Break. I decided this year to stay in Edinburgh, since my family had come here for Thanksgiving. It was very different from my typical Christmas, but I enjoyed it a lot! We got up around 9, packed the kitty up and went to Andrew's parents house for coffee and presents, then had a delicious Christmas lunch made by Andrew's mother. Christmas lunch in the UK is a very similar meal to the Thanksgiving meal, only they usually have brussel sprouts as a vegetable. Oddly enough, this previously hated vegetable has grown on me, and I really enjoyed the entire meal!

Not to focus on things I got for Christmas, because it's not about that, but a few of my favourites were awesome slipper-socks and a headphone cord tidy from Andrew's parents, earrings and a necklace from my dad and Anna Marie, a good book and a funny pair of earrings from Andrew, and a funky necklace from Andrew's mum. I enjoyed giving gifts to everyone as well. I got a warm fairisle sweater for Andrew (which he knew he was getting because he almost bought the same thing when we went shopping, and I had to tell him to put it back), and a giant tub of Haribo. For Andrew's dad I got an iPhone case for his new iPhone, and for his mum I got a cute cat knick-knack (and normally I try to avoid knick-knacks, but it was too cute I couldn't pass it up - also I'm horrible at finding gifts for parents).

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My little mini-tree. Cute, but I decided I needed a real one this year...

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My wonky tree

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Once we spruced (ha) it up with some trimmings and presents, it looked quite nice!

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Andrew opens a long tube of Jaffa Cakes from his parents

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Andrew's mum and dad

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The cat was a little thrown off by all the wrapping paper and sparkly things (also Andrew trying to cuddle her)

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The Christmas table with all the yummy foods.

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Even Tsuki got to enjoy some yummy turkey!

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Andrew shows off some confetti and a crown from his cracker.

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After all of the lunching and presents, we played board games for the afternoon. It was really fun and relaxing to just chat. Definitely a lot less crazy than Christmas with my family! :P

For New Year's, Andrew and I went to Andrew's friends new house for a get-together. It was a sort of pot-luck thing, and so we got a whole variety of different food to try. It was very good! At midnight we all walked down the street to a little park by a church, where a bagpiper led us in Auld Lang Syne as the clock struck midnight (or, close to it anyway, everyone's clocks were different!)

The rest of Christmas break was just relaxing and studying for the exam we had this morning, epidemiology. Now, I'm sure this subject is relevant to some people, but I am not particularly interested in statistics. So I found this exam to be a bit challenging. I just don't see the point of memorizing formulae.

Anyway, so my most exciting news, is that after the exam this afternoon, I got LASIK! Because of my high prescription, I also had to get IntraLase and CustomVue Wavefront, all of which are variations on the typical LASIK procedure. To be honest though, both of those variations make the procedure more effective and safer, so it was fine by me!

I was really nervous after the exam. I knew it would feel a bit uncomfortable, and I guess because I really didn't know what it would feel like I was pretty anxious. The surgeon checked my eyes over one last time, gave me the last option to back out, but I figured I'd already come this far, so I might as well keep going.

First, they put two different drops in my eye. One was an anaesthetic, which made my eyes feel really strange, very numb and sticky-like. A second drop was put on, and I'm not quite sure what it did, but it must have enhanced the anaesthetic, because my eyes got even more numb.

Then came the squeamish part. (Seriously if you have issues with people touching your eyes, you may want to get over it before considering this procedure). A suction cup was applied to my eye while the initial flap was created(which doesn't hurt, it just feels like a lot of pressure, and your sight kind of cuts out). That was the part I'd been dreading. I don't know why but the idea of my sight suddenly blacking out terrified me. But actually it wasn't so bad, just a bit uncomfortable. The nurse kept having to remind me to breathe during this whole thing, so I must have been nervous, haha!

After the flap is created, which sort of feels like a puff of air in your eye almost, they do the other eye in the same way. They use a little mini squeegee thing to move the flap back. Then they put an eye speculum to keep your eyelids open, and move you underneath the laser machine. This part was a bit uncomfortable as well. Not painful, but because you're underneath a really bright light and half your cornea's been moved, it's REALLY bright, so the whole time my eyelids were fighting against the speculum to close my eyes. Fortunately I did my research, so I knew that the laser doesn't fire if your eye's not in the right position, so although I was trying to keep my eyes still, I wasn't freaking out about it. Plus, the whole time the surgeon was telling me how well I was doing. The laser clicks away and you can see a blurry light flashing above you, but you can't feel anything at all. You can, however, smell the laser burning your eye, which is kind of neat (yeah I know, I'm weird).

Anyway, after that they put a bunch of drops in your eye and put the flap back in place with the squeegie and smooth it all out. Again, this didn't hurt, but it didn't feel particularly good either. The surgeon asked me if I wanted to continue with the other eye, and obviously I said yes.

Finally they moved the machines out of the way and let me sit up. It was SOOOOO weird. I could see! It was a bit hazy and everything was sort of indistinct, but it was mostly clear! Far away things are still a bit fuzzy around the edges, but supposedly that resolves in a few days/weeks.

For the first 1/2 hour after the procedure, they put you in a darkened room, and I was still revelling in my new eyesight, and my eyes felt pretty good, although a bit gritty. As soon as I got out into the light however (they light up the upper floor of the Princes St. Optical Express like the surface of the freaking sun), and the anaesthetic wore off, it was another story. My eyes started stinging and watering, and it was painful, and I pretty much had to keep my eyes closed the entire way home. Not everyone has this reaction, so don't let this dissuade you, but this is why they tell you to go to sleep right when you get home. Sadly I had a 40 minute car ride home. Once I got home, I took some ibuprofen and took a 3 hour nap.

When I woke up at dinner time to take my first round of eyedrops, I felt sooo much better. My eyes are still really sensitive to light, but I've been keeping my room dark, and the computer on the dimmest setting, and every few minutes it gets better and better.

I have a whole bunch of drops (Antibiotics, Steroids, and lubricating drops) for my eyes that I can apply for the next week, and I have to wear sunglasses in bright light, and I also have to wear a really snazzy pair of goggles while I'm sleeping so I don't accidentally rub my eyes. They are amazing.

Trust me.

Don't believe me?

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My sexy goggles.

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I'm not quite sure why this feels so life-changing, when I have the same results with contacts, but something about it is amazing. It is just so nice to see! No more fumbling about with glasses in the morning to read my alarm clock, no more worrying about forgetting glasses/contacts when I go on trips, no more spending oodles of money on glasses and contacts and contact solution. Awesome.

I am a very happy bunny :D