This post might not be related to hiking or sightseeing but the adventure I am going to describe here is definitely worth writing about 🙂
I was short-sighted since I can remember . I guess I started wearing glasses when I was around 10 years old. And I disliked them from the very beginning.
As the time passed, my myopia was getting worse and worse. At the age of 27 I had -6 diopters which is severe myopia. I was practically not able to live without my glasses, I felt handicapped without them. And I had a feeling that glasses did not particularly add any value to my looks – on the contrary they made my eyes look smaller.
The list of disadvantages connected with wearing glasses is long and there is no point in mentioning them all here.
I was so determined to get rid of glasses that I also tried to use contact lenses but I am not very fond of rummaging in my eyeballs and, in addition, it turned out I would need special expensive contact lenses because of specific curvature of my eyes. Thanks, but no thanks.
Since I wanted to live life to the fullest I decided to have eye laser surgery. After doing a long-lasting research and getting to know to all laser methods and clinics in Poland I decided to have my vision corrected in... Czech Republic. There are a few reasons why I chose Gemini in Ostrava :
- They have got more modern equipment than Polish clinics;
- They offer wide choice of methods;
- I read and heard good opinions about this clinic;
- It is close to my home in RogĂłw and not very far from Katowice;
- They offered a good discount at the time (about 30% less than usual price for all methods of eye laser surgery).
I did 2 attempts to have my eye sight fixed. First one was in September 2015 when it turned out that my eyes were too dry for laser surgery.
As nothing is impossible to a willing mind, I took proper care of my eyes – I used warm eyebright compress every day for half an hour, used lubricating eye drops several times per day, bought air humidifier, avoided coffee and booze, drank a lot of liquids and ate loads of flaxseed which moisturizes body "from the inside".
My second visit to the clinic was on 11 November. This time I passed all my medical examinations and got my eye sight fixed. Yay! I qualified for 6D Diamant Lasik which, I guess, is the best method they offer at that time.
The surgery itself was very unpleasant but, fortunately, lasted only a few minutes. My eyes were, of course, deadened so I did not feel much pain. However I could do with a tranquilizer beforehand - I was not given any sedative and I got stressed out. I mean REALLY stressed out - I had some equipment fixed on my eye balls and 2 kind of lasers were “frying” my eyes...
After the surgery, they gave me 2 kinds of eye drops - antibiotics and lubricating ones. I was also given sunglasses (the darkest ones I have ever seen).
I went home to get some rest. I was a bit like zombie for a few days after the surgery - I kept my eyes closed as long as possible and just listened to audiobooks. Practically, my eyes were sore only for the first 2 days after the treatment and I was getting better quite quickly. I guess my sensitivity to light was the same as before the operation. The only difference I could see in my eyeballs was that they were a bit bloodshot which disappeared after about a week.
What is worth mentioning is that after eye laser surgery it is recommendable to avoid excessive physical exercise for a month . That means to me no mountain hiking but it is small price for good eyesight.
To sum up, here's the most important rules I needed to follow after the surgery:
- use the eyedrops regularly throughout the day until the eyes stop being dry;
- avoid direct sunlight for a month;
- no swimming pool for a month;
- no make-up for 2-3 weeks;
- no excessive physical exercise for a month;
- no computer for several days;
- keep eyes closed as much as possible for 1-2 days;
- no eye rubbing for 1 week.
It was very important for me to follow all the instructions the doctor had given me as, I think, this speeded the healing process greatly.
Now, almost 2 weeks have passed since I had eye laser surgery and I know I would do it again if there was any need. Fortunately, it does not seem I will need any more operations – I am seeing well
I still “catch acuity” sometimes, need to adjust my vision for a second and typically in the evening my eyes get tired. I also have
halo effect
at night when looking at lights.
But my overall experience is so far very positive and I would recommend eye laser surgery anyone who wants to ditch glasses and is not into contact lenses.
What is also worth mentioning is that they did not give me medical leave which turned out to be a nuisance for me. I had to go to doctor in Poland and it was rather difficult to get sick leave from my fellow countrymen. In the end, I was forced to take some holiday days off as I did not want to return to the office a few days after the surgery.
If you have got any questions about Lasik surgery or would like to know how my life looks like after 1 month/half a year/2 years etc. after the operation please do not hesitate to comment below or contact me directly here .
