Previous PRK post here (4 week). Read next PRK post here (10 week).
Apologies for not putting out a 5 week update, but I didn’t think it was necessary. I don’t notice any problems with my vision: edges are as clear as they were with contacts and I can’t tell any difference when driving at night. I now only use the artificial tears in the morning and at night before I go to bed. My eyes do seem to be a bit dryer than I remember upon waking up, but not to the extent that they are terribly uncomfortable. One thing I have noticed is a brief, dull ache when I walk into bright sunlight from a dark room. In no way is this a deal-breaker.
Updates are going to get less frequent now. I have another doctor’s appointment in a month and will post something afterwards. Don’t hesitate to contact me with questions.
Thanks again for posting your updates. I plan on getting PRK later this year. I work on a computer every day, and was wondering if you could answer a few questions. I have went to 2 different places, and both have said I will be back to my normal routine about a week after surgery, but it could take 4-6 months before my vision is 100%. Were you able to work on a computer normally after a week? Also, what about driving the week after surgery? I need to do both of these things, as I will only be able to take a week off work.
thanks,
Chris
Thanks again for your updates. I had a few questions. I have to work on a computer for my job. Both eye facilities I went to said I would be back in my normal routine and could function a week after surgery, but it could take 3-6 months for my vision to come in 100%. Were you able to use a computer and drive the week after surgery? I can only take a week off work, so this is really important to me. This is really the only thing that is stopping me from making my appt to get the surgery done.
thanks,
chris
Hi Chris. I’m so glad my experiences are helping people make educated decisions about PRK, thanks for reading.
I would say you should be JUST ok to have PRK given you’re limited to 1 week off- IF you plan your surgery right. For example, I had mine done on a friday, this gave me all of the following week to stumble around blindly plus the next weekend. So my surgery was the 17th of february, 4 days later I could look at a screen without significant pain and dryness. 5 days I could actually see what was going on, type, browse the internet. I would by no means say I was 100% using a computer at that point though. This is very dependent on how long your eyes stay dilated because of the medication, as no matter how well the surgery went, if you’re eyes are dilated you WILL be light sensitive and computers/TVs will be tough to look at. My near vision took well over a week, almost 2 weeks even, to come back completely (blue eyed people have it the worst). Throughout that time eye strain was a definite issue.
In terms of driving. I tried it 5 days after surgery and scared myself. Signs are blurry, everything is bright and hazy, you feel weird coming off meds, and your eyes are probably dry. 8 days after surgery I was able to drive from point A to point B without feeling like a complete train wreck. This again varies, and depends a lot on your eyes and how dilated they are. The bigger your pupils, the more sunlight, the more washed out your vision. You certainly will not have the clarity of glasses, so don’t expect to be able to read road signs or see license plates.
Overall I’d say go for it. This surgery has been unbelievably awesome. I can’t believe that I’m at a 20/20, and got here after less than a month. A week for total recovery is about the shortest time you could hope for, but worst comes to worst you’ll have to suffer through a few days of computer work and the eye strain that comes with it. Still very, very worth it in my opinion. Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to know.
Thanks! I plan on getting it done on a Friday so I have that weekend, the following week and then another weekend before going back to work. Thanks again for all of you help.
-Chris
Good luck, let me know how it goes. And if you need a sympathetic ear to complain about recovery, you know where I am!