Invisalign: Let the Journey Begin

The main reason that I got my wisdom teeth extracted a couple of months ago is in preparation for Invisalign. I would hate for them to start causing problems when my smile is all perfect. ;) 

Preparedness: Wisdom Teeth Extraction

Originally, I was going to call this post "what to expect when getting your wisdom teeth extracted". However, I don't think I could do that topic justice, since the oral surgeon called it "an easy" case.

26 Facts about the Science of Friendship

This is fascinating.

Fact 9: People who can name three friends who are also co-workers are 96% more likely to
report extreme satisfaction with their life.

LASIK: One Month Update

It has been a whole month since my LASIK surgery. Just like the doctor promised - things gradually improved over time. I am also pretty much back to normal in my daily routine.

LASIK: Recovery days 11 through 14

Recovery Day 11 (January 31, 2016)

Things are even better today. It was raining most of the day, so the humidity in the air might be what kept my eyes from getting overly dry today. I hardly used the artificial tears at all. Only following doctors prescription of every four hours.

I am also trying to stay normal about my eyes, just keeping my hands away from them, but no extreme protectiveness.

LASIK: Recovery Day 10 (aka One Perfect LA Saturday)

My eyes feel so normal now, that I am starting to forget that I am not supposed to touch that area for another week. I catch myself on attempts to seriously rub them, especially in the shower or when washing my face.

I was out and about all day, but only had to use the artificial tears a couple of times throughout the day. It was kind of a cloudy morning, but in the end it turned out to be a fabulous day.

LASIK: Recovery Days 8 & 9

Recovery Day 8 (Thursday, January 28, 2016)

Overall, today I did not notice much difference in the way my eyes feel or in the way I see. At my second follow up appointment Bing Bong took pictures of my eyes again and confirmed that I still see 20/20. Then, the doctor looked deep into my eyes and concluded that they were healing very well, so I will not need to come back for another check up for about a month. I still have to wear the eye shields and no make up for one more week. He recommended to use the artificial tears at least four times a day, but after a month I can scale back on them. Now I am using them more often then that. Mostly on purpose, not only when I notice dryness or discomfort.

I try looking at objects and read things with one eye at a time, and I do think that one eye is seeing sharper then the other. Maybe the surgery did not correct all of my astigmatism. I should ask the doctor about that next time.

Recovery Day 9 (Friday, January 29, 2016)

My eyes are still very dry and practically impossible to open in the morning. Otherwise, for most of the day they feel comfortable enough. Since I am inside for most of the day, I don't have to use the artificial tears much at all. Only when I go for my walks, the wind dries them out somewhat, but I promptly put the eye drops in as soon as I get back home.

I have been really good at keep things away from my face today. I have not noticed anything different in the way I see. But although there are no significantly noticeable changes from one day to the next, I actually think they are improving a little bit every day. They feel more comfortable with each passing day - the need to use the artificial tears is less and less.

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You can follow my recovery on my official LASIK page. 

LASIK: Dealing with Side Effects

Since my surgery I have been experiencing things that I did not experience much before - the feeling of grittiness, soreness, discomfort, blurriness of vision, sensitivity to wind, etc.  According to the infographic below all of those conditions can be attributed to the increased dryness of the eye, which is a known side effect of the surgery.

LASIK: Recovery Day 7

The morning went the same as yesterday. My eyes were super dry again when I woke up. But as the day progressed, they started feeling more comfortable. Reading my dirty magazine while enjoying my morning coffee, I felt that the letters on the shiny pages were blurring up a little. I guess I still have trouble focusing on things up close. I should pay attention to that more and discuss with the doctor at my check up tomorrow. Not wearing makeup makes it super easy and fast to get ready for work. Makes me contemplate quitting it altogether. No one seems to care what I look like anyway.

LASIK: Recovery Day 6

I have not noticed much difference today. My eyes feel as comfortable as they felt last night. Nothing different in the morning - yup, pretty much had to pry them open with a friggin' crowbar. I still get super paranoid, if anything gets in my eye or if I touch them.