MY OUR JOURNEY TO PERFECTION


Saturday morning, just like any other morning, I snoozed twice then stumbled to the bathroom. As usual, I peed, washed my hands and took a shower. Came out, dried myself and took two contact lens from the my toiletries box.

"Could be the last day I put contact lens on." I thought to myself. This has been a regime that Ive been on for the past 12 years. Started with monthly lens then switched to a more convenient daily lens. At least 12 hours a day for almost 365 days a year....

Hei and I picked E-Chiing and Lydia up..."ARE YOU READY FOR A LIFE CHANGE" - Lydia screamed into my ear...That woke me up instantly.

Chiing and I had an 11am eye test scheduled - to test our eligibility for Lasik surgery. Degree of myopia, cornea shape, eye pressure were just some of the test we went through to ensure we are eligible to the surgery. We also got our pupils dilated for some of the tests. That was a weird feeling, its like we experienced what presbyopia was like. It was not fun.

Cornea thickness - turns out I have thick cornea (550) and Chiing had average cornea (515). Normal being between 500 - 515. I have thick skin, now I find out, I also have thick cornea. No complains here...

1pm: We pass the eye test! Scheduled our surgery at 3.30pm. We were starving by the time we were done with the eye test so we were glad to have a short break before the surgery

3.30pm: We walked back to the clinic and was ushered to the operating area immediately.We were brought to a private waiting area, and someone came in to put on scrubs for us. THIS is the closest we will get to ever looking remotely like a doctor! Dream come true!!!!! While we were fooling around, the nurse came by to check if our pupils have undilated. Echiing's were normal, but I had to drop another 3 times of eye drop to undilate the pupils! Thick corneas.

4.00pm : I bade Chiing good luck as she move into the Operating Theatre...shortly, I followed to the wating area.

4.30pm: "I CAN SEE!!!" She came out smiling as she said that. That gave me relieve, Im glad hers went well. I walked into the Operating Theatre and was awed by the size of the machine. Laid down where I was told and was administered anasethic eye drop. Or so I was told. Everything went by so fast. I remembered the eye drop, the rotating of the bed and the doctor telling me to look at a ring of lights. As he put in the suction to keep my eyes open, I remember saying that I felt a sting, but got no reply. "Look at the ring", Im not sure if it was in my mind, but I swear I felt the entire process and found it actually quite tramautising because you as the patient, see everything! After cutting the "flap", I saw hands of the doctor with some hook like appartus, folding flap and then ask me to look at a red dot. "27 seconds" I heard a nurse told the doctor who relayed to me...I stared at the blurry red dot, concentrated on staying still and keeping my focus so that the laser wont "cut wrongly" but again I swear I felt the prick of the laser.

5.00pm: Echiing and I were both done. I can't say for E-Chiing but I was quite a bit of pain and discomfort that I couldn't speak and couldn't bear to open my eyes for fear that I have actually become blind. Kind Lydia led the Wee Sisters down where my sweet Hei was waiting with the car. We hopped in and dropped Echiing and Lydia home.

6.00pm: I was home. Mustered enough energy to shower and all I wanted to do was to lie down. Eyes still shut tightly, I drifted in and out of sleep. While the pain and discomfort slowly faded away, my mind was still reeling back to the time that I was on the operating bed. That thought made my discomfort worse.

10.00pm: I woke with no more discomfort and pain. Stumbled out of the room and asked Hei to help me get hor fun. He brought my back to bed, asked me to wait there while he went downstairs. I couldn't lie down...so I cleared away my bags while waiting. The Hor Fun was unusually tasteless but I ate nonetheless. My sight was clear...but I was so tired to fully take in and enjoy.

Sunday 9am: First review. Show off my new Miu Miu sunnies. We picked Echiing and Lydia up again and took a picture with the awesome Dr Marc Tay. Thanks doc!!!!

Our wonder eye doctor, Dr Marc Tay