4+ days later, still blurry

McGunner · 03-01-2005, 03:56 AM

I had the surface laser treatment last Thursday and it is now early Tuesday morning. Immediately afterwards, I could see pretty good, but this came and went in the next few days. When I went back for my 24 hour follow up visit, they checked my vision and said that it was at 20/40 and said that I was progressing on schedule. I go back in about 7 hours to have the protective contact lenses that they put in to promote cell growth removed and my vision is still at around what I would guess to be about 20/40 and mostly blurry. Not to bad as far as irritation over the past 5 days, but I was wondering if it's possible that these contacts that they'll be taking out today are somewhat to blame for this blurred vision that I am experiencing. Every time that I have put in the medicated eye drops since the surgery, my vision clears up to what I would call perfect vision (meaning that I can see crystal clear) for about 30 seconds to a minute, then goes right back to what it has been. My question is this, Doc says I'm doing just fine, but am I going to get clearer vision when he takes these protective lenses out?

Hating glasses · 03-01-2005, 11:11 AM

McGunner,
I didn't have the same surgery but, did your doctor tell you to put any rewetting drops in? For me, my vision gets the cloudiest when my eyes are dry and, as with contact wearers, they need to be kept wet to stay clear. Have you called your doctors office and asked them about the blurriness? When you put the medicine in and it clears up, that sounds to me like the protective contacts in your eyes just need to be lubricated. Don't do it until you talk to your doc but, keep in mind that your corneas need alot of moisture and after surgery, they tend to get dry easily. That may be all it is but, even though your check up is in 7 hours or so, I would call your doc and ask if you are supposed to be using any rewetting/lubricating drops. Like I said, I don't know if the procedure you had has different guidelines to follow so, I am not saying to do it until you talk to your doc. I can tell you from my experience that I had blurriness on and off for about the first 2-3 weeks post op. I am 1 month and nearly 2 weeks post op and the dryness and blurriness gets better day by day.
Just call your doc as soon as you get a chance and see if you are supposed to be lubricating them. That may be the problem.
Good luck and unless your doc tells you to worry, I wouldn't!

McGunner · 03-01-2005, 12:40 PM

Well, the contact lenses are out and no difference. Doctor says everything is fine. Hates glasses, I used rewetting drops liberally as prescribed and continue to do so now that my 5 day follow up is over. My vision is consistently blurry, at no better than 20/40 vision and yet I am told by the doctor that everything is fine and that my vision will clear up over the next 90 DAYS and become at least 20/20. I am a police officer, i.e. - I carry a gun and drive a car 10 hours a day.....this just doesn't seem safe to me. I have 3 days until my first day back to work. I can't read street signs until I am right beside them, this computer screen is even blurry and I have to move my face about 10 inches from the monitor to read this as I type.

Hating glasses · 03-01-2005, 01:28 PM

I remember in the first couple weeks of my healing process, my eyes would go in and out of blurriness. I used alot of rewetting drops. I used Systane rewetting drops. The non-preserved stuff and, I found that it would take about 5 drops in each eye to finally get them wet enough. Maybe give that a shot. I still experience some blurriness now and then. Another thing that I find makes me blurry is the air conditioner and heater. The dryness and blurriness has gotten much better over the past couple weeks. But, those two things do tend to cause some dryness and as a result, blurriness. I went to a basketball game one week after my surgery and I was very blurry then.

As for your job, will they give you anymore time? Do you have a partner that can drive? I wish I could give you a solution for the gun situation. I would trust your doctor. Everything mine told me was 100% true. Be patient. I know that that is the last thing you want to hear right now but, that is a major surgery...despite how easy it is...and with all surgeries, there is a period of healing and even adjustment. My right eye was both a very little bit farsighted and nearsighted with pretty severe astigmatism and it has had to work on learning how to move from near to far sight. It is still learning. Just keep in mind that your eyes have had help and now, it is almost like they have to learn how to see well.

Good luck. I am sure that you will be seeing perfectly soon!

lulubray · 03-04-2005, 06:14 PM

hello....I am just recovering from having lasik for farsightedness on February 28th. My close-up vision is good, but I still have to be relatively close to the television screen or computor screen. My distance is what worries me. I am very blurry, and my doctor said the same....20/40, right on schedule, so on. and so on. I am really afraid to drive, although they say it is alright. Every day I am hoping to wake up and be clearer. I can see the worry in my Husbands face, because he is the one who encouraged me to have this done. I took a weeks vacation to have this done just because of the make-up factor, but I'm glad I did. I would be in trouble if I hadn't. (I may still be..I go back on Monday!)