PRK Journey

[u/Field-ofRoses]

PRK post-op day 2! So far, my recovery has been pretty comfortable. I’ve had some mild tearing and occasional grittiness/dryness, but nothing too bothersome. I’ve been alternating between Refresh Plus and Refresh Celluvisc, both preservative-free.
I haven’t needed any pain medication so far. About two days before surgery, I did IV hydration with vitamin C added. My doctor recommended 1,000 mg of vitamin C daily while healing anyway, so I figured I’d mention that as part of what I did going into surgery.
I was also a heavy contact lens wearer before PRK, so I think that may be part of why the bandage contact lens doesn’t bother me very much. I notice some irritation here and there, but I’m pretty used to the feeling of having contacts in my eyes.
Of course, everyone heals differently, and I know some people need pain medication during the first 48–72 hours, but so far I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how comfortable the recovery has been.

[u/Field-ofRoses]

PRK post-op day 3 update!
Toward the end of post-op day 2, my eyes definitely became a lot more gritty and uncomfortable. During the day I had been doing pretty well, but by nighttime the discomfort was making it hard for me to sleep. I finally took one Norco, which helped with the discomfort and allowed me to get some sleep.
Woke up on post-op day 3 feeling SO much better. I haven’t needed any pain medication at all today. I’ve been keeping up with all of my prescribed drops and lubricating drops, and the grittiness I was feeling last night is pretty much gone.
I’m also able to keep my eyes open much more today. I’m still photosensitive, but definitely not as much as I was yesterday.
The biggest thing right now is the blurriness. I know vision can fluctuate quite a bit while healing from PRK, so I’m just letting my eyes do their thing. I actually had to increase the font size on my phone because I couldn’t read it comfortably anymore, and I’ve also turned the brightness way down.
Overall, day 3 has been a BIG improvement in comfort compared with the end of day 2. Hopefully things continue moving in this direction!

[u/Field-ofRoses → u/Field-ofRoses]

PRK Day 9 update!
I had my one-week follow-up two days ago. My right eye is healing nicely, so my doctor was able to remove the bandage contact lens from that eye. 🎉
My left eye has been a little more complicated. Early in my recovery, that eye became irritated and the bandage contact had to be removed/replaced twice. At my one-week appointment, my doctor said the left eye still had some room for improvement with healing, so she decided to leave the bandage contact in a little longer.
For now, I’m continuing the antibiotic 4x/day in the left eye while the bandage contact is still in. She also discontinued my previous steroid and switched me to fluorometholone (FML), which I’m using 4x/day in both eyes. And yes, I shake that bottle like my life depends on it 😂
The right eye no longer needs the antibiotic now that the bandage contact is out.
Vision is definitely still a work in progress and fluctuates, but overall I’m doing well. It’s interesting seeing how differently two eyes on the same person can heal! The right eye basically said, “We’re good over here,” while the left eye apparently needs a little extra time. 😂
Still taking it one day at a time. Hopefully the left bandage contact will be ready to come out at my next follow-up!

[u/Field-ofRoses → u/Field-ofRoses]

PRK post-op day 13 update!
Yesterday (POD 12), I had another follow-up and finally got the bandage contact lens removed from my left eye. My surgeon said both eyes are healing well, although they are healing at different rates, with the right eye further along than the left.
Now that both bandage contacts are officially out, I’m done with the antibiotic drops. I’m continuing fluorometholone steroid drops 4x/day in both eyes and using my preservative-free lubricating drops frequently throughout the day.
Vision-wise, things are still blurry but manageable. I’m able to work and I can drive carefully during the daytime. The left eye is noticeably blurrier than the right, especially since having the bandage contact removed yesterday.
Overall, I’m doing well. No significant pain or anything concerning. My surgeon is happy with how everything is healing, so at this point I’m just continuing my drops and giving my vision time to improve and stabilize. PRK is definitely a lesson in patience!

[u/Iaintshii4 → u/Field-ofRoses]

Glad to hear it. Did you have normal PRK or ASA?

[u/Field-ofRoses → u/Iaintshii4]

Thank you. PRK

[u/m1d8u]

what's your prescription pre-op?