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By now, my family and friends must be so sick of hearing this from me, but I have to say it again, it is so marvelous to see everything in detail, in full color, in focus, even from a distance. And all because of LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, or simply, eye laser) which I finally underwent last Friday. Had I known the effects would be life-changing, I would’ve bugged my parents sooner. Then of course, there is the teensy matter of finances…I’m lucky my mother is so generous.

My right eye had been bugging me last month, and a visit to my eye doctor confirmed that my cave bat eyesight had risen to an alarming level: 875/925. She banned contact lenses, made me wear (heavy) glasses, and recommended laser. My mother and I agreed to schedule LASIK for December, but she changed her mind after seeing her only offspring trip and stumble on steps, legs of chairs, escalators, and our dogs at home. We set it for July.

After weeks of wearing glasses and various eye screenings, I entered the operating room of Medical Plaza. LASIK did live up to its reputation as a pain-free operation, and it took all of twelve minutes (six per eye). I was asked to stare up at a tiny blinking red light. They then cut a flap into my cornea (pardon me if you happen to be eating) and then aimed the laser into my eyeball for almost a minute. I could smell something burning, but since I was warned about that, I simply ignored it. It was just intimidating to see, while being operated on, the instruments they used - the clamps that widened my eyes, the suction thing that kept my eyeball in place, and the tongs with tissue to wipe my eyes.

The only sensation I had while lying down was a weakening of my knees. At one point I felt like curling into a ball or getting up from the table, but I reminded myself it would soon be over.

The pain did manifest itself after I was lasered. A nurse was pouring drops into my eyes, which kept tearing up. I could feel my eyeballs searing. They then gave me eye shades and I was free to go. I slept on the way home. The pain lasted for three to four hours.

When I opened my eyes at 9 in the evening, though, I was so amazed at how clear everything around me looked. Six years of wearing glasses and twelve years of contact lenses have reduced me to guessing how people and things three feet away look like up close. Now I don’t have to. I have seen my neighbor open a can of tuna across the street. This morning I could discern the facial expressions of our priest while delivering his homily. The only problem I have now is how to restrain myself from becoming a pervert. Hehe.

I’ll still wear glasses by the time I’m forty or so, my doctor said, but right now I’m too happy to worry about that.

Thanks to the staff of Medical Plaza and FEU, my doctors (Dr. Capuchino, Dr. Alejo, Dr. Te, Dr. Uy, Dr. Lagman) and the nurses who assisted in the operation. Had I not been so groggy last Friday, I would have insisted on a group hug and a pictorial.