OK, now I'm done with contacts!

Recovering from PRK is a very gradual process, but in the sense that there are any discernible milestones, I achieved one yesterday. On the evening of January 2, I thought I was removing my contacts for the last time ever, but that technically happened at my 5-day follow up appointment. I had the bandage contact lenses removed, and as far as I'm concerned, it was perfect timing. The lenses were starting to irritate me a little bit and even felt at times like they were getting a little dry and threatening to fall out. Turns out that probably wouldn't have happened, because they were attached to my eyes with a little adhesive! It was a little weird to feel the sensation of removing a band-aid on my eye! Even though I knew the contacts weren't plano, I didn't realize they had as much prescription in them as they did. As soon as they came out I was down to about 20/60. Now my clarity fluctuates a little but most of the time is around there. They took me off one of the eyedrops I had been on and switched another to a more viscous, lubricating drop that is almost like a gel when it comes out. I don't have to wear the eye shields to bed anymore (yay!) but since my eyelids are now rubbing directly against my corneas, I do have to (stop reading here if you get squeamish about your eyes) put in some eye ointment before bed. That is actually just a matter of dropping the ointment into the pocket of the lower eyelid and rolling the eyeball around, which is much easier than putting the ointment on my fingertip and applying it directly to the eye like I thought I would have to!

So even though I'm seeing a little worse than I had been, the doc says everything looks good and that I'm healing well and at the appropriate rate. I've had absolutely no pain for the past 24 hours, which leads me further to believe that the contacts were just at the point where they were starting to do more harm than good. I'm still a little light-sensitive, as I proved to myself this morning when I looked out the window and the direct sunlight, plus that which was reflected off the snow, instantly caused me to squint and look away. With sunglasses I'm fine though, and I'll wake up tomorrow exactly one week post surgery!