Returning to the forge after Lasik/PRK

[JW513]

I'm going to ask the doctor, but i'm curious. I'm all set to get PRK on Friday.  I''m just wondering how long others waited until they got back to the smithy.

[SHC]

I wasn’t even thinking of smithing back when I got iLasik. The doctor had me come in on a Friday to do it and told me to take the following week off. Until I told him I handle chlorine gas, then he said oh heck no! So I made arrangements to not handle the chlorine gas and only took the week off.
 

So having the experience of getting the lasik done and now doing some hobby smithing, I’d tell you to count on no less than two weeks. Just a guess, but I bet your doctor is probably going to tell you a month. 
 

Assuming you wear safety glasses or goggles, because of course you do! You still need to worry about sweat, heat, any sort of gases, and any impact that renders your PPE absolutely worth the investment, all of these could have a detrimental effect to the surgery. 

Definitely listen to the doctor, I’m sure that’s what you’re planning to do anyway. If you mess up your doctor’s hard work you can have serious issues. If all goes well, it’s WORTH IT! I was only slightly nearsighted in my late teens and early twenties, which made sniper school very interesting, but it degraded to almost legally blind by the time I was in my mid to late twenties. My eyesight is better than 20/10 in both eyes now.

 

 For the first two days it felt like I had sand in my eyes and on the rare occasion when I could open them all I could see was a white fog. But on day three, everything still felt gritty and uncomfortable, but it was like a whole new world. I was sitting in the bathroom reading the back of a shampoo bottle in the shower on the other side of the room. 

[Jason W]

I don't think you're going to be interested in smithing for a least a month. Unless you wear a welding shield. I got PRK done about 12 years ago before I ever got into smithing but I stare at a computer all day. I think I was off work for 4 days (2 days and a weekend) then went back and had to wear sunglasses inside the office for close to another couple weeks. PRK is way different than lasik so expect longer recovery. And the recovery wasn't uncomfortable, it was the most exquisite pain I have ever experienced. Mind you like a typical Canadian I decided not to take the pain killers they gave me because I don't need xxxxxx pain killers! Dude,TAKE THE PAIN KILLERS!!  Probably would have been way easier. The only thing that helped me find comfort was sitting in the hot shower with the lights off. Seriously, you'll thank me. Not trying to freak you out because I'm super happy I did it, just expect it to be a nasty recovery.

Once they take the contacts out it does start to get better but your eyes are still super sensitive. Dark room with no lights or tv for at least a week after. I'd recommend creating your music playlist now. 

Edited May 5, 2022 by Mod30
Language

[JW513]

On 5/4/2022 at 10:50 PM, Jason W said:

I don't think you're going to be interested in smithing for a least a month. Unless you wear a welding shield. I got PRK done about 12 years ago before I ever got into smithing but I stare at a computer all day. I think I was off work for 4 days (2 days and a weekend) then went back and had to wear sunglasses inside the office for close to another couple weeks. PRK is way different than lasik so expect longer recovery. And the recovery wasn't uncomfortable, it was the most exquisite pain I have ever experienced. Mind you like a typical Canadian I decided not to take the pain killers they gave me because I don't need xxxxxx pain killers! Dude,TAKE THE PAIN KILLERS!!  Probably would have been way easier. The only thing that helped me find comfort was sitting in the hot shower with the lights off. Seriously, you'll thank me. Not trying to freak you out because I'm super happy I did it, just expect it to be a nasty recovery.

Once they take the contacts out it does start to get better but your eyes are still super sensitive. Dark room with no lights or tv for at least a week after. I'd recommend creating your music playlist now. 

Thank you. Got it a week ago. I had no pain except for 3rd day morning. Not even real dry eyes. But I’ve been getting extremely bad migraines.  Which I’ve never had before. It’s due to my eyes having to readjust.

[ThomasPowers]

No it's your *brain* that has to readjust!   I remember a an experiment where the participants wore glasses that flipped what they saw from top to bottom.  After a while the brain adjusted and flipped the flipped imagers back to normal.  Same thing happened when they took off the glasses for the second half of the experiment.