Clark Kent - Part 1 PRK Laser Eye Surgery Experience

Background

Glasses were needed as a necessity for me to see clearly since I was in the 5th grade and ever since then, I've felt like Clark Kent wearing them. Intelligent, sophisticated, and secretly a Super Hero (Spoilers). As a spectacle wearer, I fulfilled every stereotype to the T. I was a book worm, a gamer, and a straight A student. However, I absolutely hated wearing glasses. I simply felt different when I wore them. I hated how they looked, how I felt when I wore them, and the fact that I had to look through a lens to see clearly. Glasses even made things different especially when I wasn't wearing them. I may have looked "normal", but I wasn't and I certainly was no Super Hero in disguise.

When I was just a young and naive kid, I was told that sunglasses protected your eyes from the sun. Till this day, I hope to believe that most kids took it literally. When I was told this information and got handed a pair of cool sunglasses, I looked directly at the sun. I had to test it out. I not only did that and said to myself, "This is so cool, it works!", but I also stared at it and did it over and over and over again. No bueno.

I can't say that those slight moments of stupidity were the cause of me developing myopia (nearsightedness), but it was bad habits like that that've caused my vision to deteriorate. I also have had years of up-close TV watching, eye trauma from a nerf football getting thrown at my eye, and countless hours of gaming under my belt that all definitely played a factor. There are a lot of things that I certainly regret, but growing up dedicating hours immersing myself into a virtual world and sharing that experience with my friends is a feeling that I wouldn't sacrifice for anything. Clearly there were repercussions for my actions.

Laser eye surgery was not an option when I was younger simply because of the cost, risks, and potential side effects (light sensitivity, halos, potential blindness, etc.) My parents didn't think I needed contacts because every time I went to the eye doctor they always said, "Your eyes aren't that bad compared to some people I've seen." So I just used glasses for when I needed to see the board in school, for when I wanted to see the TV clearly, or for when I went to the movies. I just adapted to the blurriness with them off and just learned how to cope with it.

There was no way I was going to let my vision deter me from doing what I loved to do. I played basketball, football, soccer, and any outdoor activity with bad vision. It had an extraordinary effect on my performance, abilities, and potential, but I would never hide beyond the excuse of not being able to see clearly nor tell anybody that I'm visually impaired. I was already over weight and lacked self-confidence so adding in partial blindness wouldn't help my chances of not getting picked last for team sports. I made a choice when I was young and I not only lived with it, but I settled with living that way for the rest of my life.

Pre-Operation Preparation

After graduating college and dedicating an enormous amount of time creating Walt Workout, I reached a crosswords in my life. I realized that in order for me to become my best self and accomplish the dreams that I have, I needed my vision. For years I hoped and wished, but I finally made the commitment to get laser eye surgery. I researched the best companies in Seattle and found the Lasik Vision Institute in Bellevue. Next thing I know, I'm sitting in their office discussing everything about my eyes and the possible procedures.

I never knew this, but I have a thin cornea (outermost layer of the eye) which disqualifies me from getting Lasik as well as dry eyes which is the lack of lubrication in the eye. This means that my only option is PRK which delivers the same result and if I did get the procedure, the recovery process may take longer than normal since I also have dry eyes. No problem. Lasik is just the "quick fix" procedure where your healed up and ready to go as early as the next day. I waited my whole life for this. I'm pretty sure I can endure an extra couple weeks to recover.

The extremely helpful staff at the Lasik Vision Institute provided me a close convenient operation date as well as detailed instructions for medication for pre/post operation. I of course wanted to put in the extra effort to assure that I heal up properly and quicker by increasing my dosages of Vitamin C and Omega 3's.

Vitamin C supports the health of blood vessels in the eye not to mention that its essential for recovery of tissue in the body which would also include the tissue in the eye. Omega 3's which is a fatty acid that is only found in fish, red meat, nuts and other specific sources, is a nutrient that most people are missing. There are numerous amounts of benefits from omega 3's like improvements in eye health, brain function, heart, joints, but the benefit that's most important for me at the moment would be reducing inflammation.

In order for me to get the necessary nutrients that my body needs to recover optimally, I chose to increase my current dosage of "Vita JYM" and "Omega JYM" by JYM Supplement Science. These two supplements have one of the highest quantity of micronutrients and EPA/DHA omega-3's per serving for a great price. I don't know anyone that eats both fish and vegetables on a daily basis, so supplementing with a multivitamin as well as a fish oil supplement is what I recommend to all of my training clients for their overall health.

All of the physical preparation doesn't even come close to the mental preparation. I can't even begin to describe the level of excitement and anxiety that I have just waiting in anticipation for this. I knew I was going to have to sit in a dark room for a while so I prepared audio books, music, and my meals in advance so that I don’t go insane.

My temporary disconnection from the world made me feel like I'm going to re-emerge as someone slightly different. Others may look at me and see the same person, but I know for a fact that I will feel different. I believe that I will no longer have to hide behind a disguise (my glasses) to reveal my true potential. I believe that this surgery is a small spark that will ignite a flame that’s been dormant inside of me. A hidden power that will make me feel like a Super Hero.

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