Post Operation: 10 Days
I woke up Saturday morning to the light of the sun beaming through my blinds and curtains. My room was dark, but my sensitivity to light made it feel like there were no windows in my room.
I got out of bed, opened my curtains, twisted the rod to open my blinds, and shielded my eyes from the intensity of the sun. Slowly as my eyes began to focus, I felt my heart stop.
I can see! I can see the trees. I can see the roots in the leaves. I can see the Cascade Mountains in the distance that looked like a painting by Picasso. I was at a loss of words. I still haven't felt my heart beat. It didn’t begin to start beating again until I saw a Red Robin fly directly onto a tree. I stared at it like it was a creature from another planet. A beautiful, red feathered, majestic animal. I can’t tell you how long I stared at this bird, but when it flew away, so did I.
I felt like Spiderman waking up the day after getting bitten by a radioactive spider.
Post Operation: 1 Month
It truly feels like I've been reborn. I now go about life doing things as if it's the first time all over again. There was one thing I always wanted to do that I've never done before. That's going to the movies. Yes, I've been to the movies before, but I've never been able to watch a movie clearly or vividly without my glasses. Blurry movies only provide you with so much entertainment.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was the movie of choice. I'm a diehard Marvel fan, so if I was going to see any movie it would be Guardians. I Fandango'd two middle row seats for a beautiful woman and I. We snuck in some snacks that we bought beforehand (because you know movie theaters mark up their snacks like crazy) and was quickly able to find our seats in the dark movie theater without struggling like I usually do. Once I relaxed in my seat and reclined back, I've never felt so satisfied.
Watching the movie was like upgrading from a 480p giant box TV to a Ultra HD 4K HDR flat screen! Not relying on a wall in front of my face felt so different, but unbelievably satisfying. The special effects were phenomenal, the comedic moments were placed perfectly, the dramatic scenes were captivating, and the action was pleasantly entertaining! The movie literally had everything and we both left the movie with a big smile on our faces.
Since I'm indirectly dropping a short review, I might as well rate the movie a 8.5!. I probably would've rated it a 8.0 if I was wearing my glasses.
Post Operation: 3+ Months
My life has been on a dramatic incline! I replaced training people at home with personal training at a brand new gym called Crunch and I couldn't be happier. Interactions alone especially in a social environment have been very different.
Before I had my surgery, I would only be able to interact and focus on people that are directly in front of me. If someone was out of my peripheral vision, then they were basically nonexistent. If anyone waved, said hello, or just made eye contact with me from a distance, they would just be a blurry object in the background. I felt like some people judged me negatively because it would appear as if I'm purposefully ignoring them like a self-centered douchebag. It's a good thing I don't have to worry about that anymore.
My awareness has enhanced by such a significant amount that I can quickly and confidently analyze my surroundings. I can see when someone I know comes in to the gym and I can acknowledge them from afar without having to always walk up to them just to say hello. I can even point out when I see someone doing an exercise with shitty form.
It’s a feeling that I'm still getting used to. Most times I notice so many things going on at once that I don’t really know what to react to. This caused me to change my focus from dissecting the minor details to expanding my awareness.
Whether I'm training in the gym, exploring the city of Seattle, or appreciating the view of the mountains in the distance, the improvement to my vision has got me to fully embrace the beauty of this world without any barriers.
Final Thoughts
For anyone that's contemplating getting laser eye surgery, here's my suggestion. Put your fears aside and visualize yourself vividly looking at the world clearly with no barriers. Imagine how it would feel to see and do things from a different perspective. Hold on to that picture that you have in your mind, commit to finally getting the surgery, and live the rest of your life with super powers.
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