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| - **If you are squeamish, I would avoid this post!!**
I had my consult with Dr. Schwartz on 12/19/13. Everyone was very friendly and informative. I was there about two hours and did multiple tests - two of which the girl had to touch my eyeball. Your eyes will be numbed for this - totally pain free (although really bizarre). I was told I had super thick corneas (good) but that the diameter of my pupils were a bit large therefore I required "custom LASIK" which carries a slightly higher price tag.
My procedure was scheduled and the day of I was a total wreck, but all of the staff were totally amazing and comforting. My prescription was checked one more time and I was off to the procedure waiting room where I received a few rounds of eyedrops including antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and numbing drops. They take your glasses away so you can't tell who you are talking to which is strange, and you can hear the laser from the waiting room. One tip - if you get nervous and tend to have high blood pressure when anxious, try to take slow deep breaths. They had to check my blood pressure four times because I was so worked up. You will also receive a Valium about 5-10 mins prior to going in the procedure room. Personally, I would have preferred it at my check in time roughly an hour prior.
The procedure room really is cold and intimidating. There is a nurse to help guide you through the whole process and thank God for her because without her I would have lost my you-know-what. **here is where I get into the gory details**. This process, was absolutely terrible for me. I am a bit of a drama queen but I really did not enjoy the procedure. It was uncomfortable and weird and had me thinking "why did I sign up for this" but the end result is fantastic. In here, they administer another round of numbing drops and cover one eye. The eye speculum that they use, well I would compare it to a melon baller. It is so freaking bizarre and feels just so weird when he fits it around your eye and moves it. UGH. They begin by creating the corneal flap on the right eye, then left, then they correct your vision on the right, then left. I honestly had no idea that they had created the flap when they did. You don't see anything except a tiny orange dot that they ask you to look at. Dr. Schwartz lifts the flap up which is SO strange. If you think you see blurry without glasses, wait until your corneal flap is up! You are free to close your right eye while they work on the left, which is nice. Now when the laser actually works on correcting your vision, there is a distinct flesh-burning smell accompanied by orange and purple flashes and a loud buzz sound. Pretty freaky. Then Dr. Schwarts uses this neon green tool to replace your corneal flap, which I think I hated the most just because I knew what was happening and wasn't fond of it.
Overall, I hated the experience but absolutely love the team over at Schwartz Laser Eye Center along with my results. Immediately after the procedure I could see better, and not even 24 hours later I had 20/20 vision. My eyes are still recovering today, almost two weeks later, and are extremely dry, but I can wake up in the middle of the night without needing to grab my glasses to look at the clock. The prescription drops suck - one is thick and gooey while another leaves a terrible taste in your mouth, but you only use them the first week. If you are on the fence about whether or not to go to Dr. Schwartz or even about getting LASIK, I hope that this post helped to give you a better understanding of the process. I completely trust Dr. Schwartz with my eyes and would highly recommend him and his team!
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