The Pre -Lasik Assessment
Prior to my vision correction procedure, I had worn glasses for 20 years, between 1996 and 2016 to correct my short-sightedness. Being a high myope, I relied fully on my glasses and my limited vision without them caused uneasiness.
I needed to be liberated from the dependence of putting on glasses, which for me spelt freedom. I had considered vision correction surgery for some time and when I did go for an evaluation at Eagle Eye laser center, assuming I would qualify for Lasik, I was met with the understanding that I was not a suitable candidate for the treatment.
Not Eligible for Lasik. What Next?
Many people have heard of LASIK but not as much about ICL surgery; a suitable option for patients not eligible for laser vision correction. So, when the recommendation was made to have ICL as an alternative vision correction option, I considered it ,on top of the reassurance that I got from Dr. Kimani and Prof. Ilako ; that it would work perfectly for me.Vision correction with ICL was a relatively new concept at the time, so obviously I had reservations about it, but nothing outweighed the benefit of going through the treatment.
A lot of questions ran through my mind in regards to the safety and outcome of the treatment. What if I got permanent eye damage? What if my eyesight could not be corrected?Was it reversible should it not work? Are the doctors competent in this? How many people have done it successfully?It did offer me relief that my evaluation included patient counseling that helped calm my apprehensions and gave me a better understanding of the ICL Surgery, Benefits, risks, and Precautions
The Plunge, Getting Rid of my glasses
Ever since I got the desire to have my eyesight corrected, I had taken keen interest in anyone who had gone through vision correction and a friend's successful Lasik journey in 2015 at Eagle Eye Laser center shot up my confidence to over 100%; that I could go through the treatment with them. The center came in highly recommended for its expertise in vision correction surgeries and patient care.
The surgery was unbelievably short; it actually felt less than 5 minutes to do the procedure for each eye. The first few days the eyes were very sensitive to light and I needed to put on shades for a while and also dry eye for which I was prescribed medication for, cleared with time.
What does Life without Glasses feel like?
IT’S LIBERATING! I got almost the Vision of the Eagle - Am Blessed! The journey to recovery was ecstatic - waking up and not having to put on my glasses as the first thing when I leave the bed! I could actually wear shades and not specs! I actually literally read everything small I came across out of the excitement that I could see without specs (laughs, wish I could use emojis….) It’s now been over 5 years since November 2016.
Lilian Ng’ang’a