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A pillowcase

» fashion

The long awaited package has arrived today! My first sewing machine! It is a Singer 7442, with 30 built-in stitches. I figured this should be good enough to get started on at least a few beginner projects. I had also prepared a project prior to my sewing machine arriving, which I completed tonight! First, I had to learn how to thread my new machine which didn't take too long. Second, I had to do a few practice stitches, specifically a straight stitch and a zig zag stitch in order to complete my project, a pillowcase. The automatic settings seemed to be proper, so i stitched up a pillowcase. I later decided to change the zig zag stitch to the overlock stitch, which I thought looked more like a serger made seem, and then I just cut off the extra material myself. However, I believe even after my first project, I have decided that I really do want a serger to go with my sewing machine. This is starting to look like an expensive hobby already!

My Lasik Experience: I can see!

» life

Today, exactly a month ago, I had lasik done on both my eyes! Yes, goodbye contacts and glasses, h e l l o  w o r l d. It's a wonderful thing! I decided to do this procedure that I once said I would never get, when one day it just popped into my head and didn't leave! People around me were getting lasik like no tomorrow, and working the following day! So i took the plunge. In November, I set up my health spending account to budget for the big event, albeit, not enough. In December, I had my consultation. At the consultation, they took various pictures of my eyes, various vision tests, and then dilated my eyes. I saw 3 doctors and 318725192 assistants during this process, which all began with the watching of a great video about what I'm asking to have done to my eyes. After this 2 hour process was done, the doctor ensured me that I was in fact a candidate for Lasik. I was told that I had a lot of aberration (or noise) in my eyes. On top of that, I also have larger than normal pupils; 8.2 mm in diameter. We talked about the concerns of Lasik, and I decided that this place was going to be the place. They indicated they had not a single infection in any procedure. So, I setup my appt at Schwartz Laser Eye Center in Scottsdale, AZ for January 11, 2008. We decided that I needed custom lasik to cover the size of my large pupil, and that I wanted the intraLase technology for cutting the flap.

Prior to January 11th, I had to wear my glasses for 7 days (as I did the consultation as well). I also was asked to take a small true/false test and pick up some medications that I would need directly after the procedure so that everything was ready. I was asked to pick up 2 prescriptions and some artificial tears. The first was an antibiotic. The second was called Restasis, which helps you generate more tears. Unfortunately, I did not have the Restasis due to a slight delay in needing to get approval from my insurance on how much they were going to pay, but i was insured that it was ok to not start taking that until a few days down the line. The third prescription was to be given to me on the day of my appointment.

On January 11th, I arrived with my sister, my driver, for my appointment. I paid my $3898. After a somewhat long wait, I was called into a room for a pre-check. Then back out to the waiting room. After another wait, I was called into the staging room for the procedure. At this point, I am in a room with about 4 other people, already further along in the process than me. They took my glasses, asked me if I wanted a valium (say YES to this), put a surgical cap on my head, and 2 on both of my shoes. Then I went through a process of having drops put into my eyes. I received 4 drops in each eye of the antibiotic. I then received 2 drops in each eye of a numbing solution. I was walked through all the items in a small black bag they were giving to me, including eye shields, DARK sunglasses, my third prescription, medical tape and some Tylenol PM. When to use them, how to use them, etc. I also had my blood pressure taken every 10 minutes. If your blood pressure is too high, you don't get to go in. Mine was amazingly high (although I didn't feel nervous), I believe something like 149/94. One by one each of us went into the surgery room and just that fast out in a flash! Then it was my turn! I went into the surgery room. I was asked to lay flat on a hard bed. They then swung the hard bed underneath the first machine. This machine sucked up my eyeball and used intraLase technology to cut the flap in my eye with a laser. This felt like someone was pushing in on my eyeball with a good amount of pressure. I also started tearing immediately after each eye was done. This part only took about 10 seconds each eye. Then they swung my body over underneath the next machine. This machine was the laser that would be altering my eye on this day. SCARY. They used an eye opener to open my eyelids, so that I could not close them. At this point I am tearing up pretty bad, so it looks a little blurry. I was asked to stare at the red laser for about 12 seconds. If the laser was moving, that was actually my eye that was moving. So basically if I just stare straight, no problem. At this point, I was getting really really nervous. It was a little more pain than I expected, and these were my EYES we are dealing with here. I'm pretty sure the valium did nothing. After both eyes were complete, they told me I could get up. I opened my eyes, and started crying. LOTS and LOTS of tears. I could see, but, it was quite a bit blurry. It was also fairly painful. It still felt like I was squeezing my eyes really really hard. Every now and then I would get this sharp pain as well. Upon exiting the surgery room, I was escorted to a chair to sit down. They took my blood pressure again (even higher!) and gave me tylenol PM. I received my bag of goodies, put my sunglasses on and I was on my way! I was supposed to keep my eyes closed as much as possible, and go home straight to bed. I opened my eyes to walk out to the waiting room, and to the car. Any amount of sunlight was absolutely agonizing! And what do you know, it was one of the brightest days of winter I've ever seen. The car ride home was horrible. It was an hour long in rush hour traffic, and I was holding my sweatshirt over my sunglasses to keep every last bit of sunlight out, constantly tearing, and still feeling like I was squeezing my eyes into my head. I would lift my eyebrows every now and then to make sure it wasn't ME causing this.

We arrived at home, and the first order of business was to get more drops into my eyes. Hardest thing I have ever done. LOL Two drops of each of two medications into both my eyes. I taped the clear eye shields to my eyes with the medical tape and off to bed I was. I must have layed there for over an hour before I FINALLY fell asleep.

I awoke at 11:30pm. No pain. No pressure. I opened my eyes, and I could see. Almost perfectly! It was just slightly hazy, but i could read my clock across the room just fine. Amazing!

All in all, I really didn't go into the procedure thinking that it would actually have some pain involved, silly me! Everyone always says that it was so easy! I don't think that was quite the way to describe it, but after that initial 2 hours was over, it really was easy sailing.

Today, a month later, I have 20/15 vision. I still use the Restasis and regular artificial tears on a daily basis to keep my eyes wet, as I stare at a computer screen for most of my day. Moisture equals faster healing! I also had restrictions that I could not swim, or go in a hot tub for the first month. So those have all been lifted today. The first 7 days had many more restrictions, like no make-up, cover your eyes in the shower, wearing the eye shields for 5 nights while sleeping or napping and no exercising.

I have to say, that it is fantastic not to have to deal with contacts or glasses any longer. Yesterday I cleaned all my old contacts and solutions that I had at a million locations within the house. Sure freed up a lot of space! You don't even want to know how many contact containers I had! I am definitely very thankful that there were no complications, and very glad that I had finally chosen to do this.