An Eye-Opening Experience - Epi-Lazik

         21 August, 2013 – That is the fateful day I literally experienced Newton’s "T'was blind but now I see" phenomenon.  

          In other words, I finally got around to doing my EPI-LASIK operation!  And speaking as someone who has suffered from terrible myopia all my life - stumbling around till I got my spectacles before the age of 7 - believe me when I say that this operation has been the best gift I have ever given myself.

         For the benefit of my friends who have shown care, concern, and curiosity regarding the process of getting my eyes “fixed”, here is a recount of my experience.  I hope these insights will be helpful for your own decision-making!

From the first time I heard about lasik more than five years ago, I knew I would definitely be doing it, SOMEDAY.   It was only a matter of When, Where, and How Much. 

I was recommended Clearvision Eye Clinic &LASIK Surgery Centre in Singapore by my brother, who had done his own successful lasik operation a few years back and knows the doctor personally. 

 

 Although I considered the option of driving in to Malaysia for my lasik operation due to price (the figures are definitely way more attractive when converted to Malaysian Ringget!), I eventually decided that I would rather spend the necessary few dollars more for a reputable LASIK specialist in Singapore with a long-standing success record.

The first step was to check out their website and make an enquiry call.  The girl on the phone was very patient and professional in explaining to me the things to take note in advance:

   -  Atleast 10 days in advance of the examination review, I cannot wear my hard contact lenses.

  -   Atleast 2 days in advance of the examination review - if I intend to do the surgery the day immediately after the review - I cannot wear soft contact lenses. 

    -   If working, I would be given 2 days of Medical Certificate to rest.

  -   It is advisable not to drive for 5 days after the operation as vision may be blurry during the healing period.

  -    It is OK to jog as long as the sweat does not get into the eyes.

  -    It is OK to fly on an airplane after 1 week from the operation date.

    -    It is OK to participate in Surface Water sports (e.g., swimming, wakeboarding) after 2 weeks from the operation date.  

  -   It is OK to dive after a month from the operation date.

 -   I can choose to do a LASIK or EPI-LASIK procedure.

 -   It is possible to do a 12 months with 0% interest payment scheme with certain credit cards. 

Armed with this information, I watched and waited for an opening in my calendar.  The minute my schedule opened up with a few available days, I snatched up the phone and placed an appointment for the examination review, followed by a tentative date and time for the surgery the next day (provided my eyes were approved for surgery by the examination).

When I reached Clear Vision clinic for my examination appointment at 2PM on 20 August, the friendly staff took me through a series of 9 or 10 different eye tests.  As I peered into their various eye machine contraptions, they took pictures of my cornea, measured the shape and size, checked my eye degree, tested eye pressure with little puffs of air blown into the eye, tested my muscle control skills by asking me not to blink while they shone various lights into my eyes, and patiently answered all my inquisitive questions about what exactly the machines were doing.

After they were done, one of the staff sat me down on a comfortable sofa and went through a clear and efficient slide presentation on the difference between LASIK and EPI-Lasik procedures, what to expect during the operation, and a brief introduction about the surgeon, Dr. Tony Ho.  The following video was also very informative on why EPI-Lasik is the recommended way to go, especially for someone with dry eyes, thin corneas, and - high myopia *raise hand*.

Clearvision EPI-Lasik Video 

When the staff had done the preliminary checks, they sent me over to Dr. Ho’s private clinic in Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, just 3 minutes walk from the Clearvision Eye Clinic.  After 2-3 more eye tests at this other clinic, Dr. Ho called me into his room and told me that based on the examination results, he was confident he would be able to carry out a successful EPI-Lasik procedure for me.  However, he cautioned me as a note that due to my degree being very high (900 degrees per eye), the lasik would have to burn deeper into the cornea.  Thus, should I wish to go for any corrective surgery in future after the initial Epi-Lasik, I would need to go through all the checks again.   But hey, the important thing is that I CAN do the op, right?  So I danced out of the doctor’s office happily.  Figuratively, of course. 

The next day, Sis and I were up and ready for my first surgery ever.  Yes, I was a little nervous. And very psyched.  After all, it was my LAST day of wearing spectacles!

 

 When I reached the clinic, the staff got me to sign the necessary documents, explained the various medicated eye drops I would need to apply after the operation, and then decked me out in the operating room garb.

 

 Next was the application of the numbing eye drops.  I was pleasantly surprised and extremely relieved that no anesthetic injections were needed!  (If you hate needles as much as I do, you will understand how I felt.)

 Finally, the eye cover went on and I was ready!

 They asked me to sit in a chair right outside the operating room and practice staring straight at a little blinking red light a few feet away.  I could hear the sizzle of the laser as the guy before me did his operation.  It freaked me out a little.  

Then the sliding door opened, and the guy exited the operating theatre, looking - normal.   Hey, if he can survive the ordeal, then so can I, right?  I took a deep breath, turned to Sis and said, “Here we go!” and stepped into the room.  

Dr. Ho was seated at the head of the operating bed, and welcomed me in.  The operating assistant instructed me to lie down and Dr. Ho held my head in place, explaining his actions calmly and soothingly.

 

 He positioned the lasik machine over my eye and I stared up at the monster looming over me. feeling very much like the one-eyed Cyclops.  It was a simple-looking machine.  There were two lasik lights staring dully back at me – one red and one yellow-green.  The doctor told me to stare at the red light.  

“Don’t worry,” he reassured, like as if he could read my thoughts.  “You won’t feel any pain.”

He proceeded to clean my eye and placed a round circular object in my eye to keep my eyelids from closing.  A blunt scapula appeared in my vision and gently scraped away the top layer of my eye.  It was a weird sensation, since I could feel the scraping but felt no pain.  

Then he told me to keep looking at the red light…. And the green laser started its job.  It was a five-step process.  I concentrated on only two things – staring at the red light and breathing slowly and evenly.  My subconscious noted the sizzling sound once again, and Dr. Ho’s voice stating, “Stage one… stage two…”  My vision began to blur.  It looked or felt like a speckled lights display taking place on a clear glass right in front of my eye.  

“Stage five.”  The green laser stopped.  The actual process per eye was not more than two minutes! Dr. Ho pushed away the monster above me, gently scraped back the top layer of eye film with his scapula, and deposited the temporary soft lens over my cornea for protection.  

Perhaps the only part I found disconcerting was when they slowly emptied a syringe of liquid into my eye to wash it out.   Blame it on my claustrophobic issues perhaps, but for those few short moments, I had to fight the momentary feeling of panic. 

Other than that, it was fine.  And PAINLESS. 

Within the next five minutes, my other eye was done, and I could get up from the bed and pose for a picture with Dr. Ho!

 

My vision was immediately clear, though not sharp.  I could see with about 90% clarity, as they predicted for the first day, and the staff led me to a room to sit and recuperate.  My eyelids were so heavy, and I just felt like sleeping, sleeping, sleeping.  So after an hour, I put on the 100% UV-blocking sunglasses they provided, flagged a cab home, and went straight to bed. 

The staff preempted discomfort and pain after the anesthesia wears off but said it was subjective to each person.  When I woke up three hours later to put my eye drops, I still felt fine and could see fine, too.  My eyes were a little dry, but they were not painful. 

And truth is, I have felt no pain up till this day, for which I am very thankful!  

The recovery process was as predicted, with the next two days having blurred vision, around70-80% clarity.  I was sleeping most of the time though, so it was not too much of a bother.  On the second day, I went back for a Check Up to ensure everything was recovering well without any infection.  I started driving by the third day as the vision improved, howbeit facing slight discomfort whenever the bright sunlight glinted off the cars in front of me, despite my shades.  One week later, I went back for the second check up and removed the temporary contact lenses.  A few days later, I flew to China. 

Although my vision still occasionally blurs for a short while now and then, which is expected as part of the recovery process for the month or so after the surgery, I am extremely happy with my newfound eyesight. 

Goodbye to the banes of fuzzy vision and heavy reliance on contact lenses and prescription glasses... Hello, perfect eyesight! 

  

For those of you who are interested in doing lasik for yourself, I highly recommend Clearvision Eye Clinic as the place to go.  I experienced professional and attentive customer service, and felt safe and in good hands the entire way.  The price for EPI-Lasik for 2 eyes is SGD $3,388.  You can call them at 67333316 or visit their website at http://www.clearvision.com.sg/ for more details.

 

Kiss the Rain.

The past few days, the beautiful haunting melody of Yiruma's "Kiss the Rain" has been on repeat play in my playlist.  Somehow there is a balmy peacefulness that it has brought to my tired soul. 

Now, it seems strangely fitting a title, in light of the fact that I have just spent the last two hours jog-walking in the gentle drizzle that accompanied the sunset. 

And this walk too has been a peaceful oasis after the past few days and weeks of hectic work, of letting go and saying goodbye, of internal wars, of changes and new things.

For the first time in more than 5 years,
I walked Slowly.  Leisurely.  Unhurriedly. 
Listening to the soft pitter-patter of the raindrops on the grass.  
Feeling the cool breeze and raindrops kiss my cheeks. 
Drinking in the beautiful ever-changing cloud painting above me. 
Trailing my hand lightly over the rough bark of the trees which lined the sidewalk.
Not keeping track of time and not caring about getting drenched.
  
And slowly but surely, the thunderstorms that raged in my head and heart when I left the house calmed to match the gentle raindrops which accompanied me on my walk.  
 
It was a luxury that I have not known much of since workaholic me entered the fast-paced work environment years back, where time is money and walking slowly is not an option. But now as I take a month's break off from work in the midst of a career change, it has been a refreshing different pace of life. A pace which is giving me opportunity and time to slow down, rejuvenate, and recharge - mentally and emotionally. 

Yes, I know this peaceful break will not last forever.  Work will start again soon and Life will once more be the crazy whirlwind of activities. 

But for now while the Pause button is activated, I am taking the moments to appreciate the refreshing raindrops and occasional teardrops that fall, just as much as I appreciate the sun that shines on the good days.

Did I reach home drenched?  Yes.
Do I regret it?  Of course not. 

...Not while I am finding such beautiful solace in the rain.  :)

I don't stop when I'm tired.

Each March, I think it's the craziest and the toughest I've ever experienced in my five years in Fuji Xerox.

And maybe I'm not wrong. 

What with the crazy targets and tough customers and work clashing with my hectic school schedule and deadlines and running on 3 hours of sleep a night for a week at a time, I sometimes feel like throwing my hands up in the air and giving up. 
Or sitting down to bawl my eyes and heart out.  
Or lying down and not doing ANYTHING, at all. 

But after the initial friendly sparring which has culminated into a grand 5-round MMA battle between my tired and pessimistic realist and the eternal positivist of a subconscious inside of me, full of hard punches and kicks and narrow escapes from triangle chokes... 

The fighter spirit of my subconscious is winning.  

And with just one last freaking day to the end of March work-wise, I have 19 short more hours to make that final sprint to the finishing line.  

The hand of the clock is moving too fast, even while I think it is moving too slowly.

And I've realized one thing - When there's nothing to lose, you just give everything you've got.

I'm not gonna stop fighting till it's over. 

And it's not over till I say it's over.

Life is meant to be Lived.

My friend likes to declare straightforwardly in his Swiss-accented English, "I don't care what other people say or think - it's MY life and it is up to me to decide how to live it!"

I love that independent attitude, and believe it with all my heart too.

Life is short. Too short for us to waste precious time bothering about what other people think or say about us. 

So do what you want with your life,  because its YOURS, and don't let other people's rules govern the way you think or act - we were not born to follow. 

Be crazy. Laugh your heart out. Have a good time just for the sake of having a good time.  Love with your soul.  Smile even when you feel like giving up.  Have a good cry every now and then if you must, and then get back up on your feet.  Dare to risk looking "stupid" in the eyes of other people, because it is the one who dares to be different and unique who will achieve great things.  Turn your face to the skies and feel the raindrops patter on your cheeks.  Forgive, even when it seems impossible.  Treasure your friends, your family, the big and small moments.  Reason with your head, but listen to your heart.  Believe in the Limitless power of thinking positively.  Dance if you love to dance, and don't care about who's watching.  Be open.  Stay true to what your heart believes, no matter who laughs at you.  Express yourself, in word, in art, in song.  Don't judge.  Pause to look up at the heavens and appreciate the beauty. Push yourself to the limit, and remember to reward yourself for it.  Be passionate. Let go.  Do the things you like, eat the food you like, listen to the music that you like.  Spend atleast 5 minutes in silence and reflection each day.  Define "awesome." Never be too busy living that you forget to actually LIVE.  

And at the end of it all, we will look back and laugh at ourselves for the silly crazy things we did, and smile at the awesome memories, and be amazed that some of the "stupid" choices turned out to be way greater than we ever dreamed or imagined! 

THAT's my idea of living life to the fullest, of one day leaving behind a legacy so rich and vibrant that generations later will hear your name and remember you as that amazing person who truly understood what it meant to Live.

Musings on the sidewalk of Times Square

Standing half smothered in the middle of an almost 2 million strong crowd is probably not the most ideal location for 2012 reflections.  Not to mention that the current cold of 0 degrees is creeping into the gloves and boots, leaving numb fingers and toes in its wake. But with 5 hours of waiting to go till the ball drops to signal the entrance of 2013, and considering after all that it IS Times Square we are standing at,  it could probably pass as the best TIME. My mind echoes the song which is right now ringing through the streets of New York City, asking, "How do you measure a year?" 2012 has been a year of pushing limits, of challenging ideologies, of growth.  It has been a year of working hard and playing hard, peppered with moments of success, pain, frustration, disappointment and happiness.  I have made new friends and reunited with some old friends.  I have been reminded through circumstances to treasure my loved ones and family.  I learned that sometimes, it is not weakness to cry if you have been strong for too long.  I learned that the strength of one's mind is determined by one's heart, one s passion. I learned that wisdom lies not in speaking all the time but in speaking at the right time.   I have learned better how to work with different kinds of people, how to handle situations, how to lead and also be a team player. I produced my first two short films together with friends, got a promotion to Key Accounts Manager, and beat my personal best records at work last month out of my three years in sales.  I am now helping out with the Girls Brigade on weekends, on top of work and school.  I have gotten to travel to Japan, Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, and the US (where I still am, for just one more day!). In fact, I have found my current trip in the US to be a reflection of life itself.  In life, we will always be in different places at different times, we will experience new things, we will make new friends and reunite with old ones, some people will walk into your life for a short season but leave footprints, we will say hello and eventually have to say goodbye, not knowing when or whether our paths will cross again.  And at the end of it all.... It will be time to go Home. To the people who have made an impact on my life and have always been there for me.. My family, my QADS, my lovaduckies, my friends, thank you. Life would be so empty without your presence in my world. And now, 2013 is here. It has always been my belief that life is short and should be lived to the fullest.  My resolution this year is to treasure the moments. To take time off to appreciate life and the milestones, to feel the emotions that make me human.  To never be too busy to spend time with those who mean the most to me.   Because, in the end, that's what makes life worth living. :) Happy 2013 to everyone!

Day One in the USA - San Francisco!

I'm officially here.  In the USA.  San Francisco, to be exact. Like, finally. I mean, considering how I've been saving up for four years, ever since my childhood friend Johanna migrated here to start her own family... It's almost surreal.  But the cold wind nipping my face when I walk along the streets, the boots clipping the tiled sidewalk, and the huge shopping outlets lining the roads are proof enough.  Not to mention the cute ang moh guys round about.  It's gonna be lots of city hopping, this first trip.  Fun activities and hanging out with friends in different cities. And yes, I am happy. And excited. Exploring new places in different countries and experiencing new things stirrs my blood. :)  Today, San Francisco; tomorrow, Las Vegas! PS. pardon the formatting of these posts.. iPads apparently DO have some limitations! Grr... :p

Thoughts from among the Clouds

Long flights are a brilliant time for thinking and reflection.   Not only are you physically forced to remain in a constricted area due to the plane's size, but the fact that you are thousands of feet up in the air allows a sense of mental detachment from earth and the little world of our own where there are thousands of things to distract us. After months of silence on my little space here, I finally have time to sit down and properly translate my thoughts and recent events into words on screen. Life, as always, has been an incredible journey.  It has been weeks of nonstop work, school, events, and activities.  That, for one thing, has not changed.  To a certain extent, I have gotten so used to the crazy pace that when I have a rare hour to myself, I almost don't  know what to do or how to pamper myself.  It has also been a time of growth for myself as an individual, as life provided me many opportunities to learn and experience new things.  In work, I got experience working with bigger companies than those I worked with last year.  Receiving the position of Key Accounts Manager at the start of this new financial year has allowed me room to grow and improve while expanding my range and expertise in this industry.  I've also started to reap some rewards from the hard work I had been throwing into my cases for the past months.  My biggest milestone was sealing a half a million dollar deal with one of my customers in November.  With exams also in November, I have completed my second year of part-time studies.  The time is flying by faster than I expected, and i am now past the halfway mark to getting my degree!  It's not been all work and no play, however.  There has been those awesome times spent meeting ups with friends, spending time with loved ones, Christmas gatherings, the annual gift exchange within our family (thank you for all the thoughtful gifts!), Wakeboarding sessions, helping out with Girls Brigade, and of course.. The FX Christmas party.  More pictures next time, but for now, suffice to say that our team came in top 3 (even with the challenging theme of Bollywood) out of 7 contesting teams! I am so proud of my team for their efforts and contributions to put up a good show.  And thanks to my awesome friends and colleagues who voted for me, I also received the prize for Best Dressed at the party! I daresay I've fallen in love with the sari now, it is such an amazing piece of cloth. ;) New friends made and old friends cherished.. I have felt sadness, loss, happiness, fear, and achievement...but most of all, I have felt GRATITUDE.  I am blessed with so much.  I may not have everything, but I have enough. My new year's resolution is to spend more time with my loved ones.  Life is crazy and has a way of rushing by like a river, but I am determined to strike a healthier balance with my time management and stay true to my libra instincts. ;)