LASIK: I can SEE!!

I've been wearing corrective lenses of some sort for the last 15ish years (since 5th grade I think). I wore glasses from 5th-8th grade & was happy with them. I had big red-metal framed glasses. I loved them. Had no idea how silly I looked. In 8th grade I decided to try contacts. This was a big deal. To this point I couldn't touch my eyes if my life depended on it. I had to go to the contact/glasses place everyday after school for a week before I was able to get them in my eyes! And I had to wear gas permeable because they were smaller than soft contacts. Finally I got them in. It was a big life adjustment. It took a long time to get them in each day. And they hurt! There's nothing pleasant about hard contacts! After a year I was used to the ordeal & I made the easy switch to soft contacts. Easy schmeasy. Wore those for several years & have been generally happy with them. But for the last couple of years my eye doctor would say, "Let me know whenever you want to talk about LASIK." And I would say, "Oh no, it was a HUGE deal for me to even put contacts in my eyes & I would never choose to have surgery, so no, LASIK is not for me."

In the last few weeks though, it suddenly occurred to me...a 5 minute procedure could mean I never have to put in contacts again! So I started talking to people & realized a lot more people had had it done than I thought! And the vast majority said it was the best thing they'd ever done. So I decided I could do it. It would be a growing experience. And....I'd be able to see!!

So I went for my annual eye doctor appointment & said I was ready to talk. They told me I was a great candidate for LASIK. I'm in my 20's, my eyes were in a good range (-3.25 & -3.50) & I don't have astigmatism. I took out my contacts for 3 days so my eyes could be measured (funny side story--the machine that takes a map to read any mis-shapeness in your eyes couldn't read my eyes because they were perfectly smooth). And my surgery was scheduled for later that week (this past Thursday)!

My surgery was scheduled for 11:40am on Thursday. My mom came in from Houston to be my driver/take care of me for the day. I got there & they gave me some valium to calm me down. I got to sit in a recliner for about a half hour to let it take effect. In my mind, I figured I could tell when the meds kicked in because I wouldn't be anxious anymore. I was still nervous when I went into the OR. They numbed my eyes it was great because I couldn't feel a thing! There was a nurse whose whole job was to hold my hand & I was SO thankful for her because being awake & knowing what they were doing to me was a bit freaky. The laser part was just like looking at a dull flashing light for about a minute. But the eye flap thing was mentally painful. But it was over so quick it was ok! I went home, took 1 of the 2 sleeping pills they gave me, slept for a couple hours, woke up, had some minor discomfort (like the feeling of wearing hard contacts or having an eyelash or piece of dirt in your eye). But I went back to sleep, woke up & ate dinner, took the 2nd sleeping pill, slept from 7pm-8am & woke up a new person! I went for my day-after eye appointment & could see 20/30 in my right eye & 20/35 in my left. They said my eyes looked great! I drove to Houston that afternoon!

I go back this Thursday to get my eyes checked again. I think my right eye is 20/20 now & my left probably 20/30. It's been more dry than my right & they say as the eye heals & the dryness goes away my vision will get better. I couldn't be more happy with the was the surgery went! I've had no other discomfort and no itchy eyes (which people said was a side-effect). I LOVE not having to put contacts in or take them out. I LOVE not wearing glasses! I LOVE being able to see as soon as I wake up! And I'm actually loving not being able to wear eye makeup (I can't for a week after surgery). It's a great excuse for why I look tired! :)

Holy cow, this was one long post. That's what happens when I type while watching The Amazing Race & Ugly Betty! So anyway, I HIGHLY recommend LASIK! I can give you more details if you are interested in it. I'm praying for 20/20 vision in both eyes by Thursday so they don't want to "tweak" my eyes again. It's been a much easier process than I thought it would be but I don't want to start the healing process again! Pray with me, will you?

So that's that. Happy Resurrection Week!

Ski Trip 2k10 (brought to you by the Snuggie).

This past week we took 40 high school students & 10 adults to Colorado for the Grace youth annual ski trip. The bus ride there was about 21 hours & yes it was brutal BUT let me tell you the savior of the trip was my Aggie Snuggie I received for Christmas! I don't know if I've blogged about it before but I LOVE my Snuggie. I know--they're weird & look like something Yoda would wear, but oh my goodness they are awesome! People complained the whole way there that the bus was cold & that they weren't comfortable but I was never cold & was snug as a bug on a bus! :) Snuggies...don't get on a long bus ride without one!

The group skied for 3 days at Copper Mountain. I didn't ski (the last time I went skiiing I became very aware of my own mortality & decided I never again needed to participate in the activity) but instead was the mom of the trip. I sat & read in the ski lodge, took care of kids with altitude sickness, helped take care of broken ski equipment & held on to extra layers when people got too warm. It was really a great trip--one cracked rib, one sprained ankle, one bruised arm but no other major injuries or problems! God is good!

It was a great time to get to know the high school students (since I mostly spend time with the 7th & 8th graders) as well as getting to hangout some of our college leaders for a few days. It took me a few days to recover (I slept 12 hours when I got home!) and I'm glad we don't do it again for a year but I'll definitely go again if needed!

Here's our whole group on the last day--

In other news....I'm scheduled to have LASIK surgery on Thursday afternoon! I'm super excited and also a bit nervous. I'm glad I could schedule it this week (I had my consultation/evaluation appointment today). I think the less time I have to think about it & freak out over the fact that a laser is changing the shape of my eye (!!) the better.

In spite of the crazy weather this past weekend (Dallas got snow!) I think Spring is finally here! Huzzah! ttfn.

My friend Katie tagged me & well, these are fun, so here we go! Her very creative friend Sarah at her blog Our Nesting Ground shared the Beautiful Blogger Award with her & so she shared it with me. The rules are simple I am suppose to list seven things about myself and then pass the award on.

1. One of my all time favorite movies is That Thing You Do!, though I've probably seen it hundreds of times I still get tears in my eyes during the scene where they hear their song on the radio for the first time. Which leads me to #2...

2. I'm not really a "crier" but I do cry when I'm really happy or when other people are really happy.

3. I've been to all of the continental United States except for Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska & Rhode Island.

4. I've only driven a stick shift once--everyone kept saying how fun it was--I don't get it...I couldn't get it, so I gave up.

5. I love playing games...I'm awesome at Taboo & I could play Scrabble all day long!

6. I've only been outside the US to Mexico, England & France....but this summer I'm going to the DR & I'm super PUMPED about it!

7. The first time I went skiiing I fell coming down the end of the mountain & I took out the fence that separated the ski area from the eating/picture taking area. No one was injured.

I'm passing this on to...

Amber

Cara

Sarah

Jana

Lynn

More February Fun

For being such a short little month it sure held a lot of activity! Kardia (in-town youth retreat, like Disciple Now), a snow day, a wedding shower & a baby shower (neither for me, nor for the same person, thank goodness!).

Kardia was great--about 135 students (7th-12th grade) and about 40 college leaders spent the weekend looking at what media & culture tell us about who we are & what's important compared to what God & His Word say. My group of 7th grade girls doubled it's weekly size--14 girls came & I was so thankful to be able to open my home for them to stay at. Let me tell you, it was a par-tay! :)

Making cookies.

Ready for bed!

The week after Kardia it snowed! Everything was pretty white for most of the day, many a snowball fight was had & there were snowmen everywhere! There's a big park next to the church & the day after the snow it looked like it had been the sight for a snowman war. There were remains & casualties melting everywhere, it was pretty funny.

Some of the girls who work at the church--

this is pre-snowball fight in the church parking lot.

My house. Snow pretty! :)

And the back yard was a snowy, slushy winter wonderland!

This past weekend the 8th grade girl leaders & I did a pizza/movie night with our girls. One of the leaders got pizza mixes so the girls got to make the dough, put the sauce & all the toppings on it themselves--it was so much fun! And then we watched Ever After--the Cinderella story with Drew Barrymore. Half the girls had never seen it (made us feel so old!). Then we played Twister--how long has it been since you played Twister? It was easier than I remembered. I utilized some yoga moves & did pretty well if I do say so myself!

Making pizza.

Playing Twister.

Silly Girls.

And now it's March isn't it?! Let the March Madness begin! :)