7 minutes of SMILE RELEX.

DISCLAIMER — All views expressed here are my own.

A little background about my eyes — I had been wearing these glasses for 11 years. My power was 5.5 and 5. I don’t know which had what. I couldn’t even see my own fingers if I stretched my arms out. Every week I used to spend at least half and hour in total looking for my glasses after having displaced them on multiple occasions.

SMILE RELEX — For a layperson, it is a surgical procedure for eyesight correction that’s quicker, more precise and promises lesser chances of infection than LASIK does.

7 minutes. That was my surgery duration.

12th November ’15.

9.30am — I was asked to report to the hospital. I was unusually silent that morning. A dear friend and my parents had consoled me when I was nervous about the procedure the previous day.

10am — Routine eye checkup.

10.30am — Two eye scans.

11am- We were given the disclaimer sheet. For the first time in my life, I actually read a disclaimer.

11.15am — My mom and I entered the OT reception area and we were given the post op instructions. It was all a haze. I let my mom do the listening and questioning. I just wanted chocolate.

11.20 am — I was given the pre op medication — a small doze of sleeping tabs, painkiller and my BP was checked.

11.45 am — I ate the chocolate. I felt no anxiety, nothing. I was blank. I had never felt so emotionless.

11.55 am — I changed into the OT gown and they put some drops to my eyes. Probably the local anesthetic.

12.01pm-Dr. Sri Ganesh greets me with a smile and puts me at ease.

12.03pm — Enter OT. I don’t have my glasses so everything is a blur.

12.05pm — Procedure starts.

First he operates on my right eye. I see a green light and hear the docs reassuring voice. When the light disappears, I have to keep still. Then a probe is inserted into my eye and I feel a little pressure. Pressure continues and I can see the probe moving in my eye. And then, blank. I see a haze of white dots and then feel some water trickling on my eye. Then the doc says the procedure was successful and he would move to my left eye.

Left eye. Same thing. But the duration feels shorter. And then the doc says it’s done. Surgery successful.

I open my eyes and I see an attendant. A little hazy but I can see without my glasses! It was a miracle! I started grinning.

I had complete vision that night itself. I am officially advised 10 days of complete rest but I try to sneak in an hour daily to check my email and read the news and Facebook. I have perfect vision now. And my glasses? Well they’re lying somewhere and I must look for them. I’m getting used to not having those thick frames sitting on my nose. It feels free. It feels awesome.

It was an absolutely delightful procedure. I entered the OT — blind as a bat, and I exited with a vision as good as it can get —a little hazy maybe but it would pass. I would definitely want to experience this all over again. The staff at Nethradhama are very helpful and kind. And Dr. Sri Ganesh — he’s an amazing person. I cannot thank him enough. Perhaps when I go for the routine check up in 15 days, I will tell him this.

A no glasses profile picture will go up on Facebook. Soon ;)