I had Epi-Lasek on the 19th August 06 at Optimax in Newcastle. I was really nervous about getting the treatment done and did loads of research on it! The day of treatment i just tried to forget about it and remain calm. I had my consultation and Dr Jalpota really reassured me and made me feel very confident that i was making the right decision. Due to a cancellation that day he treated me an hour earlier which was probably best as this meant i had less time to sit and worry! As my name was called to go in for treatment i felt really nervous but just walked in and tried to keep calm. Drops were put into my eyes to numb them and i was asked to lay on the dentist chair. Dr Jalpota came in and got straight on with it - there was no time to worry as it was over so quick! He did my left eye first and although it felt really strange and quite scary i didnt feel a thing. When the laser started it just sounded like a static sound for a about 30 secs and then the lens was put in my eye and he did the right eye. When i sat up i could see clearly but it was a bit blurry and i was a bit shaken (just through getting myself worked up). I sat for a moment until i felt a bit better. When i walked out into the waiting room my boyfriend couldn't beleive how quick i was! and i could see him!!! It was really exciting but i was still a bit worried about the pain i was going to experience when the drops wore off. The man waiting to go in after me was looking quite worried so i reassured him and told him it is fine and pain free and not to worry.
Like i said, i was worried about the pain i was going to experience as i have been reading reviews on this site and lots of people have said it is severe! All i can say is in my case it wasn't bad at all! On the way home my eyes felt a little sensitive to the light and they felt a little swollen. I put my sunglasses on and closed my eyes although i did open them occasionally to make sure i could still see! I took a pain killer as soon as i got home and went to bed (at about 3pm). I slept on and off until about 8pm and the only way i can describe it is like peeling 1000 onions. This did make it difficult to get the drops in but i managed (well, my boyfriend did). My eyes felt stingy and really watery and i did find it difficult to open them but it eased when i kept them closed. I did have a slight headache too but again that was ok due to being in a dark room. My boyfriend sat with me for most of the night and when it came to bedtime the pain was much better, i put my sexy night patches on and i slept all the way through. When i woke the next morning i couldnt beleive it!! The pain had completely gone and i could see!! My eyes did feel dry but the drops helped with that. From then on my sight has got better and now i feel fine. The worst part is not being able to wear eye make up for 2 weeks and not being able to get water in your eyes as it makes it difficult to wash your hair but its worth it.
My advice to anyone getting it done is to make sure you are certain you want to go through with it and to just go for it. It has changed my life.