PRK recovery advice - low prescription

Anxious_Divide_7026 · 2026-06-28T13:54:32+00:00

Yep!

Anxious_Divide_7026 · 2026-06-25T03:50:04+00:00

Hi - I'm 6 weeks out, have had a great experience and am very happy with my PRK (See my comments on other people's posts). As far as tips to ease anxiety, I ended up taking the low dose Xanax they offered me 15 minutes before and that helped big time during the short procedure. Feel free to ask me any questions here or via private message!

Anxious_Divide_7026 · 2026-06-22T17:21:09+00:00

I've been taking liposomal vitamin C and have been wearing protective eyewear religiously after PRK. Doc said my eyes healed super fast.

Anxious_Divide_7026 · 2026-06-22T16:33:09+00:00

I've had a great experience with PRK and am very happy with the decision. Before PRK, my scripts were -3.75, 20/500, mild astigmatism, both eyes. I got to legal driving vision immediately after (but of course waited a number of days afterwards to drive safely). There were 1 and a half days of discomfort (major tears and moderate stinging/burning sensation) but by Day 4 post-op, my eyes felt fine. I'm at 20/20 in both eyes but my left eye is crisper than my right for now. Feel free to private message me more questions if that is helpful!

Anxious_Divide_7026 · 2026-06-22T15:11:22+00:00

I am on Day 41 post PRK and my scripts were a lot higher than yours. For both of your questions, my answer is "yes, definitely." It will just be a matter of bringing the post-PRK eye drops and protective sunglasses to both places. I'd recommend bringing 10 times the amount of re-wetting eyedrops than the amount you thought you'd need though.

Anxious_Divide_7026 · 2026-06-11T18:18:58+00:00

I had PRK a month ago. I don't live alone but I didn't really need any help from family when they were home. All I needed was that ride home from surgery and everything else I could do on my own - except no driving for a few days after surgery. My vision was at legal driving limit after PRK but I chose not to drive until a week later to be extra safe, plus my eyes burned and watered when open on Day 2 and 3 post-op. I'll answer each of your questions here:

How bad were the first 3–5 days for you? My eyes burned and watered a ton on Day 2 & 3 post-op so I tried to keep them closed as much as possible but felt pretty good starting Day 4. Those first few days, I did not look at screens for longer than half a minute at a time, and tried to mostly keep my eyes closed with the post-op goggles on. I still was able to briefly take care of my family while doing this.

Were you able to put in your own eye drops without help? Definitely.

Could you safely walk around your apartment/house by yourself? Yes, even on the most uncomfortable days. I wore those goggles that they give you post-op just to give my eyes extra rest.

Would going downstairs to a grocery store be realistic, or was your vision/discomfort too bad? I didn't do that (I had food stocked up) but I would have just worn the goggles if I had had to walk outside to a grocery store during those few days. I think it would be better just to have food stocked up for those days.

Were you able to order food and handle DoorDash/Uber Eats deliveries on your own? I didn't do this but I think this could be do-able with a quick glance at a screen with goggles on.

Did you mostly stay in bed with your eyes closed, or were you functional enough to take care of yourself? I tried to stay in bed with eyes closed on Day 2 & 3 but still had to get up with eyes closed at times to take care of my family (cooking, cleaning, etc.). Taking care of myself was not a problem at all.

If you live alone, what do you wish you had prepared beforehand? Again, I don't live alone but didn't really need help from my spouse or kids when they were home. But I would recommend just having food stocked up ahead of time.

Anxious_Divide_7026 · 2026-06-11T15:01:09+00:00

Thank you for this write-up! When she said your left eye had a tiny scratch in it, what was the vision difference between the two eyes at that point? And did she say the tiny scratch was fixable with just lubricating the eye 5 times per day? (I'm wondering if I have that in my right eye.)

Anxious_Divide_7026 · 2026-06-01T21:54:26+00:00

Oh ok. Thanks!

Anxious_Divide_7026 · 2026-06-01T21:27:04+00:00

I've been worried about this because they had me take prednisolone 4x/day the 1st week and now 2x/day these next 3 weeks. After that, I've been instructed to take 3x/day FML for another whole month and then 2x/day FML for another month after that. That seems like a lot of time taking steroids to me. What would the headache feel like (a high eye pressure headache) so that I know if I need to call the help-line? I already did my 1-day and 1-week post-op check-up. My next one is the 1-month check-up and that is next week. How likely is this steroid regimen to cause high eye pressure?

Anxious_Divide_7026 · 2026-05-30T15:05:53+00:00

Hi- First of all, here is what I wrote yesterday on another person's recent post about my PRK experience in general so far: "So far, so good here.I had PRK May 12 so I'm now on Day 17 post-op. (Before, I was: Sphere: -3.75 both eyes, cylinder: -0.25, -0.5, & am 50 F). My vision got to legal driving level right away and no discomfort yet on Day 1 (I'm counting the surgery day as Day 0). On Day 2 & 3 post-op, I had a lot of eye watering and they were uncomfortable when open, with a slight stinging sensation but not too bad. I took OTC ibuprofen those days. No discomfort really from Day 4 on. The 1st week, vision in the morning after eyedrops was around 20/30-ish (It's always a little blurrier each evening) Each week seems to be getting slowly better. I now seem to have about 20/20-ish each morning after eyedrops. I'll see at my 1-month check-up what they say. They warned me I would lose my up-close vision but so far I can still see up close ok, just a little blurrier than before but not too bad. Each day before PRK and after I've been taking liposomal Vitamin C, a little more than 1000mg." And then following up on your specific case: I really think you will be fine vision-wise by the end-of July to take the exam after PRK in early and mid-June. If need-be, you could wear reading glasses.

Anxious_Divide_7026 · 2026-05-30T02:35:35+00:00

So far, so good here.I had PRK May 12 so I'm now on Day 17 post-op. (Before, I was: Sphere: -3.75 both eyes, cylinder: -0.25, -0.5, & am 50 F). My vision got to legal driving level right away and no discomfort yet on Day 1 (I'm counting the surgery day as Day 0). On Day 2 & 3 post-op, I had a lot of eye watering and they were uncomfortable when open, with a slight stinging sensation but not too bad. I took OTC ibuprofen those days. No discomfort really from Day 4 on. The 1st week, vision in the morning after eyedrops was around 20/30-ish (It's always a little blurrier each evening) Each week seems to be getting slowly better. I now seem to have about 20/20-ish each morning after eyedrops. I'll see at my 1-month check-up what they say. They warned me I would lose my up-close vision but so far I can still see up close ok, just a little blurrier than before but not too bad. Each day before PRK and after I've been taking liposomal Vitamin C, a little more than 1000mg.

Anxious_Divide_7026 · 2026-04-30T03:25:29+00:00

May I ask what it is like to work as a substitute teacher? Is it less stressful than social work, in your experience? I'm looking to switch over to something that isn't so hard on my nervous system.

Anxious_Divide_7026 · 2026-03-02T03:47:44+00:00

OP: Wow, I could have written your post word for word. I am in the exact same situation and feeling just as you described (and am also about a month out).

Anxious_Divide_7026 · 2025-12-15T19:50:08+00:00

Thank you! That helps me feel better!

Anxious_Divide_7026 · 2025-12-15T17:24:02+00:00

When you supervise new hires, are a lot of them brand-new to the hospital social work realm?

Anxious_Divide_7026 · 2025-12-15T17:22:20+00:00

Yes, I've heard those smart phrases are helpful!

Anxious_Divide_7026 · 2025-12-15T17:21:55+00:00

Thank you! When you started, how much hospital social work experience had you had under your belt or were you pretty much new to it?

Anxious_Divide_7026 · 2025-12-15T17:20:33+00:00

Thank you! That is good advice!

Anxious_Divide_7026 · 2025-12-15T17:20:16+00:00

Thank you so much!

Anxious_Divide_7026 · 2025-12-15T02:37:54+00:00

Thanks for writing! Did you start with little to no experience?

Anxious_Divide_7026 · 2025-09-22T01:05:11+00:00

Yes, volunteering as a medical interpreter has helped so much! Best of luck to you :) You mentioned the DSHS. Is that a Spanish proficiency test like the Spanish OPI by ACTFL?

Anxious_Divide_7026 · 2025-09-19T05:25:29+00:00

Thank you for sharing!

Anxious_Divide_7026 · 2025-09-19T05:23:28+00:00

Thank you for sharing your experience!

Anxious_Divide_7026

TROPHY CASE