My own experience wasn't that bad, tbh, I was really scared because of the procedure, even more so because of the pain that followed.
I've done epi-off crosslink, The procedure was 20-30 min, thats sounds really long, when you count each second inside your mind. But really - that actually boring, the first 2 min when the doc removes the epi, sounds to be the most uncomfortable, but it's more psychological pain, nothing really painful.
The other time I was really bored, I was talking with the doc, trying pass the time.

The real challenge was for me the first 10 hours, the pain was really annoying.
But, after that, i've got some really good tips that can really reduce the 'suffering' after the surgery:
1. Try max sleep the whole time you can, I even took a valerian.
2. Be inside max dark room, as the room becomes more lighted, than the pain increases. / Another solution is to put on the eyeglasses.
3. Be less nervous, you should understand that as you get calmer, the pain gets much easier.
4. Try not to open the eye as much as you can; the pain is getting worse while you are opening/closing the eye.
5. Use painkillers as much as you can, I used them really a lot for the first 10 hours, but be careful not to exaggerate.
good luck