The Op

the senior optometrist

The doctor said, “Hi Edgar!” in a loud and commanding voice. Asked me briefly how I was feeling and for my I/C numbers. I couldn’t see much without my glasses as a nurse guided me to the operating table while I slowly recited my I/C numbers.

Told me to lie down.
Series of systematic instructions came in a torrent and with such ease (I guess) after thousands of such similar operations.

“Well Edgar, just a demo for you. This is what you will hear when the laser is switched on. (Then came repeated clapping sounds next to my right ear which I had heard while I was waiting outside the op room).”

“All right we will start the procedure on your right eye first. Open your eyes and look towards to the orange light.” (The nurse pasted something to keep my eyelid open and something metallic was placed on my eyeball.)

“You will feel a slight discomfort initially. Then you can see for a few moments as we create the flap. But don’t worry, you should be able to see after a short while.” (My heart was palpitating as I began to doubt my decision to subject myself to this “unnecessary” procedure that could endanger my eyesight forever.)

“All right, look at the orange light (lucky he didn’t asked me to walk towards the light) and don’t move (I was so worried that if I move a single muscle, the laser would miss and I could go blind) for the next 5 to 8 mins. We will the start the laser now.” (the clapping sound starts..)

My mind starts to wonder… then I told myself to focus on the light.. my mind started to count from 1 to 60… wondering when the 5 to 8 mins would be done…

Suddenly the clapping sound stopped. The doctor then explained to me that he would be putting back the flap and told me not to move. It felt like someone trying to stick something on a glass door and smoothening out the sticker to avoid bubbles being trapped underneath the sticker.

The same procedures and words were repeated again for my left eye.

A few minutes later, the op was completed and declared a success.

After an hour of recovering from the slight pain to both my eyes and high level of stress that my poor heart has gone through, I was duly accompanied to the taxi stand by a nurse for my ride home.

Thus this is the story of how I spent a few thousands on my eyes. The End.