Last updated on August 4th, 2023 at 11:34 pm
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It’s been a while since my LASIK eye surgery but something I noticed that’s not talked about enough are the activities to do after LASIK.
When you come home from surgery, there are limited things you can do.
My friends and family asked me how I spent the day after LASIK so I got inspired to write a post about it.
To start off, I highly recommend you take some time (the night before probably) to plan your LASIK recovery activities.
You’re not going to want to do anything afterward. And you’re supposed to keep your eyes closed most, if not, all the time.
When you get home from you’re the clinic/hospital, those next few hours are the worst. It’s painful because of how slowly time is passing (your eyes shouldn’t be in pain. Talk to your doctor if that’s the case).
The activities I usually do to relax such as watching YouTube and Chinese dramas were forbidden. You can’t use your eyes so here’s a list of LASIK recovery activities that will help you keep busy.
After Lasik Activities #1 – Listen to Audiobooks
If you’re like me and are a premium Spotify user, there’s a good selection of audiobooks on that platform.
You would think they’re all self-help books but they also have classics like Harry Potter, the Hunger Games, and The Great Gatsby.
The night before your operation, browse through the catalogue and download a bunch to your library. Click a few buttons and that’s it. It’s that easy.
During your rest time, you can catch up on some reading. It’s a bit of cheating since you’re not actually reading but listening. But we agree that it still counts, yeah?
On the other hand, some people don’t like being read to. They might end up losing focus and drifting off. If you’re one of these people, don’t completely dismiss the idea of audiobooks yet.
You can still use audiobooks as background noise to fall asleep to.
2) Calling a Loved One
Several of my friends and family members were absolute gems. They called to check up on me so I blabbed about how the whole LASIK experience went.
You might be one of the first people in your circle to get LASIK. If that’s the case, people are going to ask you about your experience.
They might want to get it done in the future. Since my experience might be a factor in their decision, I wanted to be as honest as possible.
My eyes were extremely watery as the painkillers wore off. It was annoying because I wanted to stop crying but I couldn’t.
Talking to my friends and family always makes me laugh.
It might feel strange to laugh while tears are coming out of your eyes (I’m not the type to laugh so hard I cry) but calling a loved one as one of the after LASIK activities did make time go by faster.
Is there someone you’ve been meaning to call for a while now but haven’t? This is your chance.
You can use that time to catch up with people. Talking to your friends and family can keep you company and distract you for a bit.
3) Do Some Stretching
When I say stretching, I don’t mean a full-on yoga session. You usually need your eyes for that but stretching exercises doesn’t mean you need a yoga mat on the floor.
It can be sitting at your desk or even lying down. Real Simple wrote an article about a few exercises you can do while lying in bed.
A lot of the LASIK process is sitting or lying down. You have to sit and wait for the doctor pre-surgery, lie down during LASIK, and then continue to lie down after you get home.
Being in the same position the whole day can make your body ache. Do some stretches to relieve that stiffness. You’ll feel better.
4) Take a Nap
There’s a reason why doctors and nurses strongly recommend you keep your eyes closed for the next few hours after the surgery.
Napping is one of the best LASIK recovery activities because all you have to do is lie down and close your eyes.
You might not think you’re tired after surgery but you just had some laser shoot into your eyes. You’re going to need to rest up.
Even if you can’t fall asleep, keep your eyes closed in a dark room. Or try your best to fall asleep.
Not everyone is going to be able to sleep after surgery so this list can give you other LASIK recovery activities options you can do to pass time.
5) Listen to Music
Most people like to listen to music, right? I mean, this is one of my all-time favourite activities especially when I’m in a bad mood.
It can be tough being in a good mood when tears are spilling out of your eyes every few seconds.
Music can be relaxing (depending on the genre you’re listening to).
Set up a playlist of slow songs that will last for a few hours. That way, you don’t have to manually add all the songs you want to listen to in a queue when you can barely open your eyes.
There’s also relaxation music if that’s more your style. Listen to the sounds of ocean waves and imagine yourself being there instead of lying in bed.
6) Spend Time With Your Pet
It’s not a good idea to get too close to your pet in case your pet jumps on you suddenly. But animals can also be a source of comfort.
Your pet might want to curl up by your feet or be by your side for companionship. My uncle’s golden retriever used to do that to me all the time. His presence was comforting and it made me happy.
When you’re out and about your normal life, it can be hard to spend time with your pet. While recovering from LASIK, this is the chance to spend some quality time with your little one.
Just be careful not to get too close. Your pet might get too excited and accidentally hit your eyes.
Final Thoughts – After Lasik Activities
The day you get home after surgery is the hardest part. Your eyes keep watering and there’s not much you can do.
Do these after LASIK activities to make time go by faster.
Although sleep is great, it’s not the only way to pass the time, especially for people who have trouble falling asleep post-surgery.
During those few hours, time might feel like it’s not moving. Once you get through this tough period, you should be all good to go.
When you wake up the next day, your eyes should have recovered pretty much at that point.
There will still be several check-up appointments to make sure your eyes are healing but you should be able to see the next morning after your LASIK surgery.
I got my LASIK eye surgery in November 2021 and stopped using artificial eye drops in February 2022. I had my final appointment in July 2022 then I was good to go.
It does take courage to get LASIK. I remember how scared I was before my surgery but hang in there and imagine your bright future without prescription glasses! It’s probably something you’ve been wanting for years (fun fact: I wore glasses for 13 years) so keep reminding yourself of that.
I have absolutely no regrets about getting LASIK. If anything, I should have gotten it done before I was 26 years old.
Now to You – After Lasik Activities
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Xoxo,
Nicole