The human fly

LASIK rocks...thus far.

The most painful part of the surgery was the first round of numbing drops in my eyes. It stung. But I was in a comfy recliner with a blanket covering me so it took the edge off a bit.

This was about the weirdest thing I've ever done. After the numbing, etc. I was brought into the operating room and they clamped my eyes open a la Clockwork Orange. Focus on the green light, they said. I could do nothing else, as I couldn't shut my eyes. It's odd. There is an extremely strong impulse to protect your eyes. So when you are staring at these instruments that are poking and prodding, dropping liquid, etc. and you can't close your eyes, it is very strange.

Then they cut a flap in my cornea. Like turning a page, they folded the flap back, then folded it over again. it was like watching a pane of glass slide across your view. Very strange.

Flap open, it was time for the laser. Stare at the red, they said. Again, I could do nothing but. Then, it was time for the laser. It was like going into hyperspace in Star Wars...for all of 17 seconds. Then the smell. Is something burning? Why yes, my eye. I guess shooting a laser into an eye produces a bit of a burn. But that's just the way it is. Push the flap back into place and your done.

About 15 minutes total for both eyes.

Katherine came to pick me up (her first, and possibly last, trip on a motorbike taxi) and we jumped into a cab to go home.



Where I enjoyed a lovely beer to take the edge off the slight pain and discomfort that comes from having your eyes cut and burned with a laser.

Alan asked whether I was wearing the shirt on purpose. I was purposeful in my decision to wear a shirt, to be sure, but not in the exact shirt that I chose. That is to say I made a conscious decision to not go shirtless, but the message of the shirt was lost on me until Alan pointed it out, at which point it was sort of funny.

Notice the cotton on the arm not taking part in my demonstration of 'Blind' 'Tiger'. Before the LASIK, I had to get an HIV test, so I went to a nearby hospital to get checked.

Negative. Phheeewww!!

Today is the Thai King's 79th birthday. As such, it is a national holiday. Plenty of yellow shirts around. We went for sushi today after my 1-day checkup with Dr. Sukanda, my lovely and talented ophthamologist, where she declared my eye flaps healed and my eyesight good, with room for improvement in the coming days. 95% of the people in the restaurant were clad in yellow. Long live the King!

Interestingly enough, December 10 is another national holiday. It is, in fact, Constitution Day. Only problem is the coup leaders abolished the constitution.

No to the constitution! Yes to Constitution Day!

Protests are planned.