Turbinoplasty

I have spent the summer working with Dr. Porter (an ENT/Allergist) because my allergies, stuffiness, and itchiness finally became more than I could bear. I did multiple rounds of allergy testing which showed I was allergic to basically every outdoor allergen...weeds, trees, pollen, etc...and I'm starting immunotherapy to deal with that. The stuffiness and breathing issues were actually not related to my allergies, but were a result of the size and shapes of my internal nasal structures. So, I had a turbinoplasty on September 3rd. {It did not change the size or shape of my nose and didn't cause any bruising or swelling.}  It was painful, but only bled for a day or two (see super awesome nose hammock below) and now I CAN BREATHE! It's amazing! I highly recommend it!

Getting the party started...

We kicked off our 4th of July weekend with Brian's hernia surgery and lots of fun with cousins,

The surgery was quick and went well. The recovery will not be quick, but Brian is feeling better every day, walking around, eating normally, and working on his BYU Independent Study classes. (In the last 2 days he's finished 3/4ths of a class!)

Friday we went to 7 Peaks and then the gardens at Thanksgiving Pointe with our cousins.

It was a long and hot day, but we had so much fun! We are looking forward to a fun family BBQ and fireworks tonight too!

LASIK!

That's right, I had my LASIK eye surgery today! It went great. I feel fantastic and can already see so well. Here is how it went:

I got the doctor's office and they rechecked my eyes, rescanned my cornea to make sure nothing had changed, gave me a Valium to relax, and put me in that gorgeous blue hair net for surgery.

I laid down at the first laser (Brian watched and took pictures through the window.) that shot tiny bubbles of gas into my eye to make a pocket and the laser cut around in a circle which would create a flap. That part was a little uncomfortable because of the suction cup they put around your eye to keep it still. It didn't hurt it just was a weird pressure. Then I got up and sat in a massage chair to relax while the gas bubbles spread out and dissipate as part of the "creating a flap" process.

Then I laid down under the next laser. The doctor pulled back the flap that had been created and exposed my cornea. He told me to look at the green light and said here we go. The surgical assistant counted down from 14 and it was done. The doctor put the flap back in place-they call it the "natural band-aid"-and it was done. They did the same thing on the other eye.

Yes, Kirstin, I did smell my eyes burning a little. But when they said the laser was starting I took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled while they counted down. That way I only got a tiny bit of burning smell right at the end. It wasn't bad...or scary.

The doctor took me back to the exam room and checked my eyes one last time, gave me all my eye drops and instructions and I was done! They have a big bowl of old glasses that they donate...

...I dropped my glasses in and went home!

When I got home I went right to sleep (upon doctors orders and because the Valium was really affective at that point) and I slept until 4pm.

I woke up and could see! It was amazing! I'm not at 20/20 yet but I'm almost there and I know it will just get better over the next few days. I love it and Hoopes Vision is wonderful! I have the whole thing on DVD if anyone wants to see it!