A Patient’s Diary: My First Week Recovering from Laser Eye Surgery

At 27, I finally decided that it was time for me to wake up and see the world, not the blur. Glasses annoyed me. Contact lenses dried out my eyes and always 'went missing' at the worst possible times. So, I took the plunge and booked LASIK laser eye surgery in Auckland at Re:vision.

I chose LASIK because my priority was a fast recovery and steady results. My script sat at around -3.75 in both eyes. Here's a recount of my first week after laser vision correction, start to finish, and what the healing process was actually like.

Quick pre-op snapshot

• Arrival: I arrived at 10.30am, checked in, signed the consent form, and met the nurse.
• Aftercare first: Before surgery, the nurse sat me down and walked me through LASIK eye surgery recovery. She gave me a printed eye drops schedule card and explained each line so I could follow it easily at home.
• Drops schedule on my card: Antibiotic four times a day for one week. Steroid four times a day for two weeks, then taper as instructed. Lubricating drops whenever my eyes felt dry. The card had tick boxes and time slots for morning, midday, late afternoon, and bedtime.
• Ride home: My sister Jess was my driver. We confirmed the approximate pickup time before they took me through.
• What the clinic supplied: The medicated drops, the night shields and even a pair of cool sunglasses. .
• Day-of rules: No eye makeup. No perfume. Eat a light breakfast. Wear comfy clothes.
• Note: This was my plan. Your clinic may give you different instructions. Follow your surgeon’s plan.

Day 0: Surgery day

Check-in and last scans

The nurse cleaned my eyelids and ran final maps. Dr. Gray went over the steps and answered my (final) question about the treatment and how I would feel during each step. I felt a mix of nervousness and excitement!

In theatre

The nurse cleaned my eyelids with antiseptic and put in the numbing drops. They gave me a blanket and someone even held my handl. A small clip held my eyelids open, so I couldn’t blink. Ideal for someone who spent all morning asking, 'What if I blink?', LOL. The suction ring pressed for a few seconds, and my vision went dim.

The femtosecond laser made the flap. I heard soft ticking. Dr. Gray asked me to stare at this green light. Then, the excimer laser reshaped my cornea and tracked tiny eye movements. I heard ‌ fast clicks for about ten seconds (and smelled a faint toast smell). He rinsed my eye, smoothed the flap back, and checked it with a blue light. We did the same for the other eye. The whole procedure was over before I knew it.

After

My vision looked foggy, like soft focus. My eyes felt quite gritty and light-sensitive, too. Jess drove me home. I wore sunglasses the whole way and kept my eyes closed. We taped the shields on. I slept, woke for drops, then slept again. Soup for dinner. More drops. Back to bed!

Day 1: First check-up

• Morning: When I woke up, I took the shields off and did my first eye drops of the day. My eyes felt sandy, but not sore. Jess drove me to Re:vision (I kept my sunnies on).
• At the clinic: I reached the 6/6 or 20/20 line on the vision chart (I could read at six metres what a person with standard vision reads at 6 metres). The team checked the flap edges under a blue light. I was told to rest my eyes and avoid screens again today. We even took a commemorative photo!
• During the day: I kept the house dim and did my dose of drops on time.
• Evening:  I showered carefully, keeping water off my face, then taped the shields back on and slept on my back with an extra pillow.
• What helped most today: A printed drops timetable on the fridge and a kitchen timer for doses.

Day 2: Dryness kicks in

• Morning: Started my day by administering my eye drops. My eyes felt a little dry and a bit scratchy. Vision was mostly sharp but fluctuated a little at times..
• During the day: I used preservative-free tears every few hours. There was hardly any wind, so I took a slow 15-minute walk with a cap and wraparound sunnies. I had no screen time and made sure not to rub my eyes. Still no driving or eye makeup for me.
• Evening: Dryness settled a little after dinner. I wore my shields again overnight.
• What helped most today: A cool gel eye mask for two minutes, a small humidifier near the couch, and sterile saline lid wipes.

Day 3: Ups and downs

• Morning: I woke up with my vision quite a bit clearer than yesterday. Focus drifted a little through the day but things were definitely better! 
• During the day: I did light admin in short 15–20 minute blocks and rested between them. I followed the 20-20-20 rule (every 20 minutes I looked six metres away for 20 seconds). I added quick blink breaks too, which just means 10 slow, full blinks to spread tears.
• Evening: Streetlights and passing car headlights had a little halo when I stepped outside. Reading felt fine in a good light. Dryness eased a notch, too.
• What helped most today: A warm compress for two minutes before bed to settle my lids, bigger text on my phone and laptop, a sticky note on my screen that says 'blink', and a fresh pillowcase to keep lint and dust away.

Day 4: Back to routine

• Morning: My vision seemed pretty steady when I woke up. I did my drops and went for a little drive..
• During the day: I answered a few emails with low screen brightness. I kept breaks frequent. I also did some gentle exercise on the bike for 15 minutes. No heavy lifting or sweaty gym work yet.
• Evening: My eyes felt a little bit dry after the screen time I had during the day. So, I switched to an audiobook for my evening entertainment. 
• What helped most today: Sunnies in the car for daytime glare, screen brightness turned down, and short, planned blocks of work with a timer.

Day 5: Settling

• Morning: My vision felt stable and clear. Still on the medicated drops four times a day. But I felt like I needed the lubricant drops less often.
• During the day: I tried a five-minute drive to the supermarket in daylight. All good. I did normal admin in short blocks and took real breaks (not phone breaks).
• Evening: Dryness really eased after dinner. I slept well.
• What helped most today: I parked in the shade so the walk in wasn’t harsh on my eyes. I printed longer reads instead of scrolling. I closed my eyes for one quiet minute each hour.

Day 6: Nights still a bit halo-y

• Morning: Woke up with my vision feeling much clearer. I kept up with the drops and carried a mini bottle of tears in my pocket.
• During the day: Life felt almost back to normal today. I went back to work. The office air-conditioning dried my eyes, though. So, I sat out of the airflow and used extra lubricants.
• Evening: Streetlights and headlights still had halos, so I planned as many errands for during daylight hours as possible. 
• What helped most today: Driving during the day only with the car AC vents tilted away from my face. One last lubricating drop before bed.

Day 7: One-week check-up

• Morning: I went back to Re:vision for my one-week review. I read more lines than on Day 1 and the team said the flap looked really good and my LASIK recovery was on track and gave me my week-two drop plan..
• During the day:. Lubricant sat on my desk, and I used it when things felt on the drier side. Normal desk work felt totally fine. Still no pools or eye makeup yet, though.
• Evening: I kept it simple. I cooked dinner, read a few chapters with a lamp angled away from my eyes, and turned in early. The clinic said I could stop using the night shields from tonight onwards.
• What helped most today: Phone reminders for the steroid taper, a spare mini bottle of lubricants in my bag and car, and a soft lampshade to cut glare while reading.

Quick 'when I could' overview

• Shower carefully (face away from water): Day 1
• Desk work (in short blocks): Day 1
• Daytime driving: Day 1-2
• Light gym/bike workout: Day 5-7
• Eye makeup (mascara/eye liner): Day 5-7 
• Night driving: Day 1
• Swimming: Day 14 (with goggles)
• Spa/hot tub: Day 14 (with goggles)

Ready for your LASIK surgery?

Big thanks to the Re:vision team in Mt Wellington, who kept me calm and on track before and after my laser eye surgery. I'm really happy with the results of the vision correction treatment I received.

If you want the numbers and what’s included, read the Laser Eye Surgery Cost guide. It explains every fee, the laser vision correction options, and what good post-operative care looks like.

The next step is simple. Book your consultation. They'll check your eyes, talk through your laser procedure, and map a plan that fits your life and vision goals. If you’re stuck in glasses or contact lenses or fed up with vision problems, this is where change starts.
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Want to hear more? Speak to our specialists about what options are right for you.

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Disclaimer: This diary is fictional and based on an average recovery experience. Your laser eye surgery plan and timeline may differ. Always follow your surgeon’s advice.

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