Watching someone get their Eye Lasered

So early this morning I took my roommate to the TLC Laser Eye Center in Newport Beach. She has been wanting to do this for awhile and finally had it done. The TLC peeps reward the people who drive their patients for the surgery with a front row seat to watch the surgery. With the patient's consent of course. So as I was getting annoyed by CNN on the High Def widescreen flat panel tv, just minding my own business playing Texas Hold 'em on my Nintendo DS when I got the call to go to the back. The nurse walks me in the back and I take a seat in a small hallway infront of the surgical suite. My roommate does not see me as she is laying down under what I assume is a laser machine. After a few minutes the doctor or one of them as I later found out, came in and lasered her eyes. It was kinda neat cause they had these TV were you could see what the Doctor sees. So I saw her eye, then I saw a laser, and then I watched her eye turn to ice. I know it is not really ice, but that is how it looked to me. I thought she was finished at this point. They led her out of the room. I was left in the hallway to watch some Latino guy get his eyes done, but I didn't know that at the time. So as I was watching in horror at them putting a vice like device on his eyes to keep the eyelids open I was thinking "wow this guys eyes must really be jacked up my roommate only had 18 seconds per eyes and she is finished."

Again little did I know that was the ACTUAL lasik part. What I first watched was them cutting flaps into the eye (Which my roomie later said she felt, I should have known as she had one of her fingers twitching while they did this), and that the process that the Latino guy was going through was the correction part. So I watched them lead her to the second chair after the Latino guy left. Then they went to work on her, same devices and all. After she was done, she was brought to a chair, gave her her care pack, put on eye shield and sunshades and we were off.

I know they wanted me to watch for marketing purposes. But after seeing it now I am a little MORE sure I rather just wear glasses. However it is a short process for the money spent and as she can see better 12 hours after her surgery I'd say it is worth it. The only thing that could have made it better would have been if they had a nurse sitting there and explaining it to me. I was kinda lost.

Tomorrow morning my roommate will watch up and be able to see 20/20. I do have pictures of before and after, but I am not allowed to post them :(