Consultation Follow-Up Failure

So to recap, my right eye is very myopic (-6.50 sphere, +1.50 cylinder) and my left is is very, very myopic (-11.00 sphere, +.25 cylinder). I can see about 3 inches in front of my face, which means I need contacts or glasses to do anything, including reading books and computer work. At my last appointment my surgeon told me I am a candidate for PRK in my right eye and probably Visian ICL in my left eye.

Today I had my follow-up appointment to double-check my prescription and eye measurements for my right eye PRK surgery in December, and to have the chamber between my cornea and natural lens measured to make sure I'm a candidate for left eye Visian ICL which will be scheduled after the PRK surgery.

I went to work this morning before my appointment and wore my contact lenses. I took them out right before my appointment. When the assistant came into the room to check my prescription, I asked if wearing my contacts right before this appointment was okay since they make my eyes red and uncomfortable. To my surprise he said yes, I would have to reschedule my appointment! The surgeon then came in and said that soft contacts can sometimes change the shape of the cornea, and that someone (not sure who) should have told me not to wear my contacts for one week before this appointment and my original consultation in September! I swear, nobody ever told me that and now I feel silly for not knowing or asking before my first appointment.

The surgeon did say that I could still have my chamber measured for the ICL. I was taken to another room that had a reclining chair kind of like a dentist's chair. Another doctor explained that he was going to do an ultrasound to get very specific measurements of the inside of my eyeball. Apparently getting the correct size of the Visian ICL is incredibly important for accurate correction, avoiding endothelial cell loss, and avoiding cataracts caused by the ICL touching the natural lens, and the ultrasound is the most accurate way to determine your ICL size. I laid back in the chair and he numbed my eye and placed a silicone tube thing under my eyelids, which held my eye open and created a cup that he then poured cold liquid into. He asked me to look straight ahead and rubbed the ultrasound probe thingy all over the front of my eyeball. It was truly one of the strangest experiences I have ever had.

I rescheduled my follow-up appointment for two weeks from today, and won't wear my contact lenses at all between now and then.