Shelena's Diary
Nominated by husband, Darrel. His story:
I don’t remember the date, but I remember seeing the commercial on television that evening, that Sutton, Linder & Sutton was having a contest, in which they were giving away a LASIK procedure. I remember intently listening to the commercial, as I was on the computer doing nothing important, to make sure I heard it correctly. I immediately thought of Shelena and how much of a hassle her glasses are, all the time. I remember jotting down the website and then I immediately located the page and clicked on the information for the contest. I remember telling myself that she had an equal chance as anyone who would enter into the contest, so I decided that I would just jot something down which related to the pain that was her glasses.
I guess what I remember trying to get across the most is how absolutely beautiful her eyes are. The shape of her eye, or the shape of her eyelid, are like nothing I’ve ever seen and I think they are very beautiful so I tried to get that message across without being a biased husband. I also remember trying to convey the painful days that were spent in the hospital in 2006, when she had her mastectomy, to remove the ovarian cancer. I remember taking her glasses from her, before her surgery and making sure they were in her room after surgery, just in case. It has been like that in the past, with the birth of our two children and for numerous other reasons. I can’t relate to the pains in wearing glasses because I only wore them for one year, so I can’t even imagine having to have something with me all the time so I can actually see things. I also thought it was important to get my point across that she was a Veteran in the United States Air Force. That was a huge accomplishment in her life as well and I wanted that to be included. I didn’t include much in my submission, thinking I/we don’t win anything anyway, but I soon found out I was wrong.
Sometime after I submitted my story to the Sutton, Linder & Sutton website and a day or two prior to the actual phone call to Shelena from the doctor’s office, I remember our family was watching TV and a Sutton, Linder & Sutton commercial came on so I thought in my head, should I tell her, or not. After the commercial had been over for quite sometime, I decided that I had better quickly brief Shelena about submitting her name, with a story, to try to win the LASIK procedure. I remember when I told her I tried to down-play the actual information I submitted and the contest in general, just because she wouldn’t have wanted me to do it in the first place. We only talked about it for a minute, maybe, and that was it. Well, it must have been the next day she got the phone call from the doctor’s office which indicated she had been selected as a finalist. After that the details became fuzzy because, I thought, now it was up to the people’s vote! Shelena did ask me some questions about what I submitted, because when she was talking with the doctor’s office they had talked about her story with her, which she knew nothing about.
Shelena had to go up to Lincoln as she made the top 10, to have her picture taken, which they were doing for all of the finalists, and a brief consult with one of the doctors. Shelena talked about it a little bit but was nervous when talking about it as the doctor’s office had informed her of what would happen if she would win. We did talk about the “what if” of winning and I tried again to downplay the contest to take her mind off of it as much as possible.
We were informed of when the voting would start and what the procedures are for the voting. On October 29, 2008, I decided to send out a “pre-voting” email to our contact list of family and friends, just as a heads-up to what was ahead. In passing we had told a few family and friends of what was taking place with the contest.
Shelena found out when the voting was going to begin and end, and sent an email out on the 6th of November to everyone with a start date of the 10th of November and included a link of the web address in the email.
We had numerous family members and friends reply the very next day, indicating that they were unable to get onto the site and vote so, I sent out an email highlighting the start date, of the 10th.
November 10, 2008
Start date of the voting and we got an email from my sister who posted the link on her Facebook page and had someone take the link and put it on their Husker page. The individual stated something to the effect that whenever they get something on their website that requires a vote to win, they always win!
I sent out the link to my fellow employees and had a couple of them ask me directly if there was something severely wrong with Shelena’s eyes so, I had to inform them of what was going on, which they thought was neat. Everyone we have talked to were seemingly sad because they wish they had known about the contest.
I got an email message from a Marine buddy of mine, from Missouri, on the 12th of November, asking if I posted this information on our Company (Marine Corps) website, which I had completely forgot about, so I did. I heard from a lot of the old buddies, who I hadn’t talked to in a while. That was fantastic!
The emails coming in since the 10th have been very positive, but the voting has been crazy for me. I don’t really think Shelena is all that hyped about the voting like I am, but she deals with me, as usual.
November 26, 2008
(Email message from me, since I was too excited to contain myself, out to family and friends)
This afternoon around 2:15, Shelena got a call from the doctor’s office who informed her that not only did she win, but she took 1st Place. Shelena immediately (within 2 minutes after hanging up) came running into my office after she found out and was crying because she was so happy! There were votes from over 30 states and 17 other countries. Shelena goes in Monday for a pre-screening and I take her up Wednesday for the surgery at 12:30.
Today, I am so thankful to everyone who voted for Shelena, my only (joking) thought now is when I have to wear glasses and she doesn’t...... then what?
What about our two children? They are very excited to know that their mother won’t have to wear glasses anymore.
Shelena’s story:
At the end of October my husband Darrel had told me that he put me in for the gift of sight contest at Sutton, Linder & Sutton. The next day Sutton, Linder & Sutton called and advised me that I was one of the one of the 20 finalists in the contest.
I came in to see Dr. Vince Sutton to make sure my eyes would respond to the surgery and everything checked out fine. I was again contacted by the doctor’s office to say that I was one of the top 10 and that I would be put on their website and people could vote on the stories.
On Nov 25th Sutton, Linder & Sutton had called and advised that I was the top finalist and that I had won the surgery. I couldn’t believe it! I started to cry, my dog was going crazy because I think he was as excited as I was. While talking to Deanna on my cell phone, the home phone was ringing off the hook (like someone else had found out before me) and I found out it was my husband calling me to say that we had gotten an email from them. I had told him that I was on the phone with Deanna and that I would call him back. After I had gotten off the phone with Deanna, I immediately went to Darrel’s office to tell him the wonderful news. Everybody at his office was so happy for me, so I went to talk to my boss at work, to tell them, since I needed off the next week for the surgery.
All I could think about was how much stuff would change with this opportunity.
I will be able to see the clock when I get up.
Swim with the kids and not have to worry about not being able to see them.
Walk in the rain and snow and not have drops blurring my vision
Do my hair without taking my glasses on and off
The day I found out I won I was getting ready to host a party at my daughter’s school, which was the next day. Needless to say I did not get the caramel apples done that I was supposed to make because I had so many people to tell I won! I picked up my son that afternoon from school and he was so happy he gave me a big hug. My daughter was so funny when I told her. I was waiting at the bus stop and when she got there, I told her that I had won, right when she was stepping off the bus and she ran for me and jumped in my arms and said “I am so happy, Mom”. I looked at my son’s MySpace page that night and he wrote “I am so happy my mom is getting LASIK”. I was so happy to see that my children were so happy for me.
I went up to Lincoln on December 1st to meet with Dr. Greg Sutton, who was to do the surgery, to make sure again that everything was alright to go ahead with the surgery. I came in and Justin, the other winner, was there also. I was hugging everyone because I was so excited.
The night before the surgery I was so scared, not about the surgery, but hearing about all of the news people that were going to be there. I guess I get really nervous that I will say something wrong. I did not get any sleep the two nights before the surgery because I was so worried.
My husband took me to Sutton, Linder and Sutton around noon on the day of the surgery and I talked to Channel 8 and the Beatrice Daily Sun newspaper right before. The cameras kind of scared me but I knew it was going to all be worth it in the end.
I remember that they gave me a valium before they took me into the room for the surgery and that Dr. Sutton took my glasses and the only thing I could only see were fuzzy outlines. When I laid down on the table I remember that Dr. Sutton was making jokes about one of the nurses, Lori. Lori was great and talked to me the whole time I was in having the surgery, making me very relaxed and at ease. They told me there would be some pressure during the surgery, but really I couldn’t feel anything that made me uncomfortable at all. When the table moved me to the other laser, they talked to me and told me everything that was happening. It didn’t hurt at all; it just looked like a laser light show. When I sat up, after they were done, there was no longer any fuzziness at all in the room, except around the outside of some of the objects. What a difference, I could see right when I got up off of the table. They had me move to another room and keep my eyes closed and told me that Dr. Sutton would be into see me. I remember Lori asking me if my eyes burned but they didn’t hurt at all.
After the surgery, my husband and I headed home and the sunlight hurt my eyes, so when I got in the car, I covered my eyes up with my coat. On the way home I got car-sick because I had to keep my eyes closed, so they wouldn’t hurt, which is normal for me. When I arrived at home, I went to sleep right away and slept for 5 hours. I felt so much better when I woke up that I went downstairs and saw my children. My daughter, Shyanna, kept staring at me every time I looked over at her and I couldn’t figure out what she was looking at. She said “your eye is bleeding,” but it wasn’t. Some of the capillaries had broken during the surgery and the blood was trapped in the eye making it look like it was bleeding. I did not stay up too late that evening and went to sleep early.
I remember that I woke Darrel up that night, just to tell him I could see the clock, so he didn’t have to tell me anymore. That is so great!
The next day, when I woke up, Darrel took me up for the post-op visit to see how my eyes were and I felt great! The doctor told me that I was seeing 20/15 in my right eye and I couldn’t believe it. My left eye was a little foggy still and they said that it was because there was more to correct in that eye and that it would take a little longer to heal.
The rest of the week my eye sight would go in and out, from being foggy to clear and I was having a few headaches, but that was probably just the stress of the up and coming holidays. The only time I had any problems was when my eyes would get dry at work, from continuously looking at a computer screen.
Everything is going so fast this week. I went to have a check up and everything is going good. I was laughing when I went in today because when I had my eyes checked this time I finally saw the house that you look at during an eye test and saw that it has doors and a window. I never saw that before, how unreal. I have also been making cookies all week for the Mother/Daughter Tea Party that I have each year.
I have been so happy that I can cook and not have my glasses fall down or steam over when I’m baking. I had the tea party on Saturday December 13th and I saw a lot of the women who had voted for me. I was so excited to see them and thank them for what they had done, in helping me out. It’s silly, but I feel so much more beautiful and open because I don’t have glasses on my face.
The week of Christmas is the week everything got so much clearer. I don’t have the fogginess at all anymore and my eyes are not as dry as they had been. I scooped snow this week and I had so much fun playing with the dog. I did not have to stop every few minutes from my glasses fogging over either. What a feeling, I love being out in the snow and the rain and this made it even better because I don’t have to worry about my glasses anymore!
What an amazing gift this is and to have it happen at Christmas time I couldn’t have asked for a better gift! I can’t even begin to thank Dr. Greg Sutton for the difference this surgery has made in my life, our lives. I have ran into so many people this week who have said that I look so much different or say, “I saw you in the newspaper and on TV,” what a great gift.
What a great Christmas this was, the candle lights in church were so much brighter and more beautiful this year. We got a Wii from “Santa” this year and what a great gift that is. I can play it without having to worry about my glasses falling or coming off of my face while I play. I also made aprons for my little nieces for Christmas and it’s amazing how much easier it is to see the sewing machine and the stitches.
This New Years we had a small party, with our family and friends and at midnight I got to kiss my husband, for the first time, without having to worry about hitting my glasses on him.
The “gift of sight” winners had photographs taken on the 2nd of January and it is the first time in a long time that I could see the photographer while I was taking pictures. Deanna Bohl from Sutton, Linder and Sutton was there to help get things situated and I could see her in the background moving her head and body when the photographer told me to move mine. How funny, because I would never have been able to see that before. I now feel that glasses age your photos so horribly. I look at old photographs of mine and think, what was I thinking wearing glasses like that?
My life has changed so much for the better after having the LASIK. If you are thinking about LASIK, don’t think about it, just do it!
I want to thank my husband Darrel for thinking that my story was worth submitting. Also, I’d like to give thanks to all of my family and friends who helped me out in winning this contest. Thank you to everyone at Sutton, Linder & Sutton. They were so great and they made me feel so comfortable throughout the whole process.
