I also had PRK. The blindness, can confirm. It's very unnerving - you don't realize how important eye sight is until you completely lose it,. Not blurry, or everything was dim like glaucoma. I was 100% blind in the strictest sense for 3 days.

The pain - I honestly don't remember any but I kept my eyes closed, and my blackout eye shields on.

Still was the best decision I ever made in my life.