the eyes have it

[blk]

Three years ago, I got LASIK surgery on both my eyes. A month later, my vision was improved to effectively 20/20, and has since remained stable. I wrote about the before, during, and after experiences and put it online hereIt's difficult to explain exactly how significant this operation was for me. And why I continue to acknowledge its

Comments

[naiad]

I hear you. I had lasik nearly 6 years ago. Got to about 20/80, had a retreatment a year later. The distance problem was mostly solved, to about 20/30, but some astigmatism was introduced. On a good day I can read the chart at 20/30, but most of the time now - and it seems to be getting worse - I can't read street signs or the menus at fast food places, when everyone else can. I can't afford lasik or the latest & greatest again, so I'm faced with the prospect of going back to glasses. I wore glasses for 30 years and for me it was part of my identity, but boy was it great for a while not to, especially at the beach or the ice rink or in the rain, or as you say, seeing the clock at night. I'm really bummed at the thought of wearing them again, but in the end I think I'd rather see.

I hope you continue enjoying your eyes!

[keyne]

Wow. I'd love to get LASIK, but what always held me back was the thought of surgical scarring making things worse -- I didn't even realize some people *couldn't* be corrected to 20/20.

[naiad]

Depends at least in part on where you're starting. I was about 20/600 (I think); the diopter was about -6.5 for both eyes. Anyway, my eyes were really bad, and the farther you have to go, the harder it is for them to get you exactly right.

But the techniques have improved a lot in the last few years, so maybe they could do better now.

[blk]

I was -6.75 and -5 (with astig) and got corrected to 20/20. They've got lasers now that will do up to -13, I've heard. They do try to err on the side of undercorrecting rather than overcorrecting, though, since that's much easier to fix.

[crouchback]

I had a very similar experience. I got glasses when I was three, and I hated them-especially since they got me marked as nerd, with all the associated problems that brought. (All the same ones you had, I assume, plus the experience of people deciding that you could easily be beaten up because you had glasses.)

I was never comfortable with contacts, either, so I kept glasses until 2000, when I got lasik. I went from being 20/100 in my left eye and 20/400 in my right to being 20/10 and 20/30.

I still wake up and look for my glasses sometimes, and I also wonder what happens to me in 20 or so years, but I'm glad to have had a few years where I can see without glasses.

[puzzle_]

Wow! Can't believe it's been 3 yrs.

[dancingwolfgrrl]

Huh. I am totally aware that I love other people's glasses and hate mine (I wear soft contacts). I am currently theorizing that my glasses are just of insufficent hotness and when I bow to my eye dr's directions and finally replace them, this should be corrected :)

[mh75]

I've been thinking a lot about lasik lately. I don't know if its a real possibility for me, but...

glad it makes you so happy. definitely a good choice for you.