Lasik

purrpaws · May 10, 2006

Originally Posted by VampireCat

I looked into this treatment earlier this year.

I have always worn glasses and would like to have it done. There is a treatment centre very close to us but i am afraid that things may go wrong.

My sight is not great but the last thing i want is for it to be worse. I have read on forums about loss of night vision, painful eyes and the aura problem.
On the other hand i have also read lots of positive experiences as well.

I guess that i am just scared of the operation.

I admire your bravery

Don't read too much into those fourms. I've read that the same person will use multiple aliases and post a bunch of stuff.

purrpaws · May 10, 2006

Originally Posted by dawnofsierra

I had LASIK back in 2000, and consider it the best huge monetary investment I've ever made! My Ophthalmologist called me the "LASIK poster child" because my improvement was so dramatic and absolutely the best case scenario. Before the procedure, I was legally blind without corrective lenses, with my right eye at 20/400 and left eye 20/200. I couldn't see that big X on the testing chart without my contacts! Fortunately, my contacts had always fully corrected my vision.

I wish I had known the exact routine of the day before I went in, so I'll tell you a little about it even though your Dr may do things a little differently. Also, it's possible with such rapidly improving technology that they've improved the entire technique by now. The morning of the procedure, I was given a Valium for relaxation. I was so excited, it's a wonder it did any good at all. They tested my vision again, looked in my eyes with with all sorts of lights, and then measured the diameter of my pupils in total darkness. Then we went in a special surgical suite sort of room, and it must have been about 10 degrees in there. That's the only thing I would have improved, so take a sweater with you! A neat thing is they gave me a teddy bear to hold during the procedure, instructing me to hold it with both hands. It's so the patient isn't as likely to fidget around, I thought that was a really cute idea. The most uncomfortable part was the things they use to keep your eye open. Have you ever seen A Clockwork Orange? It's something like that. Afterwards, I had little pinpoint bruises around my eyes for about a week, but that was all. The strangest part is that when they remove the little flap from your cornea, you have a few seconds of sudden darkness. This would have been really startling had they not told me what was about to happen. The entire procedure took only minutes. They tape special clear protective lenses over each eye (ever so attractive

) due to the possible risk of dislodging that little flap from the cornea if you were to rub your eye or something of the sort. This isn't an evening you'll want to plan on going out!

The next morning, I drove myself to the office to have the office to remove those lenses. My vision is corrected to 20/15, better than perfect! I have since had the side effect of occasional dry eyes, sensitivity to bright light, as well as a bit of an aura around lights at night, but none of this is severe or even bothersome in relationship to the overall positive aspects. This was really a terrific experience, and I'm so happy for you to soon be enjoying the same results!

I hope I get to hold a teddy bear. I just love stuffed animals. (I'm a big kid that way.) Maybe I'll bring my own stuffed animal and see if they'll let me hold it. I don't know if they want you bring a lot of outside, potentially dirty, stuff into the operating room, though.

zissou'smom · May 10, 2006

I could never get it done! I watched the episode of newlyweds where Jessica Simpson got it done and I can't be awake with someone cutting my eye open!

My mom had cataracts removed and it was supposed to make her vision 20/20 but it didn't. It was the same as the Lasik but for some reason it just didn't work. The cataracts are gone, but her vision is about the same prescription as it was before.

purrpaws · May 10, 2006

Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom

I could never get it done! I watched the episode of newlyweds where Jessica Simpson got it done and I can't be awake with someone cutting my eye open!

My mom had cataracts removed and it was supposed to make her vision 20/20 but it didn't. It was the same as the Lasik but for some reason it just didn't work. The cataracts are gone, but her vision is about the same prescription as it was before.

Did they do intra-ocular lenses? I think that's what they do if you have cataracts. They take your natural lens out, and then when they put in the new artficial one, they use one with refractive power to correct vision. They can exchange the power (I think) if she doesn't like it. This is just info I came across doing my lasik research; I really don't know anything about it.

gailc · May 10, 2006

DH had it done about 6 years ago. No problems however now that he is 50 he needs reading glasses!!!!
Due too my odd type of astigmatism my eye doc said they can't correct my vision to 20/20 so there would be a good change I would still have to wear glasses. Unlucky me!!

dawnofsierra · May 12, 2006

Originally Posted by PurrPaws

I hope I get to hold a teddy bear. I just love stuffed animals. (I'm a big kid that way.) Maybe I'll bring my own stuffed animal and see if they'll let me hold it. I don't know if they want you bring a lot of outside, potentially dirty, stuff into the operating room, though.

What a lovely idea! Definitely bring your own teddy bear!

purrpaws · May 13, 2006

Originally Posted by dawnofsierra

What a lovely idea! Definitely bring your own teddy bear!

I wish I could bring in Polly or Prego (or maybe Sierra or Serenity

) but cats are too unpredictable in probably not clean enough for a surgery room. But they would make me feel less scared.

purrpaws · May 19, 2006

Well, I had my pre-op appointment yesterday. I would have updated you guys sooner, but I was having a lot of trouble seeing close-up (more on that coming up).

They took me back right away when I got there. I had to look into a couple of different machines that did corneal maps. My left eye has a bit of astigmastism, but I'm getting custom LASIK, so the laser will take care of that. The maps are pretty neat looking. I would post them up, but I didn't get to bring them home with me.

Then they put some numbing drops in my eyes and measured my corneal thickenss (again). They are still nice and thick. Then they did an eye test, just like you get at the optometrist every year. They also did a glaucoma test. They put drops in my eyes that dilated my pupils and did the eye test again. When your pupils are dilated your eyes cannot accomodate (like when you read), so the prescription will be more accurate. However, yesterday, I couldn't see anything about arm's length or closer. Couldn't read a paper or a computer screen unless I took of my glasses. Well if I take off my glasses, then I can only see a couple inches in front of my face. Pretty impossible to type that way :-) My pupils are still enormous today, but I can read close up pretty well. I'm still sitting a bit farther from the computer screen, but I have long arms.

Then they put some dye in my eye. While that was working, I had to watch a cheesy video about LASIK. The women getting surgery in the video was all dressed up. I was thinking, I'm just gonna wear sweat pants and a sweat shirt :-) After the video, the doctor came in and looked at my eyes with some kind of special microscope thing. She said everything looked healthy and great.

Here's the best part. My insurance doesn't cover the procedure unless you go to a certain provider, and I like the one I have chosen. But they said that they are working on getting on the list for my insurance (all state employees have this insurance, so that's why they want on the list). They said that they would go ahead and give me the 15% discount anyway. Yaaaay!

I don't have prescription sunglasses though, because I've been wearing contacts, so when I go outside I have to wear this black plastic shade under my regular glasses. I call them my "ghetto prescription sunglasses."

Anyway, sorry for the long post. I probably won't have any more updates until the big day.

katiemae1277 · May 19, 2006

Good luck!! you won't be sorry, I know that I haven't been

katl8e · May 19, 2006

I remember going through all of that. After the dilation, I was actually able to read without my glasses.

Coming up on 5 years post-op and I'm still seeing well. A few months ago, I did have to boost my reading glasses up +1.75 but that's because of being 48 years old, not the surgery. My reading scrip was +1.50, for 5 years so, if I only have to change reading glasses, every 5 years, I can live with that.

sillyjilly · May 19, 2006

Originally Posted by lilleah

I have wanted this surgery for a long time.
Without contacts or glasses, I am legally blind. I seriously cannot see a foot in front of me.

So the docs are trying to get me to get Lasik. But I was reading on the internet about it. And I got scared from all the un-known results, because there is no long-term studies about it. You CAN go blind, right on the chair, or when you get home. It's very possible. And that's what scares me the most. I couldnt risk total blindness.

So, it talks about how the long-term effects are un-known and blindness may be one of the effects.

BUT, on the other hand, people have loved it. Said they couldnt be happier, and wouldnt have it any other way. I dont know. The risks out wiegh the happiness for me. Im happy right where I am, and if my eyesight gets any worse, I will have to have this sugery. And I wouldnt be looking forward to it.

Please let us know how you're doing, and how it works out for you!
Im very interested.

I my self have wanted LASIK too, but this year (at 27) I found out I won't ever get it. There are multiple reasons for me not being able to get it done.

I have had glasses since I was 4. I am very very near-sighted. At this years check-up my contact prescription was -10.00 rt and -12.00 left. My glasses script was -11.75 rt and -14.75 left. I'm bad! My eyes change a 1/2 to full step each year. We were hoping that they would have stopped changing by now as I am getting older but they have not. Now, I can't even walk through the house with glasses on, they don't correct me enough to see right because of being off-set from the face! Getting LASIK would not get me back to 20/20 vision, I am too far gone. The cost would be high and I'd still need corrective lenses. That not being even the bad part. This year we can see retinal degeneration (LATTICE DEGENERATION is the exact kind I have) in both eyes. Because of the major stress on my eyes I am at a very high risk for retinal detachment. Getting hit in the head, falling, quick jerking of the head could cause it. He said even getting hit in the head with a tennis ball or playing rough with kids could cause it in me. So I have to be very careful. Now, doing the surgery could cause it quicker! It'd be too much stress on my eyes! So I just get to keep getting worse every year. My doctor did say though when I asked him if they kept going like this if I would go blind he said, most likely not, but I could get cataracts or glaucoma because of it.

It sucks, but I guess it's something I am just going to have to live with!

Good luck to you though with getting it done, I hope everything goes as planned and you see wonderfully afterwards!!

Jill

dawnofsierra · May 19, 2006

Originally Posted by PurrPaws

I wish I could bring in Polly or Prego (or maybe Sierra or Serenity

) They would make me feel less scared.

Wouldn't that be absolutely purrfect!

Your exam sounds quite similar to my experience with the exception of the LASIK video. It great that your Dr. wants you to be completely informed about the procedure. That's terrific that they will be offering you the same discount that you would get if they were covered by your insurance! I'm so excited for you and look forward to your next update!

purrpaws · May 20, 2006

Originally Posted by dawnofsierra

Wouldn't that be absolutely purrfect!

Your exam sounds quite similar to my experience with the exception of the LASIK video. It great that your Dr. wants you to be completely informed about the procedure. That's terrific that they will be offering you the same discount that you would get if they were covered by your insurance! I'm so excited for you and look forward to your next update!

The best part will be when I come home and lie down after the surgery. If I know Prego and Polly, they will know I've been through something and they will probably come and snuggle with me

P.S. How old is Serenity? She reminds me of Polly, not that they look alike, but that they both have a "young" look to their faces, if you know what I mean.

felton · May 21, 2006

My wife and I had it done about 6 years ago. We're both very happy with the results. Wife wound up with 20/20 both eyes. Since I'm older I chose to have my right eye corrected for distance vision and the left eye for near vision. I ahve 20/20 with both eyes and it wasn't hard for me to adjust. I do have corrective lens to have greater magnification of smaller objects (I repair computers and need to read the very fine print on circuit boards) and 20/20 correction for distance. I feel that I should have 20/20 with both eyes for night driving. I don't use the glasses that often though. Only when I'm really tired and night driving.

Anne · May 21, 2006

My brother had it done 3 months ago and he's very happy with the results. I plan on getting checked and hopefully going through with the operation before long.

goosehazel · May 21, 2006

Most wonderful thing I've ever had done. Love it!!

purrpaws · May 22, 2006

Originally Posted by felton

My wife and I had it done about 6 years ago. We're both very happy with the results. Wife wound up with 20/20 both eyes. Since I'm older I chose to have my right eye corrected for distance vision and the left eye for near vision. I ahve 20/20 with both eyes and it wasn't hard for me to adjust. I do have corrective lens to have greater magnification of smaller objects (I repair computers and need to read the very fine print on circuit boards) and 20/20 correction for distance. I feel that I should have 20/20 with both eyes for night driving. I don't use the glasses that often though. Only when I'm really tired and night driving.

I've never tried monovision, but I think it would drive me bonkers. Anyway, I'm 24, so I don't need it yet.

purrpaws · May 30, 2006

Well, they called me today, and I'm scheduled for 8:45am tomorrow (wednesday). The place is like an hour away, so I'll be getting up early tomorrow. I've got a bit of a cold, but they said that's alright. I probably won't be able to post anything tomorrow; I don't know if they'll want me using a computer right away, but I'll post back when I can!

Polly and Prego send purrs and headbumps to everyone in this thread :-)

phenomsmom · May 30, 2006

My friend had it done last year and loves the results. He has 20/20 now. I don't know how bad it was but his glasses were pretty ugly and thick!! Now I can't see him wearing glasses again!! Good Luck tomorrow!!

kaleetha · May 30, 2006

Good luck!

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