Lasik

[13Beetlejuice13]

Any .org'ers had Lasik eye surgery done? I had a consult for it the other day and i am going to go through with it and ihave to tell you, i'm so freaking excited i can hardly stand it. I have a few friends & family that have had it and had good results, anyone here?

[k8thegr8]

I haven't had it done, but I would like to. I'm minda freaked out about the procedure, being awake and all. I know you can't feel it, but you can see it.

And yet, I can sit for 6 hours getting tattooed...

Please let us know how it goes and what the procedure is like. You don't have to get into gory details, though. I'm just curious about the experience as a whole.

[Breez]

I did it in December of 2005.

One of the BEST things Ive ever done for myself!!! I had to get the custom wave front because my vision was soooooo bad. (So it was about 1000.00 an eye for me)

I have pretty bad General Anxiety Disorder (Im on two medications for it, which I did NOT take before the surgery), and was able to get throught the procedure just fine. It doesnt last too long and by the time you start getting nervous, its over!

My mom had it done in 2000 and warned me about when they suck on the eye that you go black, she didnt warn me that your can SMELL the laser hitting your eye (burning flesh smell) I wish someone would have warned me about that. Oh and I remember the nurse kept repeating, look at the light, look at the light... which its hard to do!!!

It was easy,compaired to what I thought it was going to be... would I do it again if I needed to, YES. Now I have ALMOST perfect vision, something I dont think Ive EVER had!

[13Beetlejuice13]

Right, i've been tattooed and pierced but i'm nervous about a painless procedure, how ever it is your eyes they are working on, not just some patch of skin!

Breez, that's what i'm looking at too, the custom one, hell it's only 200 bucks more than the basic lasik so i figure i'll go the custom way instead.

[Breez]

After I had it, my daddy drove me home and I could SEE the road signs!!! I laid in bed all day listening to NPR and sleeping... I kept up with tons of eye drops and it just felt like my eyes were soooooo dry. The healing didnt take long at all.

I hope this info helps!

[Smileybug]

I've thought about it...but the only thing I'm worried about is if they screw up. Its your eyes...and I want to be able to still see! But I would love to not have to use glasses and contacts. that would rock! Maybe one day...

[noR]

One day I'll get my vision corrected... maybe.

I've only worn glasses since I was 4. :P

I wouldn't know what to do w/myself if I could wear sunglasses. :P

[13Beetlejuice13]

Ugh, i know, that is one thing i dream of, i have a pair of Spy (brand) sunglasses that i have been saving because i have been trying to get this surgery for so long, i dream of waking up at night and not fumbling around like Velma from Scooby Doo trying to find my glasses. I've been saddled with glasses since 5th grade, i want to burn them in effeigy after the procedure!

[kcfoxie]

I had my surgery in August of 2005. I also have a wavefront custom guided surgery. I had my bf drive me home and I could also read the road signs, it was amazing. I had to tell the time on a clock on the wall before they'd let me leave

Ok, so here is the basic rundown... I didn't have the bladeless lasik, they used a blade to make a flap on my eye. This was the worst part, really. They said to let them know when it went totally black, it was the same feeling you get if you press against your eye for a few seconds. Well I heard a lil mechanical sound, then next thing I know my vision is back -- and is WORSE than before! I was like "huh?" and they said to just look at the light and breathe deep. I did, and I could smell protein burning (I work with scientists in labs, so I'm really accustomed to it -- but beware it can be really foul). After that they put in a drop, brushed something over my eye to close the flap, another drop, blink 3x... and i could see the clock on the wall and make out the numbers!

It really isn't very painful, coming from a guy with 7 tats and at one time 7 facial piercings I was given vallium (I think?) take take BEFORE I got there and was given another 5mg while waiting for the surgery. It's really not something to get freaked out over, it's the most painless thing... I think my last filling was more frightening. This just has an odor to it (dunno about the bladeless), that was really the "wost" part because of how friendly the staff was.
you'll love your eyes! and nor -- you should consider it, lasikplus did me and I believe they have a memphis office. My surgery was about $3600 and that was the equivelent of 3 years of contact lenses par my Rx. It's a good investment to your eyes, in my opinion.

[wawalker]

I have wanted this for a long time, but I am a total wuss about this stuff. I won't even get my cholesterol checked because it involves a needle even though my wife is constantly harping on me to get a complete physical. I did manage to get through having a vasectomy because I am more afraid of having a kid than anything in the world, but I was really jacked up on Halcion and I can't even remember 90% of that day. So, if I can get drugged and NOT have to be cut, maybe I could do it.

[Breez]

Originally Posted by kcfoxie

Ok, so here is the basic rundown... I didn't have the bladeless lasik, they used a blade to make a flap on my eye. This was the worst part, really.

YES! That was the part I was talking to myself... oh boy oh boy, and I kept thinking about my cute dogs and my wonderful parents, and tried to remain calm... they were playing classical music/muszak too!

There is a "bladeless" one now, but my doctor made comment that you heal quicker with the one with the blade

If you guys are nervous about them screwing up, the statistics do not bear that, my doctor was doing one every 10 minutes it seemed and we all turned out just fine when I saw them in follow up appointments.

With how fast the procedure was, honestly, its not bad... and this is coming from someone with Anxiety issues. I think the Flap cutting and the burning smell were the scariest parts. But again, it was over with so fast and the they sat me up and I COULD SEE!!!

When I got home I had to keep my dogs and cat from me so they wouldnt touch my face, I was so freaked I was going to rub my eyes! but remember they (the flaps) SUCK right back on your eye ball and are almost impossible to rub off, the doctor wants you to be careful because if there is a winkle... then your vision will be weird.

As I think of more things I will post. But honestly, 14 months later and I am still a VERY happy camper!

[Breez]

Something I didnt consider when I got it done... that my boyfriend at the time LOVED my glasses. I went out and bought the sexiest fake librarian glasses they had. And donated the ones with the "prescrip" to a charity that uses the frames for people who can't afford glasses

The boyfriend LOVED that I thought of him after the surgery... and that I realized he did miss the "librarian/school woman" look

And a few weeks after the surgery make sure to go get your licence retaken so you don't have it stated you need corrective eye wear... when that kid totalled my Jetta, I had yet to do it because it had only been three weeks after the surgery. (boy did the airbag powder bug my eyes). But it was pretty cool to go into the DMV and for the first time have 20/30 to 20/20 vision!


PS: being able to wear regular sunglasses is so much fun! After I retired from skating I didnt wear my contact as much... and it was always a pain to get into the car and realize I had only the prescrip sun glasses or the non... it was always the ones I couldnt use or had to wear them over the other pair of glasses hahahahaha. In AZ you MUST were sunglasses. Now I can always have my sunglasses ready to go!

[13Beetlejuice13]

the more i hear the more i can not WAIT to get my surgery. My wife has said the same thing about my glasses, she really likes me in them and i told her i would get a fake pair to wear for her on occasion but god i can naot wait to have this albatross off of my face.

And thanks to everyone taking the time to weigh in with their experiences, i really appreciate it!

[kcfoxie]

i'm pretty sure that the bladeless will be a lot cleaner than what we've experienced...but even so, it's so worth it. you'll be really happy with the results.

[k8thegr8]

Man, now I really want to get this done. I'm going to have to do some local research i guess. The good thing is that I get a discount through my health insurance.

How long did any of you take off work to do this?

[13Beetlejuice13]

k8, depends on your job, could be as little as 1 day.

Just to clarify, the procedure i am having done they make the flap as well, but it's the custom presonalized treatment. My eyes are pretty bad and the company here is charging 1800 for the basic lasik, 2000 for what they call the Zyoptix treatment. The company here is Lasik MD out of Canada.

[kcfoxie]

i did, and i went back to work the next day.

[k8thegr8]

I stare at a computer most of the day.