Lazik eye surgery, wish me luck

[Blue Devil PA]

I am thinking about this, just really nervous about surgery to my eyes. Working in the medical field doesnt exactly reduce the stress, since I know first hand about post-surgical complication.

 

[Stomper]

I had Lazik 11 years ago went from 20/625 and 20/675 to 20/10 20/15 best thing I ever did. Wish I could have done it 15 years earlier. They told me after I was 40 I would need reading glasses as a normal aging issue as you eyes lose their elasticity when they get older and has trouble changing focus from far to near and near to far. This is true I can't read tiny print and poor lighting makes things harder too. Age issue not lazik. Well worth it. I would have spent 10 times the amount on glasses over the last 12 years as it cost so it is a bargain and the prices are even cheaper now. No rain on my glasses or fogging up. No having to find my glasses in the morning or not being able to see the alarm clock. It was like going from an old black and white tv to a new HDTV. Almost surreal. I still am amazed when I see the sun light coming through the leaves of the trees how clear every thing is.

Ditto for me on everything you said, except I had 20/400 to begin with... and I find myself needing the 1.5 reading glasses when working on things within 12" of my face these days... Getting old is such.a drag.

 

[wayoutwest]

I've been considering Lasik for a long time. During my research I decided if I get it done, I'll go with Teplick, who has done a few of the Trail Blazers and some local celebrities. I'm revisiting this now because LivingSocial has a half off deal for $2600. I know that's still more than most places, but I feel more comfortable going with a trusted name and knowing they're using the latest equipment.

To be honest, the only thing I'm worried about with LASIK is the flap.

I just had my eyes done last week with Teplick, very nice people, good pre-op visit, super fancy equipment, while my eyes weren't near as bad as some of the others here...about 20/250....ended with 20/20 both eyes and 20/15 was a stretch......5 days now and no complaints.

 

[Burt Gummer]

I wish I didn't need reading glasses to shoot with iron sight/pistol sights. Luckily, Costco has corrective 1.5+ (misc powers) sunglasses that almost wrap/cover like shooting glasses.

Another reason I love red dots. Seem to be about the same with or without reading glasses - none required. For some reason Eotech sights specifically seem to be a little fussy; the circle with the dot, but all others are fine that I had tried.

When I had surgery done I told them I played a lot of tennis so they gave me nice far vision only and the need for 1.0-1.5 reading glasses.

They told me if they did a 'balanced' correction my depth perception would suffer.

If I could do it over I would have sacrificed some distance for better short vision. When I am wearing the 1.5 corrective reading/sunglasses my distant vision is fine, in fact I can't tell the difference.

 

[rsmccsman]

I am thinking about this, just really nervous about surgery to my eyes. Working in the medical field doesnt exactly reduce the stress, since I know first hand about post-surgical complication.

The 5-10 minutes that it took was very unpleasant as the device that holds your eyelids open and the method they use to cut the flap are just ridiculously uncomfortable. They warned me that I would smell smoke as the laser burned my lens, if they hadn't told me that I may have freaked out. When they do the second eye it was worse because I knew exactly what was coming, Hahaha. I actually went to Vancouver BC Canada for mine, back then the exchange rate actually favored us. It was $1000 US $ for both eyes. Nevertheless a few minutes of discomfort in exchange for fantastic eyesight was so worth it. From Blind with a field of clear vision that was only between 2 and 5 inches in front of my face to reading small print on a sign across the room. If you just relax and face your fear you will get through it.

 

[zerooption]

Please let us know how this goes. I am interested as well can't shoot worth a darn with glasses with iron sights.

 

[PrDubi]

Go to Teplick and just get an exam...go from there.

 

[liftedzuki]

I want to, but cant afford it right now.

I wear contacts, aint bad but PITA in the mornings for me.

 

[rsmccsman]

I want to, but cant afford it right now.

I wear contacts, aint bad but PITA in the mornings for me.

A lot of these Lazik places offer free financing and payment plans. I believe I have paid for the surgery at least 10 times over by not needing to buy glasses for last 11 years. With contacts you will save even more in the long run.

 

[PrDubi]

I don't know why people don't put priority over their health.

I can count the number of people I know that have great gun collections, awesome motorbikes or an impressive computer system yet wear glasses and are too stingy or flunky to improve their own health.

It's tax deductible under medical, IRS said my entire trip to Europe including the hospital stay and my time over there and all expenses counts as tax deductible.

In the end, even after the plane ticket and everything else, it only cost me 2k

seriously worth it.

It's an awesome feeling not to monkey around with contacts and putting on glasses.

 

[liftedzuki]

I'm just afraid, I'd feel alot more comfortable doing one at a time but that would cost way too much I bet.

IDK what the chances are of messing up and being blind but at age 20, I dont really feel like being the lucky contestant, I already have strabismus (I only use my right eye for focusing on stuff)

 

[Burt Gummer]

Just do it wuss.

Another nice note - they'll tell you how much 'meat' they have to work with lol. They can usually fine tune everything and make you perfect or get you 95% there and have enough meat left over to carve you up some more years down the road.

Go for the years down the road option. Everyone's sight gets worse in their 40s. You can then get a 'tune up' in the future + technology will be a lot better.

For a prepper, surgery is a no brainer. You may not have access to contacts, glasses, etc down the road.

Invest in yourself, I wholeheartedly agree with PrDubi.

 

[SIG383]

I got mine done back at the end of March at Bremerton Naval Hospital. My last check up, I was 20/20 in my left eye and 20/15 in my right. I was at -5.75 in both eyes, so this is a HUGE improvement!! I would do it all over again, no questions asked!!

 

[coastal steelheader]

I'd love to do this but I have issues mostly psychological. The one time the optometrist tried put a contact in my eye, I just about had a psychotic break in his chair. I watch others put contacts in and I cringe. I even have a hard time using Visine (not fun when I was a teen and smoking weed like it was about to be an endangered species)

Could I still get this done, if I could get past having the thing that holds the eyelids inserted?

 

[Dinged]

I'm in the same boat as quite a few of you, I'm pretty young but for some reason my vision is terrible. Anyway I went in for a consultation for LASIK and the doctor told me I may not even be able to qualify as my cornea is a bit thin, he said to come back in a few years to see if it has thickened up. My last option is contact lenses which I've tried before, but my blink reflex is so strong I can't get them in myself or take them out.

Edit: Good luck to all who wish to get LASIK done, out of everybody that I know personally that has gotten it, no issues whatsoever. Plus imagine a life without glasses, to me that's unimaginable right now!

 

[wayoutwest]

I'd love to do this but I have issues mostly psychological. The one time the optometrist tried put a contact in my eye, I just about had a psychotic break in his chair. I watch others put contacts in and I cringe. I even have a hard time using Visine (not fun when I was a teen and smoking weed like it was about to be an endangered species)

Could I still get this done, if I could get past having the thing that holds the eyelids inserted?

This is where the Valium comes into play, they also give you drops of something to numb your eyes, I didn't feel a thing. I actually think I fell asleep, as it was 0900 and I just came in from a graveyard shift.

 

[deen_ad]

I started wearing hard contacts in 1962. Wore them (changing prescription and fit as needed) up until about 5 years ago. New optometrist changed me to soft lenses for a year. It takes a year for the eyes to get over changes caused by hard contact use for so many years. I then went and had the old lenses in the eye pulverized and new plastic corrective lenses inserted. Went from 20/800 to 20/10 vision. A year or so later the capsule around the lens needed to have laser surgery done as the capsule was clouding up. That surgery was nothing, just sat still while they lasered the capsule. Now I have 20/15 vision without glasses.
The worst part for me was the very thin needle they used to numb the eye for the surgery, laser surgery doesn't need that.
After the main surgery I could see fine within a few hours, did have to have someone drive me home though. When they did the laser treatment I drove over and immediately drove home although I did have to wear sunglasses due to the dilatation drops.

I could have opted for good reading vision in one eye and good far vision in the other too. I had at least one set of contacts that way.

 

[Gunner3456]

I had it done about 10 years ago and it's truthfully the best gift I have ever received. I went from 20/700 (not a typo) to 20/15 in my dominant eye and 20/50 in my other eye for reading. They called that mono vision then. It was deliberate so I'd never need reading glasses. My brain adjusts and doesn't know that one eye is dragging a little at distance, and the other when reading.

There was no pain and it was quick, like maybe 15 minutes. I needed the sunglasses due to dilated eyes for a few hours. The next day the only thing left was that I could SEE!! No pain, no issues. For the first time in my life I could see. I can still see and I haven't regressed. I don't need glasses for anything except the very smallest and closest things which happens rarely. I can for instance easily thread a needle and then look up and clearly see the detail on trees on the hill in the distance.

Go for it. I went from Coke bottle lenses to perfect, glasses free vision that's all mine and always there.

PS My wife had it done too with the same awesome results although her eyes were more like 20/200.

 

[Gunner3456]

The 5-10 minutes that it took was very unpleasant as the device that holds your eyelids open and the method they use to cut the flap are just ridiculously uncomfortable. They warned me that I would smell smoke as the laser burned my lens, if they hadn't told me that I may have freaked out. When they do the second eye it was worse because I knew exactly what was coming, Hahaha. I actually went to Vancouver BC Canada for mine, back then the exchange rate actually favored us. It was $1000 US $ for both eyes. Nevertheless a few minutes of discomfort in exchange for fantastic eyesight was so worth it. From Blind with a field of clear vision that was only between 2 and 5 inches in front of my face to reading small print on a sign across the room. If you just relax and face your fear you will get through it.

I think you went with the low bidder in a socialized medicine environment. The machines just get better and better, and even ten years ago I didn't experience any of that negative part.

Glad you're happy with the results. That makes it all worth it anyway.

 

[Gunner3456]

I'd love to do this but I have issues mostly psychological. The one time the optometrist tried put a contact in my eye, I just about had a psychotic break in his chair. I watch others put contacts in and I cringe. I even have a hard time using Visine (not fun when I was a teen and smoking weed like it was about to be an endangered species)

Could I still get this done, if I could get past having the thing that holds the eyelids inserted?

Here's where you get to enjoy some good drugs legally. I didn't take any, but they'll give them to you and you won't give a shoot what they do. You'll barely know you're there.

When it's over, and it's quick and painless, you'll be amazed that you didn't do it sooner. Pure vision that's all yours with no more glasses, contacts, etc. is like a miracle. Hallelujah, I'm healed, LOL.

Go for it. You'll be so happy.