Considering Lasik Surgery?

I was in the fourth grade when I was told I needed glasses from the visiting eye doctor who came to our school on his annual visit. Once I had the examination done and glasses fitted, I was amazed at how well I could see the blackboard. Walking home, which everyone did back then, was a wonderful surprise to realize I could see the stop sign crystal clear two blocks away. But as time passed and I got older, my eyes grew worse with each year and I depended solely on my eyeglasses to see, even my hand out in front of me was blurry. Reading a paperback became a tough decision. It was a strain without the glasses on, and a headache with them on, but like everything else, you adjust to what suits you best.

It was bad enough to have braces in the seventh and eighth grades. Finally the braces came off and I made up my mind that I wanted contacts too, before I entered high school. Well, I also found out that I had a very severe astigmatism and the soft contacts I had were the most expensive out on the market because of that. Naturally. But they were comfortable and I took such good care of them that one pair would last 2-3 years with little change in vision. Well, as the pattern continued, eventually my eyes began to reject the contacts. They were constantly fogging up and I kept having to take them out and resort back to eyeglasses by the time I was thirty. Glasses again after nearly 15 years was not fun. On with them, off with them, losing them, breaking them and prescription changes (how bad do they literally have to get before you are blind anyway???) I had enough and I decided I was going to have lasik surgery done. My sister in law had it done several years prior to my decision, and with her vision as bad as mine was, her surgery was a complete success.

The first thing you have to do is go to several free consultations. There are many lasik surgery centers out there and although they do all the same procedures, the prices DO vary. I went on the net and found plenty of doctors but I narrowed them down to 3 by their advertising and prior patient results. I went to one center in PA that gave me a thorough exam, met the doctor and I felt totally reassured. Then I went to one closer to my home, Diamond Vision. Tiger Woods was a patient there. Ok, that made me quite comfortable. I had a 3rd appointment for yet another in south Jersey but I cancelled when I found out there starting price for the surgery was more than double the price of the other two.

So I chose Diamond Vision for its location and also because world known Tiger Woods chose them too. As I said, for the procedure, and there are several types to pick from, Diamond Vision was the best in price.

What to expect. NERVES!!! When I got there on surgery day I was given the option to take a valium to calm the nerves. Don't turn it down, it will do you good . Sitting in the waiting room there were a few guys in scrubs walking about the office. When I was called in to the briefing room, I met my surgeon. He could have been my son!! So in the chair I go. He was wonderful. He talked me through every step of the procedure. Laying back, my eye was now numb from the drops administered, eyelid taped open, he was ready to begin. It was incredible to watch as he lifted a flap of the outer layer of my eye up, then did the actual lasik cut. I was fascinated! Then he said I would see total darkness for just a few seconds. Just like an eclipse, darkness came from the right, centered my eye till I saw nothing, then continued to the left and it was gone. A few minutes passed and he performed the same procedure with the other eye.

When it was all over they sat me upright and said to read the clock on the wall. I could barely see it, everything was foggy. Nothing was crystal clear and I couldn't focus. He explained it was normal for this reaction with the astigmatism as bad as it was. It was only a few months prior to my consultation that the lasik procedure became available for my level of astigmatism. Every patient goes home wearing dark sunglasses. You will need someone to drive you there and back. From start to finish I don't think I was there for more than an hour. Go home and rest for a few hours is what they tell you. My ride home tho was not a pleasant experience. I had such excruciating pain in the eyes that it didn't matter if they were open or closed. Blinking was a nitemare. Finally I was able to relax and keep my eyes closed for the hour long ride with them tearing on and off. When I got home I laid down and with the help of the valium, was able to sleep for a couple hours. When I awoke, the pain was gone.

The next day and several checkups afterwards, I complained my vision was grainy. I couldn't see crystal clear. It almost seemed like always having watery eyes. My eyes healed perfectly and I was told that for the condition my eyes were in, they were seeing the best they possibly could post surgery. So just about 2 years later, I'm still seeing the same way. A tad blurry, that grainy look in the distance. I can see up close just fine without reading glasses. Which, by the way, if you are going in for nearsightedness, eventually with age you will still need reading glasses. Although your distance is corrected, mother nature still calls for reading glasses. Don't be fooled, and a good doctor will tell you this prior to you making any decisions.

So am I satisfied? You bet I am. So its not crystal clear. But I can see in the shower - first time in 40 years! I don't have a red indent from eyeglass pads in the sides of my nose! I can wear a different pair of sunglasses every day during the summer if I want to! I can get up and see what time it is without knocking my glasses off the night stand! I don't have to bake contacts. I can go swimming under water and come up seeing !!! I can rub my eyes and not turn contacts into an accordion during the process!

As with any surgery, there are post-op procedures to follow. You will need eye drops for the first 2 weeks, no make up for a few weeks, no underwater for a couple months, a few post-op checkups and then you are good to go. I wish I had the opportunity to have this procedure done years ago.

Listen to your doctor. Don't assume anything. They do not guarantee 100% corrective eye results. Don't go into this "blind" so to speak. Check more than one facility, ask many questions. Some insurance companies may even cover this procedure by now - mine didn't. Shop around. Just because one place charges a substantial amount doesn't mean it's better. It's your eyes, not a Prada or Gucci anything. Be smart and think smart. And the outcome - you'll SEE smart!

I recommend Diamond Vision for their professionalism. They were extremely pleasant and honest. They have branches in NJ, NY and CT. Call them for a consultation today or visit their website: www.diamondvision.com You won't be disappointed.

M.Soozan