Getting My Eyeballs "Bombed"

[MN Cummins Lvr]

In less then 1 week, I am having the lasik eye surgery done! Just have to share my excitement! It will be nice just being able to do little things like changing the oil on my truck without getting my glasses smudged and walking inside the house and not having the dang things fog up.



The only bad thing is, wife is driving me home in her VW Beetle because she hates driving my truck. Guess you have to sacrifice some things in order being able to see Hope she doesn't read this



Paul

 

[Sled Puller]

Let us know how it goes!



I'm still scared to be that 1% that things go bad. But I have pretty bad luck.



gene

 

[ZEEEW]

Nothing like waking up in the middle of the night and reading the alarm clock, thinking you left your contacts in, remembering you didnt, and going back to sleep.

Had mine done just over a year ago, love it.



Eric

 

[Andy Perreault]

Had mine done last May, and everyday I still amaze myself at how well I can see things! I'm so happy I did it! I wore glasses for twenty years. The best thing for me is that I work outdoors in rainy Seattle. No more water-spattered, fogged up glasses.

You'll be glad you had it done. Don't let anyone give you all that "you'll see halos and starburst patterns at night, and it will be miserable to drive after you had it done" talk. When I had mine done, the machine was the newest "4th Generation Flying Spot Beam" laser. The laser beam gets broken in to multiple smaller beams, which eliminates the starburst pattern. Also, the thing tracks your eye, so if your eyeball moves in the slightest bit, the laser will move with it. Pretty amazing technology. You might want to inquire with the place you're going to as to what "generation" their machine is.

As popular as this surgery is, the place I went to (in Canada) went bankrupt because their insurance costs were too high.

One funny thing is, even after all these months, I still find myself unconsciuosly running my finger up my nose to slide my glasses back up. I haven't broken that twenty year habit yet!

Let us know how you're doing after you get it done.

Andy

 

[Andy Perreault]

Paul, check out this topic that I started last year. In fact, it was almost exactly a year ago, what a coincidence:

"Anybody had Lasik eye surgery done?"



Andy

 

[The Sequel]

I had RK done about 10 years ago. It was money well spent. I know the new lasik is much better than my old RK so I'm sure you'll love it.

 

[Randy J]

Just had mine done about 4 months ago. Only problem is, why did I wait so long! It's great. Still want to take my contacts out at night though.

 

[Andy Perreault]

Originally posted by Andy Perreault

Don't let anyone give you all that "you'll see halos and starburst patterns at night, and it will be miserable to drive after you had it done" talk.

I should clarify something so as not to mislead you: you will see a halo-like "glow" around brightly lit things for a while, and it will seem like the sun is a lot brighter in your eyes, but this will all go away. In the sunlight, it looked to me like the roof of my white trailer had dry ice floating on it. Things will seem a bit hazy, as if you've been wearing contact lenses for way too long without taking them out. Driving at night, reflective signs will have a glow around them, too.

This will all taper off day after day, until you don't even think about it anymore. I can't say whether the eyes heal up 100% to where they're like they were before the surgery, or if our brains compensate for the glow and we become unaware if it, if it's there.

I never had any kind of "starburst" patterns when looking at headlights, streetlights, etc. I believe the older generation Lasik machines caused that.



Regardless, I highly recommend this surgery to anybody! They eye doctor I had told me her opinion of laser eye surgery and the future of it. She said that she thinks it will be THE method of vision correction that will be used by everyone. There will be no eyeglasses except those who can't have the Lasik for one reason or another. She said an eye doctor during an exam would tell a patient, "Yes, it looks like you're vision is no longer perfect... when do you want to schedule your surgery?"



BTW, my niece is having it done this Thursday.

Andy

 

[Andy Perreault]

Originally posted by Andy Perreault

Don't let anyone give you all that "you'll see halos and starburst patterns at night, and it will be miserable to drive after you had it done" talk.

I should add: I'm a truck driver, and I work nights.

Andy

 

[Whitmore]

My wife will be getting her eyes done this spring some time, she is excited and ready, she has not been examed yet for the task , they will do that when she goes to Salt Lake City, I am a little worried that she may not be a candidate though, she has large puples(sp) not very often you can tell what color eyes she has??? , I saw a deal on 60 minutes that said puples like that shouldnt have it done ? Hope technology has changed.



Speaking of which did ya here the one





I am getting so slow it takes me an hour and a half to watch 60 minutes Kevin

 

[Andy Perreault]

Originally posted by Whitmore

I am a little worried that she may not be a candidate though, she has large puples(sp) not very often you can tell what color eyes she has??? , I saw a deal on 60 minutes that said puples like that shouldnt have it done ? Hope technology has changed.

Kevin, yes there is a limit to the pupil size. Probably a local eye doctor can measure your wife's pupils for a small fee and you can call the place in Salt Lake City to see if she is a candidate. It might save you an unnecessary trip. When I set up a pre-exam appointment with Lexington, they asked me what my prescription was. It had been years since I had an eye exam, so I had one done and I called Lexington and gave them the numbers. The gal on the phone said I was a candidate for the Lasik.

Andy

 

[MN Cummins Lvr]

Andy,



Thanks for all your tips and advice. I will let you guys know how it goes after I have had it done. I am doing it this year and my wife is having it done in 2003. Guess she wanted me to be the guinea pig first



Paul

 

[Whitmore]

hey Paul, why dont you and the lil woman compramise and each have one eyeball done ,at least then you both could see eye to eye on half the things ... ... ... ... ... ... Kevin

 

[paccool]

I've been thinking of having it done but my wife keeps saying she hears there are a lot of problems. I sure havn't heard of problems, only good things. Has ANYONE had trouble or know of someone that has?



Keep us updated Paul

 

[Bill Lins]

I've been nearsighted for years but had no trouble reading, even with contacts. In the last few years I've either had to wear reading glasses with my contacts or wear bifocal glasses. I've heard that at my age (48), lasik will correct the nearsightedness but I'll still need the reading glasses. Is this true?

 

[Andy Perreault]

Good one, Kevin: "... at least you'll see eye to eye on half the things"



Bill, from what I read in the booklet from the place that did my eyes, yes, that's true. As we reach our mid 40's, our eyes change a bit, and we lose the ability to focus on close things. These changes have nothing to do with the lens of our eyes (which is what the lasik fixes), but with the back of our eyes. Lasik can't fix that. Who knows, maybe someday that can be fixed too.

Andy

 

[WOWZY]

The Ram will be gone Friday. Found a buyer about an hour and a half away. At least it will be unlikely that I'll have to see her again.



With the extra money from the sale I'm considering the eye surgery also. I haven't a clue as to what is considered a candidate. I'm neither nearsighted nor farsighted, my astygmatism is what's screwing with my eyes. I hope they can do it.

 

[ZEEEW]

I had astigmatism too, worked great.

I think it is called presbyopia or something similar when your eyes dont focus, the doctor explains that part to you as well, that you will still need reading glasses.

 

[Andy Perreault]

Originally posted by Whitmore

I am a little worried that she may not be a candidate though, she has large puples(sp) not very often you can tell what color eyes she has??? , I saw a deal on 60 minutes that said puples like that shouldnt have it done ? Hope technology has changed.

Kevin

Kevin, my niece had her eyes done today, and I went to the place to be there with her. When the woman was talking her through the eyedrop routine, etc. , my niece asked her if she's had it done herself. The woman said she can't because her pupils are too big. I said, "Aren't they coming out with a new machine that will work on bigger pupils?" and she said that there is a new one that will be coming out, but it has not yet been approved. She said she can't wait to have her eyes done when the new machine is out. So, tell your wife to hang in there a little longer. Maybe when you have your eyes done, the doctor or assistant can fill you and your wife in on these new machines that will be coming out someday.

Andy

 

[MN Cummins Lvr]

Success!!!

Just wanted to let everyone know, I made it and I can see! I had it done yesterday (Thurs. , 1/17) at 3:20 pm and I could tell the difference immediately following the surgery. Because I was such a chicken, I opted to take the valium to help me relax. Andy, the laser they used was the Bausch & Lomb Technolas 217A Excimer Laser which is supposed to the be most advanced laser at this time? (unless they were feeding me a line) The laser did follow my eyes in case I happened to move them. While having it done, my wife watched the whole procedure on a 27" monitor in the waiting room. Think I'll have any luck selling the video on Ebay?



I had a eye appt. this AM and when they checked my vision, it was 20/25 and they said I should achieve 20/20 with no problem.



By the way Kevin, good joke you had Thanks again for the encouragement! This is the best thing I've ever done! Email me if anyone has any questions who is thinking about having it done. I had it done here: lasikplus.com



Paul