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2012-12-20 10:56 AM
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Subject: RE: What has Lasik done for you?
Meulen - 2012-12-19 10:31 AM

pumpkin31 - 2012-12-19 10:24 AM I had lasik in 2000. I have been really happy that I did it, I was a little freaked out when I went in but it has been all good since then. A little eye dryness was the only side effect that I noticed. Good luck.

 

don't mean to thread hijack, but I worry about the dry eye.  My eyes are dry naturally.  I have a hard time wearing contacts.  Are your eyes still dry all these years later?  Do you have to put drops in all the time?

 

 

The dryness went away over time, maybe three months before I stopped using drops.



2012-12-20 11:01 AM
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Subject: RE: What has Lasik done for you?
punkster - 2012-12-20 7:39 AM

I had my eyes done about 5 years ago.  I was able to see 20-15 in both eyes.  Now my vision is about 20-30.  I hope that my vision doesn't continue to decrease.  My sister had it done years ago, and now she is back to wearing glasses for distance and reading.

One helpful hint- I was not allowed to swim for one month after having it done.  I have heard others say that they stayed out of the pool for two to three weeks.  I went the full month- not wanting to take a chance when it came to my eyes.  You might want to consider this when you schedule your surgery.

 

Yep, my doc says 1 month as well.... Kinda stinks, but I'll be glad to deal with it if I don't have to wear glasses anymore.

2012-12-20 11:38 AM
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Subject: RE: What has Lasik done for you?
Just had my surgery done on 12/17 and enjoying every minute of it. Going out for my first run today in the rain without glasses.
2012-12-20 2:54 PM
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Subject: RE: What has Lasik done for you?
I had mine done about 7 years ago with the flap.  A buddy of mine did the one without the flap and had some troubles.  I was very nervous about the flap but I'm glad I did that one.  As soon as I sat up I could tell I was seeing better and over time it only improved.  I was super nervous going in, on the day of the procedure it took two valium or whatever they were giving me to chill out.  It has been a wonderful experience for me, no complications at all and great vision to this day.  The one thing that still impresses me is when I look at a mountain silhoutte and see detail either in the shape of the land or trees/bushes on the hillside.  Even with my glasses I never knew that there was anything but a smooth curve up there in the distance.  It was one of the best things I have ever done for myself.
2012-12-20 3:59 PM
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Subject: RE: What has Lasik done for you?

I had LASIK in 2006 (or 2007).

Love it, no issues, no dryness.

No glasses

All good, nothing bad to report!

2012-12-20 5:58 PM
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Subject: RE: What has Lasik done for you?
lisac957 - 2012-12-20 8:16 AM
ApplePie - 2012-12-19 12:38 PM

I had PRK (LASIK without the flap) two years ago.  -6.5 in both eyes, now 20/15.  It's absolutely amazing to be able to read the clock from the bed or while in the shower.  Or even to take a nap during the middle of a lazy day (I couldn't sleep with my contacts in even for a little bit without my eyeballs letting me know it was a bad idea). 

I had some dry eye problems before that are mostly related to allergies.  As long as I keep up with my allergy drops I don't have too much dry eye problem.  I also don't like driving at night as much now because bright oncoming headlights are more bothersome.  I had halos for a while...maybe a year? 

One of the best things I ever did.

I'm also -6.5 in both eyes, been stable for a few years now (which is what I was waiting for).

Tell me about PRK and the pain. My doc keeps recommending it but the stories I hear of the pain are really scaring me away. One of my friends described it as "horrific" and said she wished she would have just done Lasik.

Doc also told me I'd have to take minimum a week off of work as I wouldn't be able to see well enough till around the 1 week mark. Like I'd need help around the house kind of thing. Did you experience that?
  

Lisa - I had one eye PRK / one eye LASIK so I can compare the two.  Coming out of surgery I could see almost perfectly with my LASIK eye and it was 100% within 48 hours.  My vision in the PRK eye was way worse immediately  after surgery and I was in pain.  I would probably say horrific was how I felt when I had to walk into walmart with my wife to look for eye drops immediately after the operation.   Probably the bright fluorescent lights didn't help and I was ovedue on pain drops. 

That said, I went home and slept through the night and felt okay  the next day.   

I had surgery on a Saturday and was at work on Monday.   It was hard for me to see the computer on Monday and I believe I only worked half day. 

By Tuesday I was back to a normal routine, plus lots of eye drops.   My vision slowly got better from there, and I believe it was ~2 weeks until I was to 20/20. 

All that annoyingness aside, I would 100% go back and do the surgery again.  I'd actually do it sooner.  It literally changed the way I live my life - I hated glasses and my eyes were never comfortable in contacts.   As I said in a previous post, I would end up putting in / taking out my contacts multiple times a day.   Brutal.  

PM me if you want more details.  

 

 



2012-12-20 8:07 PM
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Subject: RE: What has Lasik done for you?

I had it around 99 or 2000... my left eye was much worse so I just had it done.  My right eye I believe is/ was about 50/20.  It was corrected to 20/20 but has since deteriorated to be about the same as my right eye.  I wear glasses to drive and usually to watch TV; in fact, I almost always have the on around the house.  But it's still nice to be able to go about daily business without them on.  I can easily swim without special goggles and have prescription sunglasses for running and biking.

When I got it done I was told that my eyeball was almost too big- a little bigger and they woudn't do it.  They said I would have a much higher chance of having permanent haloes and I do see a lot of haloes/ starbursts when I drive at night, but I can still see fine and it's more something I'm aware of than a specific annoyance, if that makes sense.  Not sure if the "big eyeball" is still a thing. But overall I'm happy with it, though not so much that I'm inspired to get it on both eyes again.

2012-12-20 10:55 PM
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Subject: RE: What has Lasik done for you?

One of the best decisions I've ever made... greatly improved my enjoyment of outdoor activities (like camping - try putting on contacts w/ filthy hands)... I get a little halo around lights at night and eyes will get dry sometimes when fan is on, but they did w/ contacts as well.

Advice I would give:  Research and choose the best doctor.  One thing I noticed in my area was that all the less expensive docs also had less than stellar track records.  For me, it's worth the extra money to get a doctor w/ a good record and one who uses the best equipment available.  If you have a regular eye doctor that you trust, he would be a great person to ask for recommendations on lasik docs and tell you about the differences in equipment, etc.

2012-12-21 5:54 PM
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Subject: RE: What has Lasik done for you?
matcrawf - 2012-12-20 4:58 PM
lisac957 - 2012-12-20 8:16 AM
ApplePie - 2012-12-19 12:38 PM

I had PRK (LASIK without the flap) two years ago.  -6.5 in both eyes, now 20/15.  It's absolutely amazing to be able to read the clock from the bed or while in the shower.  Or even to take a nap during the middle of a lazy day (I couldn't sleep with my contacts in even for a little bit without my eyeballs letting me know it was a bad idea). 

I had some dry eye problems before that are mostly related to allergies.  As long as I keep up with my allergy drops I don't have too much dry eye problem.  I also don't like driving at night as much now because bright oncoming headlights are more bothersome.  I had halos for a while...maybe a year? 

One of the best things I ever did.

I'm also -6.5 in both eyes, been stable for a few years now (which is what I was waiting for).

Tell me about PRK and the pain. My doc keeps recommending it but the stories I hear of the pain are really scaring me away. One of my friends described it as "horrific" and said she wished she would have just done Lasik.

Doc also told me I'd have to take minimum a week off of work as I wouldn't be able to see well enough till around the 1 week mark. Like I'd need help around the house kind of thing. Did you experience that?
  

Lisa - I had one eye PRK / one eye LASIK so I can compare the two.  Coming out of surgery I could see almost perfectly with my LASIK eye and it was 100% within 48 hours.  My vision in the PRK eye was way worse immediately  after surgery and I was in pain.  I would probably say horrific was how I felt when I had to walk into walmart with my wife to look for eye drops immediately after the operation.   Probably the bright fluorescent lights didn't help and I was ovedue on pain drops. 

That said, I went home and slept through the night and felt okay  the next day.   

I had surgery on a Saturday and was at work on Monday.   It was hard for me to see the computer on Monday and I believe I only worked half day. 

By Tuesday I was back to a normal routine, plus lots of eye drops.   My vision slowly got better from there, and I believe it was ~2 weeks until I was to 20/20. 

All that annoyingness aside, I would 100% go back and do the surgery again.  I'd actually do it sooner.  It literally changed the way I live my life - I hated glasses and my eyes were never comfortable in contacts.   As I said in a previous post, I would end up putting in / taking out my contacts multiple times a day.   Brutal.  

PM me if you want more details.  

 

 

I got mine done the Thursday before Thanksgiving.  That day was very blurry - not painful but I did pretty much just sit with my eyes closed/relaxed that day.  Friday had a follow-up appt, uncomfortable but not bad, still blurry but I could read a clock on the wall.  Saturday I felt like I stuck my open eyeballs right into the sand - dry, gritty, itchy, horrible.  Just sat all day with my eyes shut.  Went in Monday or Tuesday to get the bandage contacts taken out, felt OK.  Tried to go to work Wednesday, couldn't handle sitting at the computer.  By the next Monday I was pretty much ok with very good vision.  The super crisp vision took about 3 months to come in.

I got PRK instead of LASIK because my corneas were a little on the thin side, and with my "moderate" impairment PRK tends to have better results.  (Plus, many of the complications of LASIK involve the flap - no flap with PRK.)  A couple weeks of discomfort have been well worth it. 

2012-12-21 7:02 PM
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Subject: RE: What has Lasik done for you?
I had LASIK-- but my vision regressed, and ended up re-doing each eye within 5 years, now 5 yrs from my last re-do and will need to start wearing glasses or contacts (20/40 in one eye, 20/25 in other), so the procedures were not permanent for me. But, it was nice having good vision during the years the procedures bought me, and vision is still way better than when I started. Don't think I dare do it a third time..... Do have some dry eye only if I wake up at night, but I live in Nevada, and when travel elsewhere I don't take any drops.
2012-12-23 1:32 AM
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Subject: RE: What has Lasik done for you?
Had PRK in 2002 and have not looked back (36 in March 2013). My eyes were stable from 93-94 until the surgery so no problems since.


2012-12-23 1:37 AM
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Subject: RE: What has Lasik done for you?
The pain was not too bad ( did not need hardcore painkillers) and the worst part was avoiding screen time.
2012-12-23 6:56 PM
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Subject: RE: What has Lasik done for you?

I had it done May 2011 and I have loved it.  My eyes were naturally dry anyways and I wore hard contacts.  I didn't get good vision with soft ones.  But my contacts would pop out at the slightest touch to my eyes.  I was even in a group fitness class ones, was sweating my butt off, wiped the sweat from my face & eyes, contact popped out.  Didn't realize it until I was back in the locker room (thought it was blurry from sweat in my eyes), no contact.  I actually went back to the fitness studio and managed it find it, uncrushed, on the floor!  Without having Lasik I don't think I would have been able to do this whole swim/bike/run thing with constant eye irritations. 

So here is my recommendation for after surgery.  KEEP YOUR EYES CLOSED as long as you can.  Go home, take the valium, put on the eye shields and sleep as long as possible.  When you wake up, keep them closed!  Every time you blink your eyelid will rub your eye,  the longer you can keep your eyes closed the quicker it will heal and the less irritation you will have. Good Luck! 

2012-12-23 7:13 PM
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Subject: RE: What has Lasik done for you?
Best thing I've ever done! I was legally blind without glasses but my vision is still near perfect. It did affect my night vision slightly, but compared to be glare from glasses... still an improvement.
2012-12-24 8:02 PM
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Subject: RE: What has Lasik done for you?

Had Lasik in April 2008, had worn spectacles since 1971...best dollars ever spent!

I had a serious astigmatism and was about -5 in either eye, so this was more expensive than standard, about 5K CDN.

Still never a regret!

I would recommend it every day, having it done at a place that makes you feel comfortable and not a number.

2012-12-25 9:26 PM
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Subject: RE: What has Lasik done for you?
Meulen - 2012-12-19 8:31 AM

pumpkin31 - 2012-12-19 10:24 AM I had lasik in 2000. I have been really happy that I did it, I was a little freaked out when I went in but it has been all good since then. A little eye dryness was the only side effect that I noticed. Good luck.

 

don't mean to thread hijack, but I worry about the dry eye.  My eyes are dry naturally.  I have a hard time wearing contacts.  Are your eyes still dry all these years later?  Do you have to put drops in all the time?

Have you tried using flax seed oil? My ophthalmologist recommended it. I also use refresh plus eye drops.


2012-12-27 8:21 AM
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Subject: RE: What has Lasik done for you?

I had Lasik yesterday!! I got a discount through my vision insurance company and it ended up being $2790 for custom lasik in both eyes.

My left eye is a bit dry, I think. My vision is a little blurry in that eye, like having a dry contact in it. It feels a little irritated, too. I hear that's normal. It's not horrible and my vision is still way better than it was. My right eye is absolutely perfect. When I woke up from my nap yesterday, I looked out the window and was shocked at how crisp and clear everything looked far away (I was nearsighted.) The other awesome difference is that it fixed my astigmatism. If I was looking at something close up and then switched to something far away, I would have to blink it into focus. No more.

The procedure itself was quick. It was a bit uncomfortable but painless. The actual laser part only took 15 seconds per eye; one of the assistants was counting it down. The anticipation was by far the worst part. The doc made a joke about how they've only blinded one person (they hadn't!) and I knew he was joking but I freaked out and started crying, so they brought an extra nurse in to hold my hand during the procedure!

Only thing I would've done differently is to take better drugs so I could've slept longer. The valium they gave me made me a bit sleepy, so I just took a melatonin when I got home. I only managed to sleep for about an hour and when I woke up, I felt like someone was grinding sand into my eye. It hurt soooo bad. I ended up taking some tramadol and a big shot of nyquil. Once that kicked in, I passed out for a few more hours and woke up feeling better. Hungover, but in no pain!

I'm happy and it's been less than 24 hours! I'm about to drive myself to my follow-up appointment.

Oh, as for the swimming, my doc told me I could swim in a pool in two weeks. (Longer deferral for lakes, but ain't nobody swimming in a lake in Ohio in winter.) Possibly even a week if everything's healing well at my one-week follow-up.



Edited by runk8run 2012-12-27 8:24 AM
2012-12-27 10:48 AM
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Subject: RE: What has Lasik done for you?
Less than 24 hours post-surgery, right eye is 20/15, left eye is 20/40. They're telling me it's not unusual for one eye to take longer to heal, and yesterday it was 20/400, soooo it's still a big improvement!
2012-12-27 11:56 AM
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Subject: RE: What has Lasik done for you?

runk8run - 2012-12-27 8:48 AM Less than 24 hours post-surgery, right eye is 20/15, left eye is 20/40. They're telling me it's not unusual for one eye to take longer to heal, and yesterday it was 20/400, soooo it's still a big improvement!

Very cool! Glad to hear it's going well.

2013-01-10 6:03 PM
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Subject: RE: What has Lasik done for you?
Had my procedure done last Friday........Very, very pleased!!!! Shouldn't have waited so long!
2013-01-10 8:16 PM
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Subject: RE: What has Lasik done for you?
7 years later and I don't regret it.
I now have dry eye though and start the day with eye drops. I was warned that may happen.


2013-01-16 2:35 PM
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Subject: RE: What has Lasik done for you?
I'm so glad to read all of the comments. Especially from people with really bad eyes. I'm going to plan this for fall (post season). I don't have astigmatism and I don't even need readers. I'm just a plain ol' -8 that would love to toss my contacts and coke bottle glasses. Plus I worry about having goggles knocked off in a race and losing a lens. I definitely cannot ride or run without contacts. Even glasses are scary because I lose peripheral vision. I can't walk down stairs... would not get on my bike like that, lol.
2013-01-16 4:21 PM
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Subject: RE: What has Lasik done for you?
I'm a success story for LASIK too.  Wore glasses from age 13 until 39.  Now I'm 20/15 in both eyes.  What I paid for the surgery was easily made up by not having to buy prescription Rudy Project or Oakley sunglasses every year.  Likewise, my only issue is dry eyes.  I buy Systane Ultra eyedrops by the gallon and they work great.  I'd recommend LASIK for anyone.
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