Since my first eye appointment in 9th grade, I had heard of a new technology called LASIK to permanently correct vision. I was interested at that, but told my eye doctor that I was not eligible until my prescription stabilized.
When I got married and moved to Seattle and started working for Deloitte, my vision insurance was limited, and I went to Lenscrafters (the only ones close that seemed to have openings). The doctors were wierd, and not associated with the store, and my insurance didn't work properly. I went there for two years, and the second time, was awful. The doctor was so creepy the way he examined my eyes. Instead of having me look different ways, he circled my head as I looked straight. Be his head was about a centimeter from my head. It was creepy, and the experience prevented me from going back.
So instead of looking for a new eye doctor, I just didn't go. I waited, and felt I could still see through my glasses okay. I then began to consider the possibility of LASIK finally! I went in for a consultation, and 2 weeks later, my surgery was scheduled. The whole procedure took about 10 minutes. Here are some pictures of my experience.
The before.
The Dr. is checking my eyes one more time to make sure all looks good before we proceed. He also takes the time to explain what is going to happen
Under the lasers
Below is a picture of my eye with this suction thing on it to keep it from moving. The is the first part of the surgery where they actually cut a flap from your eye with a laser to give them access to the cornea for reshaping
Below is final portion of the flap being cut. You can see the eye on the monitor filling up, that is actually the cutting. (The operating room is surrounded by glass so Dusty, and other people were watching/taking video and pictures from there; hence the talking in the background.)
Below is the second part. They moved me to a different laser where the cornea is actually reshaped. This time this used these crazy hooks to hold back my eyelids. The told me to look at a little red dot to keep my eye in place. It was hard to see to the dot. you can see the opaque look to the eye. That is the eye with the flap pulled back. They dry it all off with the little sponge. Then you see the flashes of lights on the screen. This is actually the laser reshaping the cornea. Once complete, the doctor replaces the flap and makes sure it is smooth. They add some drops to my eyes, and it is all done!
The Doctor check one last time to view his work, and tells me they look good. Everything is still a bit blurry for me at this point. They gave me some instructions to sleep in these crazy awful goggles for a week, use some special eye drops, and not to rub my eyes.
When I woke up in the morning, I was so surprised that I could SEE! I drove myself to my followup appointment the next day and they told me I had 20/15 vision, which is better than perfect! On the other hand, I also looked like this! One of my coworkers said I looked like a demon. My manager said that everytime he looked at my eye, his got all teary. Good thing it only lasts a couple weeks.
I am so happy with the results and recommend anyone who is thinking about it to take the plunge. It is awesome to see clearly, way more clearly than ever with glasses or contacts. I can now see the alarm clock when I wake up, see the shavings I routinely left in the shower after shaving my legs (Dusty always complained about that one :)), fall asleep during a movie without worrying about the contacts in my eyes I need to take out, or the glasses that may be getting bent. I can wear sunglasses while I drive, and I am looking forward to this summer, as I will be able to play in the water and see without having to worry about contacts!
