Monica (luvmykids) - a question about lasik

cameragirl21 wrote: I noticed you said you got it and are happy with it. Am wondering a few things--how long ago did you do it? Any side effects at all, in terms of night vision problems, halo effect at night, etc? How quickly after the surgery could you see perfectly?
Did they give you xanax? Did they make you hold your head still and was it hard not to move? Do you have to look at the laser as it's coming at you? Does it hurt when they pry your eyes open?
Lol, you can see I have a lot of questions/concerns...a good friend of mine is an optometrist and it's always a struggle for her to test me for glaucoma because i don't like that blue light or the air puffs or anything at all coming at my eyes and she thinks i'd totally freak out if they pry my eyes open and force me to watch the laser. I'm afraid I'll move or blink and screw it up.
Obviously, my eyes are important in my profession but in all fairness, anyone and everyone values his/her vision;you don't have to be a photographer to want to protect your eyes. The thing is that I worry that I'll lose a contact in the middle of a wedding or something and be totally screwed because I can't get them back in without going to look in a mirror, etc so I'd love to do lasik but my prescription is so minimal (-1 in my right eye, -1.5 in my left) that my optometrist friend thinks i'm nuts to even consider it. She says they may over correct. And my graphic artist insists that when I eventually turn 40 my nearsightedness will balance out and I won't need readers.
Whatever, I just want to be rid of these contacts so I'm curious to see what your experience was like....

Jamison'smama replied: A friend of mine had the surgery and said it is not nearly as bad as you think it will be. She said you don't see anything other than what looks like a shadow, I also HATE the glaucoma test and cannot do the air puff at all. I want the surgery as well but I need for my eyes to quit getting worse.

I have never heard of eyes balancing out when you need reading glasses--that's why people get bifocals.

cameragirl21 replied:
I know, Brenda, I think this is a load of crap as well...I think my graphic artist is just worried something will go wrong with the surgery and is trying to talk me out of doing it.
My vision has been stable for the last ten years so I see no reason not to get the surgery, other than my fears as listed in the original post....

CantWait replied: I can't answer all your question because I haven't had it done, however dh has, so I'd be more then happy to give you another opinion from that perspective.

how long ago did you do it?
Dh had his done approximately 9 years ago now.
Any side effects at all, in terms of night vision problems, halo effect at night, etc?
He's had no side effects at all, I don't know what halo effect is, but I can say that he's military and night vision is very important and he hasn't lost that at all. He actually has better night vision then in the past.
How quickly after the surgery could you see perfectly?
Within a few days he could see perfect, it was more like a couple days, but he was still a little sensitive to light. They give you special glasses to wear.

He loves it....he's use to wear these pretty geeky glasses, somewhat thick, he had bad vision. Now it's perfect.

I hope you're a good candidate for it.

cameragirl21 replied: Thanks so much for the 411, Marie, I'm glad to hear your DH had it so long ago and still loves it, my concern was also for long term effects since it's a relatively new procedure.
just fyi, halo effect means that you see a bit of a halo around lights at night, in other words, there is some luminosity around the lights that is not really there but that's what you're seeing.
it can cause migraines and stuff like that.

CantWait replied: Well I can say then that he's had no "halo" effects, and no long term side effects. He swears by it.

luvmykids replied:
I had it done about two years ago. I honestly wasn't sure I'd be a candidate because my astigmatisms were sooooo bad and I'd been told most "good" doctors won't do it in cases as severe as mine (beware, if a more reputable doc won't but one of the less expensive laser centers will, I'd think very carefully about it )

I forgot what they gave me, medication wise, but it was something like Xanax. I actually had terrible night vision, to the point that I truly couldn't drive at night and it cleared up 100%. I actually saw near perfect the next day, and was at 20/20 within three days. They give you swim goggle looking things to sleep in for a few nights so you don't accidentally scratch them in your sleep and antibiotic drops, but thats about it as far as after care.

It was a little tough during the procedure because I'm super freaky about any one messing with my eyes, but between the medication and the little stress ball they gave me to squeeze I got through it. I can suck it up and grit my teeth as long as I know whats going on, kwim? And like Brenda's friend said, it wasn't nearly as bad as you'd think. They numb your eyes really well and use something to hold them open so you CAN'T blink and mess it up LOL, that part didn't even phase me because you actually can blink, it just doesn't actually close your eye when you do it. You stare at a pinpoint of light for just a minute, then you see the shadow, then you're done. You don't see anything coming at you at all.

The only trouble I have now is with dry eye, I absolutely have to have eye drops daily but not so much it's an annoyance and it's a small price to pay! I would do it again in a heartbeat. Also, I don't know about all doctors, but mine has a deal where as long as you keep all your follow up appointments for the first year, any adjustments are done free. It's actually very rare for someone to need another surgery but it's a nice assurance that it would be taken care of. My doctor did say though that as I age (who, me? ) I may need reading glasses, just because most folks do but I am a long, long, long way from that.

I highly recommend it, I don't think I've ever felt so free as waking up and being able to see first thing in the morning.

Kaitlin'smom replied: Its something I am still considering. Thanks for asking the questions and the answers.

C&K*s Mommie replied: So the pinpoint, is that where the laser is located?

luvmykids replied:
I'm not sure, I don't know if they ask you to stare at that just to keep your eye still or if it's the laser, but honest to goodness that was the easiest part of the whole thing. You stare at it, then things get dark and shadowy but not in a freaky way, just like having your eyes closed, which it kind of feels like anyway since they're so numb.

cameragirl21 replied: I meant to thank you, Monica, for taking the time to answer all my questions. Sounds like a great idea...now I just have to find a reputable doc to do it....

mom2my2cuties replied: Jennifer - if you can - I would find a doctor who does Intralasik - and RESEARCH them! and ask for references. A lot of very reputable doctors have references they can give you of people they worked on and other doctors they have worked with.

luvmykids replied:
Actually, I had the intralasik. I'm not sure what the differences are but once you mentioned it thats what I had.

mom2my2cuties replied: Intralasik is supposed to be MUCH better. It is what I am going to be getting once I manage to talk myself into it


I have EXTREME astigmatism in both eyes so I have to have the best doctor. I will actually be going back to Dallas to have mine done at Dr Booth's office there.

C&K*s Mommie replied: Dumb question: where do they stick the needle to numb your eyes at (in your eyes )? Or are they numbing drops?

mom2my2cuties replied: I think it's drops.

luvmykids replied:
They're drops. They work better than drops sound like they could, kwim? Absolutely 100% numbing.

And Tish, I had to see a very, very well known doctor also because of my astigmatism....I have nothing against the "chain" types of laser centers but mine was considered an extreme case and therefore cost a good deal more but it was soooo worth it

mom2my2cuties replied: Yeah that is what I think of mine. My Astigmatism is so horrible that I will pay the $$$$ for Dr. Boothe to do it himself instead of going with just any where. My eyes are too important to me to not have them handled carelessly.

After calling around several places before we moved from dallas - I was told the same thing by every place I called - if you want the best, you need to pay the extra and have Dr Boothe do it.

I don't know how popular he is, but in order to have it done in his clinic it's pricey.

mom2my2cuties replied: Here is a link to the FAQ about Lasik & IntraLasik

Intralasik


Lasik

Wavefront

ReSTOR

C.K.