Re: LASIK Surgery

[Wendy G.]

Hi Cathe!

Just wanted to let you know that I had LASIK surgery yesterday, and it went great! I remember reading your description of it somewhere on your forum and that made up my mind about it! You described it PERFECTLY and I think it helped me not be so anxious about it. I can't believe how clear my vision is! My husband cracked up this morning as I was dancing around our bedroom in my pajamas yelling "I can see! I can see!"

Now I think I can finally make it through one of your workouts without stopping to adjust or remoisten a contact lens. I know it's been said a thousand times before, but this procedure really is a miracle!

Thanks again!

Wendy G.

 

[Jabakk]

Wendy - What a timely post!

Hi Wendy!

I have LASIK scheduled for next month and I am so interested in learning/reading everything I can about it! I know Cathe has had it and she's said many good things about it too.

A couple of questions for you and Cathe or anyone else: how long did you have to leave your contacts out before the evaluation and surgery? (I've heard everything from 2 weeks to 3 days) How uncomfortable was the ring thing they put on which slightly stretches your eyelid? Any pain afterwards? How long before you can swim, workout, etc.?

I really am excited (if a little nervous) about having this done. I can't imagine how it will feel to get up in the morning and be able to see!!

Thanks for any input,
Bev K.

 

[kellyeli]

Lasik

Hi Bev and Wendy!
Congrats to you both, Wendy on your wonderful outcome and Bev on your decision to have it done. I love my results at @ 9 months. Bev, in answer to you question re the length of time one must be without contacts prior to surgery. It differs depending on which type of lenses you wear. I wore hard lenses and had to go without for 2 weeks, soft lense wearers had a shorter lens-free period, but I can't remember what it was. The lid retention ring felt really weird, but didn't hurt and the post op pain was more like scratchiness that lasted for a day or so. Trust me when I say that the miracle of being able to see clearly almost completely overshadows any discomfort. Wendy, I STILL get amazed when I wake up and can see something clearly! As for recovery time, mine was set at @ 2 weeks, use this as your week or two off for the year! Best of luck to you both!

Elizabeth Kelly

 

[Wendy G.]

Bev, here's the scoop...

<center><font size="1" color="#ff0000">LAST EDITED ON Mar-14-00 AT 06:11PM (EST)</font></center>

I used to wear gas permeable lenses and was told to leave them out for three weeks. I've read that some doctors want hard lenses out for 4-6 weeks. With soft lenses, I think it's only 3 days. Before the procedure, they gave me some valium. However, it was given to me only ten minutes before the procedure, so I don't think I was as "mellow" as I could have been. They told me everything that was happening, for which I was glad! After they load you up with numbing drops, they covered up one eye and put retractors in the other to pull back my lids. Cathe described it best when she said it's like when the dentist puts those x-ray things in your mouth. It doesn't hurt, but you do feel some tugging. Then they put the suction ring on my eye. I heard my doctor tell the nurse "Pressure, please" and that's when I heard air hissing, which is the ring being "attached" to my eye. Again, this does not hurt. Then they slid me under the microscope where I could see a blinking red light.
They warned me that at some point everything would go black, but the blinking light would come back in a few seconds. The nurse told me, "Ok, now everything should be black right now." This was very reassuring to me, as I might have panicked. Then when the red light came back in focus, he again said to me "Ok, now you should start seeing that blinking red light. Do you see it?" The rest of it is exactly how Cathe described it.

Afterwards, they taped some clear plastic eye protecters to my face and gave me some drops. I was told I could take them off the next morning. I did feel some discomfort aftwards. It felt like I had an eyelash stuck in each eye, kind of scratchy. My eyes were also watering like crazy, to the point that tears were running down my face. I had the eye shields on so I couldn't dab at my eyes. I was told that this is perfectly normal and that it would be better in a few hours. The valium began to kick in on the way home. I had the LASIK done at 3 p.m. I fell asleep about 4:30 and slept until 7:00 p.m. My eyes felt MUCH better and I was not tearing up anymore. I had a little dinner and was back asleep at 9 p.m. and slept soundly until 8 a.m. this morning. I felt no scratchiness at all and when I took off the eye shields, I could see clearly!

Just came back from the doctor's office and I went from 20/400 (legally blind)in both eyes to 20/20 in one eye and 20/25 in the other! All in one day! I would do it again. The best advice I can give to you is to tell your doctor that you want them to tell you what's happening at every step of the procedure. It certainly helped me when they said "You're doing great!" and "We're almost done!"

It's the best thing I've ever done for myself! Let me know if you have any other questions or need more reassurance! My doctor said that I could do aerobics and weight training as early as today! (I'm not exercising today, though.) Just no contact sports! (Guess I'll have to cancel my boxing match!

)

Wendy G.

 

[MarianZ]

more on lasik

Hi, I thought I'd add my Lasik experience since I had it over two years ago and to let folks know that I'm still 20/20 after being about 20/400. I've never regretted it! Good luck

 

[Brenda F.]

Talk about timely!

I go today at 1:30 for the Lasik proceedure. Can not wait! I'm currently 20/500 can't wait to see what it is tomorrow! I previously wore soft contacts and they wanted them out for at least two weeks before which is what I have done to play it safe - but I have read at several places only three days.

Brenda

 

[DebbieH]

Hi Brenda!

Good Luck today~~we'll be anxious to hear all about it. I have contemplated having it done, but have been so leary til I have read everyone's experience. We'll be looking forward to "SEEING" you back here!!

 

[Jabakk]

Thanks everyone!

Brenda, good luck and please keep us posted on how the surgery went. Will be looking forward to hearing how it was.

Thanks to everyone else for their input too! I wear soft lenses (should have said that in my original post), so my doctor is telling me 3 days. Another one I consulted said 2 weeks! Big difference, but from what research I've done it looks like most doctors are going with the 3 days now.

My surgery is scheduled for the 2nd Friday in April; wish me luck!

Bev K.

 

[DebbieH]

Good Luck...

to you Bev. You will do just fine from the sound of everyone's happiness with the success of their surgeries. Keep us posted on how you do too and we'll look forward to "SEEING" you back again!

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Yeah Wendy!

Oh thats great news!!!! Isn't it the best to roll over in the morning and actually see your alarm clock WITHOUT those darn glasses? But groping for them first thing in the morning was still a hard habit to break for me

. I'm so thrilled for you!

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Bev!

I had to have my lenses out and glasses on 2 weeks prior to the surgery. The disc that they placed in my eye was not painful but I was glad to have it out a soon as possible. Its more annoying then anything else. I remember saying to myself, "ok, this could get painful here. Its starting to feel really funky and I'm going to say 'ouch' if they go any wider". At that second they were finished widening it(but it did need to stay in there while they worked on that eye, say about three minutes) and thats why I describe it as more uncomfortable than painful. I had no pain afterwards but I do remember a lot of scratchiness. My eyes were tearing and very light sensitive. I was sent home with a packet of Genteal Eye Drops and dark wide rimmed sunglasses. I remember being amazed at how the severe redness that was in my eye disappeared within five hours post surgery.

They had told me to rest my eyes entirely for three days. No reading, watching tv, or computer work. It wasn't that this was harmful its just that it strained the eye muscles and slowed down the recovery. They also said no dusting, painting, sanding, gardening, or high wind exposure of any kind. Basically, kick back, put your feet up, close your eyes and rest. They told me that I could workout after a three day period as long as I modified because they did not want sweat to get in the eye. I could return to normal activities to their fullest one week post surgery. Swimming is a good question. I didn't ask about that one. I'm sure you will have to wait atleast a week for swimming.

The most uncomfortable thing after surgery was eye scratchiness which turned into eye dryness. The drops were a MUST HAVE for me.

Just a little side note, don't know if I already mentioned this or not. Be sure that there is no chance that you could be pregnant before you have this surgery. They can not perform the surgery if you are pregnant because your eyes sometimes do some changing while you are pregnant and that could hinder the effects of the surgery. I remember having to reschedule my surgery for the following month because I was not told that when I had my consultation.

Relax and lots of luck to you!

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Brenda!

Hope all went well. You will most likely be instructed to not use the computer so you'll get this note a little later. Right about now you are probably in the passenger side of the car on your way home with those BIG glasses over your eyes just dying to take them off and see the new bright world ahead. We were all thinking about you. REST and RELAX!!

 

[Joni O]

I Had Lasik December 22

Hi Bev. I had Lasik December 22 and it's a miracle! I had to have my contacts out two weeks before the exam and 3 days before the surgery. I had no discomfort during the surgery whatsoever - hardly noticed the ring thing. Each eye took about 5 minutes and I read every diploma on the wall when I got back into the waiting room. I had to wear plastic shields overnight, but it was a piece of cake.

The hardest part was no make-up for two weeks after the surgery! Also, my eyes were extremely dry afterwards (mainly due to the weather, lack of humidity in the house, etc.) and they put little plugs into my lower tear ducts to keep moisture in. I'm still wearing them. Again, a piece of cake.

As I said, this is truly a miracle. I have monovision - can see perfectly for distnce out of one eye, and less perfectly - but can read - out of the other. Apparently in your 40's you can't expect to see both far and near perfectly. I had worn monovision contacts for several years, so the transition to monovision surgery was a snap.

They say it takes 3-6 months for your eyes to adjust to perfect vision after the surgery. I can see fine, but they do occasionally get a bit better and worse still. I'm soooo glad I did it. And I was terrified. I even emailed Cathe about it and she put my mind at ease. That valium before the surgery really helps too.

I had to take another one when I got home so I would sleep and keep my eyes closed for 3-4 hours. I had quite a thrill reading all the freeway signs on the way home = my SO quite honestly was getting a little sick of it!

If you'd like to contact me by email, please do so. Your recovery depends on how bad your eyes were to begin with. The worse they are, the more blurriness and halos around lights you'll have for a while. Good luck!

 

[Joni O]

Regarding the Time without Contacts

I forgot to mention that the reason you need to keep your contacts out 2 weeks before the exam is because contacts tend to distort your eyeballs. If you have your tests done before your eyes go back to their natural shape, the measurements for your surgery correction won't be correct - so I was told, anyway.

 

[Tweety2]

Lasik surgery

My husband is very interested in having this procedure done, and we were just wondering if everyone had their surgery done in the States or did any of you go out of the States to have it done? Thank you for all of the information all of you have posted.

 

[Wendy G.]

Had mine done in the States!

I live in the Metro Detroit area and my doctor (who's originally from Toronto) told me the LASIK equipment is the same in the states now as it is in Canada. I think just two years ago, it would have been suggested to do it across the border because the equipment would have been a little better. I've heard it's cheaper to have it done in Canada, but I felt better having it done by my own doctor who could follow up if there were any problems.

 

[kellyeli]

Hey fellow metro Detroiter!

I am so excited! Another individual who loves Cathe, has had lasik, AND lives in the same area?
Who'd have thought? Who was your doctor, if you don't mind me asking? I guess it really would be something if we had the same doctor, no? I live in Clinton Township, are you familiar with the area? Ok, enough being nosy. I'll say TTFN!

Elizabeth Kelly

 

[Brenda F.]

I can SEE, I can SEE!!!!

<center><font size="1" color="#ff0000">LAST EDITED ON Mar-16-00 AT 10:17AM (EST)</font></center>

Oh guys it is just unbelievable! I am completely amazed at how well I can see only 18 hours later. Just unbelievable! I woke up this morning at 4:00 am and the first time since I was 8 years old I could actually see the clock! Mark was not as thrilled as I was with this information when I "accidentally" kicked him to wake him up and tell him about it.

Basically everything went exactly the way Cathe explained it. As some people have mentioned, they did not offer me a valium before hand, I kinda wished they would have, I was a little tense when they got started. The only part that I did not like was the making of the flap part, the suction noise and the vibration (no pain) just kinda scared me and I tensed up pretty good at that point. The rest of it was a breeze, 29 seconds of laser on the right and 30 seconds on the left. When I sat up I could read the clock on the wall. Totally unbelievable!!! Everything was foggy like when you fall asleep with your contacts in but on the ride home I could see the signs through the giant "Terminator" sun glasses. The actual proceedure took less than 10 minutes.

Today my eyes look fine, no redness and only a minimal amount of stratchiness. I have my day after appointment at noon today so I will know then how well it came out prescription wise but I can tell you now, its darn good!

The only things I can not for the next 4 days are wear eye makeup (I'll just look real tired at work tomorrow but I'll survive) no swimming, no sports (don't want you to get poked in the eye!)and that's basically the only things I can't do, no big deal there!

YIPEEE!!!!!!! Thanks for all of your well wishes!

Brenda

 

[Jabakk]

Brenda, I am so happy for you!!

I loved reading your message; you sound so happy!!

You make the procedure sound like a piece of cake! It's got to be pretty amazing to be able to see clearly when you wake up. Keep us posted on your progression.

I have to say that after reading everyone's posts I am feeling MUCH, MUCH more relaxed about having this done. Many thanks to each one of you!

Bev K.

 

[Jabakk]

Thanks, Cathe!

I read to my husband the part of your post which said I'm supposed to kick back, put my feet up and rest for three days....we'll see if it works (hehehe).

Thanks for your input, I really appreciate it!

Bev K.