About two weeks ago I had LASIK surgery: a popular procedure used to correct one’s vision.  It was something I had contemplated for some time.  I had several relatives who had experienced the procedure, including two of my sons and my brother-in-law, as well as a number of other acquaintances.  Many of those who emerge from LASIK are effusive about its benefits, how it eliminates the need for glasses, and makes an incredible change for the better in their vision.

LASIK was particularly appealing to me because I have had poor vision for practically my whole life.  Perhaps I was born with less than perfect vision.  Our family discovered that my vision was poor when I was in 3^rd grade and was not performing well in school.  I was just not “getting” the math problems – in fact it was hard for me to make out what was on the blackboard.  Then, one evening I was walking with my mother outside, and she made a comment about the stars.  I told her that I couldn’t see anything there.  She then put her glasses on my nose, and I said, “Oh, it’s beautiful!”  It was my first time ever to see the starry sky! 

A few weeks later, I was wearing glasses for nearsightedness.  My prescription has always been pretty strong, with a good deal of astigmatism, and until more recent years, my lenses have had to be pretty thick.  I have worn these corrective lenses now for most of my life.  I have had to be mindful of them when I was playing sports; I have had to reach for them to see anything when I wake up at night – they have been a constant and necessary – if often unwanted — accessory for virtually my whole life. 

A few years ago, our oldest son, Paul, asked if he could look into getting a LASIK procedure as his gift from us for college graduation.  He was a candidate, and had a successful surgery.  Then my son David had the same thing two years later when he graduated.  Both had very successful outcomes – as did a number of other friends and acquaintances.  So I have been thinking about having LASIK done myself for some time.  Recently, practical considerations brought me to the point of a decision.

The glasses that I have worn for the past several years had come to the point of needing to be replaced.  I had never been particularly fond of these particular glasses; they were “progressive” lenses, and it seemed like the place where I would get the “right” amount of correction to watch tv, or a football game, or some far-off object, was always in some awkward position, so I would look with my head tilted back.  Then the lenses began to experience some kind deterioration with the coating, I guess, leaving a buildup on them which made it look like I was seeing through a cloud all of the time.  This had gone on for a couple of months, and it was increasingly obvious that I needed to get some new glasses – or look into some other options.  Those glasses had cost me almost $700 – and that was a few years back.  My next pair would probably cost even more.  That kind of cost would make a good contribution towards a LASIK procedure.  Thus I was brought to a point of crisis: I had to make a decision; it was either get a new pair of glasses, or “take the plunge” and get LASIK.  I just couldn’t buy another pair of glasses.  I made the call to The Eye Clinic and set up an appointment for a LASIK screening.

Not everyone is a candidate for LASIK.  In fact, the assistant who took me through a lot of the steps at the clinic was herself not a candidate.  So I figured: step 1 is just seeing if it is even possible for me.  Are my eyes healthy enough?  Are the problems I have correctable through LASIK?  If the answer was “no”, then the door would be closed, and I would just make an appointment for my next eyeglasses prescription.  So I prayed for the doctor, and the evaluation, and went to the screening.  It turned out that my eyes were very healthy, and that my problems were within the range of what LASIK could correct, so I “pulled the trigger.”  Let’s do it! 

Now, I understood that LASIK is not an automatic “slam dunk” for everyone.  I knew that going in, and through instructional videos and written warnings, they do their best to make sure that you are aware of that.  Not every problem is correctable through LASIK, and not everyone comes out with “perfect” vision.  Some people still have to wear glasses of some sort – and some inevitably come out with some damage or vision problems.  I told the doctor going in that I was aware of all of this, and I was.  I believe that I had a reasonable sense of expectation going in. 

After another day of screening and preparation, the Thursday appointment for my LASIK procedure arrived.  I had written three reminders the assistant had given me from the last meeting: 1) do NOT wear any cologne; cologne or aerosol products of any kind could interfere with the procedure on my eyes.  I don’t use any aerosol products, but I ALWAYS put cologne on.  I had to keep telling myself as I shaved: “Do not put on cologne … do not put on cologne …”.  I breathed a sigh of relief when I left the bathroom without automatically putting on anything as soon as I shaved.  2) Bring a sweater or light jacket, as it can be cold in the operating room.  I did bring the light jacket I had bought for our England trip, but it ended up that I did not need it.  Perhaps it was because 3) was a prescription for two tablets of Valium; one for before the procedure, and one after.  I never take any medication, so I figured this stuff was really going to affect me. I will say honestly I didn’t really notice any effects from it.  Perhaps had I NOT had it, I would have been extremely nervous; I don’t know.  But at any rate, I did not experience anything notable at all from the Valium. 

When the time came, I sat in a little waiting area while the man scheduled before me had the procedure done.  His wife was watching through a glass window, just as I had watched Paul a few years ago.  I had no desire to see it again, as I was about to experience it first-hand in just a few moments!  The man was not in the operating room for long, as I would not be.  Soon I was sitting in that chair in the LASIK procedure room. 

The procedure went just like they had explained it to me, and just as quickly.  The doctor put some tape on the top and bottom of my right eye, which would keep me from blinking.  Then he put some kind of device on my eye which would keep it open.  It was not as uncomfortable as I imagined that it would be.  There was a little orange light, which the doctor told me to keep focused on.  I knew what was coming: they had to make an incision in my cornea, so that they could lay the “flap” back, and the laser could make the correction in my vision.  Soon he said, “Now, it is going to go dark in a just a moment”; I felt a little pressure, and the “cut” had been made, and it indeed went dark in the eye.  Then he told me to keep still, and I heard the laser begin.  I detected a faint “burning” smell that I can still vividly remember. I could hear the assistant count down from about 30, 5 seconds at a time, until the laser portion of the procedure was over.  They I could feel the doctor move the “flap” back, and my right eye was done.  It had taken just a couple of minutes.  That procedure was repeated on my left eye, and shortly afterwards, I was given a pair of sunglasses, and was walking out of the LASIK center.  It was not “painful” in any significant way.  I have always been very sensitive regarding my eyes, and could not have imagined that I could have let someone do this procedure on me – but now it was completed! 

Instantly I noticed that there was a change in my vision.  Things were pretty blurry, and my eyes were sensitive to the light, but I could also tell a great difference in my ability to see.  I put on my sunglasses and went out to the car so Cheryl could drive me home. 

One is told in the pre-op instructions to spend as much time sleeping as possible the first day or so, but even after taking my second Valium, I was just not that sleepy, for whatever reason.  I did take a nap when I got home, but after a while I got up, and actually watched a little tv, and every so often put in the eye drops they had given me. 

The first couple of days I had some of the kinds of symptoms they predicted: my eyes were a little sore, and it felt kind of like there was some sandpaper between my eyes and eyelids.  I had to keep putting the drops in my eyes, as they would get dry very quickly; dry as well as sore.  And they would tire quickly.  I could not read or watch television for any length of time. 

As for my vision, it seemed to be something of a mixed bag.  On one hand, I could see a lot of things much more clearly than I have ever been able to.  From my chair in the living room, I can see out the front window and make out some of the details of the bark on the tree in the front yard.  Things on the ground in front of me now look like they are in “high definition”!  At night I can read the clock and see some things without putting my glasses on – something I have never been able to do.  But I have also experienced some of the possible side-effects they warned me about regarding the surgery: my eyes are very sensitive to light; there is a lot of haloing on headlights, streetlights, etc.  In fact, I see halos on car lights even in the daytime!  I can see quite well outdoors – if it is not too bright – and I can easily drive without my glasses and see most signs.  I am pretty certain I will pass my vision test and now be able to drive without corrective lenses.  But on the other hand, I don’t think I am one of those “20/15 success stories” either.  Often it seems like I am just a lens or two away from perfect vision.  Some lettering, especially white on a dark background, is a little blurry or runs together.  Some of the negative things I have mentioned may still improve with time.  At this writing I am just two weeks out from the surgery, and my vision may continue to improve for up to a couple of months – especially as an “older” patient, who takes more time to recover than my college-aged sons.  But even though I may not have had one of the “miracle”-type results, one of the things I have said to a number of folks is, “Even if it doesn’t get any better, this is still pretty good.”  It was worth doing.  Of course, I would have hoped for a more optimal result – who wouldn’t?  But I have since spoken to many people who have had results like mine: very good, but not “perfect” vision.  And to be fair, they do not promise those “perfect” results.  I think this is something for anyone who is considering LASIK to consider.  You may get incredible vision as a result of the procedure – or you may just get “very good” or “better.”  Be sure that you go in with realistic expectations.

Another point is probably worth making: I have had several people tell me that they thought that I looked better with glasses.  One said I looked more intelligent with glasses!  I think I should say that I did not have LASIK done as a cosmetic procedure.  Maybe that is the motivation for some people, but it was not for me.  I personally thought that I looked great with glasses — perhaps better than I do without them – so aesthetics were not my reason for having the procedure.  It has much more to do with the reasons I mentioned earlier in this blog: being able to see better in a number of circumstances; not having to worry about my glasses all the time, etc.  I’ll leave the discussion over which way I looked better to those who wish to debate it.  I’m just glad that my vision has improved, and that’s why I had it done. 

And as I mentioned, the “final results” are not in yet, either.  I may still have some improvement over the next few weeks and even months, so it is possible that I will have a “LASIK update blog” some time in the future.   But for now I will say that although mine is not a “LASIK miracle story”, I consider my experience to be a moderate success.  If you are considering LASIK, I hope that you will go into it with reasonable expectations – and perhaps my story may help to you as you decide.