My LASIK Experience

Monday was the big day for me, the day I ditched my glasses and contacts forever. Good riddance! I have worn contacts and glasses since I was 11 years old. 18 years of bondage. 18 years of being locked in a cell. A cell where I wake up at night and can't read the time on the alarm clock. And little Max is in the cell with me - grabbing my glasses off my face with his tiny hands every chance he gets.

For anyone out there thinking about getting LASIK, I don't necessarily want to be the one who recommended it to you - what if you go blind and complain to me that I was the one who told you to get it? (FACT: No one has ever gone blind from LASIK). But with any surgery - there are risks. I will only say it has been terrific for me and I have absolutely no regrets.

Top 5 reasons I won't miss glasses or contacts:

1. While playing video games, my contacts would dry up and fall out from not blinking! I know - you think I'm lame. But I'm sure this happens to other people too.
2. When swimming, I could either take out my contacts out and not see, or leave them in and let my eyes burn for days.
3. I no longer wake up in the middle of the night and struggle to read what time it is.
   
4. While camping - my contacts always get really dirty and hurt. And I'd have to take along a mirror to get them in. And in the tent, I never knew what to do with my glasses so they wouldn't break by getting stepped on or rolled over on in my sleep. I definitely won't miss cold contact lens solution!
   
5. The convenience of just not having to worry about it. As a senior, some friends and I went on a campout to Causey Dam. I jumped off a cliff and out popped my contacts. I hadn't brought along a pair of glasses, so I west left a blind man for the rest of the trip.

If I sat here another few minutes, I bet I could come up with 50 more reasons I hate contacts/glasses... Glasses fog up in the winter and get sprinkled on when it rains. Contacts give me frequent eye infections. I've had a contact fall out while driving - almost causing me to crash. The list goes on and on...

LASIK was a little uncomfortable yes, but definitely not painful. The staff at Hoopes Vision center answered all my questions. They were very reassuring, and walked me through the entire process. The worst part I would have to say was the eye clamps that held my eyes open and the smell of the laser vaporizing the tissue in my eye. It smelled like when someone's hair catches on fire.

Before I wrap up, I want to give a huge thank you to Jana. Lasik isn't necessarily cheap, and Jana probably wanted this for me more than I did. It's going to be a big sacrifice in '09 as we pay it off, and I am so grateful Jana that you are so selfless and willing to sacrifice for me! Thank you! I love you!

Here we are in the waiting room. You can tell I'm a little nervous, but I sure won't miss those ugly glasses!


Here I am getting prepped right before surgery. It felt a little like I was giving blood - THROUGH MY EYES!


Here I am under the machine that creates the flap in my cornea. The LASIK laser only takes 11 seconds per eye. And Chad, to answer your question, no it wasn't Jesus who was running the laser, he wouldn't have needed it.


And here's kind of a gross close-up of them lifting the flap so they can finish the surgery. They taped my eyelashes open and clamped open my eyes with little mini claws so I couldn't blink.


And here I am all finished up on my way out the door. It was foggy for most of the day but by the next day I was 20/20 in both eyes! What a miracle!