I'm pretty ignorant of the process involved, is fully sedating someone dangerous or just expensive? I figure if anything I'd rather get really drunk and pass out just before they go to work on me. (thats what she said
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Getting my eyes lasered next week!
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)I'd considered it before but if I do go through with it I'd try to have just one eye done at a time, that way if they screw it up I'll have one eye left. Guess I'd have to wear a monocle or something.
My mom was legally blind and had this done and now sees perfectly. She loves it and I have been seriously thinking about getting it done.
Best "health" decision I ever made
I had lazik surgery about two years ago. It was the best decision I ever made. Here's the whole, long, boring story (you asked):
I've worn glasses since high school, have horrible allergies which gave me dry, itchy, snotty eyes. I would actually have to pull the car over during the spring and summer months and rub the snot out of my eyes sometimes. In my mid-thirties, my eye doctor put me on Restasis which helped my eye problems but did not completely cure my of those problems. My eye site was bad enough that I needed glasses to drive, watch tv/movies, etc but not so bad that when my eyes started to feel the strain that glasses put on them, I could take them off and give them a rest without walking into walls or not seeing who I was talking to (my wife can barely make it to the bathroom at night wihtout her glasses). Anyway, when I was 37/38, I had enough, my eye doctor (old fashioned kind who has his own office and only works a few days a week because he teaches and does surgery the other days, not one of those mall doctors) sent me to the guy he trusts in a nearby town. The lasik guy would be in charge of the surgery but my own eye doctor would do all the follow ups. For a week before the surgery I needed to stay on the Restasis to make sure my eyes were nice and not too dry (I think if you wear contacts, you have to stop a month before and be on the Restasis for four weeks before they will zap you). I drove myself to the surgery and left the car in the lot. I laid on the comfy couch like operating table and they put in the little hold-your-eyes-open thingee. They put in drops to numb my eyes. There was no sucking thing as someone else posted (maybe a joke, maybe they had a slightly different surgery). First I saw a line cross my vision and then my vision went blury. This was the cutting and pealing of the top layer of the eye. I felt absolutely nothing! Then the lasers flashed for under 30 seconds (it depends on how bad your eye sight is, my friend had the lasers going for a lot longer). Then then folded the top layer back onto my cornea and my vision was already better! Then I saw them tap the eye to push that top layer down and they used a mini-squeegy to flatten it out. Same thing for other eye. They then taped on plastic glasses to protect my eyes. I stood up, vision perfect! I saw the street sign out the window and across the street. Fifteen mintutes of rest and the doctor checking me out after the rest later, I was in a cab. No pain or discomfort at all as the drops wore off. The next day, cab ride back, plastic guard off, doctor checks my eyes and sends my home in my own car. For the next month, I had to use four different eye drops every day at different times. I went to my own eye doctor for follow ups and he said that one eye wasn't healing as fast as the other so he just put me on more drops. My eye sight was better then 20/20.
Two years later: Eye sight is still fantastic. In my right eye, I sometimes get those little black floaters the first time I see bright light after I wake up. however, its possible I got them before the surgery and just wasn't aware of them because thats something that happens a lot. I love watching tv in bed without glasses and falling asleep, I don't get headaches from eye strain and the best part: no more allergy eyes!!!! why? probably from the dust build up on my glasses and my eyelashes rubbing on them. I hardly every use the restasis anymore, hardly every get the snots in my eyes or feel like they are dry or itchy.
So.. best of luck! The surgery was actually fun, I enjoyed watching what was going on without feeling anything, it was wierd! I'm still trying to talk my wife into the surgery!
I had lazik surgery about two years ago. It was the best decision I ever made. Here's the whole, long, boring story (you asked):
I've worn glasses since high school, have horrible allergies which gave me dry, itchy, snotty eyes. I would actually have to pull the car over during the spring and summer months and rub the snot out of my eyes sometimes. In my mid-thirties, my eye doctor put me on Restasis which helped my eye problems but did not completely cure my of those problems. My eye site was bad enough that I needed glasses to drive, watch tv/movies, etc but not so bad that when my eyes started to feel the strain that glasses put on them, I could take them off and give them a rest without walking into walls or not seeing who I was talking to (my wife can barely make it to the bathroom at night wihtout her glasses). Anyway, when I was 37/38, I had enough, my eye doctor (old fashioned kind who has his own office and only works a few days a week because he teaches and does surgery the other days, not one of those mall doctors) sent me to the guy he trusts in a nearby town. The lasik guy would be in charge of the surgery but my own eye doctor would do all the follow ups. For a week before the surgery I needed to stay on the Restasis to make sure my eyes were nice and not too dry (I think if you wear contacts, you have to stop a month before and be on the Restasis for four weeks before they will zap you). I drove myself to the surgery and left the car in the lot. I laid on the comfy couch like operating table and they put in the little hold-your-eyes-open thingee. They put in drops to numb my eyes. There was no sucking thing as someone else posted (maybe a joke, maybe they had a slightly different surgery). First I saw a line cross my vision and then my vision went blury. This was the cutting and pealing of the top layer of the eye. I felt absolutely nothing! Then the lasers flashed for under 30 seconds (it depends on how bad your eye sight is, my friend had the lasers going for a lot longer). Then then folded the top layer back onto my cornea and my vision was already better! Then I saw them tap the eye to push that top layer down and they used a mini-squeegy to flatten it out. Same thing for other eye. They then taped on plastic glasses to protect my eyes. I stood up, vision perfect! I saw the street sign out the window and across the street. Fifteen mintutes of rest and the doctor checking me out after the rest later, I was in a cab. No pain or discomfort at all as the drops wore off. The next day, cab ride back, plastic guard off, doctor checks my eyes and sends my home in my own car. For the next month, I had to use four different eye drops every day at different times. I went to my own eye doctor for follow ups and he said that one eye wasn't healing as fast as the other so he just put me on more drops. My eye sight was better then 20/20.
Two years later: Eye sight is still fantastic. In my right eye, I sometimes get those little black floaters the first time I see bright light after I wake up. however, its possible I got them before the surgery and just wasn't aware of them because thats something that happens a lot. I love watching tv in bed without glasses and falling asleep, I don't get headaches from eye strain and the best part: no more allergy eyes!!!! why? probably from the dust build up on my glasses and my eyelashes rubbing on them. I hardly every use the restasis anymore, hardly every get the snots in my eyes or feel like they are dry or itchy.
So.. best of luck! The surgery was actually fun, I enjoyed watching what was going on without feeling anything, it was wierd! I'm still trying to talk my wife into the surgery!
Thanks for posting that kind of puts me more at ease. I was told that they kind of 'suck' on your eye to keep it still. I never figured out how as the whole thing would need to be enclosed to create the vacuum but at the time I didnt question it.
BTW I always thought snot was a nose thing. So saying you had snot in your eyes seems a bit gross and laughable to me.
Im glad you dont have allergies as bad now. I'm a no nonsense guy and allergies really piss me off. Theres no need LOL. That being said last year I was diagnosed (by myself because the NHS is ****) allergic to milk. If I drink milk or anything containing it I get lethargic and my throat closes up.
They dont use milk for the eye drops do they? That would be bad 
Paying off my lasik this month (2 years, interest free) and nothing but good things to say.
Well I did have PRK and that's like wearing sandpaper contacts for a week, but worth it
Well I did have PRK and that's like wearing sandpaper contacts for a week, but worth it
Thanks for posting that kind of puts me more at ease. I was told that they kind of 'suck' on your eye to keep it still. I never figured out how as the whole thing would need to be enclosed to create the vacuum but at the time I didnt question it.
BTW I always thought snot was a nose thing. So saying you had snot in your eyes seems a bit gross and laughable to me.
No problem. The sucking thing could be from the older surgeries. Now the laser will move if you eye moves or even shut off if your eye moves too much. I think thats whats called THE FLYING SPOT LASER. Its fairly new. Maybe just a few years. And yes, the eye boogers are gross!!!!
the 15 minutes was going to the operating room and getting out. your vision is temporarily blurred when the laser cuts into your eye - it's like seeing heaven, only for a shortcut minute.
yes, i had to rest for a bit, they gave me these glasses to wear, then my gf drive me home. i was 20/10 right after i left the office! 20/40 now aged over the years, but it was awesome dude.
So I'm back!
Procedure lasted only 10 minutes. No pain or discomfort whatsoever.
Eyes feel dry and ache a little bit today (zapped on Friday aft.). But nothing more than when you have been awake for ages and your eyes feel heavy and sore.
Vision is great. Better than 20/20 apparently. Still some halos on high contrast things but this is usual and will eventually fade. Plus my vision will continue to get better eyes my eyes heal.
I'm still surprised when I can see stuff and it appears so sharp. Sharper than I ever remember to be honest. Even my TV seems much sharper, its like ive bought a new TV
More than happy with it, even if i did scare myself with YouTube. If you are thinking of getting your eyes lasered, DO NOT watch how they do it on YouTube. It WILL freak you out!
For me the procedure itself was almost enjoyable. Just lay there and look at a red light. No pain whatsoever. Vision goes blurred. Laser does its thing. Vision comes back. Thats it. (I had Intralase so other ops will be a bit different).
Went home, chilled out in bedroom with curtains closed. Had a few beers listened to music, went to bed (wearing goggles to stop you rubbing eyes in sleep).
Procedure lasted only 10 minutes. No pain or discomfort whatsoever.
Eyes feel dry and ache a little bit today (zapped on Friday aft.). But nothing more than when you have been awake for ages and your eyes feel heavy and sore.
Vision is great. Better than 20/20 apparently. Still some halos on high contrast things but this is usual and will eventually fade. Plus my vision will continue to get better eyes my eyes heal.
I'm still surprised when I can see stuff and it appears so sharp. Sharper than I ever remember to be honest. Even my TV seems much sharper, its like ive bought a new TV
More than happy with it, even if i did scare myself with YouTube. If you are thinking of getting your eyes lasered, DO NOT watch how they do it on YouTube. It WILL freak you out!
For me the procedure itself was almost enjoyable. Just lay there and look at a red light. No pain whatsoever. Vision goes blurred. Laser does its thing. Vision comes back. Thats it. (I had Intralase so other ops will be a bit different).
Went home, chilled out in bedroom with curtains closed. Had a few beers listened to music, went to bed (wearing goggles to stop you rubbing eyes in sleep).
So I'm back!
Procedure lasted only 10 minutes. No pain or discomfort whatsoever.
Eyes feel dry and ache a little bit today (zapped on Friday aft.). But nothing more than when you have been awake for ages and your eyes feel heavy and sore.
Vision is great. Better than 20/20 apparently. Still some halos on high contrast things but this is usual and will eventually fade. Plus my vision will continue to get better eyes my eyes heal.
I'm still surprised when I can see stuff and it appears so sharp. Sharper than I ever remember to be honest. Even my TV seems much sharper, its like ive bought a new TV
More than happy with it, even if i did scare myself with YouTube. If you are thinking of getting your eyes lasered, DO NOT watch how they do it on YouTube. It WILL freak you out!
For me the procedure itself was almost enjoyable. Just lay there and look at a red light. No pain whatsoever. Vision goes blurred. Laser does its thing. Vision comes back. Thats it. (I had Intralase so other ops will be a bit different).
Went home, chilled out in bedroom with curtains closed. Had a few beers listened to music, went to bed (wearing goggles to stop you rubbing eyes in sleep).
I forgot to tell you before hand.... anyway, ten years after the surgery, your eyeballs fall out.
Great, now we'll have to endure MBP posting how his resolution and screens look like crap.
J/K Glad it worked so well for you. Keep us updated! I would like to get it done in the future.
So I'm back!
Procedure lasted only 10 minutes. No pain or discomfort whatsoever.
Snip
Are you kidding? My wife had it done and she was in extreme pain 15 minutes after and for the rest of the day, so much so that she thought something had gone wrong.
Old thread I know but I'm bored.
No pain whatsoever.
When I got home I closed the curtains and went to sleep. Woke up around 7pm and had something to eat. Eyes were a little light sensitive but it was a very sunny day. Even to this day (nearly a month later) I havent had one problem. The only thing is my eyes felt a little heavy sometimes, like I'd been awake for ages. Put in some drops and I was fine. I rarely use the drops now, I should but never feel any discomfort and so forget. 
This thread prompted me to look into lasik again. I checked it out about 5 years ago, but I thought "What the Hell?". It has been 5 days since I had my surgery and I love it. I need readers ('cause I'm old) but not very strong ones. The surgery was a BREEZE! I'm 20/20 and so now is my wife. She had it done too, but she's sort of regretting it because of the readers.
Thanks for the push!
Thanks for the push!
I now have vouchers that will get you £150 off at Optical Express here in the UK. If anyone decides they want to go for it PM me and I'll post one to you. Please dont ask if you dont intend to go through with it as they are limited.
(wearing goggles to stop you rubbing eyes in sleep).
But this would've been a lot more humourous...
Although seriously, I'd love to get this done, hopefully the fact I have astigmatism? (I think is the name where the eyes are slightly more like rugby balls than footballs) won't affect my ability to do it. I hate being short sighted (enough to ironically make it hard for me to play rugby well).
I had astigmatism in one eye and everything worked out really well. I had the new "Wavefront" laser technology that burns a larger circular area than the regular Lasik. This way, there are no halos around lights, especially during night driving.
Fascinating thread, and very informative and interesting.
I wear glasses (have done since I was 7), and am short-sighted in both eyes, (very short-sighted in one eye); over the past two decades a few friends have suggested that I think about getting laser surgery done, but the very idea has horrified me in the past.
This thread certainly has made it worth thinking about and thanks to everyone for posting such interesting, detailed (and occasionally hilariously gory) posts.
Cheers
I wear glasses (have done since I was 7), and am short-sighted in both eyes, (very short-sighted in one eye); over the past two decades a few friends have suggested that I think about getting laser surgery done, but the very idea has horrified me in the past.
This thread certainly has made it worth thinking about and thanks to everyone for posting such interesting, detailed (and occasionally hilariously gory) posts.
Cheers