So John and I both had eye appointments today. I try to go every 1 1/2 to 2 years since, historically, I need a new prescription each time I've gone for the past 20 years. My eyes have been getting more tired lately as I'm reading and using the computer, so I thought for sure I'd need new glasses. Turns out my eyes only got a smidge worse this time, and I don't need new glasses. This means two things:
1) I can use my insurance to buy new prescription sunglasses.
2) I can finally seriously consider laser correction since my prescription has begun to stabilize.
I did, however, hear the dreaded "b" word: Bifocals. I'll need those in a few years. See, my eyes are getting tired since they can't adjust fast enough between close and far vision. This is not a surprise. Both my mother and my grandmother had trifocal lenses - and my eyes are just as bad as theirs. Mom got the laser surgery a couple years ago and she loves it. I really have to consider this option, as creepy as it sounds. It would be nice to be able to wake up in the middle of the night, roll over, and actually read the numbers on our clock radio without squinting and being 12 inches from it.
John found out that his eyes are much worse than he realized, but he never noticed. Turns out one of his eyes is farsighted and one nearsighted, and so only one eye is used for each task at a time. Weird huh?
25 January 2006
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I found out at my last eye exam that the technology has evolved to the point where I might actually get a good result from lasik. I was very excited, but won't be able to afford this for a long time, I'm afraid. Oh, how I yearn to be able to see the shampoo/conditioner labels in the shower without having to hold the bottle an inch away from my eyes...
My stepbrother runs the lazer vision center at Northwestern Memorial. Let me know if you want to talk to someone in the field about it without sales pressure.
WC: Yes... to be able to see the shampoo bottle - that's another one.
The tech has come a long way, but yes, it's expensive. My old insurance plan actually covered it, but I don't think my current one does - the bastards.
Cillic: Some day, yes. Right now though, it would be as useful as me talking to a mortgage agent knowing that we don't yet have the down payment ready...
my mom worked for an eye doc and she said he told her that she wouldn't believe how many patients he sees because they have had botched optical surgeries. Research this proceedure out as much as possible and ask the performing doctor to see his successes and failures. I'm serious Laura, that is a much riskier surgery than people make it sound.
actually my left is near 20/20, the right is totally farsighted. the left will degrade in a natural course, but he sais that 5 years i won't be able to see without massive correction in the right
Whoops, I guess I got that wrong. Well anyway..
Sadie: Oh I know. My dad had it and is NOT happy with the result. He now needs 2 different pairs of glasses, instead of 1, and may need a third. The way they had to "correct" his eyes was to make one for near and one for far - so he needs reading glasses and possibly glasses for driving at night.
I plan on talking to Cillic stepbrother one of these days. I've talked with him before at various gatherings and trust his judgement.
I think the surgery is really only for certain people - like me- who'd be happy to wear glasses for reading or whatnot, but just would like to be able to get up at night and go to the bathroom without needing glasses. Or be able to go swimming with a cheap pair of sunglasses and still be able to see somewhat. Nothing they do surgically will make my vision 20/20. I just am tired of being totally helpless without glasses.
I heard the phrase 'bi-focals' recently too... [shudder]
Also thinking of lasers... can't help thinking of James Bond strapped to a table though.. so kinda ruins the moment for me...
A couple of years ago I found out that all I coud read was the big "E" with one eyes- I can't even read that with the other. My eyesight seems to have stabilized at near blind. I too would like to know what it is like to be able to see in the middle of the night to run to the bathroom or not have to spend 5 minutes figuring out the time on my clock 2 feet away. That's why when I wear contacts, I tend to leave them in for a week (or two) at a time, which I know is VERY bad for my eyes. But it's so easy to just be able to get up and see in the morning.
Laura: You are right when you said I'm not satisfied with the results of Lasik. But I only wear reading glasses now, which I knew was a possibility even before going through with the surgury. But there is an area about 3 - 5 feet in front of me that is never in focus. Even though I'm glad not to have to be constantly cleaning my glasses, and driving seems to be fine, sometimes I wish I had never elected to do it. I think you have to ask yourself, how bad is your vision and how much would your vision and life be improved without glasses. In my case, I believe my eyesight was not poor enough for me to appreciate the benifits. That's my $0.02. ;->
Who was it that I was thinking of that needs all sorts of glasses after having Lasik? I know there was someone. I think the proportion of people (that I personally kno) who have had it and are happy vs. not is about 60/40. Not great odds. But we shall see.
Hi Laura's dad!
Good luck with whatever you choose. I'm lucky to have such good vision-genes.
You know, even though my eyes are seriously out of whack, I never mind going to the eye doctor. It is always less painful than the dentist and way more pleasant than the regular doc. Hopefully you can get the laser surgery. I'm too much of a wimp for that. :-P
Laura - I had the best eye doctor in the world in Santa Barbara. He gave me two pairs of glasses, one strong, one weak. he said if you keep getting stronger and stronger prescriptions, your eyes would just get worse and worse.
That was 2000. I still have the same two pairs of glasses. I use the strong ones less and less.
I wouldn't be surprised if the next time I go to him, I'll get a weaker prescription.
Zombie: That might be true for some prescriptions, probably those dealing with natural aging of the eye. But believe me, my eyes aren't gettin better ;)
Just an FYI... there are multiple types of laser eye surgery, and my understanding is that Lasik is kinda the Yugo of eye surgeries... I'm no expert for sure, but different places to different forms of laser surgery... depends on what kind of machine they use.
cillic- yes. It also depends on what's wrong with your eyes. For someone like me, who has a severe astigmatism and near sightedness - I would require a different surgery than someone who is just nearsighted or farsighted.
Yes but check out the major procedural differences between PRK, LASIK and Wavefront Guided LASIK. I just came out of PRK with amazing results but my healing process took 3x longer than LASIK... but then again no scarring no cloudiness and no corneal puncturing required. I'm a huge fan if you can find the money :)
I just use two pairs of glasses, one for driving, one for reading, because I am too damned vain to admit I am so old I need bifocals!
GWB has mentioned bifocals soooo often that I think he's FINALLY considering getting them. ;)
GWB - One of my favorite people invented bifocals. He was a total pimp by the way. His nickname "father of America" is half-literal. You're in good company with bifocals. ;)
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