Sunday, January 24, 2010

I Got My Face Back

For the last couple of months I have been wearing my glasses, letting my eyes do whatever they needed to do in preparation for Lasik corrective surgery.

Let me tell you, I have absolutely hated wearing my glasses that much.

Last week, I went in for the initial testing and came away NOT feeling so great about it.

I am not a candidate for "regular" Lasik-where they cut your cornea off, fix things and stick it back on. Everyone I know who has had the surgery have had pretty good success with it, with minimal discomfort.

In my case, I would have to have an alternate surgery called PRK. In this case, my cornea has to be "polished" before laser correction is employed. Polished as in...abraded. Although the doctor assured me that it is actually a better procedure in the long run(not as much chance for cornea detachment), it causes great discomfort and has a lengthy healing period, real pain for at least a week and up to a month for full recovery.

Ummmm...No Thanks!

I have never had problems wearing my contacts. My eyes are very healthy and my cornea's still nice and thick. I should be able to wear my contacts indefinitely. If something changes down the road, I may have to revisit the surgery option. But at this time, I'm sticking with what I know.

It felt so good putting my contacts in this morning. It has been so strange looking at myself with glasses on for the last couple of months. Man, I'm glad to have my face back.

13 comments:

Mrs. Mom said...

Man alive girl- when I asked about Lasik ages ago, the Dr told me that with my eyes (severe astigmatisim in both eyes) that surgery for my case was years- YEARS - away.

Contacts are great--- if you can wear them!! Can you do the soft ones, or do you need gas permeable lenses?? (My eyes are like my brain- warped beyond belief sometimes...lol)

Leah Fry said...

I don't blame you. That doesn't sound like fun at all.

I feel truly blessed to have gotten LASIK. I was to the point where I didn't have clear vision at any distance, either with contacts and readers or with bifocals. I have severe astigmatism, and had traditional LASIK. I opted to try monovision, where they super-correct one eye, and leave the other eye corrected to a shorter distance. They work together and compensate for each other. Some people never can adapt, but I did. I am 57 and still only have to wear reading glasses if I'm reading mouse type, or if I'm very tired and am trying to read. Best money I ever spent.

Unknown said...

Lucky me I have better than perfect vision says my optometrist. I hope by the time I need glasses the surgery is a lot more advanced than it is now. I hear the day after it's just like having a little sand in your eyes and is easy.

Paint Girl said...

I also have astigmatism, in my right eye only. My left eye is perfectly fine. I have glasses that I never wear, they bother me, I can't wear them for more then 10 minutes without discomfort. Sunglasses do the same. I have never had contacts. So I just deal with it.
Hopefully someday the surgery will work for you. If mine gets bad enough, I will be checking into it!

Callie said...

Nope, nope, nope, nope, NO WAY would I let that happen to my eyes! Gads! I'm with you on this one, Just the thought of it makes me cringe! Gads! Cripes, I have the willies just thinking again what you've just written, No way, No way.......Yikes! Don't do it!

Dave said...

I had PRK and it was no big deal... and I went from 20/400 to 20/15. I wore glasses for more than 30 years, and the week of discomfort was well worth the benefit of vision.

Unknown said...

I'm with you - I've worn contacts for 20 years, and can't imagine having LASIK. The contacts are just no big deal, they don't bother me and I don't mind messing with them every day.

I am losing my reading vision though - I can see close up without my contacts, but I need some very funky readers...

I'm just not crazy about the idea of someone mucking around with my cornea. But I will stick plastic in my eyeball.

sigh. We don't have to be rational, right?

Sherry Sikstrom said...

Yikes ! that sounds awful ! I would stick with the contacts if you can

Fantastyk Voyager said...

Awww, that's too bad. I would love to have Lasik done. I have bad astigmatism and uneven corneas. I got so tired of my dry eyes and blurry vision that after over 20 years of wearing hard contacts I switched back to glasses. I couldn't see in soft and I kept scratching my corneas with the hard. I am envious of those people with good vision.
For years, I have used monovision in both my contacts and my glasses. It works fine for me and avoids those yucky bifocals.

BrownEyed Cowgirl said...

Wow-Now I feel lucky that I actually have healthy eyes, even if I am blind as a bat-LOL.

My Honey had Lasik last year and has really enjoyed it. He still has to use reading glasses.

I may revisit the option later, but timing is everything. I didn't want to take my contacts out when I was still riding regularly last fall and I don't want to miss out on riding time this spring for recovery.

City girl turned Country Girl said...

Well I sure the heck don't blame you there!!! I am SO envious that you get the luxury of wearing contacts!! I wore them for many years but about 7 years ago I had to go back to wearing only glasses :( I have an eye condition that will not allow me to wear them and at some point I will more than likely be looking at corneal transplants which I am not thrilled about as my mom had one and has had nothing but problems (although we do not have the same eye condition)...

I am glad you finally got your face back LOL!!

The Equestrian Vagabond said...

I wore contacts, then couldn't wear them anymore. Went to glasses. Didn't particularly like them, but what can you do. I entertained the idea of lasik surgery, but... I was just tooo chicken. I've since decided it's a good thing I didn't get it and stayed with my glasses. While in many cases they are BOTHERSOME, I can't tell you how many times I woulda been poked in the eye by a naughty tree or something else if I hadn't had them on!
- The Equestrian Vagabond

Andrea said...

I would have gone with a big NO on that one too!! That sounds horrible! Pain for a week!! And then recovery for a month, no thanks! I am glad you got to wear your contacts. Glasses are so weird looking out of! I used to wear glasses all the time and just recently switched to contacts, I'll never go back!! lol