LASIK makes me cry

The BBQ Pit
1

Technology is wonderful. Let’s talk about LASIK. I’ve noticed that many people on these boards have raved about the results from their surgeries. To them, I say God bless and all the best. I hope your results last a life-time. But, I have to rant about some shit I read on web-sites that make this surgery seem like cancer or AIDS has been eradicated. For one thing, is there an opthalmologist out there who does anything but LASIK? What if some old guy needs cataracts removed or a child needs lazy eye corrected? Are they left to the wind? Every page in the newspaper is filled with LASIK doctors hocking their trade, and while I’m sure two or three or four of them are legitimate, caring doctors, most are just in it for the bucks. Clues that shout to me are little coupons that say things like ONLY 250 an eye, or such. I mean, is this a major operation or a fast-food promotion? (One ad here in NYC a while ago promoted the services of the “#1 best doctor” in this field - as oppossed to the #2 best?).

But let me tell you what really kills me: It’s that letter to the doctor from a satisfied customer, the one who CRIED when he or she woke up and no longer needed to put on glasses to see the clock. That is sick! You may not think so, but I do. Are we talking about a formerly armless person who can now hug his loved ones? Are we talking about a blind person who now can see shapes and do some things he/she couldn’t formerly? Is this someone who had vicious hallucinations or was severely depressed but now can live with medication and proper treatment? No! I remember Stevie Wonder said that if some operation can help him see, he can’t wait to see his children. Now THIS is someone who should be expected to cry. Does this jerk know any perspective? Goddamnit, there are glasses and contacts that we can put on our faces and to help us see and this schmuck decides to cry because he/she doesn’t need glasses anymore. There are countries on this planet that don’t have the resources we do and so a myope there is truly disabled, unable to get proper corrective lenses. But this nitwit is all fucked because of an inability to see the clock in the morning.

And I don’t need myopes putting me down, telling me how I don’t know how it is to be nearsighted. I’m -15 with astigmatism, the works (and I know there are those even worse than me) and have glasses that weigh a ton and I thank God every day that I can see, even though my peripheral vision sucks. I can see; I can play chess and read books with my eyes instead of my fingers (which means that I have a wider range of books to choose from, unlike those who need LARGE PRINT books or Braille). I can read these and other web-sites and compose my own posts. I couldn’t do that were I blind.

Maybe some day I will try LASIK, but I’ll never be so spoiled as to treat it like they found a cure for a killer disease.

Listen, I’m not putting down the many, many who rave about something they truly should rave about. I’m pissed about those who have no perspective, and the doctors for publishing their crappy letters, furthering this.

2

I had Lasik last year. Right eye turned out well, 20-25.
Left eye needed an enhancement, it was O.K at about 20-30, but I wanted to make it better.
So I had the second operation on my left eye. My daytime vision did’nt improve much at all, and my nightime vision got worse. Now, whenever I see lights in the dark with my left eye, I also see 3 “spikes” of light sticking out at certain angles from the light.

3

Yes I know, its not a cure for cancer or an AIDS vaccine, but sweetie, you’re 15. See how you feel in another 20 years. When did you start wearing glasses? Some of us started before kindergarten. I myself managed to grope around until I was 7. No, I wasn’t dying or in agony. Not physically anyway. Wearing glasses changes so many things, and I’m going to guess by the way you spell Tony, that you’re a guy. You of all people, as a teenage should know how cruel kids can be.
Then there is the actual physical aspect. Glasses made physical activities almost impossible. I’d sweat, the glasses would bounce, they’d fall off, they’d fall off and break…you get the picture. (and if it’s not bad enough wearing glasses, imagine wearing them taped together)
The doctor could adjust them a million times, but after 12 hours, those earpieces would be killing me.

I tried contacts, for years, felt like I was ripping the shit out of my eyes. I still couldn’t do the things I wanted to do. I couldn’t run outside, because I lived in constant fear that the wind would hit my eye wrong and the contact would pop out. (these were the old hard lenses)
Before last October, if I wanted to bike through the woods, I either risked getting bugs under my contacts or wear the really expensive glasses and hope I didn’t hit too many bumps.

Sorry, I’m on a tangent here. Believe me, we know its not a lifesaving procedure. But its definatly life changing. It doesn’t take me so long to get dressed. I’m not late for work because I don’t have to worry about remembering where I put my glasses before I get in the shower. (explanation: I’d forget where I left them and spend 20 minutes groping around the house trying to find them. Its hard to finds stuff when you can’t see. And yes, I almost cried when I realized I could see my bedroom clock. Its liberating. I don’t want to speak for anyone but myself.
Its a personal choice and the best money I’ve ever spent.
If LASIX makes someone very happy, who are you to deny them that happiness? Let me know in about 20 years.
My younger sister LOVES her glasses. I find that people who love th

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whoops, please ignore that last line. I forgot it was there.

Carry on

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I didn’t know you were the Baby Jesus :smiley:

Robin, who has been legally blind in her right eye since childhood and doesn’t care enough to get the surgery.

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Miss Creant, glad you got your money’s worth in both tangible and intangible ways.

However…

Getting my money’s worth is what I expect. Not something I will get emotional about. So I’m with Tony. And the ads don’t talk too much about the people like Infidel who will have a permanent optical glitch after LASIK.

I’ve worn my eyeglasses for 24 years now, ever since age 16. And any approach to my eyeball with cutting instruments, including lasers, had better be in order to stave off imminent blindness.

I very early on embraced my spectacles, I made them a part of the JRD-ness. I am constantly told “oh, you look so much better w/o them” … and I ignore it. Because who José is includes “wears eyeglasses” among the minor details. In a few more years, I will add a small secondary lens to the bottom of my frames and not have to go through the awkwardness of almost strip-searching myself for reading glasses everytime I want to read something.

I could have engaged in strenuous sports with glasses – not that I particularly care. I did go thru Army Basic Training with glasses on. Just a question of getting the right glasses for the purpose.

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Miss Creant, I don’t want to embarass you or anything, but when Tony mentioned being -15 with astigmatism, I interpreted the number to be some type of measurement of his visual acuity, not his age.

Let me check his profile real quick…

Hmmm. Occupation: Student. Can’t rule out 15 as his age. And the counsel to gain a bit of life experience in order to acquire a more – sophisticated perspective does seem appropriate. But I still think -15 refers to his eyesight.

So maybe I’ll be the one embarassed. :eek:

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FWIW, yes, there are real opthomologists out there who do real opthamology.

I have had a fantastic one for the past 15 years, who removed my congenital cataracts when I was a wee lad. I now have 20/25 in one eye and 20/30 in the other.

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I know that there are more important things than being able to see things clearly, and being able to see things at all is one of them. But damn. I’ve had horrible vision my entire life. I received my glasses at age 5. I have never, in my life, been able to see clearly.

Glasses? No peripheral vision, and no matter what, they get dirty after a while. Contacts? Can only correct my astigmatism up to a certain point (I have the least common kind and for some reason doctors can never get my prescription), hurt like hell, have to be put in every morning–and for someone who is klutzy under the best of circumstances, this is pretty much impossible–fall out, etc.

I’ve basically never been able to look at someone or something–directly look–and see every detail clearly. If I woke up one morning–after LASIX surgery, even–and I could suddenly see the fucking alarm clock, I would be elated. I wouldn’t cry, but that’s only because I don’t cry when I’m happy.

And, yes, there are doctors who correct cataracts and glaucoma and lazy eye. However, they don’t need to advertise in the paper; they get their buisness though referrals, mostly.

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No idea if this is true or not, but I once asked a guy in the Air Force if one got LASIK surgery could they then become a pilot (since pilots are required to have 20/20 vision) and he told me that if the Air Force found out you had LASIK, yer ass would be out on the street. According to him, LASIK, and other similar surgeries, weaken your eyes to the point that if you were in an aircraft when it lost cabin pressure, there was the possiblity that your eyes could explode :eek: ! Since I heard that, I’ve had no desire to have LASIK, even though I’m blind as a bat without my glasses.

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The Air Force used to prohibit all members from getting laser eye surgery. I think that was due to concerns about side effects, primarily infection, and questions about long-term effects. And yes, there were concerns that the cornea would be become too weak to stand g forces in fighter aircraft. Back in Dec 1999, getting laser surgery could get you kicked out.

Since March 2000, people who have had laser eye surgery are able to enter the AF by getting a medical waiver. http://www.af.mil/news/Mar2000/n20000310_000380.html

Now, the AF is actually offering the surgery to members, including pilots. Although there are still some risks, they feel that reducing the need for glasses will actually improve readiness of forces. http://www.af.mil/news/Oct2000/n20001011_001553.shtml

I’m sorry if this post isn’t up to pit standards. Please feel free to insert a witty slam or gratuitous obscenity.

:cool:

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I’ve worn glasses since 11 and probably should have had them years earlier than that. No, I can’t see the alarm clock when I first wake up and yes, I’ve spent 20 minutes groping around a room for my lost glasses.

I gotta wonder if some of the whiners just never got a good fit in glasses. Either that, or they’re more blind than I am :eek:

I do have peripheral vision - when I can convince the damn doctor to not saddle me with microscopically small lenses but something that actually covers my field of vision. You have to spend some time getting the damn things adjusted - get them fitted, wear 'em a day, then go back the next day for a re-adjustment. After a couple months you’ll need them nudged again because most frames will bend a little over time.

And never never never go to a deep discount, “one hour” eyeglass place because you get what you pay for. Really. You may even (gasp!) have to shop around for an opthamologist that will do a good job.

I’m not thrilled with glasses, but I can live with them. I’ve played soccer, rode horses, skiied, and otherwise have been pretty active while wearing them. If you’ve got a problem with them sliding off your nose get a “dork strap”, one of those things that hook to the ear pieces and go around the back of your head, which hold the things on just fine.

As for flying - having LASIK doesn’t necessarily kill your chances of being a pilot. The military, until very recently, was against it both because of concern about side effects and long term results and also because they pretty much want pilots with naturally occuring 20/20 or better vision. In the civilian world, various airlines have various vision standards - for instance, United won’t hire anyone with less than 20/20 uncorrected, but Southwest apparently will take an applicant with corrected 20/20 regardless of what the uncorrected vision is. The FAA government standard, which is the most lenient, requires at least 6 months of post-LASIK recovery before you get your medical back, as well as a statement from the surgeon that your vision is now stable and without significant side effects. If you do have side effects - such as the “night starbursts” you may be permitted to fly during the day but not at night and you can forget flying for pay 'cause I doubt anyone would hire you with that restriction on your license.

There are a few case of post-LASIK patients having vision alterations due to pressure changes. Beck Weathers, the guy who spent a night on Everest during that really bad season where a whole bunch of people died, and who lost both hands to frostbite, reported that when he got to the top of Everest he couldn’t see anything because the low air pressure on the mountaintop caused his post-LASIK eyeballs to change shape - what a rip-off. But nothing exploded and when he returned to lower altitude his vision went back to 20/20. Very few people are going to experience that degree of pressure change. Unless you’re in the habit of flying your personal Lear jet to 30,000 feet then decompressing it for “fun” this is not likely to be a problem.

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Actually, Beck Weathers (according to Jon Krakauer) didn’t have LASIK, he had a radial kerototomy, which was a predecessor of LASIK. I don’t think that RK uses a laser; I think it’s more like traditional surgery.

I had LASIK two years ago, and my vision was improved from 20/800 and 20/1200 to 20/20. I have had no problems and no complaints whatsoever. It has been good for me, but I don’t view it as some kind of miracle, since my vision was previously correctable to 20/20 with contacts. I also know that my good result was probably largely attributable to getting a reputable doctor who had done ten thousand procedures before mine, as opposed to the type you’re talking about.

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:eek:
I don’t know, but I think you’re right. I was probably skimming again and missed the -. I forgot the negative number equates to level of vision.

I’m sorry Tony.

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Well, I do think it’s something worth getting emotional about. It is life-changing. My current contacts prescription is -10 in one eye and -9.5 in the other. My glasses prescription is even worse. I’ve worn glasses since first grade, and got contacts in 7th. I was absolutely elated to get the contacts-- they allow for so much more freedom than glasses, imo.

I often have dreams about waking up with clear vision, and they’re always thrilling. I hate the idea that I take huge risks by scuba diving with contacts, because should my mask flood unexpectedly and wash the lenses out, it will be a struggle to surface safely.

Anyway. I just had an eye exam two days ago, and was told that I am not an ideal candidate for LASIK. The best they could do is bump me up to about 20/40, or enough to pass the driver’s license test. I’d still need lightweight correction, but that’s fine. I would LOVE to be less dependent, and I won’t be ashamed to get emotional about it.

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I’m with Tony. For the record, I’m 34 and have been wearing glasses since age 6. I remember that first fitting and being amazed that buildings were made of bricks and that trees really did have leaves. And I could finally read the chalkboard from the back row, and the hymn numbers in church. I didn’t get teased about wearing glasses much, either (there was so much other fodder . . . ). When I was about 10, I was tested for diabetes because my eyesight was changing so fast. I didn’t have diabetes; I was just going more nearsighted. Right now I’m at about -8 or -9.

I had a brief flirtation with contacts (rigid gas permeable – the doc didn’t recommend soft contacts for my level of myopia/astigmatism) in college. It was interesting, but kind of a pain. Eventually I gave them up. and I’m back to glasses. Thank God for the new lightweight, thin plastics.

My new OD suggests LASIK every year, but I’m not interested.
[ul][li]First, I just don’t need it. I’m not an athlete or a cop, or a member of any other profession that makes glasses a hindrance. I read for a living. And I can’t afford to take time off to adjust to spots, flashes, or any other side effect. I have a friend who had nearly my same scrip, and had LASIK. Guess what – she still has to wear glasses. What’s the advantage?[/li][li]Losing my glasses? Please. I need them to get out of bed. When they’re not on my face, they’re on the nightstand, easy to grope for. I usually take baths, and I keep them on in the tub. During a rare shower, I put them on the counter, and remember that they’re there. It’s not that hard. My prescription sunglasses are always in their case in my purse. When I take them out, the regular glasses go in.[/li][li]Seeing the alarm clock? We sleep in a couple of different places in the house, depending on season. Most of the time we use a small battery-op clock with Indiglo. I want to know what time it is, I grope for the clock (it’s always in the same place), hold it to my face, press the button. In the main bedroom I have an LED clock with extra-large red numbers. I can read it from across the room (if I squint).[/li][li]Somebody mentioned that glasses get dirty. Oh please. So clean them. I have a small spray bottle and cloth at my desk, in my purse, and in the car. It takes 30 seconds a day.[/li][li]I consider my glasses a fashion accessory. I get new frames every few years and keep all the lenses up to date, so I can switch every so often, à la Elton John. It’s fun picking out new frames.[/li][li]And yes, I agree that if you’re severely myopic, you must find a good doctor who has access to a good lab and knows how to fit you. Cheap don’t cut it.[/ul][/li]My myopia is the only health issue that affects me on a daily basis. So I have to put my glasses on in the morning. Big deal. If that’s my worst physical problem, I’m grateful. When I want to improve my vision, I put my glasses on. Instant 20/20. Now was that so hard?

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I have no problem with people who are ecstatic about the results of their LASIK.

But please don’t tell me to have it. Don’t tell me how much better my life would be with it. Don’t tell me how much better I would look without glasses. Like others in this thread, I have worn glasses almost all my life, I consider them a part of who I am, and I have absolutely no interest in undergoing surgery to rid myself of them.

As the OP points out, LASIK advertisements are everywhere. You can’t open a newspaper or turn on the TV without tripping over them. Everyone who wears glasses has already heard about LASIK. If we want it, we’ll get it. You don’t need to tell us about it – it’s being promoted enough already.

Another happy four-eyes :cool:

18

If someone with formerly bad vision wakes up with good vision gets emotional about it, how does that hurt you exactly?

If someone says how wonderful it is to see without glasses, it makes your life worse in what way?

If you don’t want to read people’s ravings (for or against) LASIK, then don’t open threads with the word LASIK in the title. In over a year I’ve noticed exactly two threads about LASIK, including this one. If you don’t want to read people’s letters about LASIK in newspaper ads, then don’t read them. All the ads I’ve seen for LASIK say LASIK on them in letters big enough for blurry-visioned people to read. They strike me as being pretty easy to avoid.

The doctor who did my LASIK works with at least one medical group which does cosmetic surgery for free to correct congenital defects, so he certainly gives something back.

If you like your glasses, good for you. I hated mine from the day I got them. They never looked good on me and the selection of frames that fit my head was very small. Contacts irritated my eyes. Now I have better vision than I ever did with non-surgical correction and I couldn’t be happier about it. How does my happiness at being free from the drag of glasses and contacts harm you? Get over it.

19

I see two separate “mini” threads.

a) Yes, I think we all hate the ads… you know the ones, the “I’m the best, call me within 60 seconds and I’ll personally sign each cornea for $3.95, and give you 20/20 vision in 30 minutes or less, or it’s free!” I mean, these clowns are trying to make a quick buck on an awesome new technology… they are the bottom feeders.

b) LASIK IS life-changing surgery. I have multiple friends who have had it, and I am on the list to be done in January. I thoroughly researched doctors and equipment, and I think I found an excellent doctor to do the work. I am not about to cry… but this will change my life. I can’t remember what it is like to see. Without glasses or contacts, I simply can’t function. Having this surgery will curb that need.

Yes, I’m glad I’m not blind. However, I am also glad that I wasn’t born without arms and legs… this surgery will change my life completely. There is no problem that I see (no pun intended) with being overwhelmed with joy about the possibilities here.

BP

20

I think I’d be scared to cry after having a laser surgically alter my eye…
shudder