Lasik to fix my eyes?

[Kev Godwin]

This morning I went in to get both eyes zapped to correct my vision. So far so well. 12 hours later I can already see better than I could for the last 30 years. It is still very uncomfortable though. Before I couldn't see clearly beyond 15 feet and not closer than 30 inches. Working in the shop was getting frustrating when trying to set a saw blade or router bit for height, etc.

I sure didn't try to run any tools tonight since my vision isn't good yet and healing needs to be done. Dust would be really bad too!

I did just look around some of the typical setups I do often and I can already tell I am way ahead of where I was before. My surgeon told me I will have better than typical results due to the thickness of my cornea before beginning the operation. (The eye drops are making my throat taste awful.) The surgeon said I can't do any WW till he gives me the okay.

He said when I do get back to it, I'll have to wear some good goggles for a while. I'll post some progress in the days to come <--- Looks like the shades I'm wearing now!
Kev
--------------
Update 32 hours after my eye surgery....
Wow, wow, wow. I can see better than I ever have in my entire life!
I drove to my own eye checkup appointment at 8 am this morning. An animal ran across the road about a half mile ahead of me and I could clearly tell it was a squirrel. I couldn't even do this with my former glasses on.

The whites of my eyes have some red spots but I was told they should be nearly gone by the end of the week. I'm taking eye drops as needed for some very slight dryness.

I can see clearly 12 inches from my eyes and out from there. All discomfort was gone by late last evening. I was told this morning my sight will continue to improve even more over the next 60 days.

There was no pain at all during the surgery. I could see some dots and flashes of light for about 10 seconds and it was over. I too was warned about how things didn't go good for some people in the past but the techniques have changed dramatically. (The surgery I had was the same as what Tiger Woods had done.) I'll post another update in a few days.

[Clifford Mescher]

Keep us posted, as there must be a ton of babyboomers who are very interested. Clifford.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Kev,

Listen to the doctor and don't push it.

May you heal quickly and fully!

[Mitchell Andrus]

Good luck with this and I hope you heal quickly.

I looked into it a while ago and while I have no or few reservations health-wise, the nature of the work calls for safety glasses most of the time. More than once I was very glad I had glasses on.

Wearing sunglasses is a must for me also (I have needed photo-greys since the 70's) so I'm going to wear something anyway.......
.

[Jim Kountz]

Yes do keep us posted on your results, Im very interested. I had a friend who had it done and she loves the results. My eyes arent horribly bad but still if I could have them fixed so I dont need the glasses it would be worth it to me. I hate glasses!!

[Paul Ryan]

Kev,

I had my eyes done about 3 years ago and it is the best $$ I have ever spent. I would spend it again over any tool in my shop. I had worn contacts for about 15 years and never minded putting them in an out. But the last 3 years my eyes had been having problems breathing and blood vessels were going to start effecting my vision permenantly if I contiuned. I tried a new kind of contact but they ittched like hell, and glasses were out of the question I hated glasses. So I had my eyes fixed. I had a real trouble with dry eyes for about a month but after that everything has been great. I can see better than I can every remember. My vision is now 20/12, they promised 20/20 but mine turned out better. Every so often I wake up a one of them, is dry after about 30 minutes it clears up. The drop thing sucks for a few weeks, but it will be worth it in the long run. For that month after the surgury the dryness was so bad I had to put this thick, almost like grease, liquid on my eyes went I bent to bed and close them until I get up in the morning. That helped but eventually the dryness went away. The dryness just makes your vision cloudy in the effected eye. I am sure you will be very very happy in the long run. 6 months after I did my eyes I was so happy my wife did hers to. She is as happy as I am. What is so nice is the vision I have now, I can finally see. Even with the contacts my vision wasn't the greatest, maybe 20/40. Now the world is just crystal clear. And I dont have to wear anything artificial. Good luck

[Steve Schlumpf]

Kev - best of luck to you and heal quickly!

My wife is going in next week and having both of her eyes done. We have to drive 4 1/2 hours (one way) to Appleton - so at least I get to go to Woodcraft for a little bit! We don't know anyone personally who has had the surgery, so reading about it here helps take some of the worry out of it! Thanks!

[Clifford Mescher]

Kev - best of luck to you and heal quickly!

My wife is going in next week and having both of her eyes done. We have to drive 4 1/2 hours (one way) to Appleton - so at least I get to go to Woodcraft for a little bit! We don't know anyone personally who has had the surgery, so reading about it here helps take some of the worry out of it! Thanks!

I agree, Steve. A few testimonials are what I need for me to pull the trigger. I have been thinking about this procedure for a long time. I guess I'm a big scardy cat. Clifford.

[Curt Harms]

. I guess I'm a big scardy cat. Clifford.

I wouldn't say you're a scaredy cat. You can't new peepers at Wal-Mart so caution with the issued ones seems prudent.

[mark page]

I'm still trying to pull the trigger on this procedure. The only thing that keeps me from it now is that my eyes are really bad plus I wear bifocals. Am trying to decide whether to do it and wear reading glasses or to do the one eye far distance and the other for reading. I don't know if I would like that one or not. Guess I'm still in the decision mode on which to do.

[Sean Troy]

I had it done 8 years ago and last week I had my first eye exam sense the procedure. I have 20/20 vision. money well spent.

[Neal Clayton]

mine wound up better than 20/20.

the halos should go away after a few days, after that enjoy your new machine made eyes .

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I am askeered o' any one messing wif my eyeballs.

Not for me.

[Chris Padilla]

Kev,

I had my eyes done about 3 years ago and it is the best $$ I have ever spent. I would spend it again over any tool in my shop. I had worn contacts for about 15 years and never minded putting them in an out. But the last 3 years my eyes had been having problems breathing and blood vessels were going to start effecting my vision permenantly if I contiuned. I tried a new kind of contact but they ittched like hell, and glasses were out of the question I hated glasses. So I had my eyes fixed. I had a real trouble with dry eyes for about a month but after that everything has been great. I can see better than I can every remember. My vision is now 20/12, they promised 20/20 but mine turned out better. Every so often I wake up a one of them, is dry after about 30 minutes it clears up. The drop thing sucks for a few weeks, but it will be worth it in the long run. For that month after the surgury the dryness was so bad I had to put this thick, almost like grease, liquid on my eyes went I bent to bed and close them until I get up in the morning. That helped but eventually the dryness went away. The dryness just makes your vision cloudy in the effected eye. I am sure you will be very very happy in the long run. 6 months after I did my eyes I was so happy my wife did hers to. She is as happy as I am. What is so nice is the vision I have now, I can finally see. Even with the contacts my vision wasn't the greatest, maybe 20/40. Now the world is just crystal clear. And I dont have to wear anything artificial. Good luck

Interesting...this is my story exactly! I wore contacts for 12 years and then my eye doctor said he started noticing excessive blood vessel growth. The reason is that one's eyes get oxygen from blood AND from air: contacts can block the air.

He gave me 3 options:

(1) Different more expensive less comfortable contact lenses (ones that allowed air passage)
(2) Glasses
(3) Eye Surgery

It has been wonderful since surgery about 4 years ago. I hardly remember what it was like wearing contact except that I hated them.

My understanding about the drops is that they are a type of steroid that slows the healing process. The doctors believes this allows minimal scaring and therefore improved vision. I had halos at night surrounding strong light sources and either I don't notice them anymore or they've gone away. It took about ~6 months. Yes, you get the taste of the drops in the back of your throat because it flows back through your tear ducts in your eyes.

[Chris Padilla]

I am askeered o' any one messing wif my eyeballs.

Not for me.

You're not alone, Cliff. My wife is the same way. I've been trying to talk her into the surgery ever since I had mine done but the thought of anything touching her eyes makes her queesy. However, she has the excuse that her eye prescription still seems to change yearly and until you have a stable prescription for 1-2 years, you can't have the procedure done.