LASIK surgery....

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sheriffoconee

sheriffoconee

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Got my eyes "done" Saturday. It was supposed to happen Thursday, but the "check engine" light came on the machine and it needed a $45K part to fix the laser.
Got it done Saturday morning. I can read without glasses now, and I can read car tags more than hood distance away from my patrol car again...
No pain, a little scratchy. Gotta sleep in some stupid goggles to keep from clawing at my eyes while I sleep for 5 days...
Best of all...I can see the front sight on my handguns again...

Had it done in Gainesville GA. Highly recommend the Doc who did it if anyone in the area is interested...
 
I had LASIK+ done back in 2003 and it was the greatest thing I ever did for myself.........I had VERY bad eyes, and now I'm 20/20 in the left eye and maybe 20/30 in the right....I couldn't ask for more, given the fact my eyes were so bad I was at the threshold of where it couldn't be done.

As a kid I hated wearing glasses, and later contacts......I wished and prayed every day there would be some way I could "fix" my vision when I grew up, I didn't want to wear glasses the rest of my life, and my prayers were answered in 2003........It cost thousands of dollars but it's the best money I ever spent in my life.
 
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stantheman86 said:
I had LASIK+ done back in 2003 and it was the greatest thing I ever did for myself.........I had VERY bad eyes, and now I'm 20/20 in the left eye and maybe 20/30 in the right....I couldn't ask for more, given the fact my eyes were so bad I was at the threshold of where it couldn't be done.

As a kid I hated wearing glasses, and later contacts......I wished and prayed every day there would be some way I could "fix" my vision when I grew up, I didn't want to wear glasses the rest of my life, and my prayers were answered in 2004........It cost thousands of dollars but it's the best money I ever spent in my life.
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly!
 
I am so thankful for both of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have lost all vision in my left eye, due to a "botched" retinal detachment surgery, and now have a cataract in my only seeing eye. I have to use a magnifier to read, especially on the computer.

Who would you trust to operate on your only eye? I have not decided yet if I will have it done. I am going to get a guide dog while I can. Cut off age is 75.

I still broke 23 of 25 at the skeet range yesterday!

medxam
 
My wife had it done years ago.. Best thing that ever happened to her, except me of course!!!:rolleyes:
 
I was also sick of glasses. I have progressive lenses and have to tilt my head to just the right spot to get handgun sights in focus. Other than aperture sights, I can't use some of my open rifle sights since with my head down on the stock I am looking through the long distance part of the lens and the sights almost disappear.

I got myself evaluated a few weeks ago with the idea of going with LASIK, but it turned out that due to my age and condition of my eyes that I wasn't a good candidate. I took the plunge and went with refractive lens exchange (basically the same as cataract surgery). I had one eye done last week and expect to get the other one done in a couple of weeks.

I also have the goggle for night wear and the pupil is dilated with atropine for a week, but near and intermediate vision is clear for the first time in many years; the left eye will be done for longer distance.

I specifically mentioned shooting in general, and handgun shooting in particular, to the doctor as something that I did a lot of and wanted my ability to see the sights greatly enhanced; he even measured the distance from my right eye to an imaginary front sight.
 
Best thing I ever did. In 2002, I couldn't see the big "E" at the top of the eye chart. I had all of the side effects (still do), but it was worth it. My quality of life greatly improved.
 
Ive always been tempted to have it done. Just havent gotten the nerve up yet.
 
I had mine done back in 2002. From 20/60 in both eyes to 20/15 and 20/20 right/left. Now I am finding that it's time for a touch-up.
 
Had mine done in 1999. (Before Y2K hit). Best thing I ever did for myself. (Except marrying ol' whatshername).
 
I had my eyes done in 1998, it was $2,600 for both back then. Best $$ I ever spent. I needed reading glasses after but I needed them before as well. Twelve years later my left eye is still 20/15 and the right 20/20 and a $15 pair of readers from the local drug store take care of my reading needs.
Now it's about time for a new set of hearing aids, getting old is a bitch but beats the alternative. (o;
 
I had cataracts and had the Restore implants installed in both eyes. As part of the process I had Lasix done a week ago to bring both of my eyes to 20/20. I can now see to read as well as at a distance and use no glasses or contacts. I am very pleased with the outcome. The only issue, and I was told about it up-front, is that there is some halo effect around headlights and street lights when driving at night. It has diminished somewhat and, if what I have been told is true, should diminish more over the next few months. The biggest downside to the procedure is the cost. Insurance does not pay for this type of implant. My out-of-pocket cost was $5500.00 or so. It was worth it though. The difference in my ability to see the sights on my guns is tremendous.
 
Gary said:
The only issue, and I was told about it up-front, is that there is some halo effect around headlights and street lights when driving at night. It has diminished somewhat and, if what I have been told is true, should diminish more over the next few months. The biggest downside to the procedure is the cost. Insurance does not pay for this type of implant. My out-of-pocket cost was $5500.00 or so. It was worth it though. The difference in my ability to see the sights on my guns is tremendous.
Click to expand...

Gary, the halo effect does diminish over time, usually a few months. They warned me about it and in 3 or 4 months it was gone. YMMV (o;
 
My vision was 20/250, been that way for 50 years. Can read print without glasses just fine. I'd break or misplace my glasses and I was a blind man. 3 years ago I had Lasik in my right (dominant) eye and it's just fantastic. My vision is now about 20/40. Under poor lighting conditions it's hard to see small stuff at the "in-between" distances. At night I still need glasses. But praise the Lord - I ain't blind no more.

I - being a real chicken when it comes to doctors- couldn't really find anything bad about Lasik, and most that was old stuff. Dry eyes seem to be the most common complaint. It affects me but the dry eye is worse in the eye that didn't have Lasik so I think it's more a function of old age. The halo effect is also a common problem as you get older. Again the eye without Lasik is just as bad as the eye with Lasik. Coated lenses pretty much correct the problem, main reason I need glasses at night.
 
Ethang said:
I had mine done back in 2002. From 20/60 in both eyes to 20/15 and 20/20 right/left. Now I am finding that it's time for a touch-up.
Click to expand...

That's one of the things that I worry about. You get your eyes fixed and then, after a while, you need a new prescription and you're right back where you started. Except you're out a whole lot more money. Am I wrong? Please let me know.

Chris
 
I have "monovision"....my right eye is now my reading eye...my left (dominant) is my shooting/distance eye....
I can read the dosage and expiration date on my own medication now....I can read legislative text, I can read the fine print on a contract.
I HATE the idea of someone messing with my eyes, but this was worth it...
if you are thinking about having it done, check it out....
Now my wife wants me to get hearing aids.....forget it...I can see, i don't need to hear....
 
stantheman86 said:
I had LASIK+ done back in 2003 and it was the greatest thing I ever did for myself.........I had VERY bad eyes, and now I'm 20/20 in the left eye and maybe 20/30 in the right....I couldn't ask for more, given the fact my eyes were so bad I was at the threshold of where it couldn't be done.

As a kid I hated wearing glasses, and later contacts......I wished and prayed every day there would be some way I could "fix" my vision when I grew up, I didn't want to wear glasses the rest of my life, and my prayers were answered in 2004........It cost thousands of dollars but it's the best money I ever spent in my life.
Click to expand...
I could have written this! My eyes turned out exactly the same-only difference is mine were cataract surgeries. Wore glasses from age 6 to 66, now just reading glasses (from ACE hardware of all places).
 
I do have dry eyes during the winter, I use eye drops once after I take a shower, since that seems to dry them out. Sometimes when I'm tired, at night I get the "halo" effect around headlights if I have the heat on in my car.....sometimes I can just yawn and it wets my eyes enough to make this go away. If I have the heat on full blast in my house sometimes I wake up with dry, red eyes. Also during thr summer my eyes get dry some days.

I also have slightly more sensitivity to light,especially during the summer and on sunny days when there's snow on the ground.... but I just wear sunglasses.......if my Lasik treated eyes survived a 1 year tour in the blinding sun and dust of Iraq,then 2 winters at Ft. Drum, NY........ than they can probably survive anywhere.:)

Still MUCH better than wearing contacts.....I can wet my eyes with some Clear Eyes, and not worry about it the rest of the day, as opposed to sticking pieces of polymer in my eyes or wearing glasses:D
 
GyMac said:
That's one of the things that I worry about. You get your eyes fixed and then, after a while, you need a new prescription and you're right back where you started. Except you're out a whole lot more money. Am I wrong? Please let me know.

Chris
Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong I still see WAY better now needing a touch-up then before and have no need for glasses. The doctor warned me that I might need a touch-up after a few years. I really want to try the newest procedure and see if both eyes can get to 20/15 .
 
I was 20/300 and had LASIK 12 years ago. It took my right (dominate) eye to 20/20 and my left to 20/35 (deliberate for reading). I am thrilled at my ability to see distances with no eyeglasses. BUT, If I had remained a professional armorer/gunsmith, I would regret having the procedure. Before, I could see perfectly up to 14" from my eyes. It turns out that was perfect for working on the gun bench. Now, in my hobby shop, I am using a head mounted magnifier plus reading glasses. They sometimes get in the way and slow me down. And, it is far more difficult to find that perfect eye-to-work distance while welding. ........... Big Cholla
 
I got it done when I was 23, I'm 30 now and my eyes haven't changed, at least enough for me to worry about. I can still read a license plate from 4 car lengths back, just like I could in 2003.

If I need a "touch up" in 10 years I will probably just get a pair of glasses....I would be hesitant to have my eyes worked on again just because my vision "aged" a little, the main reason I got it done originally is because I was basically blind without glasses, and didn't have much to lose and everything to gain.....I'm pretty confident my eyes will never go back to being anywhere near as bad as they were, if I need glasses for reading or driving in 20-30 years it won't bother me a bit.

Getting LASIK does not make your eyes immune to aging, but you will always have better vision than if you never got it done.
 
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