Sunday, January 9, 2011

This Is My Form Of Research

All of a sudden, after wearing glasses for approximately forty-eight years, I am sick of them. They are constantly scratched, smudged and I just am sick and tired of dealing with them.
I am thinking of getting that eye surgery for correction of nearsightedness- LASIX? I don't even know what it's called at this point.
But- I am scared, of course. And is it worthwhile? I can still read regular print without my glasses which is nice when I'm snuggled down in bed with a book and would I have to wear reading glasses if I got the nearsightedness fixed?
I suppose I could ask a doctor about this but no, I'd rather ask you.
Have any of you gotten the surgery? Do you like it? Would you do it again?
Thoughts, please.

Thank-you.

22 comments:

  1. I'm too chicken to have the surgery and really my vision is not that bad anyway. I'm still comfortable in contacts but when I can't wear contacts anymore, who knows.

    Those I know who have had surgery were very pleased with the results. From what I understand, over the years the eyes can change again and yes maybe reading glasses may be necessary at some point. It is a really quick and easy procedure and your vision is improved almost immediately. Bonus, they give you some good drugs to make you loopy.

    ReplyDelete
  2. My father's wife had it and loves her bionic eye. My friend got it and it's all good too.

    My issue would be being AWAKE while they lazer your eyeball. And have to not move. While they laser your eyeball and you smell it burning.

    I'm too wimpy to cope with that.

    It doesn't work for everyone either. So you'd need to see if it would work for you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. My brother was the blindest little bat from age 8. He joined the army and they paid for him to have it done IN FULL. Lucky bastard. He couldn't be happier with it.

    I just had the same thought the other day about my glasses. They're always slipping down my nose or smudged with baby barf or greasy little finger prints. Buttttt ... They look cute ;)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I haven't had it, but I've heard from those who have that it's totally worth it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Here's what I know about my eyes - it sucks to get old. They can laze the astigmatisms but not the nearsightness that comes with age. So I can fix one reason I need glasses, but not another.

    One lady I know had one eye done, and uses one for near and one for far. I would be puking from motion sickness as I tried it once with one contact in and one contact out back when I could still wear them.


    I feel your pain. I hate my glasses and spend more time looking for them and cleaning them and ripping them off to see up close and putting them back on to see across the table than I probably spend doing any other single thing in my life.

    Aaargh is all I can say. Hope you have better luck than me with this. My younger (not yet 50) friend has lasik surgery and it was icky but over quickly and she's very happy. But her eyesight hasn't started the quantum age shift yet either. :)

    I like your research methods!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Maybe get an evaluation and see what the docs say.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one whose glasses are always smudged and need adjusting. I clean them several times a day. I've heard mixed reviews about the surgery - works for some and not for others.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Most doctors who specialize in this give you a free consult. I'll do it myself, when I have the money.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I had Lasik back in 2003. My eyesight was so bad that I was chained to either glasses or contacts. Couldn't walk around the house without them.

    The procedure, which I was terrified of, wasn't bad. You are awake, but you don't feel anything but pressure and they'll give you a Valium before hand if you're really nervous. When the surgery was ending I looked at the clock and could see it so clearly.

    I had a very bad astigmatism and the doc told me my eyes might revert some, that I may need glasses in the future, and that I may need reading glasses earlier than I normally would.

    My eyes did revert some, I wear glasses again, but my eyesight is nowhere near as bad as before. I can manage without glasses or contacts if I must. And my eyes are now the same prescription (whereas before my left eye was way worse), so both eyes use the same contacts.
    I have no need for reading glasses so far.

    Even though the surgery reverted I would do it again.

    I say definitely talk to a doctor. Ask about the reading glasses, and risk of your eyesight getting bad again (most people don't have to worry about it). Don't worry about the procedure, its scary knowing you'll be awake, but its quick.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Have you tried contacts? I've been doing monovision with them for about 15 years. I wear one contact in the left eye for distance, none in the right eye. In theory, this lets me read without readers, but that worked better 15 years ago than it does now. Now if I want to read, I have to take the contact out. There's no way I'd ever let someone lazer my eye(s). My son-in-law had the surgery last summer and said it was the worst pain ever - but he's a man and really doesn't know what pain is.
    If you have the money, I'd recommend getting your knees checked out before having eye surgery. Just had my meniscus repaired last month and I'm almost ready to dance again!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hey,

    Marc's bro got it and "it changed his life". A phrase that is overused for certain... but in this case, I think it really did. He had the whole nerdy duct tape thing going with his glasses.

    I think you should go for it if you want to! Reading glasses aren't so bad.

    Good luck deciding. Obviously if you decide to, and want me to come and hold your hand, I will be happy to.

    xo

    ReplyDelete
  12. Yeah, I'm with you. I am so sick of my glasses. I had contacts for years but can't do them anymore. My mom had the surgery, and loves her results. She had her surgery about 15 years ago, and she can still see fine.

    ReplyDelete
  13. If, after a positive consultation, you are swayed to do so, I would so go for it. No longer is it a "new-fangled" or untested science. Years and countless thousands of surgeries later, it usually turns out very well. But please do your research and find someone who's an old hand at this. We're talking about your eyes after all.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I've got progressive lens glasses now that I'm both myopic and presbyopic, and am thinking of trying the multi-focal contact lens version, which I'm told works well for some people and not for others, depending on how your brain adjusts, so they let you try them and give them back if they're not for you. I suppose one day I may need cataract surgery, as people often do as they age, and may at that point decide to give up some of my comfortable near-sightedness.
    But until then, I'm attached to being able to revert to an impressionistic view of the world.
    And on a previous subject, I'm curious how often those who have a gun for protection practice with it?
    I took lessons once, and that aspect of gun ownership was strongly emphasized.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I've considered getting it myself, and have gone as far as discussing it with my eye doctor. Right now, for me it's an affordability issue, but I know my life would be easier if I did it. Every play I've ever done, I've done without glasses, and it'd be nice to see what's happening on stage for once.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Mel's Way- I haven't been able to deal with contacts for years! Arghhh!

    Jo- That thought of them lazering my eye while I was awake does not bother me. It's...what if they fuck up and make me blind?

    notjustafemme- My glasses are NOT cute.

    Mwa- Really?

    Mel- I guess I need to see an actual doctor, eh? Damn.

    Syd- You are so sensible.

    Joy- Don't you grow weary of it? It's taken me almost fifty years but suddenly, I am.

    SJ- We all wear glasses, don't we?

    Riotgrrl- Did you go to a doctor here? I'd like a recommendation.

    Lucy- I HATE contacts. Wore them years ago. And if I had to take one out to read I would be screwed. I read every other moment. And my knees (for now) feel okay.

    Ms. Fleur- Good to know. Thank you, dear.

    Lora- That's what I want to hear!

    Chuck Alexander- Brother! I was just talking about you tonight. Honey- we NEED to get together. I love you!

    A- Again, the contacts. I do understand what you're saying about the blurred world of almost-sleep. As to the gun thing- I have no idea.

    Jon- Yep. I'm about to go glassless AGAIN for a play. And that's okay but Lord, wouldn't it be nice to be able to see onstage?

    ReplyDelete
  17. get contacts for the stage, no?

    I would say from the comments, that evaluation pending, surgery is go!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I had LASIX about 15 years ago. I haven't regretted it for ONE MINUTE. And, yes, I do know need reading glasses, but I don't need driving glasses, going to the movies glasses, watching tv glasses, doing the dishes glasses, or any of the other glasses!

    ReplyDelete
  19. All- I think I need to see an eye doctor. Thank-you!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Oh, how brave! Good luck. And do it soon - you may as well start enjoying the benefits tomorrow rather than next year.

    ReplyDelete
  21. My eyes were too fucked up to get LASIK. I had a cataract forming, so I got cataract surgery instead and wear a contact in the other eye until it gets bad enough for cataract surgery. I would have done it if I had qualified though.

    ReplyDelete

Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.