Lasik surgery completed and Cali is a happy man.

[California Injun]

I posted a few weeks back about a pending eye surgery to remove 35 years of requiring glasses to view the world. Well it was probably the best $3,500 investment I've ever made!!

For those considering this procedure, make it happen. You won't regret it. Here's what goes on.

1 - After the numerous eye tests to measure your actual vision, they will determine if you qualify for Lasik or E-Lasik. If it is E-Lasik, then think twice before doing it. Fortunately I qualified for the Lasik.

2 - Now they will measure your dipoters and corneal thickness. My was a total of 8 ( -5.25 + 3.00 of astigmaticm = -8.25) on the diopters and around 495-505 of the thickness of the cornea. This is the important measurement as they can only thin it down to 460. If you have too much on the diopters and not enough thickness to shave down, you are screwed.

3 - They will then do a few other tests to get a total readout on your eyes before the surgeon determines your qualifications. This can take a few days before they get back to you. The bonus of one of the tests is they use the same machine that will do the laser surgery. So it is like a dry run before the actual event.

Once the appointment is made it is time for a few other things....

[California Injun]

The Laser center will send you out a packet of pre-op instructions to review along with a prescription for Ciloxin (anti-infective) to get filled before the surgery. You need to take these drops 24 hours before surgery to prep you eyes.

The drops made my eyes feel a bit heavy but nothing to complain about.

On the day of the surgery, you're suppose to view a video tape of what happens. I blew this off because I read up on it in the brochure they gave me. I also filled out everything and took the pre-test along with signing the consent.

TIP: Don't read too much of this consent or you will freak out. It talks about going blind and every other freaking thing that could happen to you but the risks are really negligible. They have to list it all to cover their asses so why get all pumped up over a relatively easy procedure.

The next step is forking out the cash up front. you must pay in full or nothing happens. They also will not do the surgery unless you have a driver there with you. No ifs, ands, or buts about this rule!

[Frazod]

My best friend had this done about three weeks ago and is also thrilled - went from can't-see-shit to 20/15 in both eyes.

He may present a bit more of a challenge the next time we go shooting...

[Katie]

Glad to hear it worked so well for you. I have been considering this for some time now but have been hesitant.

What exactly is the e-lasik?

[California Injun]

After you fork over the cash they throw you 10mg of Valium to chill you out. I did not need as the gal said I looked relaxed already but I wasn't going to pass up THAT little bonus pill!!

After about 20 minutes they took me back to what I would call a relaxation room. An assistant reviews what you already read in the packet and then leaves you there in a recliner. She then turns out the lights and pipes in elevator music to further relax you.

Well, I fell asleep....

Sometime later the doc woke me up and led me into the operating room. Now this is not some high fashioned, totally separated double-doored place like you see in the movies but it is right inside the waiting room area with tinted glass windows.

Other relatives and friends are encouraged to watch it if they want. They position you under this machine that looks like that light you see in the dentists chair and they give you a teddy bear to hold onto to. (Yes, I thought this was kind of dorky)

After what seemed like the 15th set of eye drops to be put in there. (dialators, numbing agents, anti-inflammatories, anti-infectives) they covered up one eye and started with the other.

[California Injun]

They drape your eye and pull it open as wide as possible. Then they put this metal guide for the actual incisional tool that creates the corneal flap. Now the ONLY thing that was uncomfortable was having to look dead eye straight into this incredibly bright light!!

I liken it to the a-holes who flash their high beams on you as you are driving at night. They make you stare at this red dot amidst these 4 bright lights and it is a bitch. (This is where that little soft teddy bear comes into play as I nearly squeezed his guts out!)

First comes the removal of your lense, and then they start the laser. All you hear is the machine saying;

"30% completed....... 55% completed..... 85% completed.... then "procedure now finished."

No pain during the laser and it felt like a cool mist that you see in the produce department at you local store.

Same thing for the other eye and in less than 10 minutes you're done.

[Gracie Dean]

I am such a wus, they would have to put me out!!!

[California Injun]

Then they take you to his examination room and he looks at the flaps to see if they are lined up with the markings he made with a pen prior to surgery. At this point you vision is still murky and it seems like your looking through milky lenses.

They put some swimming goggles on you and some shades and tell you to keep your eyes closed for the next 12-16 hours. (Hence the driver that brought you)

The only thing I felt on my one hour drive home was a small sinus headache above both of my eyebrows. Upon arrival to my home, popped one Vicodin, one Ativan (they give these to you) and retired to bed to sleep.

12 hour later I was awake on on my daily eye drops for the next 7 days every 4 hours. Now I had to do a follow up appointment with my optometrist to check things out and I'm 20/20 and 20/15 so far.

My vision is getting more clarity as the fluid from inside my eyes gets pushed out naturally.

Drawbacks so far?

[California Injun]

Drawbacks.....

I noticed that any LED lights at night are quite fuzzy. I can read them fine but it is not crystal clear as before.

The television screen on the borders where the picture meets the black part of your television shows a bit a haze. But this is only at night and not during natural daylight.

I have to be more careful when out doing yardwork. Before my glasses were natural goggles and I cannot tell you the number of times branches, rocks, and foreign objects bounced off my spectacles. It is safety goggles from now on.

Other than that, things are freaking great!!!!!

Anyone else that ever thought ouf doing this procedure should check it out yesterday. I mulled this over about 10 years and finally took the plunge.

Guaranteed you'll be a changed person once it is done!!

[Frazod]

At the place my friend had it done (up here in Naperville), they actually had the operating rooms open for viewing by anyone who wants to watch.

He said the surgery was no big deal, and that the only unsettling thing was smelling his own burning flesh... But other than that it was fine. He didn't even experience that much discomfort afterwards.

Fortunately, I have no need for this - most everything else on my body is slowly going to hell but I have excellent vision. When we can afford it, though, the wife may have this done. She's blind as a bat without her glasses.

[Chiefnj]

Cal,

Congrats. Aside from the LED lights being fuzzy at night, how is the night vision in general?

[stevieray]

3,500 dollars in ten minutes..? 21,000 an hour?

Great work if you can get it.

My stepdad became a pilot, with hardly any vision in his right eye, he had this procedure done, and says being able to see with both eyes while flying is amazing. opened up awhole new world to him. Congrats, Cal.

[California Injun]

Katie,

E-Lasik is a more involved procedure where they actually put a lens implant into your eye after they take down the cornea a bit.

It is only for those who are incredibly blind (like I originally thought I was) or those that have thin corneas.

This is not a walk in the park like the Laisk was and it requires at least 7 days to recover.

If I wanted to, I could have returned to work the very next day but said "Screw that!"

I really could have went back in the day after (Which was Friday) but again repeated the "Screw that!" and enjoyed my additional day off.

Any of you myopians out there that ever wondered what life would be like to look out your front door and see you yard WITHOUT those scratchy lenses will fully appreciate what I am typing to you today.

I've been a "4-eyes" since the age of 6 and this is GREAT!!!!

The girlfriend has been out of town the past two weeks and I'm "looking" forward to engaging in some bedroom activity where I can actually SEE who I'm sharing it with.

Just another perk with this procedure....

[papasmurf]

Glad to hear (see) that you are doing well.

[ROYC75]

Congats Michael...........

Hope I neve have to have it done....... I'M A BIG CHICKEN ! ( Forghorn Leghorn ) Might as well knock me out, ain't now way this CHICKEN can do it !