Blogs Are Stupid

Doesn't anyone believe in Dear Diary anymore? What happened to the joy of putting actual pen to paper? And why does every ordinary Jane and John think they can write well enough to burden the world with their scribblings? It’s a mystery that badly needs solving. My first entry contains my thoughts about blogging and will set your expectations. The rest will probably be stream of consciousness garbage, much like you’ll find on any other blog. Perhaps we will both come away enlightened.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Lasik; Week Two

I had my Lasik 12 days ago, and so far things are going well. The red spot on my eye is almost gone, and I'm really glad, because I was tired of the strange looks. Several times I found myself contemplating saying something like "WHEW, That was a close call! You know....my Mom was right. It does stop being fun when somebody puts an eye out." or, "My husband thought the pot roast was dry." I didn't though.

What I want to impress upon anybody who is considering the procedure, is that it is not an instant fix. I was told that my vision would fluctuate for two weeks, after which it would become much more stable, but could still be inconsistent for a couple of months, and that I could expect intermittent side effects (dryness, blurred vision, halos, sensitivity to light) for as many as six months. Also, if you haven't researched it on your own already, for about 5% of those who have Lasik, those side effects are permanent.

My vision has been steadily improving, with longer periods of clarity, and the frequency and severity of side effects decreasing every day. But it's still not perfect. Sometimes I have absolutely crystal clear vision. But sometimes, one eye will be blurry, and sometimes both. This can last for a few moments or a few hours. I'd say that it's really a pretty minor issue. The most troublesome thing for me has been dryness, which at times, has been extremely uncomfortable, and the eye strain headaches from constantly trying to refocus. Certain things seems to exacerbate that, one of which is using the computer. If I had a job where I had to be on the computer for a large portion of my work day, I think it would really be problematic right now. The other is not getting enough rest. When I'm tired, these issues are much more pronounced.

My right eye is giving me the most trouble, because it required a much higher degree of correction. The side effects are much less severe in my left eye, so if the right had been similar to the left, I think my recovery would have been pretty easy. Some people have told me that there was no pain and that they went back to work the next day and I can see how this might be true for people with less severe vision problems.

So anyway, all of this is NORMAL, which is something I think most people don't realize. I know I didn't, until my consultation. Even though I know all of this, I had a pretty major anxiety attack after reading about Kathy Griffin's Lasik nightmare and viewing pictures on her site. Long story short, her surgeon pretty much butchered her eyes and then tried to fix them. She ended up having five surgeries, (with a new doctor) the last of which left her with seventeen stitches in her EYEBALL. Yikes. The vision in one of her eyes is irreparably damaged; not even correctible with glasses or contacts, and she has an visible spot on her eye.

Now, while I tried to be as informed as possible, I did make a conscious effort to avoid Lasik horror stories, because I knew I would never go through with it if I convinced myself something like that could happen to me. Even after the fact, it has made me question my decision, which is just silly, since I know I'm healing well and that my results are exactly as expected. So, do yourself a favor and don't go to her site. I'm purposely not linking it here because I don't want you to be dissuaded by one horrible and tragic example of Lasik gone wrong.

I will say this though...it really underscores the need to choose your doctor carefully. Kathy went to Dr. Maloney, who is a well known, well trained and experienced surgeon. He has performed Lasik on hundreds of celebrities, and has been featured on Extreme Makeover. She chose him because he was "the" doctor to go to. He was high profile and glamorous and he owns his own practice, which means he is not accountable to anyone else if/when he screws up. He can cut corners, he can bend rules, he can push the envelope. I do not consider that an ideal situation when someone is pointing a laser at my corneas and that's one reason I chose Emory Laser Vision. Emory is an extensive health care system which has a solid reputation in a variety of fields. They do not let just anybody put their name on the door.

I am pleased with my results. Even if my vision never got any better than it is right now, I could cope quite nicely. Everyday I marvel at the fact that I can drive, watch television, read, shave my legs...all without glasses. Everyday, there are small instances that remind me how profoundly I have been liberated.

Today it is has poured rain from dawn until dusk. And after dashing to the car for the umpteenth time as I ran errands today, I realized I hadn't had to stop once to wipe the rain from my glasses. WOW.

I wonder how long it will take before I stop groping the beside table for them. Every morning for the last two weeks, without fail, I have reached for them. Well, I guess a thirty year habit is gonna take some time to break. :?)

11 Comments:

  • At 3:28 AM, Blogger Creative-Type Dad said…

    You're brave. I can't ever imagine having a laser, knife, needles, or whatever it is they do get close to my eye.

    Unless they give me laser-beams or x-ray vision, it's not worth the trouble.

     
  • At 9:39 AM, Blogger Sandra said…

    Thanks for sharing this ... even the hard part ... but your advice to do your homework on a doctor is so so wise.

     
  • At 3:34 PM, Blogger OhTheJoys said…

    Glad you're doing well.

    I noticed the new Stephen King in your "Reading" section... let me know what you think as I'm considering getting it for my Dad.

     
  • At 2:36 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I'm not alarmist when it comes to medical procedures, but I'm still too frightened to do it. My vision is quite impaired as it is, but it can be corrected with contacts.

    I'm glad your results have been good and that your vision continues to improve. I hope you don't end up with any permanent side effects either.

     
  • At 3:11 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Talk about timing!! I am considering Lasik and don't really know if it is right for me. I have a lazy eye that seems to be getting worse. I can't even have a conversation with someone without having to look away from their face every 30 seconds to refocus my eyes. If I cover my right eye, my left eye can't ssy focused long enough to read 3 sentences in a book. I'm glad I happened upon your blog tonight. I think I will go see an optometrist before I talk myself out of it... It sounds like you are happy with your experience. I hope the end result is better than you expected it would be!! Thanks, Carrie

     
  • At 3:18 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I don't know if I would call it 'brave'; I might call it something else, to let someone take a blade or laser to cut your eyes in the 'hopes' that it will eliminate the need for contacts. I use extended wear contacts that cost me about $100/yr. It takes about a minute every morning and I forget I have contacts in my eyes! I don't even feel them, so why would I risk permanent damage to my eyes? it really doesn't make sense to me! (Of course I use common sense and disinfect them each night).

     
  • At 4:33 AM, Anonymous youreye said…

    LASIK can be the most life-changing procedure you ever undertake, and 98% of the time that is a good thing, but 2% of the time it might not be.

     
  • At 12:24 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

  • At 12:16 PM, Anonymous LASIK Surgery said…

    Great info, thanks for share your LASIK experience with us.
    Best regards

     
  • At 11:10 PM, Blogger Unknown said…

    2. I have been considering getting Lasik eye surgery. My friend got it done a couple years ago and she said that her eye sight has been perfect since. I am just hesitant because I wonder how long my eyes will stay in a perfect condition since I am 22 and my eye vision changes slightly each year. I just want to be able to wake up and not worry about putting my contacts in.
    http://www.bepseye.com

     
  • At 7:09 AM, Anonymous eye surgery said…

    That was really informative - thank you! And here is to a speedy recovery!

    I have been toying with the idea of getting LASIK done - I have a prescription of -8.5 which is rather high!

    I don't mind putting contacts in every morning, I'm always just worried that if something were to happen to me and I have to get out of somewhere quickly, I won't be able to see a thing! And driving with glasses on for me is impossible seeing as my glasses are so heavy and have such thick lenses. Went to the Ophthalmologist a few months ago and he told me about a new procedure where they implant a contact lens permanently into your eye - has anyone gone for that or know more about it?

     

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