New Eyes

OK, I didn't really get new eyes, but I did get Lasik done on my old ones. In some ways it is an odd thing. I've identified myself with glasses since I was 17 and felt no particular need to be without them. On the other hand I've been going to the beach more often this summer and had to admit that it would be nice to come up out of the water and actually be able to see. This is especially true if I want to find where my children are playing. Besides, my wife liked the idea.

I had it done at the cheapest place I could find. I don't believe this really affected how well the surgery itself was carried out, but the fringe care was certainly less. I drove further and the place was in a rough part of town. (The taco bell had bullet proof glass.) I had to have seperate evaluation and surgery dates; at the expensive place they would have done it all at once. My first date was postponed because the laser broke, and the wait on surgery day was pretty long. So these are the prices you pay when you only pay 1/4 as much.

The surgery itself seemed to be a great success. Though the worst part was that during the actual laser treatment I could smell the same burning smell you sometimes smell in the dentist's office. I was supposed to keep my eyes closed for the first 5 hours, a dreadful thing when you aren't asleep. But even during brief moments that I opened my eyes I could see how clear my vision was. Once the time was up I could see clearly at all distances. It did take some extra blinks to change focus. That is decreasing but still around. The doctor says that is because the tear film is not yet stable and will improve with time. In the meantime eyedrops keep my eyes moist and I can see just fine.

It is still wierd not having glasses on all the time, and for the first time I can see myself clearly without them. It is still a shocker, but overall seems to be a good thing.