Lasik surgery and getting back to riding/running
Hey SmartMedicalTypes, and any one else who has had their eye's fixed:
I'm fookin' blind. Like...blind, can't see jack, contacts on special order, had to get a waiver to enlist...blind. I had a consult last year to see if I was a good enough candidate, I was, and am thinking about pulling the trigger later this month or early next month. Joanne has her eyes done about 1.5yrs ago. I remember restrictions on wind your face, sweat, etc for a period after the surgery.
Any experience you'd like to share?
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I do know that in NorCal some of the Lasik places are going under so pick one with a great rep just in case you need touch up work.
V
FWIW, I've been swimming, that is, when I do swim
, with contacts since I was 15, no issues.
Check with the person doing the lasik, but when I had my cornea's transplanted it only took about a week for the skin to form over the stitches, after that I was good to go.
I always say paying for my LASIK procedure was the best money I ever spent. Changed my life. I hated wearing glasses - the blurry peripheral vision bothered me. When I wore contacts, I was constantly conscious they were in my eyes. After LASKIK, no more dry, tired eyes at the end of the day. No more weird blurry visions while swimming because a contact is whacked. No more bloodshot eyes at the end of a long ride/run because of sweat. Just awesome. 20/15 a week after the surgery and it is probably still there. I only recall a few days / week of downtime but it was like I had a new life afterwards.
BTW - Dr. Maloney at Maloney Eye Institute in Bev Hills is the tops. A little more expensive but he is a leader in the field.
Thanks. Joanne's guy in the OC seemed pretty good. He had a big screen where I could watch him cutting into Joanne's 5ft eyeball. Yikes!
the whole procedure is right out of a Stanley Kubrik film - prongs to hold your eyes open (Clockwork Orange) and a red dot that you have to stare into (2001). The doc used HAL's voice for me. Thankfully I was doped up on Valium.
I agree with Brian, life-changing experience! Worth every penny. I remember just a week or so of down-time, but I wasn't swimming regularly at the time (2003), so that restriction may have been longer...not sure. The most amazing thing was waking up the next morning, and being able to see the alarm clock and everything else in the room clearly, without having to put on glasses.
RICH!
ALTERNATIVE VIEW AHEAD!!
I asume you are VERY NEARSIGHTED, from your description of "being blind". I've been wearing glasses for myopia since 3rd grade. Basically, if I take my glasses off, I can see clearly between 2 and 5 inches in front of my face - everything else is a blur. I would not get lasik surgery for a very simple reason: presbyopia.
No, that's not a Protestant sect, but rather the change that starts happening to EVERYONE at about age 40 (you're not there yet, are you?) It's what makes people with perfect vision start wearing reading glasses. If you have lasik, it won't cure that problem, as that is due to changes in the lens, which are not fixed by shaving off the surface of the cornea. The lasik doctors will tell you, "Well, we'll give you 'monovision' lasik, so you can see close out of one eye and far out of the other." But you'll lose depth perception, which is important for stuff like skiing, mountain biking, and other active sports, like biking in LA traffic!
If you get both eyes done, then you won't be able to see up close without glasses (after age 40). I really value my ability to see small things up close (like right in front of my nose). Helps me when I'm repairing stuff like tiny bike parts or small screws on the back of a watch. Also, I'm a doctor who does surgery, and the lack of near vision would be more and more of a problem as I aged; I'd have to wear glasses anyway for most of what I do. So despite being able to get it for free, I never did.
I advise people who are VERY MYPOIC (see top paragraph) to think of the superpower they have, especially as they get older. That superpower is being able to see up close when not wearing glasses or contacts, something everyone else has lost.
Hey Al,
Thanks. During the consult the doc mentioned that, given my age (close to 42 now), I'll start to lose my sight up close. I can already tell it's changing a bit. But the sight you describe, up close with no glasses, is left eye closed (my right is a little better) and about a half in front of my face
. Anything farther and I instantly get a headache. No thanks 
Keith is minus 9 diopters. That's bind. But he won't do Lasik for the very reason Al described. His up-close vision rules, and losing that would really compromise his life in a weird way. And once you start needing to wear reading glasses, you're screwed. You're going to be wearing glasses anyway--a lot of the time, trust me. Depending on how bind you are, Lasik might correct you to a lesser prescription--not necessarily glasses free. Then you're basically in the same boat you are now. Lots to think about, huh?
It is a trade off for sure- it's important to know and consider all the risks.
Non athlete, but to me, even if it takes a while to get back to sports, eye site is much more important.
The surgeon she used had done in excess of 10K operations, and while I was in the waiting room, he was banging them out, 20 minutes a pop. Pretty amazing.
tom
Rich,
Good to know when I get in the pool again next month with contacts.
So besides swimming...how long before we can run or hammer on the trainer?
V
They gave me the same info regarding reading glasses and even went as far as to tell me that I would be in reading glasses immediately but so far hasn'y even been a thought or issue and the surgeon actually said that he thought I would be fine for years. Since 90% of my day is either paperwork or computer based that left me looking at continuing to wear glasses most the time. My wife didn't understand when I went ahead with it but since I have been wearing glasses since I was 7 and contacts just didn't work out I was willing to trade the readers for up close for the resty of the time. I too was one of the truly blind ones before surgery and the best way for me to explain it is how wonderful it is to be able to read the alarm clock on the morning without spening 2 minutes finding glasses!
I can't wait to hit transition this year and actually be able to run to my bike without being Mr Magoo and walking up to the wrong one 3-4 times!
Vince