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Ξ November 4th, 2007 | → | by Carol | General |
Welcome:
My name is Carol Scheible. This site tells the story of my lasik surgery.
The moral of my story is: Not everyone wakes up with 20/20 vision the day after lasik surgery! It was a long and difficult healing process for me, but now I am happy with my end result. I shared my thoughts and experiences here on this website as I went along. After reading this page, be sure to check out my blog.
New: Check out my new Stories Category to read other people’s experience with lasik surgery! Have a story? Use the Sign Up button at left to register on this site, and you’ll be able to add your own story!
About Me:
I am 44 years old and have worn corrective lenses since age 11. I wore contact lenses from high school age up until I was about 30. At that time, my astigmatism got a bit worse, to the point where I needed toric lenses. I couldn’t tolerate the toric lenses, because every time I blinked, my vision would go in and out of focus, and that bothered me too much.
I didn’t really mind wearing eyeglasses until I was age 42, when I started exercising on a regular basis. When I jog, my eyeglasses bounce around my nose. When I swim laps, I can’t see a darn thing!
So, I started thinking about lasik. Being over 40, I knew that I would have reading problems after getting lasik, because I was always lifting up my glasses to read small text or see up close. I had heard about monovision and how great it was, and thought it sounded like a great idea. My lasik surgeon recommended I go ahead and get monovision, and if I didn’t like, he could enhance the eye to be 20/20. That sounded reasonable, so I did it.
The Lasik Procedure:
I had conventional lasik surgery on June 18, 2004. I had very blurry vision for several days, double vision for a couple weeks, could not see my computer screen for several weeks, and ended up significantly under-corrected. My eyes were also very dry, and I had to wake up several times during the night to put in drops.
Three months after my original lasik operation, I had a wavefront lasik enhancement (Sept 23, 2004). The next day, my vision was perfect. However, as that first week wore on, I began to have a lot of eye strain, and couldn’t see up close. I felt an awareness of my eyes working hard to change focus as I looked around at different objects at different distances (not just close up objects). I went back to the lasik doctor, who said I was +1 hyperopic (far-sighted), and that’s what was causing the eye strain. He said that it was a normal part of the healing process, and he expected my eyes to regress toward normal vision. The eye strain lasted about 3 weeks, and then my near vision returned, and my eye strain lessened. The eye strain came and went for several months, and then finally went away. During this second round of healing, my eyes were even more dry. Sometimes I even woke up with my eyelids stuck to my eyeballs.
I now have 20/20 vision and am very happy with my result. My dry eyes are back to normal pre-lasik condition (just a little dry). It was a long difficult journey.
The Lasik Outcome:
Vision Before Lasik:
My vision was
-7 diopters, with
some asigmatism (1.5)
Vision After Lasik Enhancement:
20/20 in left eye,
20/25 in the right!
Pages in this site:
- Lasik Blog
- Select a doctor / Questions to Ask
- About Monovision
- My Old Eyeglasses
- Lasik Links
- Read my blog for the full story.
If you have any questions about my story, please feel free to Contact Me!
...if you found this site helpful, buy me a coffee! legal info
on November 11th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
I had lasik surgery 2 weeks ago and after reading your blog, feel much better. I was not given lots of details about what would happen to my vision afterwards and have been panicking! I cant see the computer screen at work, wear reading glasses which i have to keep peering over for different ranges of vision, and thought that i would have been better off not having it done. I was the same as you, wore glasses since age 11, and lenses until recently at 55. I hope ive done the right thing. Im using my sons website as i dont have one set up properly at the moment. thanks for your blog, it has reassured me that i cant expect instant results.
on December 12th, 2007 at 5:50 pm
Carol, I want to thank you for creating this site. Like you & Jenny, I was 11 when I started wearing glasses (I’ll be turning 55 this weekend). I had my lasik surgery performed last week, and I’m still having the frequent bluriness/fogginess, starbursts from car lights, fluctuating focal depth, etc. There’s a lot they really don’t tell you in the “canned” FAQs about what to expect after surgery. So it’s helpful to hear from folks who have been through it. Thanks for sharing your story with us.
on December 18th, 2007 at 1:26 am
hi i have really bad eyesight. unsure which is a better procedure. lasik or prk. im 24 years of age and looking to have one or the other done within a weeks time. any suggestions??
william
Carol’s Response: William,Thanks for visiting my website and writing to me. Generally, Lasik is better because it’s a newer tehcnology and gives faster, better results. PRK is an older technology that is used when a patients pupils are very large or their corneas are thin. Here’s a good site that talks about PRK: http://tinyurl.com/28ptar
on December 28th, 2007 at 9:40 pm
I had Lasik 2 months before it was approved in US which was back in 1999 if I remember correctly. I was -7 and -8 diopters. My ophthalmologist got it right the first time. I had two ophthalmologists in my family and one referred me to a Corneal specialist who had already been doing Lasik trials for years. He did monovision which gave me extra time before I eventually needed reading glasses. But, even so, Lasik is a miracle. 20 20 and 20 25 is where he dialed it in the first time with the older procedures. My rec. is to have a Corneal specialist do it and talk to other people who have had it done. My MD was Mandel up in Hayward, CA area. Many people think 20 20 is best but it is not esp. as you get older and turn presbyopic. RESEARCH THE MDs and you won’t have to get it done twice or worse!
Carol’s Response: Hi Jeffrey, I agree that choosing a top rated surgeon is critical. However, I think enhancements are common, even for the patients of top surgeons. There is an unpredictable healing factor that is different for each set of eyes, and even top surgeons cannot predict it with 100% accuracy. Carol
on January 12th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Hi Carol,
I have a quick question. I have monovision lasik on 12/27/07. I have the typical discomfort from dry eyes and some end of day strain.
My question is regarding the monovision. I do not have any up close vision yet. I am using readers to see my computer and anyting closer.
I had my one week check up and they said enhancement is a possibility and we will just wait and see that my close vision may still come in.
I thought that my less dominant (and less corrected) eye should be able to see up close immediately.
When do you think I may be able to see without readers?
(I now have wonderful long distance vision and still feel comfortable with night vision).
Carol’s Response: Sandy - For both my original surgery and my enhancement, it took about six weeks before my near vision became clear.
on January 14th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Carol,
I had CustomVue Lasik 1-12-07. I have very blurry vision and some pain in my right eye. The left eye is great. I am having to use eye drops every 5-15 minutes. At my one day check-up yesterday I was told my eyes looked good and my vision was 20/20. It doesn’t feel like it is that good. Is this normal? Thank you!
Carol’s Response: Michelle - I know it’s hard to be patient when it’s your vision! But that’s the only thing you can do is wait until your eyes heal. Keep up with the drops and all your doctor’s appointments. Call your doctor if the pain gets worse. The only pain I ever had was a little stinging sensation for a few days after the surgery, and then eye strain (which was more like a headache).
on January 22nd, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Hi Carol,
Thank you for your story.
I just had a lasik last week, I feel regret about it since I have halo and blur vision for the whole first week. I have difficult to read from computer monitor. Doctor said it is normal and will be better with time. Doctor also suggest to use artificial tear more frequently.
I hope to have a good end result as you.
on January 22nd, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Carol,
I am considering having lasik done, however I am scared to death after reading so many horror stories on the internet. Yours was the first story that seemed realistic. Any advice before I schedule my surgery?
Carol’s Response: Elizabeth - Lasik doctors make a ton of money, so it’s in their best interest to give you surgery. Not all of them will tell you if you are a borderline case. So, I recommend getting evaluated by at least two lasik surgeons. If you have something like thin corneas or dry eyes; hopefully, one of them will tell you about it.
My impression is that 90% of people walk out of lasik surgery extremely happy and ready to go on with their lives glasses-free. Those people don’t post their stories on the internet. About 8% have complications that eventually work out fine. That’s where I fit in. The rest have a bad result, and those are the horror stories you read about. Good luck, Carol
on January 30th, 2008 at 11:33 am
I also feel so much better taking a look at your trials! I just had Lasik last Thursday and am having haziness. I was about 20/30 the day afterward, so I didn’t expect a miracle. However, I’ve had glasses since I was 5, am now 27. I wanted to wait for LASIK, but I just couldn’t do anything at ALL without my glasses. Even shaving became a trial! I am still a little worried, because I NEED to read as a teacher. I also love to, so I’d hate to not have that level of comfort. Even reading glasses would be nice, I just hate this not-so-good vision. I am going today, so I’ll ask them about all of this!
on January 30th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
I had LASIK on Jan 25, 2008. My right eye was a -8 and my left eye a -9. So I was extremely near-sighted with some astigmatism in both eyes. My doctor chose to do a wavefront lasik on my right eye and classic on the left (because it was so weak).
Now, five days later. My right eye is pretty perfect. I am very happy with it. My left eye is a bit blurry and has trouble focussing. I went to the 1-day checkup and they explained to me that (a) the healing process in both eyes is not the same and that (b) classic lasik usually takes a little longer to heal. All in all, I am happy with my decision.
Has anyone ever had a similat experience, ie classic and wavefront combination? What was your experience?
on January 31st, 2008 at 12:47 pm
I had classic Lasik on 1/11/08 - so 20 days ago. At the one day check up I was 20/25 left eye and 20/30 right eye. I was scared to death about the acuity as everything was so blurry. I still have weird intermediate vision - say a person stand 8-10 feet from me and all fluorescent lighting situations… is this just part of the healing? I was -6.0 and -6.25. Also, if I can get the eyes closer to 20/20 via an enhancement is the recovery the same?
Carol’s response:
Thanks for visiting my website and writing to me. It sounds like you have a pretty good result, but not perfect. I would give it more time, as your eyes are still healing. It takes 3-6 months. I know it’s hard to be patient when it’s YOUR EYES, but try and hang in there. If you do opt for an enhancement, the procedure is easier (they don’t have to cut the flap - just lift it). The recovery is about the same. Good luck! Let me know how it turns out for you.
on January 31st, 2008 at 9:59 pm
I had LASIK as well on January 25, 2008. I wore glasses since I was 7 years old. I couldn’t do without glasses. I couldn’t see in the shower. I hated when I go get my hair done, and had to get under dryer and couldn’t see the magazine in my hand. Then when the lady would turn me around and say, how does your hair look? I’d tell her, I don’t know….let me put my glasses on.
I am having my week appointment tomorrow. After my 1 day appointment, my doctor said I have 20/15 in BOTH eyes. He was even appalled. My husband is sitting on pins and needs waiting to get his done. I had the Bladeless Custom Lasik Eye Surgery by one of the doctors that did Tiger Woods and other top athletes.
I see the starburst at night, but what’s amazing is how I can actually drive better at night. It’s like the actual pavement is brighter. I am definitely steal healing. I have my times when I feel perfect with a little haziness, then my eyes will feel tired, dry or irritated. I’m in that 90% range of those who had NO complications. I’m healing now.
on February 4th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
This is a great website. I just had the Lasik procedure recently and I am wondering if the halo effect eventually goes away? Or does it just lessen? Right now, standing about 8 feet away from a 40 watt light bulb produces about an inch of fuzzy light in a circle around it.
Carol’s Response: Thanks for visiting my website and writing to me. Halos diminish or disappear in most patients in six months. Are things okay for you otherwise?
on February 5th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
I got CustomVue lasik done January 31st. I had my one day post-op and the surgeon did a quick test with both eyes but did not tell me what my new vision was. I will be asking for the measurement this Thursday at my one week post-op visit. I know that I can see pretty well and do not need my glasses/contacts. I do not feel any discomfort with my eyes but my left eye is much blurrier than my right eye. My vision in my right eye however is very sharp. I have huge red spots in my eyes that I have been told will go away in 2-4 weeks. I also see mild halos around light sources (about an inch) at night. I know it is extremely early since my operation but I am hoping that my negative symptoms go away quickly.
Carol’s Response: Thanks for visiting my website and writing to me. I’m sorry to hear you are having some problems after your lasik surgery. Halos diminish or disappear in most patients in six months. I’m not familiar with the red spots. Are they like bruises? I wish you the best and hope your end result is great! Carol
on February 6th, 2008 at 3:17 am
I am wanting to get the Lasik eye surgery. I have eye insurance. Do you know if doctors in those plans would not be as good? It worries me they might not be top notch. Also, when you have to have enhancements, does that cost extra or is it part of the cost of the first surgery? What is the difference in Bladeless, Custom or Traditional? Are there others?
Carol’s Response: Thanks for visiting my website and writing to me. You make a good point about the quality of doctors that on your vision plan. I don’t really know the answer. The only thing you can do is check them out the same way you’d check out any other lasik doctor. Maybe also get a consultation with a doctor not on the plan to compare what they say and how they answer your questions.
There are several things you can do to check out your doctor:
1) get recommendations from friends and collegues.
2) Look up the surgeon in your state’s board of medicine by googling “Virginia Board of Medicine” (substitute your own state). That will show their certification and if any lawsuits were filed against that doctor.
3) Google the doctor’s name.
4) ask the doctor lots of questions when you go in for the consultation.
5) get at least two or three consultations with lasik doctors. That way, if you are a borderline case due to thin corneas or dry eyes, hopefully one of them will tell you about it.
Regarding enhancements - most doctors include that in their initial price. But ASK, because some do not. And enhancements are very common, so it’s important to know if it’s included or not.
Bladeless lasik means they use a laser to cut the flap instead of a razor blade device. That would be a good thing, actually, because the flap cutting part was really quite awful for me.
Wavefront or Custom means they use a computer to map out your cornea and then guide the laser when lasering your eyes. That usually provides a superior vision outcome. Not everyone can have it, because the the computer mapping process only works if your prescriptino is less than a certain number. (i.e., less than -6 diopters).
There are lots of other lasik procedures. Check out this site for lots more info
on February 6th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
I had custom wavefront lasik 2 1/2 weeks ago. My left eye since day one has been fine. My right eye always feels like something is in it. I noticed my sight getting worse so I went to my local eye clinic. They tested me and said it was 20/40 and 20/60 so my eyes have got worse since surgery. The day after they were 20/25. Is it common to have such a change in 2.5 weeks?
Carol’s Response: Thanks for visiting my website and writing to me. Sorry to hear your lasik did not turn out as you had hoped. Have you been going to your followup visits with your lasik doctor? Your local eye clinic may not be checking
for lasik complications. So, please make sure you keep all your lasik followup appointments.
From what I understand, some regressoin of vision is normal after lasik. Each patient responds to lasik differenlty. It takes 3-6 months for your eyes to heal. Until then, your vision will fluctuate. Because of these factors, lasik not an exact science. That’s why many people will need a 2nd procedure, called an enhancement, to attain good vision.
I know it’s hard to be patient when it’s your eyes! Try to hang in there, and remember to keep all your appointments and use the tear drops.
on February 7th, 2008 at 12:09 am
I had custom wavefront lasik yesterday on my 49th birthday. My vision was -450 for as long as I can remember. Went to my first followup today and my vision was 20/25 and the flaps were doing fine. I drove at night for the first time tonight, had halos but I had halos when I wore my contacts so it wasn’t a shock. My eyes feels dry sometimes but not as bad as when I wore my contacts. The doctor says my eyes will get even better in couple weeks and even the halos will began to go away. So far so good, have my fingers crossed and hope to see more noticeable improvements next couple of weeks.
on February 8th, 2008 at 9:09 am
I had lasik eye surgery Feb,o1.2008 a week today. It was painful for about 2 hours after and my eyes were very dry for about 4 days. I am more worried about the headaches I stated getting about 3 days ago. It feels like I am always straining my eyes. I was -5 and -4.75 before. When I went for my check up the following day I was told I was 20/20. Has anyone eles had these headaches and if so how long did they last?
on February 8th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
its been 6 months since i have wave front lasik i still get mild burning and soreness in my eyes also my eyes ache. please help
Carol’s Respsonse: Rani, Thanks for visiting my website and writing to me. I’m very sorry to hear you are still having discomfort with your eyes. Six months is too long to live with burning, aching eyes! What does your doctor say about it? If your doctor is not helping you, I would definitely recommend that you get a second opinion. …Carol
on February 8th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
I had PRK almost 2 months ago, and I still have significant blurriness in the “middle range” vision. Anything in the 3 to 15 foot range is very difficult to read, which means it’s hard to use the computer. Also, I now get vertigo when using the computer for too long, where I didn’t get that before at ALL. I had -3.5 OD and -3.00 OS, no astigmatism.
Carol’s Response: Nate, Thanks for visiting my website and writing to me. I’m sorry to hear you are experiencing difficulties after lasik. I hear from alot of people with a similar experience seeing in the middle range. I’m pretty sure that gets better with healing. Vertigo can be caused by your eyes and brain not working well together. Perhaps you are still undercorrected, or your one eye is alot stronger than the other, so your brain is working overtime trying to make a clear picture. What does your doctor say? …Carol
on February 9th, 2008 at 1:02 am
I had PRK done 3 weeks back. even though my vision has improved every day, its still hazy and hard for me to read my email and computer screen in general. I am told it can take upto 3 months for the eyes to heal and the vision to settle. I am a little concered, any thoughts appreciated.
Carol’s Response: Rajesh, Thanks for visiting my website and writing to me. I think PRK is a slower healing process than conventional lasik, but since there is no flap, there is less risk of complications. Believe me, I know it’s hard to be patient when it’s YOUR eyes they are talking about! Hang in there - it will get better.
Have you tried using inexpensive reading glasses for your computer screen? I did that until my eyes healed and my near vision improved. …Carol
on February 11th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Hello,
Thank you for your site. This is very helpful and blessing.
Ok… I visited the Doc today. I’m looking at Customvue (Wavefront) technology following an interlase cut. After reading everyone’s comments and statistics on their pre-surgery vision, I’m wondering if I’m wrong to seek Lasik. My vision is -.5 and -.75 today however I do have bad astigmatism and ghosted vision. Today, they surprised me by offering to do a single eye (monovision) and later to the second if this does not work well. I’m 41 and currently read a lot of small print books very comfortably. Any thoughts?
Thank you. John
Carol’s Response: Do you need distance glasses for driving? That’s a tough call. Your
prescription is so small, and some people have those numbers AFTER lasik.
Tho, maybe the astigmatism is a huge factor for you, and that may be what is
causing your ghosting, and wavefront could possibly fix that. You will lose
your good near vision after lasik, and most likely need reading glasses to
see fine print. Let me know what you decide and how it goes! Carol
on February 14th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
I had custom lasik done on Jan 31, 2008. The first 2 hours were very painful. The next morning I was able to read the clock, which I could not done in the past. I am very excited about my glassfree life now. The only problem is that my eyes are still dry and I am using a lot of Refresh plus, that is not cheap by the way. But I love the results my doc told me that I have 20/20 in my right eye and 20/25 in my left.
Carol’s Response: Thanks for visiting my website and writing to me. I’m very glad to hear of your happy lasik outcome! It’s always so nice to hear a positive story! The dry eyes should clear up after a few months. I know the drops are expensive, but they do help in the healing process, so keep using them. If you have a Flexible Spending account, you can use tax free dollars for those. Carol
on February 14th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
I had Lasik surgery in both eyes Feb 3rd(-3.75 in both eyes), today is 6 weeks ago and I am concerned that my vision has not improved as expected REye= -2.25, LEye= -1.25. Should I expect still some improvement? Should I think about a 2nd surgery (enhancement?) Any advise?
Txs
Carol’s Response: Hi Rodolfo, Thanks for visiting my website and writing to me. I’m sorry to hear your vision is still not clear after lasik. It takes a full 3 months of healing before they can do an enhancement. I’m not an expert, but I would think that after six weeks, your vision won’t improve much beyond what it is now. Unfortunately, you still have to wait to get the enhancement… which is I know is very difficult because you have to live with lousy vision until then! How are you getting by driving and such - do you have temporary glasses? I hope your final result is great! Carol
on February 16th, 2008 at 11:56 am
The only thing I can say is that I understimated the discomfort of step 1 of th procedure. I had the intralase procedure and I’m not sure if the microkeratome would be the same but the whole vaccum sucking eyeball touching process was very uncomfortable for me. After that the actual laser correction was a piece of cake.
22 hours after my surgery, I feel good. The first couple of hours sucked until I was able to fall asleep, thanks to asome tylenol PM and a valium. Still blurry/hazy vision and sensitive to light but I think I can tell a difference already for the better. I have my day 1 post op checkup in an hour so we will see.
Carol’s Response: Thanks for visiting my website and writing to me. Sorry to hear the intralase procedure was so unpleasant for you. I hope your vision is clear by now…let me know how your appointment went, and how things progress!
Chris write back…Actually, I’m not sure if it was specific to he intralase or if a microkeratome would have been the same but the whole vacuum sucking my eyeball thing well, sucked!
Aside from that the last 24 hours have been 1000% better than the first and my vision is currently 20/20 with the typical fog/haze. I have demon red eyes (from the sucking) but as far as pain i am relatively painless with a little bit of “grit” in the eye feel. All in all, I am thrilled!
on February 18th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
I had Lasik done at Lasikplus in Scarsdale, NY this past Saturday to correct nearsightedness. No eye pain or even dry eyes, but severe halo’s and what I think is the starburst effect. I have been wearing my glasses since I was six years of age.
The funny thing is I can see clearly the plane in the sky and right close in front of me, but the street names are quite blurry. When will my sight “crispen” up???
Carol’s Response: Thanks for visiting my website and writing to me. I’m sorry to hear about your lasik concerns. Healing takes 3-6 months, so I’m sure things will clear up for you soon. I know it’s hard to be patient when it’s YOUR EYES they are talking about! In the meantime, be sure to use the drops and keep all your follow-up appointments.
on February 18th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
I just had lasik on feb.7th and it’s been 11 days since the procedure. I was told i was 20/20 in my left and 20/40 in my right. before lasik i was -6.25. today i actually poked my eye when i was putting in drops with my pinky…do you think i could have damaged anything ? it was in my 20/40 eye too ? Also since it’s been 11 days , is there any hope my 20/40 might turn to 20/20 ? The doctore noticed on my left eye(20/20) i have a pingcuela and he wants to remove using the non stich method. Do you think it maybe too soon ..he wants to do in two weeks ? have you heard about these. Thanks so much
Carol’s Response: Thanks for visiting my website and writing to me. I’m sorry to hear about your lasik concerns. I wouldn’t worry about poking your eye, unless it hurts more or for a longer time than when have you’ve poked your eye in the past, before lasik.
Healing takes 3-6 months, so it’s possible your 20/40 eye can still improve. It may be drier or have more swelling than the other eye, so give it time. I know it’s hard to be patient when it’s YOUR EYES they are talking about! In the meantime, be sure to use the drops and keep all your follow-up appointments.
I have never heard of pingcuela….did that show up after lasik, or was it there already?
on February 29th, 2008 at 8:17 am
I’m currently an American living in Brazil and had lasik done back on Feb 22nd. I, like the others here, had been wearing contacts for over 30 years. I had always been asked back in the States ever year at my eye appointments, why I don’t consider lasik. I found out that my husband’s insurance covered the entire procedure here since my eyes were -7. Unfortunately, I get vague answers to some of my questions so glad to have found this website. I’ve had no complications except yesterday, I drove for the first time, and had trouble especially at night. I guess it’s the “halo” effect with lights everyone is talking about, but am so relieved to hear that I should give it 3-6 months. Surprisingly, I was, and able to read the computer fine, having problems more with the in-between distances and do have frequent headaches. I’m a type A personality so probably doing too much. The one question I have, which is silly, but when can you start wearing “eye makeup?” My doctor said I could now but be careful but I was worried about rubbing the eye to remove the makeup? By the way, I did check out the doctor who performed the surgery and he checked out fine.
Carol’s Response: Thanks for visiting my website and writing to me. As far as wearing makeup, I think I waited a week just to be on the safe side, and for a month or more, I was extremely cautious when washing my eyemakup off. I think you are fine to do it, just be very very gentle. Thanks for sharing your story!
on March 3rd, 2008 at 10:35 am
I’m going for a consultation next week. I want to have wavefront customvue. Should I ask any specific questions?
on March 3rd, 2008 at 9:51 pm
had lasik performed on the 9thdecember.it was in india .thedoc had the latest equipment from germany. he was very expericncedin eye surgeries. however the result was a nightmare.
I couldnt see for almost 5 to 6 days aftersurgery .slowly my vision improved , i was told that i was overcorrected to 1.75 in left eye. I was very anxious , trouble sleeping , nightmares . and also depressed. I cursed myself for going for the surgery. at this point, i am able to see well. in the left eye, right eye is notclear it is blurry. eyes are dry and halos , starburst at night.
on March 5th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
I had Lasik on January 10, 2008. As soon as it was over, my eyes were so light sensitive I nearly had to be led to the car. I was seeing 20/20 the next day, and I could read the 20/15 line at my one week followup. I had dry eyes prior to lasik due to my contacts, and now I hardly even use eye drops. My question is, how long did it take for your halos to improve? In 2 months, I’ve had negligible improvement with them.
on March 7th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
I just had Lasik done on March 4th and I also wanted to thank you for your website. I have worn glasses since the age of 10, I am now 27. I absolutely love the results. Went for my first post-op appointment and I am at 20/15 in both eyes. Was also able to read 2 letters from 20/10 with my right eye. This is amazing to me because by glasses prescription was somewhere around 4.25 and I have been dependent on them for a long time. The one drawback is that being a computer programmer I stare at a computer screen constantly. I am having eye strain because of this. I am glad to know that this will hopefully be getting better from what I have read here. Just an FYI, my eye doctor told me to get Systane eye drops for dryness, they help out but they are about $17.00 for 1 oz.
on March 7th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
I would advise everybody not to have Lasik surgery performed. It is not worth the risk to your eyes. I am over nine months out from surgery. I have debilitating floaters that intensify in sunlight and against bright computer screens. They took too much corneal tissue out of eyes and it feels like my eyes aren’t even there. I also have difficulties seeing in low-lighted conditions. I also still have halos and starbursts around lights nine months out. I take anti-anxiety and anti-depression medication. Everyday is a challenge. Save yourself from these lying Lasik doctors. Most of them will tell everybody that they are a candidate for the surgery because there is very little recourse when it comes to their responsibility and liability. i.e. it is very difficult to find medical and legal help after a poor outcome.
on March 10th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
I had custom lasik (not bladeless) performed on Feb 20th. The results were very clear immediately after surgery. The only difficulty was getting home with the effects of the drugs still in my body. After a long day/night of rest and 3 kinds of drops (anti-biotics, steroids, and artificial tears), I felt great. My vision has been clear since day 2. 20/15 in left, 20/25 in right.
My vision is definitely fluctuating ast here are days when I can ready tiny print from 5-6 feet away, and other days when reading street signs at dusk is difficult. Also, my left eye is more clear on my days, but every once in a while I swear my right eye is more clear.
I’ve been very diligent with drops, eye proctection at night and during sports (volleyball), and going to my check-ups; but have one concern. I stopped wearing the sleeping eyewear on the 10th day as advised at my follow-up visit. That night, I slept on my right eye (I’m a stomach sleeper) and woke up to pain in the eye after dreaming of pain in my eye. The big pain went away in a few minutes, but it was a little sore for the next 12-24 hours. It feels fine now (a few days later). I’m guessing there’s nothing to be concerned about… right?
For the record, I had my surgery performed at PCLI. Loved the staff, nurses and surgeon. Hated the consulting optometrist. He was belittling and uninformative. He would give me a mocking smirk every time I asked a question he felt was unnecessary. Good thing all my post-op is performed by my own optometrist.
on March 11th, 2008 at 8:54 am
Hi Carol,
I am writing in response to Cathy from Michigan’s story. I had the Intralase/Wavefront Lasik procedure done January 10 and I also had the red spots on my iris. They are caused by the suction of the Intralase procedure. The spots on my right eye went away in about 3 weeks, and the left eye took 5 weeks because it had to be resuctioned during the procedure.
My eyes are doing well now, just some occasional dryness and I still have halos.
on March 15th, 2008 at 11:10 am
Since birth I’ve had to live with poor vision. Recently My wife and I for our 20th wedding anniversary decided to have Lasik surgery done. 5 years ago I was not a candidate. improvements in techology and the skilled staff at Filutowski Cataract & Lasik Insitute allowed my wife and I to have Lasik. Dr. Dempsey and her staff did an incredible job with us and for the first time in our lives we are seeing 20/20. By the way we both had our surgery just yesterday (3/14/08) Thank You Thank You from both of us.
For those of you who are considering this procedure and are candidates please do yousrself a favor and give yourself the gift of great eye sight! Do your research and ask questions, If you live in Central Florida I can without a doubt recommend the Filutowski Cataract & Lasik Institute
Jay & Alana — Clermont, Fl
on March 25th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Carol, I want to make sweet (as opposed to sour) love to you.
on March 25th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
I am thinking about getting lasik and have gone to 4 consults, 3 have said that I was a good canidate for lasik the other said that if he were me he would not do it. I was told by him and 2 other Docs that I have dry eye syndrom. I have worn glasses from the age of 7 and contacts for about 17 years I also have a very high astigmatisum Docs freak out when they see how high it is. I am 41 years now and am so sick of contacts and glasses. I have narrowed it down to 2 Docs but I havent heard of anyone having a super high astig and results. Have you? or should I wait a few more years for lasik to get better for people like me?
on March 26th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Hi Carol, it’s me again. It’ll be 5 weeks since I had my lasik done and still have difficulty driving, especially at night. I saw my doctor this week and he said my vision was 20/25 and suggested to re-do just one of my eyes in 2 weeks. He thinks doing only one eye will let me retain my up-close vision without needing reading glasses (like I needed in the past). Since you keep mentioning waiting 3-6 months, do you think 6 weeks will be too soon to do the “enhancement” I believe that’s what you’ve been calling it? I know I should trust my doctor, but remember, I’m in a foreign country. My vision has been pretty much the same for the past 4 weeks without any improvement.
on March 29th, 2008 at 10:09 am
Hi Carol,
I had ‘Custom Lasik’ on both eye (-6 Right,-5 Left)Feb 29th 2008,so its been 4 weeks+ now.My Right eye is 20/20 and Left is ‘almost’ 20/20.
At night i do see starbust and halos from oncoming traffic but i would wait another 2-3 months for that to go.
My bigger concern is on right eye (which is 20/20) i have a continuous ’strain’/'nerve pull’ feelings on the eyelid and around the eyelid even after 4 weeks. Its worse when i’m waking up and at the end of day. Doc said everything looks okay and you are just healing & use ‘artificial tears’ but i do feel something went wrong on the ‘right’ side. ‘Artificial tears’ even every 30 mins do NOT make any difference inthat ‘nerve strain’.
The left eye (which not yet 20/20) has nothing like that, just gets dry,scratchy with computer use and as soon as i put atrificial tears i’m comfortable for next 1-2 hrs.
Its a totally different feeling on the Right eye.I didn’t disclose this to my family because they would get very very worried but i’m living strain and uneasiness for last 4 weeks.
Any word on this or any advise ?
Thank you very much,
Diptam
on July 3rd, 2008 at 8:23 pm
Dear Carol and everyone else who’s contributed:
thank you for all of your letters and sharing your stories! I am so relieved. I see my case a little bit in each of you. I wish you all continued healing and hope the same for myself.
Best wishes
Mary Kay