I have wanted to get Lasik eye surgery for years, but never pursued a consultation or started the process. I just knew that I was tired of contacts, glasses, etc. Six weeks into our nomadic lifestyle, I knew it was time to get it done. I would like to share my experience so that others that may be thinking about it get a current perspective from a patient and from doctor as opposed to outdated material, videos, procedures, etc.
The backstory:
I am over 40 and was not able to see distance, but perfectly fine up close. This led to glasses on and off constantly throughout the day depending on what I was doing. I am almost sure that if I got a Steem dollar or an upvote for every time I said, "where are my glasses", I would be a multi millionaire by now.
I made my appointment at Updegraff Laser Vision in St Petersburg, FL. To my dismay, I found out that because I was over 40, Lasik would correct my vision for distance, but I would still require glasses for reading. So my doctor suggested monovision correction, which would eliminate the need for me to wear glasses.
So how does monovision work and how do you know if you will like it? Monovision corrects your vision in your dominant eye for distance and your less dominant eye to see clearly up close. I was able to test out this lasik procedure by wearing contact lenses for a week that would emulate the result of the monovision prior to the procedure. Winner, winner, chicken dinner. This was totally for me.
This is me 3 hours after my procedure. Thanks to the valium, I am kinda smiling.
If you have ever considered Lasik, but do not know much about the process, I am here to share my experience with you.
- Choose an excellent doctor. Dr. Updegraff holds 6 patents for lasik, instruments and procedure.
- Follow every instruction to the tee from pre-op to post op and the recovery time is amazing.
- Do not watch Youtube videos. I watched a couple Youtube videos the night before and almost backed out. The procedures, equipment and such were outdated. My experience was nothing like I saw the night before.
- My best friend was the valium before the procedure, a sleeping pill and a 4 hour nap after. Do not skip that nap. It was key to giving my eyes a chance to heal after the procedure.
- Drops, drops and more drops. After the procedure, you will have a constant schedule of eye drops. These drops are key to faster healing and reduced swelling.
Had my post op appointment, 24 hours after my procedure and my vision is now at 20/25 and will continue to improve as the healing process continues and the swelling decreases.
My sexy eye wear for the next 5 nights. Hope it helps with the wrinkles too. No smile in this one as the sleeping pill was still in full effect.
It is amazing to me that just 48 hours ago, I was reliant on glasses and now I have donated them to others that need glasses.
Don't let fear hold you back. Choose a great doctor and ask questions!
I want to give out a kudos to Dr Updegraff and his wonderful staff for providing me with the best care.