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RE: [RC] LASIK (was Did you know??) - Jannelle Wilde & Adam Falk

Ditto for everything that Sharon said except I had it done at about 36.  And
I think I was "blinder".  I did have a friend who had a corrective LASIK
surgery on one eye and two on another.  But that is VERY unusual.  Watch out
for headaches for a while because there's so much sensory input!  I can see
the tops of distant trees when I ride and get frustrated with the hubbie
when I point things out when riding and he's clueless.  

I told my husband that I almost cried at our wedding and didn't even
consider crying when my kids were born (ok, I yelled...) but if it hadn't
irritated my eyes after surgery, I would have cried to be able to see
without glasses...truly miraculous.  

BTW, they didn't give me valium but I was nervous and kinda wish they had.

Jannelle

Jannelle Wilde & Adam Falk
584 Romie Howard Rd.
Yoncalla OR 97499
541-849-2460
866-241-1531 (toll-free)
home.centurytel.net/mfarm

-----Original Message-----
From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ridecamp-
owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Sharon Levasseur
Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 8:36 AM
To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [RC] LASIK (was Did you know??)

Wow, lots of people interested in this topic!  I'm getting private emails
too so
I'll put all that info here as well.

I am 30 years old and had it done in January.  My eyesight was around
20/300
prior to surgery.

During the screening process I found out that, for all practical purposes,
my
actual prescription had stabilized in recent years (the computer said so)
but
my regular eye doctor had been giving me progressively stronger contacts
because I felt like I needed them ("which one is clearer, this one or that
one?").  Wish I'd known what they were doing, I'd have told them NO!

The surgeon told me that like almost everyone in the world, I will need
reading
glasses at some point after I hit 40.

It was not at all painful.  They put numbing drops in my eye so I couldn't
feel
anything, then propped it open and stabilized both my head and my eyeball
so I
couldn't move them one bit.  I think the worst part (and it wasn't that
bad)
was the pressure on my eyeball when they stabilized it and cut the flap.
I
won't lie, I was nervous, but I think if they'd given me more Valium I
would
have been better off.

No real discomfort afterwards, but I did have problems with my eyelids
sticking
shut overnight because of all the eye drops I had to use to combat the
dryness.

I'd be happy to give you the name of the center where I had it done, but
it
isn't likely to be of much use to you!  These places are all over the
country
now, I'm sure there's one near you that would be far more convenient.

Try this site for more information about vision surgery... it looks REALLY
comprehensive!  http://www.allaboutvision.com/visionsurgery/  LASIK is for
nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astygmatism.  There are several other
surgeries that can be required because of different vision problems or
other
circumstances.  The top link at this site talks about that.  A free
screening
session at your local eye surgery center will tell you which you're a
candidate
for (if any).

Keep in mind that all the reputable sources of information about eye
surgery are
going to bend over BACKWARDS to scare you.  They want you to know all the
risks.
 But I asked my surgeon what the probability was that something bad would
happen
(or even that my vision would not be corrected better than 20/40) and he
said in
all the years he's been doing this, it's NEVER HAPPENED.  So learn the
risks,
but be aware they're trying to scare you so you won't sue them in the
extremely
unlikely event that something goes wrong.

I recommend going to your local eye surgery center and having them do the
free
screening to see if you qualify.  They should show you an informational
video
while you're there.  If it doesn't explain the process well enough, tell
them
you want to see more!  You can probably even watch a real surgery in
progress,
I could have done that before I had mine done if I'd wanted to.

Just one quiet word of caution... not all eye surgery centers are alike, I
think.  Some have newer technology.  So just do your research.  Also, ask
around locally and you'll be able to find people who have had the
surgery...
ask them where they had it done and how their experience was.

-Sharon L.




Quoting Steven Proe <trails@xxxxxxxxx>:

Hi Sharon: Can you please tell us your age and how long ago have you had
the
LASIK surgery?

Also is there only one type of LASIKsurgery that you had?

Can you read newspapers ect with small print, without glasses?

If you can provide the name of the bussiness, so that I and others can
contact them for additional information.

Do you know what your vision was (20-20 example) before the LASIK?

Thanks for the info.
Steven Proe
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sharon Levasseur" <sharon1359@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 7:24 AM
Subject: Re: [RC] LASIK (was Did you know??)


Just thought I'd speak up here and share my LASIK experience.

I used to wear contacts that I could leave in my eyes for up to 30
days
(although 3 was my personal max).  When I camped with my horse I
needed to
be
able to see as soon as I woke up, rather than having to try to put
contacts in
my eyes with dubiously clean hands in a dirty dressing room.  It
worked
reasonably well for several years.

But I was tired of having to worry about rubbing my eye and either
losing
one or
folding it under my eyelid, getting dirt under them, and all the other
stuff
that goes along with using contacts.  It was especially inconvenient
when
I
went to rides, as I had to remember to bring extra contacts in case I
ripped/lost one.

It just so happens that I got a new job and switched to Anthem Blue
Cross
for my
health insurance, then found out there was a LASIK discount available.
Instead
of about $1200 an eye, I could pay only $895 an eye!  When I checked
into
it
further I discovered that in order to sign up for the discount program
I
would
need to have the surgery done at a clinic about an hour away; they
were
the
only clinic enrolled in the discount program.  However, when I
mentioned
this
to my *local* LASIK center, they said they would MATCH THE PRICE
without
me
running it through my insurance at all!

I used my Medical Savings Account (or whatever it's called) to pay for
it,
and
am paying that back out of my paycheck on a weekly basis.

The morning after my surgery I was 20/20 and two days later I was
20/15.
I am
still 20/15 three months later and cannot believe how much easier life
has
gotten now that I don't have to worry about my contacts.  Not to
mention
how
much less STUFF I have to carry in my toiletries bag when I go away to
rides!!

If you're eligible but you're on the fence... DO IT.  You won't regret
it.

-Sharon L. in Maine

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 Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
 Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
 Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

 Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

 Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
 Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
 Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

 Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=





=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

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Replies
Re: [RC] LASIK (was Did you know??), Sharon Levasseur