Lasik - the final outcome
Yesterday, The Daughter and I went for our 3 month Lasik check-ups. Pretty much, the vision we have now is the vision we will continue to have, though we will have one more check-up just before our one year anniversary in case either of us needs an enhancement. The end result is that The Daughter has 20/15 vision, while mine is 20/20-ish in my left eye and 20/25-ish in my right eye. I still have a bit of an astigmatism in my right eye, but not so much of an astigmatism that it interferes with my vision. My vision fluctuates a bit. If I am on the computer all day, my distance vision is not as crisp as it is when I'm not on the computer all day. If I'm out doing stuff that requires distance vision, my close vision isn't as good as when I'm on the computer all day. But if I'm continually moving between near and distance viewing, my overall vision is just fine. It seems that when I do one for any extended period of time, it takes my eyes awhile to adapt to the other. I can live with that. Especially since I can read without glasses. And the optometrist told me that, if I can hang onto my reading vision for 3 or 4 years, I will probably never need reading glasses! Apparently, the lens in the eye stops changing in the mid-fifties for most people, so the status of one's presbyopia at 55 is pretty much what one can expect from there on out, barring some eye trauma or disease. I'll be 52 in two months. I am praying my reading vision stays put for the next few years.
Bottom line - if you are a candidate, go get Lasik! Even The Daughter, who had to have PRK, which is a much more painful procedure with a much longer recovery period, would recommend it enthusiastically. There is just nothing like being able to see 24/7. And after spending $125 yesterday after insurance, on The Spouse's new glasses, I'm even more convinced that the cost of Lasik (in my case, a mere $1400), is worth every penny. Unfortunately, The Spouse's vision problems can't be corrected by Lasik. He always had 20/20 vision until about 10 years ago. Then he developed a slight astigmatism, and now has presbyopia. He's SOL when it comes to Lasik, but at least he had 46+ years of perfect vision.
If you're pondering Lasik, but you're scared, don't be. Really. Just be sure to go to someone who has done a lot of surgeries, and don't be afraid of the inexpensive, high volume places, imagining they are the Wal-Mart of Lasik. The reality is, the doctors at these places have done thousands of surgeries, and just have the whole process down so that they can do a lot of surgeries in a short amount of time, which allows them to charge less. The place we had our surgeries done is called Luna Eye Centers. The doctor is Dr. Daniel Peters. He is awesome! He works in the Spokane, Bellevue, and Beaverton. If you're anywhere near those places, and you even THINK you want Lasik, GO! You won't regret it.
