LASIK Update
I had my three-month post-op LASIK exam today.
Prognosis: Everything is "lookin' good." Visual acuity is 20/20. Three months ago, the optometrist said I had better than 20/20 but not quite 20/15 vision. I don't think I've degraded any, as I'm still able to make out half the letters on the 20/15 chart as I'd done previously. I think the optometrist is simply being less precise in his description. Or rounding down.
Payment: My company reimbursed me for the full cost of the procedure, which made me really happy.
Side Effects:• Dryness: Still a little dryness, but I've made great advancements, with further room to improve. I no longer lubricate my eyes every couple hours. I bathe both eyes with saline solution immediately after waking up (my idea), then typically I can last the entire day without eye drops. Sometimes I use drops in the evening before I'm about to watch a movie, as focusing on a large screen sometimes causes dryness. Strangely, staring at a computer all day usually doesn't. Other things that dry out my eyes: dry rooms, alcohol, stress.
• Floaters: You know those little amoeba-lookin' things that float around in your field of view? I notice mine more now. From what I've read, LASIK doesn't create them, but they can get moved around a little. My brain apparently needs time to get used to them in their new positions, then they'll be filtered out.
• Light Effects: It sounds a little hard to believe, but I honestly don't know if I'm seeing abnormal effects around light sources. I have no basis for comparison because I've forgotten the fine details of what my vision was like with contacts, but nothing I'm seeing seems blatantly wrong. For those of you considering LASIK, I encourage you to create a written record of your pre-op vision, e.g. what has halos, what creates starbursts, does weather or other factors cause things to look blurry, etc.
• Rubbing: I no longer feel the urge to rub my eyes due to fatigue. Ever. I did that a lot when I wore contacts because they felt like they needed rubbed. Now they don't. Sometimes I'll rub the corners, but only when they itch.
Overall, I'm quite satisfied with my results. When I brought up the small stuff (floaters, possible light effects) with the optometrist this morning, he said that it could be psychological, that I only notice these things because I'm scrutinizing my vision more than I ever have before. That made a lot of sense to me. I hope the dryness improves so I no longer need eye drops at all, and I hope my vision doesn't drop below 20/20 (or at least not to the point where I'd need corrective lenses again).
I've grown accustomed to being able to read my alarm clock :)
Prognosis: Everything is "lookin' good." Visual acuity is 20/20. Three months ago, the optometrist said I had better than 20/20 but not quite 20/15 vision. I don't think I've degraded any, as I'm still able to make out half the letters on the 20/15 chart as I'd done previously. I think the optometrist is simply being less precise in his description. Or rounding down.
Payment: My company reimbursed me for the full cost of the procedure, which made me really happy.
Side Effects:• Dryness: Still a little dryness, but I've made great advancements, with further room to improve. I no longer lubricate my eyes every couple hours. I bathe both eyes with saline solution immediately after waking up (my idea), then typically I can last the entire day without eye drops. Sometimes I use drops in the evening before I'm about to watch a movie, as focusing on a large screen sometimes causes dryness. Strangely, staring at a computer all day usually doesn't. Other things that dry out my eyes: dry rooms, alcohol, stress.
• Floaters: You know those little amoeba-lookin' things that float around in your field of view? I notice mine more now. From what I've read, LASIK doesn't create them, but they can get moved around a little. My brain apparently needs time to get used to them in their new positions, then they'll be filtered out.
• Light Effects: It sounds a little hard to believe, but I honestly don't know if I'm seeing abnormal effects around light sources. I have no basis for comparison because I've forgotten the fine details of what my vision was like with contacts, but nothing I'm seeing seems blatantly wrong. For those of you considering LASIK, I encourage you to create a written record of your pre-op vision, e.g. what has halos, what creates starbursts, does weather or other factors cause things to look blurry, etc.
• Rubbing: I no longer feel the urge to rub my eyes due to fatigue. Ever. I did that a lot when I wore contacts because they felt like they needed rubbed. Now they don't. Sometimes I'll rub the corners, but only when they itch.
Overall, I'm quite satisfied with my results. When I brought up the small stuff (floaters, possible light effects) with the optometrist this morning, he said that it could be psychological, that I only notice these things because I'm scrutinizing my vision more than I ever have before. That made a lot of sense to me. I hope the dryness improves so I no longer need eye drops at all, and I hope my vision doesn't drop below 20/20 (or at least not to the point where I'd need corrective lenses again).
I've grown accustomed to being able to read my alarm clock :)