Lasik Surgery: How Did I Survive Without It?

The decision to have lasik surgery can be one of the most important in a person's life. There is a drastic change in lifestyle afterward, not to mention the risks and the expense. It falls below marriage and buying a house, but is in the same league as buying a car. Changing 20/40 vision to 20/20 might not warrant such a huge move. Making sure to choose a reputable surgeon is a must. This is not an area for bargain-hunting.

My vision was 20/450 in one eye and 20/600 in the other before surgery. Now it is 20/40 in both. It isn't perfect, but I was told before having it done that it wouldn't be perfect. The difference between then and now is amazing. Now I can see what time it is every time I wake up during the night. I don't have to fumble for glasses to see if it's time to get up, which sometimes made it difficult to fall asleep again if it wasn't. I don't have to count the stairs to know when I get to the bottom if I accidentally leave my glasses downstairs before taking out my contacts. That only happened a few times, but it was pretty annoying.

It kind of reminds me of the first time I got glasses. I was in eighth grade, and all of a sudden I could see the expressions on my friends' faces when they were talking to me. I almost felt like I was invading their privacy; I could practically see their thoughts. In addition to that, I could get a good view of the items from which to choose in the cafeteria. (Whoa, what IS that?)

I am beginning to see the savings in not having to replace glasses and contacts. It's been almost seven years since surgery. I needed to get reading glasses, which are $1.00 at the Dollar Store. I knew that would happen. There is also lasik surgery that can correct far-sightedness, eliminating the need for reading glasses. I'll wait until it becomes ridiculously difficult to read to have that done, though.