Love for LASIK...
A version of this story appeared in the EDGE Health section in early 2009
It’s amazing how much your life can change in a few months. Reading that, you probably imagine that I lost a leg, moved to Uzbekistan, or came back from fighting in Iraq; I’ve done none of these things. What’s changed for me in the last six months may seem trivial to some, but for me it was life altering.
Four months ago I got laser eye surgery.
Like I said, it’s not world peace and it’s admittedly very egocentric; nonetheless, having my vision corrected through laser surgery changed my life. Much more than I thought it would in fact. And to make matters worse, this time last year I was one of those people (as you may be now) who tended to scoff a bit or roll their eyes at "the converts" who’d had the procedure before me and wouldn’t shut up about how happy they were. Of course now I’m one of them.
"I mean, how much can getting rid of your glasses change your life," I thought? Sure, it’d be nice to be able to see right when I wake up, I’d love to not have to spend money buying (designer) glasses and sunglasses for the rest of my life, and given that I didn’t need glasses to help me look older and more respectable, I wouldn’t have complained about possibly looking younger. But life-changing? Really?
Of course it turns out that I couldn’t have been more wrong. Most of the changes are fairly run-of-the-mill, and I’ve already taken some of them for granted, but getting rid of my glasses has changed my world in ways I hadn’t even considered- and in fact in many ways that I can’t even describe. The only reference I have with which to compare it is the way people with depression talk about starting on a medication. One day, out of the blue, they just feel better. Words can’t put the benefits of being sans spectacles in proper perspective, so you’ll have to do what I was never quite able to do with others- just trust me.
If you’re wondering, yes; that’s me in the picture, about five months after my laser eye surgery, and wearing a $140,000 diamond and topaz necklace from Gucci. That’s how much my life changed. (OK, so I was just trying it on at a party, but it could happen!)
Why the change?
Of course there are many benefits of laser eye surgery that I can put into words, which is why I wrote this piece. As with many things in my life, once I discovered the joy, benefits, and freedom of being able to see well without glasses, the first thing I wanted to do was to share it with everyone I know- including EDGE readers. And while I’m the last person to proselytize, the short version of this story is that if you wear glasses and have even an inkling of disdain for them, you should look into laser eye surgery. Of course hindsight is 20/20 (sorry, bad reference...), but if I’d known then what I do now...
I’ve worn glasses since I was in high school. Given that I graduated in ’94, that’s more than a few years spent dealing with annual checkups, not to mention daily annoyances like not being able to see well in the shower, at the spa, etc. What happens when you want to go in the ocean in Cannes? Well, you either go in the water "blind," or you take your glasses, and risk losing a $600 pair of Prada frames. (I speak from experience.) Speaking of expenses, buying lenses, frames, and prescription sunglasses each year isn’t cheap either. In the 14 years I’ve worn glasses I’ve spent at least $8,000 on lenses, frames, and accessories, and that’s being conservative.
For a long time I actually wanted to wear glasses, mostly because I thought they made me look more intellectual, and they definitely made me look a few years older. At the time I was working as a Manager at Banana Republic (and later at Dolce & Gabbana), and since most of my salespeople were older than I was, I figured it gave me more credibility. Now that I’ve hit 30, I’ve got the credibility under control, and I was perfectly fine giving up those few years.
Obviously I’d heard of laser eye surgery before, and had always been impressed with the results. Honestly, the only thing that kept me from having it done earlier was the thought of having a scalpel near my eye. Having researched the procedures- and seen it on video- I knew that it was safe, quick, and easy, but I was still a little bit trepidatious. It turns out that there were two things I didn’t realize- first, you don’t actually see a blade, and obviously you don’t feel any pain. Second, there’s a type of laser eye surgery that doesn’t require a blade- it’s called PRK, and fortunately I fit the profile just fine. (More on that in a minute.)
Pictured :: Me, before surgery. Cute to be sure, but a bit dowdy, and looking older than I actually was.
This is MY story!
Before I get into the actual procedure, there are a few things I have to tell you. This is where I could go into a big ole’ legal disclaimer, but instead I’m just going to tell you that this is my story, about my personal experience and procedure with laser eye surgery and vision correction. Obviously everyone is different, and while technically the basic procedure is similar across the board, every doctor and office will do things slightly differently.
In fact, that was one of the main reasons why I got my procedure done at the New England Eye Center: it was one of the few places that I found where the doctors customize the procedure for every person. There are a ton of laser vision correction places out there, and most of them are probably good. When it comes to my eyes however, "good" isn’t good enough. I wanted the best, and I feel like I got it.
A lot of the strip-mall offices do pretty much the same procedure on every patient- that doesn’t work for me. As annoying as it was to sit in a chair pushing my forehead against a strip while they shined lights in my eyes, took pictures of my retinas, and made measurements of my lenses, I knew they were doing it so that they could customize the procedure down to the micrometer. This dedication to perfection carries over to more than just tests and procedures though; I felt extremely comfortable and confident in them from the first time I met with a doctor to discuss my candidacy for the procedure through to the follow-up appointments months afterwards.
To get back to the point, this is the story of my procedure. If you want a similar experience- and I highly recommend it- then you should do your homework, and seek out the best doctor and surgery center- not the least expensive. This isn’t the time to try to save a couple hundred dollars, and in fact what I paid for what I consider to be the best in the Boston area was extremely competitive, and by no means the most expensive in town. If you do live in Massachusetts, I highly recommend you check out the New England Eye Center. They’ve got offices in Boston, Wellesley and Leominster, and I truly can’t say enough good things about them.
Next :: types of laser eye surgery, the procedure itself, and Valium!
