My Experience With LASIK Eye Surgery

I have had near perfect vision for almost 8 months and I have to say – WOW. Is this a medical miracle or what?!

I took the plunge and got LASIK eye surgery at the beginning of the year after much thought.

I had been a glasses and contacts wears for 20 years, and had developed an allergy to my contacts, so I was paying a ridiculous amount for dailies {and I *do* have vision insurance}, and grew sick of it.

I’m so glad I made the plunge at this point in my life. It truly is a life-changer!

Here’s more about my experience with LASIK eye surgery:

THE PROCESS

LASIK is an out-patient procedure that reshapes the surface of your cornea with a laser. It took a total of maybe 20 minutes to do the surgery, and an hour total at the office from start to finish.

I won’t lie, the surgery was a scary experience for me. Before going back, I was given a dose of Valium to help my body relax. I just felt a tad drunk, and it turned out it wore off fast with me. {Epidurals also never worked for me – gah!} I definitely felt slightly panicked during the process, which my doctor later said wasn’t typical. If I had to do it again, I would ask for an extra dose since my body is resistant to anti-anxiety meds.

With that said, it wasn’t painful, it was just uncomfortable. I was so glad it was a quick procedure!

LOOKING FOR A DOCTOR

When I looked for a doctor to do the surgery, I considered reviews, spoke with people I knew, and examined cost. Convenience was also a major factor. There are LOTS of appointments associated with the surgery, so consider that when exploring options.

RECOVERY TIME

My surgery was scheduled for early morning, and it took the entire day to recover. I actually felt fine after the surgery, but was tired and slept for most of the day. I had grandma watch the kids so I could stay in bed and keep my eyes closed per the doctor’s orders. I listened to podcasts and slept. As a busy mom of three, it was kind of nice to have the excuse to relax! The only discomfort I felt was that my eye had something in them. Keeping them shut felt nice.

The next morning, I had a follow-up appointment. My vision was a tad blurry, but I was able to drive myself to the appointment without any troubles.

It took my eyes a few months to fully adjust and heal. I initially had a lot of trouble driving at night and with dry eyes. Eight months later, I still use drops occasionally, and notice the lights blur a bit at night after I’ve had a long day.

LASIK CONSIDERATIONS

Before considering LASIK, take note of these tips:

• My optometrist suggested waiting until I was done having kids before seeing if I was eligible for LASIK because your eyes can change during pregnancy.
• Our insurance did NOT cover the cost, as it’s considered a cosmetic procedure. To help offset the expense, we maxed out our Flex Spending Account at the start of the year since LASIK is an eligible expense, and used those funds to help save about 10 percent. My surgery cost was $3,600 {the initial consult, surgery, follow-ups, meds and drops}. By my calculations, it will pay for itself in about 4 years. We paid for it outright {no family vacations for us this past year!}, but there are payment plans and CareCredit options available.
• Before surgery, you cannot wear your contacts for two weeks since they change the shape of your cornea.
• You have to be comfortable with putting drops in your eyes. LOTS of drops. This was my regime post-surgery: 
• You may not be glasses-free forever. My doctor said I should have stellar vision for 10 years. After that time, there’s always a chance I may need reading/computer glasses as I age. Still, so worth it in my opinion.

OVERALL

Before surgery, I was farsighted to a -5.75 in both eyes. If you aren’t familiar, that’s pretty much blind. I often joked I wouldn’t be able to identify a nighttime robber in a line-up because I couldn’t see anything without my glasses/contacts. The funny thing is, even 8 months after surgery, I still reach for my glasses when I wake-up every morning. Old habits are tough to break!

Would I do it again? YES. In a heartbeat. So worth it to receive the gift of good vision again!

I chose Lake Lazer Eye Center for my LASIK. The office has locations in Milford, Novi and Clinton Township. Dr. Khambati is highly skilled and great at what he does. I highly recommend him!

*This is NOT a paid post. Just wanted to help those considering LASIK 🙂

Have you had LASIK or considered it?