Waking up early most days, most likely because I've been going to bed early. I've realised that all my interests involve great eye strain - reading, working on the pc, watching films or the TV - all the things I don't want to do much at the moment as I try to rest my eyes as much as possible.
As advised in my aftercare pack I've been cleaning my eye lashes using boiled and then cooled water and quite a few cotton buds. Quite a few because my mother (a nurse) told me to change end with the cotton stick every time I sweep the eye, therefore if I were to have an infection I wouldn't be spreading it. Makes sense I guess. Although I'm not really worried too much about infections as I've done everything recommended to me and seem to be recovering well.
After 48 hours I was able to change my drops to 4 times a day rather than every 2 hours and while I feel I need the drops first thing in the morning the rest of the time they're feeling pretty good. Up until day 3 I noticed that if I looked sharply to the far right, my left eye had a kind of gritty sensation. I wouldn't say pain, just mildly strange. But that's gone now and was probably linked to the redness, which is going down more and more each day.
I've been having an afternoon nap most days. Just 30mins to an hour to rest my eyes which usually means I fall asleep. On day 3 I watched almost 2 hours of TV and by the end of it I had a mild headache. But my focus on close up objects, such as this pc screen, is improving more and more each day.
The one thing that doesn't change is the frequent bursts of amazement I experience. Walking my dog at the top of the hill above my house last night I had the wind on my face and I could see so clearly right out onto the horizon. It's strange but everything just seems so much more real when it's your bare eyes you're looking with. Of course I've seen this view with my glasses and contacts, but it's not the same. It feels somehow as if I'm seeing the truth because I'm seeing it with my naked eye!
So yes, everything's going fantastically. I'm drinking at least 2 litres of water a day, taking an omega 3 capsule once a day and also a soluble vitamin c pill which I drink with my evening meal. Whether these things have made a difference who knows, but I feel better for doing it.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Saturday, July 28, 2007
The day after (First aftercare appointment)
Woke up at about 5am, I had quite a good sleep despite the eye shields taped to my face. I don't find them too bad, mainly because my natural sleeping position is on my back or side with my head tilted up. Oh and here's the pic I promised of me in them....
Lovely eh. Had to take it without flash because that might have been painful. Oh and also they tell you to put tape in a X over your eyes (two bits of tape) but I've found I'm fine with just the one. Less tape goo on your face the next morning!
So then woke up early and dozed for a while. It was amazing to be able to look at my alarm clock without my glasses. My left eye was still feeling a tiny bit gritty - no worse than normal wearing of my contact lenses though. And my eyes were both bloodshot. My left eye is the worse one for this, with patches either side of my eye, the right one just has a bloodied patch between the pupil and the inner corner of my eye. These look far worse than they feel.
My first check up appointment at Ultralase was at 9.55 and yet again I caught the train. I would have been fine to go alone but my family being my family decided someone needed to go with me. So I took my mum.
I got to the clinic and was given a certificate to confirm my lifetime guarantee. How's that for a satisfaction guarantee? If my eyes deteriorate and need retreating Ultralase will treat them completely free. As far as I know no other laser eye surgery provider does this beyond a set period of one year. The condition is that I have my eyes tested every two years at any optician I choose.
I was seen almost straightaway, and wasn't in there for more than five minutes. All that happened was I looked at the eye chart one eye at a time and read out the line I could. My right eye could read the driving standard line and the left eye could read two lines below that one. As the opthomologist explained to me, my vision is not really the important thing at this stage, it's all about how my eye is healing. He looked at my eyes with the microscope and told me that if it wasn't for the redness he would not be able to tell I'd had anything done. He said they were healing perfectly.
The redness could apparantly take up to 6-8 weeks to fully disappear, although it will be far less noticable after just one week. Seeing how it had gone down a little just overnight I fully believed him. So after confirming that I was taking my drops at the allocated intervals and checking if I had any questions I was sent on my merry way.
I did have one question: Whether I needed to inform my doctor that I'd had laser eye surgery. He said that there was no medical or insurance reason why I would, but in the interests of keeping my doctor informed I might like to just mention it whenever I am next in there. I think I will do. It can't hurt.
It was just gone 10am when I came out. I was due for more drops so my mum helped me put them in before we left. Being a nurse she told me I shouldn't put them in before the consultation because they would make my eyes slightly blurry. She's right you know, I have noticed that for up to 30 minutes after the drops the vision is a little more unstable. I say unstable, but this is still 100% times better than the vision I had with contact lenses. With contacts, I was never able to blink without feeling the lens on my eye - mainly because of my astigmatism - but now I get good vision without anything on the eye. Woo hoo.
I went out for lunch with my parents and grandmother when we got back. We went to a little country pub and I noticed that limited light and the mirror behind the bar made my vision a little hazy. I could still see everything but it took me a little longer to focus. After that we wandered around a garden centre and after that I was quite tired. I went home and had a nap.
I've got to say I am pleased with the results but I'm not letting myself get too excited. Resting my eyes and recovering well is my priority at the moment. It often feels like I'm wearing new prescription lenses that my eyes have to get used to. Using my eyes to concentrate on anything for any period of time gives me a dull headache. And although I'm quite comfortable typing this and closing my eyes regulalry - I wouldn't be happy if I had to go back to work without a few days to recover.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Day of laser eye surgery
First off, I 'm touch typing this without looking much so please excuse the typos. I'll come back and edit later. Oh and it's not that I can't see, it's just that I'm conscious of resting my eyes as much as possible. To let them heal and that. Anyway on to the big event...
Took the train in to Chelmsford station - yet again my appointment was around rush hour so it seemed far easier, and I'd been advised that so long as I had someone with me I'd be fine to take the train home. The first thing I did in the Ultralase clinic was sign my lifetime guarantee contract, and read through the form to declare I wanted to go ahead with the surgery, had been advised of the risks etc. Once that was done I had a few minutes to wait (I had got there a bit early), before being taken off by the surgeon tso she could look at my eyes and ask if I had any allergies, medical conditions, or "anything I wanted to tell her" I thought about confessing the time I stole a toy cat from playschool when I was about four, but thought I'd keep that to myself. She ran me through what would happen in the procedure - super efficient typical doctor speak running it off like it was nothing at all. She also mentioned that the astigmatism in my right eye made my prescription quite big (in total it's about -4 which isn't that big considering), and she said upfront that this might mean we need to tweak it to get it right. Oh well, if I have to come back so be it. With Ultralase's lifetime guarantee I knew I wouldn't have to pay again.
Back out into thte waiting room. It seemed like they had a fair few procedures booked for that day, and I rememer sharing a few nervous glances with others who were clearly about to have surgery too. I wouldn' say I was nervous, more excited and just anxious to get it all over with.
After a while I was taken through by a nurse to be 'prepped' for surgery. This involved having anisthetic drops put into my eyes, little blue bags over my shoes and my hair put back into a net. I also had browny yellow solution - idodine I think it was - put over my eyelids to make them super clean. At this point my glasses came off, hopefully for the last time. The nurse ran me through what would happen in the operation room and also the things I needed to do post surgery. She gave me a little goodie bag with six little bottles of solutions (3 sets of drops, 1 per eye to reduce the risk of cross-contamination). She also gave me my night shields and tape and showed me how to fix them on. I'll post a pic on here for you soon.
The bottles were: Red labelled antibiotics to be taken every 2 hours for 48hrs and then 4 times a day for a week. Pink labelled anti-inflammatories to be taken the same as the red bottle but leaving 5 minutes in between the drops so as not to dilute them. Then a green labelled bottle which is basically artificial tears. I'm to take these ones as and when. I thought I'd never remember any of this but of course it was all written out on information sheets for me to take away.
We kept hearing a blasting noise - the nurse told me this was the laser being used or warmed up. It was quite a loud zapping noise kind of like an x-ray machine I suppose.
And then...waiting. The surgeon was the only surgeon in that day and it seemed that everyone wanted her opinion on consultations etc. so she was running a bit late. I just wanted it all over with but tried to wait patiently. Then a song came on the radio that made me chuckle. I can't remember who it's by or what it's called but the first line is 'I can see clearly now the rain has gone...' and I knew my surgery was going to be soon.
I was finally called in. A bit nervous, but mostly relieved that the waiting was over. I had to lie down on a long bed, and a cushion was put under my knees to keep me comfortable. Someone asked me if I was ok and then someone else asked me to confirm my name and what type of surgery I was in for. There were little lights on the bottom of a machine above me. I had to look at them and then they went down. And then the fun began.
Okay let's face it, it wasn't fun. But I'll try to run you through an emotion free experience. First off my left eyes was covered up, then my right eye was prepared with surgical tape / bandage above and below. Next an instrument was put in to keep my eye open. This was uncomfortable as it was put in and taken out but once in a bit weird but fine. Next up they put something onto my eye to increase the pressure (this is unique to intralase and possibly standard Lasik I believe), this was pretty uncomfortable. It pressed onto my eyeball and seemed to press back into my skull. When the pressure was up I lost vision. I expected this to be scarey but actually it wasn't really. I had every confidence that my vision would be coming back. The discomfort lasted about 10 seconds and then I was swung under the intralase device. I couldn't feel a thing - except maybe a bit of pressure pushing my head back into the bed and then the pressure was released. At this point my vision came back, but not very clearly. I could feel someone fiddling and taking the flap up for the laser to do it's thing. Next I had to look at a light.
I've read people saying this but in my imagination it was a little dot of light. Actually it ws more like a hundred little lights that were clearly just the one light, it's just my vision was all over the place. The surgeon told me to look up a few times but I really had no idea where I was looking so I just tried until she said it was fine and to hold it there. Then there were three blasts of the laser. Someone advised me I might smell burning but I didn't notice it. I was too busy trying to keep my head still. After the laser bursts some solution was put in my eye and the flap replaced. Then finally the device to keep my eye open was removed and it felt much better.
Except now I had to go through it all on the other eye! At this point I realised that it was going to be worse because I knew what was coming. I've read people say this on the Ultralase forums but I guess you only really believe it when you're rught there experiencing it for yourself. So yes my left eye was a little worse.
There was a point during the procedure when I thought 'oh what am I doing?' but it was a brief flash and I knew exactly what I was doing. I was having the need for glasses and contact lenses removed from my life.
The procedure went ahead with my left eye. The uncomfortable clamp, the short discomfort of the pressure device and then the release as the laser has cut the flap. It really was so quick though. Discomfort or not, 20 minutes and it's all over.
When I was told I could get up I think I shot up so fast - glad to get away I guess - but then as I was about to get to my feet I realised I should take it slow incase I went wobbly. My body would likely be in a mild kind of shock. So I took it slowly following the nurse out of the room and into a recovery room. My vision was watery, slightly blurry, but at the same time I knew it would be great once it had healed. I could see the clock and the sign on the door. In the recovery room I sat on a reclining chair and the nurse went off to get me a cup of water and my boyfriend.
I chatted to him for a few minutes and looked around me, amazed, before my right eye started stinging and I had to keep it closed as it began to water. My left eye followed a few minutes later. I'd read descriptions of it being like chopping onions. It was at first, but then in short bursts it felt a little worse than that. As if I'd been chopping onions and then touched my eye with onion juice. If that makes any sense. I started to worry that I wouldn't be able to keep my eyes open enought to get to the train station, but then tried to relax, sit back and just do what my body was telling me to do - keep my eyes closed.
I was there for almost an hour before the surgeon called me through and I struggled to keep my eyes open enough to look at the chart. I read out on line, I could see below this but struggle to keep my eyes open long enought. It turned out the line I'd read out fairly easily was driving standard anyway. WOOHOO! Then she looked at my eyes under the microscope and told me they looked fine. I was free to go home, and should sleep for the rest of the day. 'You can drive home' she joked, looking at me struggling to open my eyes more than a little chink. Umm, maybe not.
I went back to the recovery room, got my bag and headed outside. My boyfriend had told me my eyes looked bloodshot and when I went to the bathroom before setting off I tried to sneak a look, as much as I could when my eyes just wanted to be closed. They looked very red. Most of the white in my left eye especially. It made the pain feel a little worse to look (purely psychological I know) so I stopped looking.
Sunglasses on I went out into the street, having to be guided by my boyfriend. I had my eyes closed a lot of the way, I could not keep my eyes open for long. They were streaming and pretty sore. When we got to the car I remember the sunlight was so bright, even with sunglasses and my eyes closed. It was like walking on a bright white beach and I could almost feel the burning of the laser on my eyes.
Once home, we put my first sets of drops in and I lay on the bed with an audiobook on my ipod. After a little while I got into the bed and dozed on and off. I did this for about three hours and after that my eyes were much better. It still felt better to keep them closed more than open but they weren't streaming.
I was well enough to go round to my parent's house for tea. Although I had my eyes closed for the whole car journey. When I did open my eyes I was amazed with the vision. Absolutely fantastic so soon after surgery!
I went to bed early, my boyfriend woke me up to put my last set of drops in as he came to bed and I remember waking up and looking at him - vision absolutely clear on the moment of waking. But I'm not thinking about my vision at this point. I'm working on the healing. Trying to drink 2 litres of water, taking omega 3 pills and closing my eyes as much as possible. I've not watched television or read, and althouhg I'm sneaking looks at the pc screen as I write this, my eyes are closed more than often. It's too important to mess about.
Anyway, so that was my day of surgery. I went for my check up today, but I'll write all about that tomorrow. For now I'm back to closing my eyes.
Took the train in to Chelmsford station - yet again my appointment was around rush hour so it seemed far easier, and I'd been advised that so long as I had someone with me I'd be fine to take the train home. The first thing I did in the Ultralase clinic was sign my lifetime guarantee contract, and read through the form to declare I wanted to go ahead with the surgery, had been advised of the risks etc. Once that was done I had a few minutes to wait (I had got there a bit early), before being taken off by the surgeon tso she could look at my eyes and ask if I had any allergies, medical conditions, or "anything I wanted to tell her" I thought about confessing the time I stole a toy cat from playschool when I was about four, but thought I'd keep that to myself. She ran me through what would happen in the procedure - super efficient typical doctor speak running it off like it was nothing at all. She also mentioned that the astigmatism in my right eye made my prescription quite big (in total it's about -4 which isn't that big considering), and she said upfront that this might mean we need to tweak it to get it right. Oh well, if I have to come back so be it. With Ultralase's lifetime guarantee I knew I wouldn't have to pay again.
Back out into thte waiting room. It seemed like they had a fair few procedures booked for that day, and I rememer sharing a few nervous glances with others who were clearly about to have surgery too. I wouldn' say I was nervous, more excited and just anxious to get it all over with.
After a while I was taken through by a nurse to be 'prepped' for surgery. This involved having anisthetic drops put into my eyes, little blue bags over my shoes and my hair put back into a net. I also had browny yellow solution - idodine I think it was - put over my eyelids to make them super clean. At this point my glasses came off, hopefully for the last time. The nurse ran me through what would happen in the operation room and also the things I needed to do post surgery. She gave me a little goodie bag with six little bottles of solutions (3 sets of drops, 1 per eye to reduce the risk of cross-contamination). She also gave me my night shields and tape and showed me how to fix them on. I'll post a pic on here for you soon.
The bottles were: Red labelled antibiotics to be taken every 2 hours for 48hrs and then 4 times a day for a week. Pink labelled anti-inflammatories to be taken the same as the red bottle but leaving 5 minutes in between the drops so as not to dilute them. Then a green labelled bottle which is basically artificial tears. I'm to take these ones as and when. I thought I'd never remember any of this but of course it was all written out on information sheets for me to take away.
We kept hearing a blasting noise - the nurse told me this was the laser being used or warmed up. It was quite a loud zapping noise kind of like an x-ray machine I suppose.
And then...waiting. The surgeon was the only surgeon in that day and it seemed that everyone wanted her opinion on consultations etc. so she was running a bit late. I just wanted it all over with but tried to wait patiently. Then a song came on the radio that made me chuckle. I can't remember who it's by or what it's called but the first line is 'I can see clearly now the rain has gone...' and I knew my surgery was going to be soon.
I was finally called in. A bit nervous, but mostly relieved that the waiting was over. I had to lie down on a long bed, and a cushion was put under my knees to keep me comfortable. Someone asked me if I was ok and then someone else asked me to confirm my name and what type of surgery I was in for. There were little lights on the bottom of a machine above me. I had to look at them and then they went down. And then the fun began.
Okay let's face it, it wasn't fun. But I'll try to run you through an emotion free experience. First off my left eyes was covered up, then my right eye was prepared with surgical tape / bandage above and below. Next an instrument was put in to keep my eye open. This was uncomfortable as it was put in and taken out but once in a bit weird but fine. Next up they put something onto my eye to increase the pressure (this is unique to intralase and possibly standard Lasik I believe), this was pretty uncomfortable. It pressed onto my eyeball and seemed to press back into my skull. When the pressure was up I lost vision. I expected this to be scarey but actually it wasn't really. I had every confidence that my vision would be coming back. The discomfort lasted about 10 seconds and then I was swung under the intralase device. I couldn't feel a thing - except maybe a bit of pressure pushing my head back into the bed and then the pressure was released. At this point my vision came back, but not very clearly. I could feel someone fiddling and taking the flap up for the laser to do it's thing. Next I had to look at a light.
I've read people saying this but in my imagination it was a little dot of light. Actually it ws more like a hundred little lights that were clearly just the one light, it's just my vision was all over the place. The surgeon told me to look up a few times but I really had no idea where I was looking so I just tried until she said it was fine and to hold it there. Then there were three blasts of the laser. Someone advised me I might smell burning but I didn't notice it. I was too busy trying to keep my head still. After the laser bursts some solution was put in my eye and the flap replaced. Then finally the device to keep my eye open was removed and it felt much better.
Except now I had to go through it all on the other eye! At this point I realised that it was going to be worse because I knew what was coming. I've read people say this on the Ultralase forums but I guess you only really believe it when you're rught there experiencing it for yourself. So yes my left eye was a little worse.
There was a point during the procedure when I thought 'oh what am I doing?' but it was a brief flash and I knew exactly what I was doing. I was having the need for glasses and contact lenses removed from my life.
The procedure went ahead with my left eye. The uncomfortable clamp, the short discomfort of the pressure device and then the release as the laser has cut the flap. It really was so quick though. Discomfort or not, 20 minutes and it's all over.
When I was told I could get up I think I shot up so fast - glad to get away I guess - but then as I was about to get to my feet I realised I should take it slow incase I went wobbly. My body would likely be in a mild kind of shock. So I took it slowly following the nurse out of the room and into a recovery room. My vision was watery, slightly blurry, but at the same time I knew it would be great once it had healed. I could see the clock and the sign on the door. In the recovery room I sat on a reclining chair and the nurse went off to get me a cup of water and my boyfriend.
I chatted to him for a few minutes and looked around me, amazed, before my right eye started stinging and I had to keep it closed as it began to water. My left eye followed a few minutes later. I'd read descriptions of it being like chopping onions. It was at first, but then in short bursts it felt a little worse than that. As if I'd been chopping onions and then touched my eye with onion juice. If that makes any sense. I started to worry that I wouldn't be able to keep my eyes open enought to get to the train station, but then tried to relax, sit back and just do what my body was telling me to do - keep my eyes closed.
I was there for almost an hour before the surgeon called me through and I struggled to keep my eyes open enough to look at the chart. I read out on line, I could see below this but struggle to keep my eyes open long enought. It turned out the line I'd read out fairly easily was driving standard anyway. WOOHOO! Then she looked at my eyes under the microscope and told me they looked fine. I was free to go home, and should sleep for the rest of the day. 'You can drive home' she joked, looking at me struggling to open my eyes more than a little chink. Umm, maybe not.
I went back to the recovery room, got my bag and headed outside. My boyfriend had told me my eyes looked bloodshot and when I went to the bathroom before setting off I tried to sneak a look, as much as I could when my eyes just wanted to be closed. They looked very red. Most of the white in my left eye especially. It made the pain feel a little worse to look (purely psychological I know) so I stopped looking.
Sunglasses on I went out into the street, having to be guided by my boyfriend. I had my eyes closed a lot of the way, I could not keep my eyes open for long. They were streaming and pretty sore. When we got to the car I remember the sunlight was so bright, even with sunglasses and my eyes closed. It was like walking on a bright white beach and I could almost feel the burning of the laser on my eyes.
Once home, we put my first sets of drops in and I lay on the bed with an audiobook on my ipod. After a little while I got into the bed and dozed on and off. I did this for about three hours and after that my eyes were much better. It still felt better to keep them closed more than open but they weren't streaming.
I was well enough to go round to my parent's house for tea. Although I had my eyes closed for the whole car journey. When I did open my eyes I was amazed with the vision. Absolutely fantastic so soon after surgery!
I went to bed early, my boyfriend woke me up to put my last set of drops in as he came to bed and I remember waking up and looking at him - vision absolutely clear on the moment of waking. But I'm not thinking about my vision at this point. I'm working on the healing. Trying to drink 2 litres of water, taking omega 3 pills and closing my eyes as much as possible. I've not watched television or read, and althouhg I'm sneaking looks at the pc screen as I write this, my eyes are closed more than often. It's too important to mess about.
Anyway, so that was my day of surgery. I went for my check up today, but I'll write all about that tomorrow. For now I'm back to closing my eyes.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Two days of wearing glasses left!
I thought I'd post a photo of me in my specs, for posterity's sake. The fact that my glasses were wonky at the time of taking the photo (and I didn't realise it) just adds to my excitement at getting rid of them.
Two days left. I have to say, the excitement far far outweighs any nervousness.
I'm noticing the frames of my glasses a lot more than usual - as if I've become aware of them sitting on my face for the first time in years. How many times after surgery will I go to push them back up my nose? Will I reach for them first thing in the morning as I stumble bleary eyed out of bed?
What do I do with my glasses when I don't need them anymore? I don't think I'll throw them away. I'm a hoarder by nature, one of those 'well you never know if I might need it again' types. I'll probably keep them for the same reason people who lose weight keep their 'fat time trousers' to remind them of what life was once like. Although saying that, they probably keep them for motivation - to remind themself why they've opted for a healthier lifestyle. I can't think of a motivational reason for keeping my glasses. Except that keeping them would seem like a bad omen.
You know I never realised I was superstitious until now. My evidence: I refuse to cancel my contact lens prescription and direct debit until I've had the surgery. Don't ask me why.
Two days left. I have to say, the excitement far far outweighs any nervousness.
I'm noticing the frames of my glasses a lot more than usual - as if I've become aware of them sitting on my face for the first time in years. How many times after surgery will I go to push them back up my nose? Will I reach for them first thing in the morning as I stumble bleary eyed out of bed?
What do I do with my glasses when I don't need them anymore? I don't think I'll throw them away. I'm a hoarder by nature, one of those 'well you never know if I might need it again' types. I'll probably keep them for the same reason people who lose weight keep their 'fat time trousers' to remind them of what life was once like. Although saying that, they probably keep them for motivation - to remind themself why they've opted for a healthier lifestyle. I can't think of a motivational reason for keeping my glasses. Except that keeping them would seem like a bad omen.
You know I never realised I was superstitious until now. My evidence: I refuse to cancel my contact lens prescription and direct debit until I've had the surgery. Don't ask me why.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Ultralase pre-surgery courtesy
I had a courtesy call from Ultralase while I was at work this morning. They wanted to double check the time and details of my appointment and to run through the surgery day. For example I'm not allowed to wear make up (on the day or for two weeks afterwards), I can't wear perfume on the day and also I shouldn't wear my soft contact lenses for a certain amount of time prior to surgery. No problem there as I haven't had mine in for two weeks now. I thought it was really nice of them to call. It seemed reassuring, and obviously a sign of a well-organised company.
Oh and she also wanted to double check about how I was going to pay. I'm currently plucking up the courage to pay with my card online or by phone. I just haven't worked up the courage to say goodbye to all those possibilities - holidays, new shoes, etc. etc. But I suppose I better had. No pay, no spec free. Actually when I mentioned to someone at work that I had to pay in advance they pulled 'ooh isn't that dodgy' face. Well no, it's not really. I mean if you go to a shop you have to buy your goods before you can leave with them. Do they think Ultralase should just zap all who come through their doors and then invoice them afterwards? Sadly life doesn't work like that.
I'm getting seriously excited having the surgery done now. A flash of nerves yes, but then a great torrent of oh wowo owowowow no more glasses! I've done my research -for example the Ultralase forums have a whole section devoted to The Treatment Day, amongst many others and that means I know I'm not in for any nasty surprises.
Only 4 more days to go!
Oh and she also wanted to double check about how I was going to pay. I'm currently plucking up the courage to pay with my card online or by phone. I just haven't worked up the courage to say goodbye to all those possibilities - holidays, new shoes, etc. etc. But I suppose I better had. No pay, no spec free. Actually when I mentioned to someone at work that I had to pay in advance they pulled 'ooh isn't that dodgy' face. Well no, it's not really. I mean if you go to a shop you have to buy your goods before you can leave with them. Do they think Ultralase should just zap all who come through their doors and then invoice them afterwards? Sadly life doesn't work like that.
I'm getting seriously excited having the surgery done now. A flash of nerves yes, but then a great torrent of oh wowo owowowow no more glasses! I've done my research -for example the Ultralase forums have a whole section devoted to The Treatment Day, amongst many others and that means I know I'm not in for any nasty surprises.
Only 4 more days to go!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Consultation with Ultralase (no.2) SURGERY BOOKED!
I had my consultation today at 4pm. Having been through it all just over a year ago I knew what to expect; if anything I suppose I was a little excited thinking I'm finally going to go through with this.
I took the train to Chelmsford station - the clinic is literally about a minute walk away. It seemed like the better option than getting someone to drive near to rush hour. I got there a bit early but didn't have to wait long before I was taken off for the tests with the optometrist.
Everything went along smoothly. The optometrist, Caroline, talked me through the tests as we did them. She did each one a couple of times to get an average reading. I sat at each machine in turn and blinked when told, held my eyes open when told, moved to the next machine when told. A bit like a robot really. We moved rooms a couple of times as they have specific rooms for specific equipment but before long we'd done all the tests and it came down to discussions on the types of surgery that I was suitable for and telling me what exactly was involved with each procedure.
The main story hadn't changed from last year - my eyes are quite steep and so I'm most suitable for Lasek or Intralase. After I'd asked all my questions (actually I didn't have to ask many, most of my list of questions she'd answered already as she went though everything).
Before she handed me over to Heather who covered all the non-clinical matters relating to surgery, Caroline showed my prescription to the surgeon Dr Vinod Gupta and he confirmed Caroline's advice.
'It's great that you have the choice.' Caroline said. I jokingly replied that actually I'd prefer it if someone else decided for me. The main difference between the two (lasek or intralase) is the recovery time. With lasek you have to wear a soft contact lens for a week after the operation and as the laser work is carried out closer to the surface it involves a slower recovery time. For example driving after about a week. With intralase an incision is made with a laser and then the work on the eye is made a lot deeper so it heals faster. Both Heather and Caroline quoted being at driving standard probably the next day, or two days after intralase. Either operation means a certain amount of instability in the vision for about two months until fully healed.
I asked Caroline if the risks of infections were different between the two and she said that there was no difference. I was torn between the two for a few minutes. Apart from the recovery time, another consideration is the cost of Intralase. (Intralase is currently £325 extra per eye with Ultralase). I'd already opted to go for wavefront having researched that and of course discussed it again with Caroline. Which meant the cost was into the multiple thousands. Ouch.
So I deliberated, I chatted with Heather, and then I decided. Yes, I'm going to have Intralase. And my surgery is now confirmed for next Weds (25th July) with Dr Tahmina Islam. I have to say I love being able to read up about my surgeon on the Ultralase website. If you've not followed any of my links here today, go and have a play on their website. All your questions will be answered I'm sure.
http://www.ultralase.com/
http://www.lasereyeforum.com/
I took the train to Chelmsford station - the clinic is literally about a minute walk away. It seemed like the better option than getting someone to drive near to rush hour. I got there a bit early but didn't have to wait long before I was taken off for the tests with the optometrist.
Everything went along smoothly. The optometrist, Caroline, talked me through the tests as we did them. She did each one a couple of times to get an average reading. I sat at each machine in turn and blinked when told, held my eyes open when told, moved to the next machine when told. A bit like a robot really. We moved rooms a couple of times as they have specific rooms for specific equipment but before long we'd done all the tests and it came down to discussions on the types of surgery that I was suitable for and telling me what exactly was involved with each procedure.
The main story hadn't changed from last year - my eyes are quite steep and so I'm most suitable for Lasek or Intralase. After I'd asked all my questions (actually I didn't have to ask many, most of my list of questions she'd answered already as she went though everything).
Before she handed me over to Heather who covered all the non-clinical matters relating to surgery, Caroline showed my prescription to the surgeon Dr Vinod Gupta and he confirmed Caroline's advice.
'It's great that you have the choice.' Caroline said. I jokingly replied that actually I'd prefer it if someone else decided for me. The main difference between the two (lasek or intralase) is the recovery time. With lasek you have to wear a soft contact lens for a week after the operation and as the laser work is carried out closer to the surface it involves a slower recovery time. For example driving after about a week. With intralase an incision is made with a laser and then the work on the eye is made a lot deeper so it heals faster. Both Heather and Caroline quoted being at driving standard probably the next day, or two days after intralase. Either operation means a certain amount of instability in the vision for about two months until fully healed.
I asked Caroline if the risks of infections were different between the two and she said that there was no difference. I was torn between the two for a few minutes. Apart from the recovery time, another consideration is the cost of Intralase. (Intralase is currently £325 extra per eye with Ultralase). I'd already opted to go for wavefront having researched that and of course discussed it again with Caroline. Which meant the cost was into the multiple thousands. Ouch.
So I deliberated, I chatted with Heather, and then I decided. Yes, I'm going to have Intralase. And my surgery is now confirmed for next Weds (25th July) with Dr Tahmina Islam. I have to say I love being able to read up about my surgeon on the Ultralase website. If you've not followed any of my links here today, go and have a play on their website. All your questions will be answered I'm sure.
http://www.ultralase.com/
http://www.lasereyeforum.com/
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Life without glasses
When I tell people I'm about to have laser eye surgery, a common response is, 'But glasses suit you.' It's something several people have said now, as if the decision to have my eyes lasered is based purely on looks. It's not.
It's also about being able to wake up in the morning and see without reaching for my specs; it's about knowing I can go out for the day without worrying about taking contact lens refresher drops, my glasses and a lens cloth in case it rains; it's about going for a walk and feeling the wind on my eyes. If you've never had to wear glasses you won't understand any of that.
For me, wearing glasses has always meant I'm the female version of Clarke Kent. I'm only superwoman when I'm wearing my contacts. I tend to wear my hair up more often with the specs on, no matter what the occasion I just never feel 'dressed up' unless I've got my contacts in. And because I can't wear my contacts comfortably for much longer than six hours that means I have to be economical about when I wear them. If I'm going out in the evening I have to be Clarke during the day.
It's human nature to think that changing something we don't like about our lives will make everything better. Getting rid of my glasses may not mean I'm suddenly super confident and able to cope with everything that life throws at me, but it will be one less annoyance for me to worry about.
Fingers crossed it all goes well then.
It's also about being able to wake up in the morning and see without reaching for my specs; it's about knowing I can go out for the day without worrying about taking contact lens refresher drops, my glasses and a lens cloth in case it rains; it's about going for a walk and feeling the wind on my eyes. If you've never had to wear glasses you won't understand any of that.
For me, wearing glasses has always meant I'm the female version of Clarke Kent. I'm only superwoman when I'm wearing my contacts. I tend to wear my hair up more often with the specs on, no matter what the occasion I just never feel 'dressed up' unless I've got my contacts in. And because I can't wear my contacts comfortably for much longer than six hours that means I have to be economical about when I wear them. If I'm going out in the evening I have to be Clarke during the day.
It's human nature to think that changing something we don't like about our lives will make everything better. Getting rid of my glasses may not mean I'm suddenly super confident and able to cope with everything that life throws at me, but it will be one less annoyance for me to worry about.
Fingers crossed it all goes well then.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Laser eye surgery questions
I've got my second consultation booked at the Chelmsford Ultralase clinic on Tuesday 17th July. I've drawn up a list of questions that I intend to ask at my consultation:
Which type of surgery suits both my eye shape and my lifestyle? Which surgery would give me the best long-term chances of good vision and healthy eyes?
I’ve read some blogs and posts on forums where people have said things like ‘The surgeon told me that because I have thin corneas I am not suitable for lasik, but I really don’t want the longer pain and recovery time associated with lasek so I’m pushing for lasik.’ And to be honest my mind boggles with the sheer stupidity. Everyone has a different pain threshold yes, but if you’re putting your eyesight into the hands of someone else, someone you trust as an expert in their field, I think you should listen to what they suggest is best for you based on your prescription. And if you’re that worried about the pain that you would consider a riskier operation to avoid it, then personally I don’t think you should go ahead with surgery at all.
What happens if I need re-treatment? Is there a lifetime re-treatment guarantee or a time limit time, for example 12 months after which you would need to pay to have your eyes re-treated?
For instance I know Ultralase have a lifetime care guarantee which as they say is unique to Ultralase. But of course, there’s that dreaded *Terms and Conditions apply. I intend to find out what those conditions are at my consultation next week. I’m guessing age-related macular degeneration (when you get older and need reading glasses) will be mentioned in the conditions. Of course no laser eye surgery provider can stop that from happening.
How often are the aftercare appointments?
And more than that who do I get to speak to if I’m worried? Will there be a friendly voice at the end of a phone who can tell me if the sensations I experience are perfectly normal post-surgery or something a little more concerning? One of the things that impressed me about Ultralase over Optimax is that you get a personal advisor.
Who will be my surgeon? Can I see his/her CV? When will I meet him/her?
Some people go so far as to select their surgeon and book surgery specifically with them. I intend to look up my surgeon when I find out who he is, but ultimately I trust that he will be a professional. Needless to say if I find out otherwise…if his CV shows he was a vet or something random like that I would cancel without hesitation.
What is the realistic likelihood that I will be glasses free, driving standard at the very least?
20/20 would be great, but just to be driving standard would suit me fine. To be free from glasses is my aim. In the healing process it may be that I need to get some cheap reading glasses while my eyes recover. I need to ask about that too.
Will the success of my operation be judged on all aspects of my vision or just by one of those reading charts? What about night time vision, starbursts and halos, vision in limited or artificial light?
How long is this likely to be a problem – and are these taken into account and checked as part of the aftercare? If my vision in limited light is poor will re-treatment be an option to improve this?
How long is the maximum healing recovery time?
I’m fully expecting to sit up from the operation chair and start judging the success of the operation, but I know I shouldn’t. So I’ll find out the absolute maximum and try to be patient until I get closer to that time.
Will surgery affect the long term stability of my eye?
For example, if I get hit with a ball in two years’ time should I be worried?
What can I do pre and post surgery to increase my comfort and improve recovery time?
Things I’ve read about include taking vitamin C to boost healing; taking cod liver oil or flaxseed oil (supposedly a higher dose of omega 3) to reduce dry eyes; resting the eyes as much as possible. What else can I do?
Which type of surgery suits both my eye shape and my lifestyle? Which surgery would give me the best long-term chances of good vision and healthy eyes?
I’ve read some blogs and posts on forums where people have said things like ‘The surgeon told me that because I have thin corneas I am not suitable for lasik, but I really don’t want the longer pain and recovery time associated with lasek so I’m pushing for lasik.’ And to be honest my mind boggles with the sheer stupidity. Everyone has a different pain threshold yes, but if you’re putting your eyesight into the hands of someone else, someone you trust as an expert in their field, I think you should listen to what they suggest is best for you based on your prescription. And if you’re that worried about the pain that you would consider a riskier operation to avoid it, then personally I don’t think you should go ahead with surgery at all.
What happens if I need re-treatment? Is there a lifetime re-treatment guarantee or a time limit time, for example 12 months after which you would need to pay to have your eyes re-treated?
For instance I know Ultralase have a lifetime care guarantee which as they say is unique to Ultralase. But of course, there’s that dreaded *Terms and Conditions apply. I intend to find out what those conditions are at my consultation next week. I’m guessing age-related macular degeneration (when you get older and need reading glasses) will be mentioned in the conditions. Of course no laser eye surgery provider can stop that from happening.
How often are the aftercare appointments?
And more than that who do I get to speak to if I’m worried? Will there be a friendly voice at the end of a phone who can tell me if the sensations I experience are perfectly normal post-surgery or something a little more concerning? One of the things that impressed me about Ultralase over Optimax is that you get a personal advisor.
Who will be my surgeon? Can I see his/her CV? When will I meet him/her?
Some people go so far as to select their surgeon and book surgery specifically with them. I intend to look up my surgeon when I find out who he is, but ultimately I trust that he will be a professional. Needless to say if I find out otherwise…if his CV shows he was a vet or something random like that I would cancel without hesitation.
What is the realistic likelihood that I will be glasses free, driving standard at the very least?
20/20 would be great, but just to be driving standard would suit me fine. To be free from glasses is my aim. In the healing process it may be that I need to get some cheap reading glasses while my eyes recover. I need to ask about that too.
Will the success of my operation be judged on all aspects of my vision or just by one of those reading charts? What about night time vision, starbursts and halos, vision in limited or artificial light?
How long is this likely to be a problem – and are these taken into account and checked as part of the aftercare? If my vision in limited light is poor will re-treatment be an option to improve this?
How long is the maximum healing recovery time?
I’m fully expecting to sit up from the operation chair and start judging the success of the operation, but I know I shouldn’t. So I’ll find out the absolute maximum and try to be patient until I get closer to that time.
Will surgery affect the long term stability of my eye?
For example, if I get hit with a ball in two years’ time should I be worried?
What can I do pre and post surgery to increase my comfort and improve recovery time?
Things I’ve read about include taking vitamin C to boost healing; taking cod liver oil or flaxseed oil (supposedly a higher dose of omega 3) to reduce dry eyes; resting the eyes as much as possible. What else can I do?
Monday, July 02, 2007
Laser Eye Surgery – the story continues…
Just like a trashy American soap here’s a summary of the story so far:
I’ve worn glasses since I was about 12, then at 17 switched to contact lenses. Skip forward many years (hey not too many, I’m only 26) and I’m barely wearing my contacts at work because they’re a pain to get in first thing in the morning and working with a computer most of the day makes my eyes dry and uncomfortable.
Last year I looked seriously at having laser eye surgery and had consultations with both Optimax and Ultralase. After deciding Ultralase were far and away the better option for me, I then dropped the whole thing when my boyfriend suggested we could have a puppy instead of my laser eye surgery…such a sucker for cuddly puppies…then I found out my parents weren’t really my parents as they’d stolen me as a baby from a super-rich family who desperately wanted me back to shower me with riches…oh hang on a minute, no that last part didn’t really happen. I’m getting confused between real life and a soap opera.
Cut to the present day. I had new contact lenses last year which for the first couple of months seemed to be working out fine. Vision was perfect but very quickly I fell back into my routine of not wearing them more than I wore them. Which makes as much financial sense as buying shelf loads of out-of-date food products just in case I find someone with a time machine who can zap them all back to being in date and mould-free.
So now I’m thinking about laser eye surgery again. And I’m thinking if I don’t go through with it this time, will I come back to this every year? Like a broken record stuck on a song about whether to have laser eye surgery. I just might. So I’m about to book another consultation with Ultralase in Chelmsford, and start the whole process off again. Lasik or Lasek. Wavefront or not. Intralase or not. Hmmm. Back to the research board it is.
The most important thing is that I’ve found a swanky pair of Oakley sunglasses for my post-op light sensitive eyes – and for all those non-prescription sunny days ahead of me! (Oh won’t the anti laser eye surgery people just love that little slice of vanity in what is an otherwise very sensible blog). ahem. No but seriously, they’re very nice sunnies take a look for yourself here. And yes I was joking about this being the most important thing. It's the second most important thing after being able to see.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Time Out
If I had a remote control for my life, I'd have pressed the pause button recently.
I'd like to hibernate for the winter and wake up when my tulips are up brightening my garden (I went through a bit of a tulip obsession recently - in different areas of my garden I planted vibrant orange ones, barbie pink ones, dark mauve 'queen of the night' and a lovely velvety purple variety.
Now Muttley doesn't need to be watched at all times I've been raining some attention back on my garden. I've only killed a few plants so far but hey i'm a learner and my argument is I like to instill a little survival instinct in my plants if you know what I mean. My gran's gardening advice (my mother tells me this all the time) is that a plant has two choices: live or die. So I don't feel bad about that geranium, calla lily, chrysanthemum, hosta.... you get the idea. ha ha.
So anyway, back to the subject, I've been a little stressed out. Work is not going great, well no to be precise work is going shite. Mutual trust and respect between myself and my employers is about zero. I think it's important to like the people you work for. So I'm looking elsewhere.
*Waves to the bosses if they're reading this*
Ultimately I need to be self employed. Doing the writing. I won't bore you with the details again, because this blog is supposed to be about proving what I can achieve, not talking about what I want to achieve. So, with that, I'm off to write another few words of my novel.
I'd like to hibernate for the winter and wake up when my tulips are up brightening my garden (I went through a bit of a tulip obsession recently - in different areas of my garden I planted vibrant orange ones, barbie pink ones, dark mauve 'queen of the night' and a lovely velvety purple variety.
Now Muttley doesn't need to be watched at all times I've been raining some attention back on my garden. I've only killed a few plants so far but hey i'm a learner and my argument is I like to instill a little survival instinct in my plants if you know what I mean. My gran's gardening advice (my mother tells me this all the time) is that a plant has two choices: live or die. So I don't feel bad about that geranium, calla lily, chrysanthemum, hosta.... you get the idea. ha ha.
So anyway, back to the subject, I've been a little stressed out. Work is not going great, well no to be precise work is going shite. Mutual trust and respect between myself and my employers is about zero. I think it's important to like the people you work for. So I'm looking elsewhere.
*Waves to the bosses if they're reading this*
Ultimately I need to be self employed. Doing the writing. I won't bore you with the details again, because this blog is supposed to be about proving what I can achieve, not talking about what I want to achieve. So, with that, I'm off to write another few words of my novel.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Best not to think about it
A friend asked me recently what my biggest regret is. At the time I said I have a daily regret each night that I did not write enough of my novel that day.
Driving in to work this morning I found myself reconsidering the question and deciding that actually my biggest regret is not getting a job I once applied for. It would have been my first proper job. I would have been working in London, at one of the big players in Direct Marketing.
Not many minutes ago out of sheer curiosity I looked at this company's website - www.tmw.co.uk - and browsing through some of the features I saw a shot of a creative team with their names given under the pic. I was looking at a picture of one of the girls I met on the interview day, doing the job I wanted, the job I could be doing right now, if I hadn't been so feeble back then.
Now because I seem to be in a depress-myself kind of mood I then found myself googling this girl's name and I saw she came second in a young creatives award, with the other recruit from these awards coming in third.
"She beat over 900 applicants and took up the position of trainee copywriter in November 2003."
I beat over 900 applicants too, sounds pathetic that I try to raise my confidence in this way I know, but I've got to do something, I'm wallowing in regret here. There were 10 of us that beat 900 applicants, and 2 places up for grabs.
I thought I did okay at the interview. I was quietly hopeful. Turns out the quietness was the problem. My rejection letter said that while I had what it takes (blah blah - who actually finds that crap comforting when you're staring at a big fat NO), the fact was I was quieter than the other applicants. I spent nearly a whole day crying about that rejection. How pathetic is that.
And even more pathetic, it still bothers me.
But hang on a minute, let's think about things. I know I'd hate working in London. For starters there's the commute, then there's the over-confident arseholes I'd probably encounter regularly, probably even within the company. There's the drinking, partying culture I'd feel compelled to join.
The fact is I like where I live. I'm happiest pottering around my home, and I'm absolutley loving doing up my garden, and there's no way I'd have my gorgeous Jasper if I was working in London. Yes I know it's all for the best and this is just a temporary 'grass is greener' syndrome but ouch does regret sting.
I should use this. I should concentrate all my energy into doing what I really want to do. I want to make enough money from my writing so that I can stay at home and do that full-time.
I've been thinking about sending off three chapters of a 'just-for-fun' story I've been writing to a well-known romance publisher. It's been so easy to write and if I use a pseudonym it doesn't need to interfere with my other, more serious writing! Shall I do it?
Driving in to work this morning I found myself reconsidering the question and deciding that actually my biggest regret is not getting a job I once applied for. It would have been my first proper job. I would have been working in London, at one of the big players in Direct Marketing.
Not many minutes ago out of sheer curiosity I looked at this company's website - www.tmw.co.uk - and browsing through some of the features I saw a shot of a creative team with their names given under the pic. I was looking at a picture of one of the girls I met on the interview day, doing the job I wanted, the job I could be doing right now, if I hadn't been so feeble back then.
Now because I seem to be in a depress-myself kind of mood I then found myself googling this girl's name and I saw she came second in a young creatives award, with the other recruit from these awards coming in third.
"She beat over 900 applicants and took up the position of trainee copywriter in November 2003."
I beat over 900 applicants too, sounds pathetic that I try to raise my confidence in this way I know, but I've got to do something, I'm wallowing in regret here. There were 10 of us that beat 900 applicants, and 2 places up for grabs.
I thought I did okay at the interview. I was quietly hopeful. Turns out the quietness was the problem. My rejection letter said that while I had what it takes (blah blah - who actually finds that crap comforting when you're staring at a big fat NO), the fact was I was quieter than the other applicants. I spent nearly a whole day crying about that rejection. How pathetic is that.
And even more pathetic, it still bothers me.
But hang on a minute, let's think about things. I know I'd hate working in London. For starters there's the commute, then there's the over-confident arseholes I'd probably encounter regularly, probably even within the company. There's the drinking, partying culture I'd feel compelled to join.
The fact is I like where I live. I'm happiest pottering around my home, and I'm absolutley loving doing up my garden, and there's no way I'd have my gorgeous Jasper if I was working in London. Yes I know it's all for the best and this is just a temporary 'grass is greener' syndrome but ouch does regret sting.
I should use this. I should concentrate all my energy into doing what I really want to do. I want to make enough money from my writing so that I can stay at home and do that full-time.
I've been thinking about sending off three chapters of a 'just-for-fun' story I've been writing to a well-known romance publisher. It's been so easy to write and if I use a pseudonym it doesn't need to interfere with my other, more serious writing! Shall I do it?
Friday, September 29, 2006
Jasper Rascal
More pics of the little monster as promised.Here he is at about 7.5 weeks >
What a little angel, eh? Truth is I was holding a treat in my hand to keep him still. Seconds after gobbling his reward he took off to the back of the garden and launched himself into my ornamental grass ('japanese blood grass' just in case you're interested). Thankfully it seems to recover from his frequent bellyflop attacks pretty well, and I can't help but laugh every time he does it.
Oh and that's not his tail you can see, that multicoloured bit of rope, that's one of his many toys.
Unfortunately his favourite toy seems to be humans. Hands, feet, elbows, ankles, whatever part of you he can reach really. Try and play with him, he'll mouth you. Try to ignore him when he wants to play, he'll mouth you a little harder.
What is the 'bitey face'? It's a crazed expression with wide eyes and lips snarled back to show his gums. It's the face he pulls as he stalks you, primed and ready to attack. My slippers are usually the prey. It makes trying to walk interesting at times.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
What happened?
Yes, I've been away for ages haven't I. It's a fascinating story though: I was walking across the car park to my car one evening in the middle of May, when suddenly a space ship appeared, sucked me up in a laser beam and whisked me off to the other side of the galaxy.
Honestly, it really happened. I could draw you a picture of the aliens that held me captive and everything. Oh alright, I'm lying.
The truth is I committed the cardinal sin of bloggers, I forgot about my blog. General life, laziness, and a puppy took over my world. But I'm going to get a grip and struggle on.
Here he is, or was rather, at 6.5 weeks. Jasper - part Golden Retriever, part monster.
Looks cute doesn't he? He hadn't discovered the joys of biting at this age. He's 12 weeks old now. I'll show you another picture later.
So anyway, back to business: Laser eye surgery
Have I had it done? No.
Why?
Short version: It's a lot of money; I didn't want to give up my holiday time to recover from an operation; I really really want to write the novel that's been in my head since I was 16 and the thought of damaging my vision before I managed to complete this really scared me.
I had a consultation with my contact lens specialist recently and we're trying new lenses until we find ones that I can cope with. I owe it to myself, my health, my vision, my future as a novelist (ha!) to find a suitable alternative that doesn't involve such high risks.
I'm not saying never. I'm just saying not now.
Honestly, it really happened. I could draw you a picture of the aliens that held me captive and everything. Oh alright, I'm lying.
The truth is I committed the cardinal sin of bloggers, I forgot about my blog. General life, laziness, and a puppy took over my world. But I'm going to get a grip and struggle on.
Here he is, or was rather, at 6.5 weeks. Jasper - part Golden Retriever, part monster.
Looks cute doesn't he? He hadn't discovered the joys of biting at this age. He's 12 weeks old now. I'll show you another picture later.
So anyway, back to business: Laser eye surgery
Have I had it done? No.
Why?
Short version: It's a lot of money; I didn't want to give up my holiday time to recover from an operation; I really really want to write the novel that's been in my head since I was 16 and the thought of damaging my vision before I managed to complete this really scared me.
I had a consultation with my contact lens specialist recently and we're trying new lenses until we find ones that I can cope with. I owe it to myself, my health, my vision, my future as a novelist (ha!) to find a suitable alternative that doesn't involve such high risks.
I'm not saying never. I'm just saying not now.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Optimax / Ultralase consultation comparison
I want to make it clear that this is merely my personal experience of consultations at the Ipswich Optimax clinic and Chelmsford Ultralase clinics. If you’re trying to choose a laser eye treatment provider I strongly urge you to do your own research and go and have a few consultations with different providers.
(Ultralase = U. Optimax = O.)
Location:
O – Central Ipswich, no parking but car park is 5 minute walk and access for cars to pick up following surgery.
U – Central Chelmsford. Again no parking, but 2 min walk to car park and cars could mount pavement to collect after surgery.
Reception area:
O – Room full of cream leather chairs that remind me of airplane chairs (they look like they fold back for sleeping). Not unpleasant but not a place I’d like to spend too much time. Drink machines provided.
U – Modern, well maintained. TV, magazines and drink machines provided. Reception desk as soon as you enter the room.
Staff:
O – Receptionist who also did the tests on the machines, surgeon who does the consultation (and will also do the surgery). Both seemed a bit bored (it was 5.30pm on a Monday night) and not too enthusiastic. Surgeon did not seem interested in answering my questions – he could tell I’d researched and so didn’t bother explaining things too thorougly or checking what I'd heard.
U – Receptionist / Personal advisor, Ophthalmologist who does the tests. Answered all questions and Ophthalmologist made sure that what I’d researched was correct.
Equipment:
O – I noticed some condensation in some of the lenses used when checking my prescription. The testing machines weren't connected to a computer.
U – Seems brand new or else very well maintained. Some of the machines were plugged into a computer so the Ophthalmologist knew instantly whether to re-do the test.
Tests:
O – Completed and then had to wait to see if needed doing it again. I needed to go back at the end of my consultation to have one test repeated as it hadn’t come out clear. Receptionist was not too communicative about what was happening.
U – Did each test a few times so that there was an average result achieved. Ophthalmologist chatted to me throughout, telling me when to blink and what the results were each time.
Advice:
O – Surgeon asked what laser eye surgery I was interested in as I was apparently suitable for either LASEK or LASIK. In a split second I asked myself if I trusted this man with a microkeratome (hand held cutting device) and my cornea. The answer was no, so I said I was interested in LASEK. He advised me this was safer. He wasn’t too concerned about me working with a VDU all day.
U – The Ophthalmologist informed me that I have ‘steep eyes’ so actually Intralase or LASEK would be the most sensible options as with steep eyes the risks of flap complications are greatly increased. He advised me that using a PC all day would make LASEK the sensible option. Overall the Ophthalmologist was great at giving me advice, which was based on both his own experience of laser eye surgery, and his experience with patients.
Price:
O – Cheap. For Epi-LASEK I would be paying under £800 for both eyes.
U – Expensive. For Ultralasekplus I would be paying £2990 for both eyes.
Results:
The only appealing factor about choosing laser eye surgery with Optimax is the price. For everything else – staff, equipment, level of advice provided and my confidence in the company – Ultralase is in a completely different league.
If this was a car getting me from A to B then sure I’d choose the cheaper, old banger, option. But this is my eyesight, the quality of my vision, the quality of my life we’re talking about here.
It’s going to be Ultralase, because I’m worth it (swish of the hair).
(Ultralase = U. Optimax = O.)
Location:
O – Central Ipswich, no parking but car park is 5 minute walk and access for cars to pick up following surgery.
U – Central Chelmsford. Again no parking, but 2 min walk to car park and cars could mount pavement to collect after surgery.
Reception area:
O – Room full of cream leather chairs that remind me of airplane chairs (they look like they fold back for sleeping). Not unpleasant but not a place I’d like to spend too much time. Drink machines provided.
U – Modern, well maintained. TV, magazines and drink machines provided. Reception desk as soon as you enter the room.
Staff:
O – Receptionist who also did the tests on the machines, surgeon who does the consultation (and will also do the surgery). Both seemed a bit bored (it was 5.30pm on a Monday night) and not too enthusiastic. Surgeon did not seem interested in answering my questions – he could tell I’d researched and so didn’t bother explaining things too thorougly or checking what I'd heard.
U – Receptionist / Personal advisor, Ophthalmologist who does the tests. Answered all questions and Ophthalmologist made sure that what I’d researched was correct.
Equipment:
O – I noticed some condensation in some of the lenses used when checking my prescription. The testing machines weren't connected to a computer.
U – Seems brand new or else very well maintained. Some of the machines were plugged into a computer so the Ophthalmologist knew instantly whether to re-do the test.
Tests:
O – Completed and then had to wait to see if needed doing it again. I needed to go back at the end of my consultation to have one test repeated as it hadn’t come out clear. Receptionist was not too communicative about what was happening.
U – Did each test a few times so that there was an average result achieved. Ophthalmologist chatted to me throughout, telling me when to blink and what the results were each time.
Advice:
O – Surgeon asked what laser eye surgery I was interested in as I was apparently suitable for either LASEK or LASIK. In a split second I asked myself if I trusted this man with a microkeratome (hand held cutting device) and my cornea. The answer was no, so I said I was interested in LASEK. He advised me this was safer. He wasn’t too concerned about me working with a VDU all day.
U – The Ophthalmologist informed me that I have ‘steep eyes’ so actually Intralase or LASEK would be the most sensible options as with steep eyes the risks of flap complications are greatly increased. He advised me that using a PC all day would make LASEK the sensible option. Overall the Ophthalmologist was great at giving me advice, which was based on both his own experience of laser eye surgery, and his experience with patients.
Price:
O – Cheap. For Epi-LASEK I would be paying under £800 for both eyes.
U – Expensive. For Ultralasekplus I would be paying £2990 for both eyes.
Results:
The only appealing factor about choosing laser eye surgery with Optimax is the price. For everything else – staff, equipment, level of advice provided and my confidence in the company – Ultralase is in a completely different league.
If this was a car getting me from A to B then sure I’d choose the cheaper, old banger, option. But this is my eyesight, the quality of my vision, the quality of my life we’re talking about here.
It’s going to be Ultralase, because I’m worth it (swish of the hair).
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Consultation with Ultralase
Ultralase, Chelmsford, 2pm.
I've now had my second (and hopefully last) laser eye surgery consultation. The first with Optimax, the second Ultralase. It's fair to say I know a fair bit about my eyes now, which can only be a good thing. I'll post a detailed comparison of the two different companies and their consultations later, but for now here's the 'fly-on-the-wall' account of my experiences today...
First impressions of the Ultralase clinic are good. It has a modern, comfortable feel and instantly you feel like you're in the hands of a company that cares about giving a good impression.
I walk in and get given a form to fill out with my details and a few questions. I tick boxes to state why I'm interested in laser eye treatment (options: convenience, long-term financial benefit, sport, personal appearance, other); how long I've been interested in having laser eye surgery (options: less than 6 months, 6-12, 12-24 months, more than 2 years); what has prevented me from having laser eye surgery before now (concerns about success, finances, fear, other); and what expectations I have of laser eye surgery (complete freedom from glasses/contacts, reduced dependency from them, other). Then I have to list my main concerns today. Mine are finding out if I'm suitable, what is recommended for my prescription, and cost.
Next part of the form is health - where I list any medication I'm on and check the boxes for diabetes, history of glaucoma and all those sorts of things. Thankfully I'm pretty healthy.
Then I hand the form back and while I'm waiting I flick through a portfolio of client testimonials. I consider what a great sales tool it is to have so many snapshots of glasses-free people smiling out at you alongside their handwritten notes on how great life is with just two eyes. I try not to visualise myself amongst them just yet.
Before long the Clinician - Jay - calls me in and we start the tests. There are four machines in total and I go to each one in turn, Jay chatting away to tell me what's happening and counting so I know when to blink. I come to the conclusion that I'm a blinking addict as two of the tests we have to repeat because the results have not been clear, but Jay takes several from each machine anyway because he likes to have an average to give to the surgeon. I like his thinking.
Jay tells me as we're going that my eyes are quite steep, and already he can tell that LASEK (no cutting) and Intralase are my best choices. Bingo - they are my choices. I'm still liking his thinking.
At some point in the process drops are put in my eyes to expand the pupils. Next we head down the corridor to a standard opticians room where Jay looks at my eyes under microscopes and more tests are done (red light, green light, which line can you read without squinting, yellow drops to check for dryness, numbing drops and ultrasound to check my cornea thickness etc. etc.).
Then we start talking about my work environment and the fact that I'm prone to dry eye because I work with computers all day, he says that LASEK would be best for this as LASIK procedures (cutting the cornea) can cause dry eye problems during the healing process. He also advises that while I don't have thin corneas, my corneas are towards the thinner side of normal and if retreatment were needed (this would be free of charge) then LASEK is the much better option as less tissue is removed. Because the cornea does not regrow when it is removed, you are limited by what you have. I like the fact that he is upfront and honest about retreatment being a possibility. One of the questions I ask Jay is how long before I'll want to be back at a PC after LASEK, he tells me I won't want to be back until at least a week. I like the way he doesn't fob me off with the knowledge that all patients are different, but advises me what the average is, based on his experiences with other patients.
All the equipment used during my consultation is clinically clean and either brand new or well cared for. I'm sure I don't need to explain why this gives me peace of mind. Jay himself has had LASIK laser eye surgery three years earlier and somehow that naturally makes me feel confident that he knows what he's talking about on a personal level besides facts and figures.
I ask a few questions as we go and he really takes his time to answer my questions fully. One thing we keep coming back to is wavefront. From the research I've done I have to say I like the sound of this. Basically it's 3d mapping of the surface of the eye so the laser can make the best cutting for your individual eye, rather than a one-size-fits-all job where too much or too little might be cut away than is necessary for the best vision. Because I'm not an expert though, I'll refer you to Ultralase's webpages about wavefront: click here to read about it.
Jay shows me some as-yet unpublished statistics which can determine my chances of success. Basically I have a 99.1% chance of having driving standard vision and 81.1% chance of achieving 20/20 vision without glasses after laser eye surgery. Jay also advises me that after any laser eye surgery you should try not to evaluate the success of your surgery until at least 6 weeks after, to allow for any fluctuations and healing.
After I've asked all my questions Jay hands me over to Kate, my personal advisor, who tells me first about the procedures - things like I won't be able to let my eyes near water for 2 weeks and I should bring sunglasses on the treatment day to both protect me from the light and also to act as a physical barrier to stop me from touching my eyes. She also advises me that no matter what surgery I have, I would have a next day check up, followed by a further one at 4 to 7 days. We go over the fact that with LASEK I won't be able to drive for around 10 days.
Next we chat about her experiences and she advises that with LASEK the most uncomforable thing is the bandage lenses. I won't pretend I won't be scared if I do go ahead with LASEK laser eye surgery, but only scared of a bit of discomfort not of actually developing flap complications or of anything going wrong.
I leave the surgery with absolutely no pressure to book surgery. Jay himself recommended that I go away and think about things. So enough of all this, let me do some thinking...
I've now had my second (and hopefully last) laser eye surgery consultation. The first with Optimax, the second Ultralase. It's fair to say I know a fair bit about my eyes now, which can only be a good thing. I'll post a detailed comparison of the two different companies and their consultations later, but for now here's the 'fly-on-the-wall' account of my experiences today...
First impressions of the Ultralase clinic are good. It has a modern, comfortable feel and instantly you feel like you're in the hands of a company that cares about giving a good impression.
I walk in and get given a form to fill out with my details and a few questions. I tick boxes to state why I'm interested in laser eye treatment (options: convenience, long-term financial benefit, sport, personal appearance, other); how long I've been interested in having laser eye surgery (options: less than 6 months, 6-12, 12-24 months, more than 2 years); what has prevented me from having laser eye surgery before now (concerns about success, finances, fear, other); and what expectations I have of laser eye surgery (complete freedom from glasses/contacts, reduced dependency from them, other). Then I have to list my main concerns today. Mine are finding out if I'm suitable, what is recommended for my prescription, and cost.
Next part of the form is health - where I list any medication I'm on and check the boxes for diabetes, history of glaucoma and all those sorts of things. Thankfully I'm pretty healthy.
Then I hand the form back and while I'm waiting I flick through a portfolio of client testimonials. I consider what a great sales tool it is to have so many snapshots of glasses-free people smiling out at you alongside their handwritten notes on how great life is with just two eyes. I try not to visualise myself amongst them just yet.
Before long the Clinician - Jay - calls me in and we start the tests. There are four machines in total and I go to each one in turn, Jay chatting away to tell me what's happening and counting so I know when to blink. I come to the conclusion that I'm a blinking addict as two of the tests we have to repeat because the results have not been clear, but Jay takes several from each machine anyway because he likes to have an average to give to the surgeon. I like his thinking.
Jay tells me as we're going that my eyes are quite steep, and already he can tell that LASEK (no cutting) and Intralase are my best choices. Bingo - they are my choices. I'm still liking his thinking.
At some point in the process drops are put in my eyes to expand the pupils. Next we head down the corridor to a standard opticians room where Jay looks at my eyes under microscopes and more tests are done (red light, green light, which line can you read without squinting, yellow drops to check for dryness, numbing drops and ultrasound to check my cornea thickness etc. etc.).
Then we start talking about my work environment and the fact that I'm prone to dry eye because I work with computers all day, he says that LASEK would be best for this as LASIK procedures (cutting the cornea) can cause dry eye problems during the healing process. He also advises that while I don't have thin corneas, my corneas are towards the thinner side of normal and if retreatment were needed (this would be free of charge) then LASEK is the much better option as less tissue is removed. Because the cornea does not regrow when it is removed, you are limited by what you have. I like the fact that he is upfront and honest about retreatment being a possibility. One of the questions I ask Jay is how long before I'll want to be back at a PC after LASEK, he tells me I won't want to be back until at least a week. I like the way he doesn't fob me off with the knowledge that all patients are different, but advises me what the average is, based on his experiences with other patients.
All the equipment used during my consultation is clinically clean and either brand new or well cared for. I'm sure I don't need to explain why this gives me peace of mind. Jay himself has had LASIK laser eye surgery three years earlier and somehow that naturally makes me feel confident that he knows what he's talking about on a personal level besides facts and figures.
I ask a few questions as we go and he really takes his time to answer my questions fully. One thing we keep coming back to is wavefront. From the research I've done I have to say I like the sound of this. Basically it's 3d mapping of the surface of the eye so the laser can make the best cutting for your individual eye, rather than a one-size-fits-all job where too much or too little might be cut away than is necessary for the best vision. Because I'm not an expert though, I'll refer you to Ultralase's webpages about wavefront: click here to read about it.
Jay shows me some as-yet unpublished statistics which can determine my chances of success. Basically I have a 99.1% chance of having driving standard vision and 81.1% chance of achieving 20/20 vision without glasses after laser eye surgery. Jay also advises me that after any laser eye surgery you should try not to evaluate the success of your surgery until at least 6 weeks after, to allow for any fluctuations and healing.
After I've asked all my questions Jay hands me over to Kate, my personal advisor, who tells me first about the procedures - things like I won't be able to let my eyes near water for 2 weeks and I should bring sunglasses on the treatment day to both protect me from the light and also to act as a physical barrier to stop me from touching my eyes. She also advises me that no matter what surgery I have, I would have a next day check up, followed by a further one at 4 to 7 days. We go over the fact that with LASEK I won't be able to drive for around 10 days.
Next we chat about her experiences and she advises that with LASEK the most uncomforable thing is the bandage lenses. I won't pretend I won't be scared if I do go ahead with LASEK laser eye surgery, but only scared of a bit of discomfort not of actually developing flap complications or of anything going wrong.
I leave the surgery with absolutely no pressure to book surgery. Jay himself recommended that I go away and think about things. So enough of all this, let me do some thinking...
Monday, May 08, 2006
Intralase Laser Eye Surgery
I'm having a free consultation at the Chelmsford Ultralase clinic on Sunday. One thing I'm really keen to find out more about is the new Intralase procedure of laser eye surgery.
The reason I'm more interested in LASEK (no cutting) over LASIK (surgeon cuts cornea) is because of all the complications you can have from laser eye surgery, it's the healing and cutting of the flap that seem to cause the highest number of complications. Microkeratome, knife, whatever...I don't really like the idea of a man cutting into my eye.
Intralase then is 100% laser. Instead of a man with a knife, you get a man with a laser - or a computer with a laser - or rather, you get a man putting information into a computer, which sends it to a laser, which cuts your eye. Something clever like that.
I'm no expert, I'm only the (insert word here - genius, mug, heavenly creature) thinking about having it done. Here's a link to a site that has lots of information: http://www.intralasefacts.com/FAQ/
I've been in contact with someone who had Intralase done at the Chelmsford Ultralase clinic (thanks to the Ultralase forum) and she was really happy with it. Now I've just got to wait until Sunday to find out if I'm eligible for treatment this way.
The reason I'm more interested in LASEK (no cutting) over LASIK (surgeon cuts cornea) is because of all the complications you can have from laser eye surgery, it's the healing and cutting of the flap that seem to cause the highest number of complications. Microkeratome, knife, whatever...I don't really like the idea of a man cutting into my eye.
Intralase then is 100% laser. Instead of a man with a knife, you get a man with a laser - or a computer with a laser - or rather, you get a man putting information into a computer, which sends it to a laser, which cuts your eye. Something clever like that.
I'm no expert, I'm only the (insert word here - genius, mug, heavenly creature) thinking about having it done. Here's a link to a site that has lots of information: http://www.intralasefacts.com/FAQ/
I've been in contact with someone who had Intralase done at the Chelmsford Ultralase clinic (thanks to the Ultralase forum) and she was really happy with it. Now I've just got to wait until Sunday to find out if I'm eligible for treatment this way.
Friday, May 05, 2006
The Cost of Laser Eye surgery
Numbers aren't my strong point. My other half would undoubtedly agree that being frugal with my pennies isn’t my strong point either - I know how to make money but I know how to spend it too.
One thing a few people have said to me about having laser eye surgery is that it’s expensive (as if glasses and contacts are cheaper). Now forgive me for a moment while I go a bit mathematical on you, but let’s just think about this:
I’m 25. If I had successful laser eye surgery it should hopefully last until I reach at least 40-45, after which I’ll get presbyopia or old-age shortsightedness as every good sighted person does. So at minimum that should be 15 years of good sight.
At a bare minimum I would want to update my glasses every 4 years, and the most recent pair cost me £200.
Now the maths bit: (For the sake of my simple brain I’m now going to round up my years of good sight to 16)
With a change of glasses every 4 years that would mean 4 pairs of glasses, which seems like an obscenely small amount. That’s £800. 4 years is a long time to wear the same piece of furniture on your face every single day. Some people have ‘going out’ specs and ‘office wear’ specs etc. I don’t do that but I can see the attraction. (Must point this out to other half later to show that I AM frugal with my money thank you very much!)
So where was I… oh yes, £800 on glasses. Now what about contact lenses?
I currently pay at least £20 a month for monthly contact lenses and solutions.
That’s £240 a year. Over 16 years that comes out at £2880.
That’s £3680, and realistically glasses get broken, scratched, go out of fashion and just get boring – so this is likely to be just a starting figure for realistic costings.
Now, how much does laser eye surgery cost? Ultralase quote basic LASIK or LASEK at £1990 for both eyes.
Conclusion of this experiment: Yes, as a lump sum laser eye surgery would be expensive, but over the years it actually works out cheaper than glasses and contact lenses as a method of correcting my vision.
One thing a few people have said to me about having laser eye surgery is that it’s expensive (as if glasses and contacts are cheaper). Now forgive me for a moment while I go a bit mathematical on you, but let’s just think about this:
I’m 25. If I had successful laser eye surgery it should hopefully last until I reach at least 40-45, after which I’ll get presbyopia or old-age shortsightedness as every good sighted person does. So at minimum that should be 15 years of good sight.
At a bare minimum I would want to update my glasses every 4 years, and the most recent pair cost me £200.
Now the maths bit: (For the sake of my simple brain I’m now going to round up my years of good sight to 16)
With a change of glasses every 4 years that would mean 4 pairs of glasses, which seems like an obscenely small amount. That’s £800. 4 years is a long time to wear the same piece of furniture on your face every single day. Some people have ‘going out’ specs and ‘office wear’ specs etc. I don’t do that but I can see the attraction. (Must point this out to other half later to show that I AM frugal with my money thank you very much!)
So where was I… oh yes, £800 on glasses. Now what about contact lenses?
I currently pay at least £20 a month for monthly contact lenses and solutions.
That’s £240 a year. Over 16 years that comes out at £2880.
That’s £3680, and realistically glasses get broken, scratched, go out of fashion and just get boring – so this is likely to be just a starting figure for realistic costings.
Now, how much does laser eye surgery cost? Ultralase quote basic LASIK or LASEK at £1990 for both eyes.
Conclusion of this experiment: Yes, as a lump sum laser eye surgery would be expensive, but over the years it actually works out cheaper than glasses and contact lenses as a method of correcting my vision.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Optimax vs. Ultralase
Let's recap. I had a consultation for laser eye surgery with Optimax on Monday.
At that time I was pretty sure I wanted the epi-LASEK procedure (involves no cutting of the cornea, instead an alcohol solution is used in order to move the epithelium aside).
I was told I was eligible for either epi-LASEK or LASIK, and my chances of having 20/20 vision after surgery was around the 95% mark. So why haven't I booked my surgery already?
Well, first off, my friend who had epi-LASEK late last year is currently investigating whether he needs to have re-treatment, and has to wait 3 months to see if his vision has improved from the -0.50/-0.75 or so that it is now. As far as I am concerned, this is not great. This has put me off slightly.
Also, my gut instinct, my women's intuition, the feeling in my water... whatever you want to call it...was not giving me a good feeling. I'm not talking about psychic feelings here, I'm talking common sense alarm bells that something just wasn't right. I'm sure he is a perfectly brilliant doctor but do I trust him with my eyesight? I'm not so sure.
So... today I have booked a free consultation with Ultralase at their Chelmsford clinic.
First impressions of the company are excellent. I completed a form online for them to give me a call to book a consultation and a really nice man phoned and talked me through everything: Whether I have any medical conditions that mean surgery would not be an option, how long the consultation will take, the fact that they'll put in blurry eye drops, the fact that I won't be able to drive home. He was very thorough, very friendly and I'm already impressed.
Ultralase are much more expensive. But what price do you put on your vision, or even, your peace of mind?
At that time I was pretty sure I wanted the epi-LASEK procedure (involves no cutting of the cornea, instead an alcohol solution is used in order to move the epithelium aside).
I was told I was eligible for either epi-LASEK or LASIK, and my chances of having 20/20 vision after surgery was around the 95% mark. So why haven't I booked my surgery already?
Well, first off, my friend who had epi-LASEK late last year is currently investigating whether he needs to have re-treatment, and has to wait 3 months to see if his vision has improved from the -0.50/-0.75 or so that it is now. As far as I am concerned, this is not great. This has put me off slightly.
Also, my gut instinct, my women's intuition, the feeling in my water... whatever you want to call it...was not giving me a good feeling. I'm not talking about psychic feelings here, I'm talking common sense alarm bells that something just wasn't right. I'm sure he is a perfectly brilliant doctor but do I trust him with my eyesight? I'm not so sure.
So... today I have booked a free consultation with Ultralase at their Chelmsford clinic.
First impressions of the company are excellent. I completed a form online for them to give me a call to book a consultation and a really nice man phoned and talked me through everything: Whether I have any medical conditions that mean surgery would not be an option, how long the consultation will take, the fact that they'll put in blurry eye drops, the fact that I won't be able to drive home. He was very thorough, very friendly and I'm already impressed.
Ultralase are much more expensive. But what price do you put on your vision, or even, your peace of mind?
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Optimax consultation
Here's what happened. (Imagine this like a movie, where I'm played by Keira Knightley, only with a slightly less posh accent, and more meat on my bones, and with blonde hair...oh and I'm also wearing glasses. Goodness it's like you were there with me!)
5.15 Arrive
What does the Optimax laser eye surgery place look like? I think I'm expecting a standard doctor's surgery but I'm greeted by a room filled with comfortable-looking chairs, with a few doors and corridors off it and a long reception desk.
Immediately the receptionist has me over at a little computer in the corner of the room filling out a health questionnaire - am I on any medication, do I have any allergies and then I scan through options and tick boxes that apply to me. These are things like do I have a family history of glaucoma, have I ever had a heart attack, am I epileptic, etc. etc. A few of them I tick yes to: yes I have hayfever, yes I am due to have surgery soon (having a mole removed). Worryingly it says at the top of the list that any ticks might mean I'm unable to have the surgery.
Once I've finished I go and tell the receptionist and she then leads me off to have some tests done. I sit at three machines in turn and have to stare straight ahead and try not to blink. It's quite hard not blinking when all you can think about is not blinking. Mostly I tried to blink a bit before what I thought was the crucial time - but two of the tests she needed to repeat quickly so I was probably rubbish at predicting when the crucial time was! One of the tests was also one I'd read about where a puff of air is blown into your eye. Even though I knew it was coming it still made me jump the first time.
After that the show really started. I guess the time now is about:
5.30
The doctor comes out and calls me in. He's short, not of English origin and wearing a suit. I couldn't tell exactly where he was from, not that it matters of course. I enter the room.
First impression is that he's a typical, professional, no-nonsense doctor. On the one hand you could say he is abrubt, with poor beside manner I suppose. But on the other - and this is my experience with most doctors - he's just doing his job and he isn't there to hold my hand or make me feel at ease. He's not a salesman. If he were, if he was sitting me down asking how I am and am I ready to change the way I view the world and make my life ten times better?... I'd be running out the door right now.
He does some standard tests you get with glasses or contacts - looking at my eye, my prescription etc. He asks if I brought an old prescription along and I give him my old glasses which he goes off to measure to get the prescription.
When he comes back he puts drops to numb my eyes and then uses this instrument to measure the depth of my cornea. To do this he puts something against my eyeball for a few seconds. It's weird to have a numb eye - my eyelid feels kind of bouncy when it closes. Then he puts yellow dye in my eyes to have a look at their health through the microscope.
Next we go through my health form and I discover that my hayfever is not a problem, my upcoming surgery won't make a difference. Then he tells me that from his tests he can tell me that I am a candidate for either epi-LASEK or LASIK laser eye surgery. He asks if I know the difference between the two and I nod and say that it's basically the start of the procedure flap cutting with one, alcohol solution removal with the other. He nods as if he can tell I'm 'one of those ones that does their research' and asks which I prefer.
I say that epi-LASEK appeals more because of the lower risk factor. He then tells me that it is a surgery and as such can never be 100% guaranteed or safe. In my prescription case he tells me that there is a 95% chance I should have 20/20 vision. He informs me that when I reach 45 or so, I will need glasses for short distance again, as do the majority of people who have good eyesight for most of their lives.
I ask him about night vision problems. He tells me that my pupils are actually on the smaller size of normal so this is unlikely to be a problem for me. I say that while 20/20 vision is important, I also do not want to lose any contrast sensitivity. I ask if Wavefront would lessen the chances of this. He tells me that if this is not a problem now, it is unlikely to be a problem after surgery, and because the shape of my eye is pretty much average Wavefront is unlikely to make much difference to me. I ask about how long before I'm comfortable at a computer and he tells me it will depend on my personal recovery - most people can be fine after about a week to ten days but others can be more.
Mostly I get the impression from him that it's impossible to predict exact times. Every case is different in the pain threshold / speed of recovery etc.
After this we get to the fun part - where I get the pupil enlarging drops in my eyes. He tells me this is so he can view inside my eye. It feels fine for a few minutes but once he turns the lights back on after looking through the microscope at me I realise my close vision is a little blurred. Lights have also started to be a little bright.
He asks if I have any more questions and as we've covered all the ones I could think of I say no. And that's it, I'm done and dusted. The receptionist asks if I'd like to make a booking, I ask her to write a few available dates down at the end of May / early June as I need to check with work for booking a week off that will be followed by a few quiet days.
It's about 6.20 at this point and I walk back to the car with my boyfriend. The lights are hurting my eyes and my long distance and very close vision is blurry so there's no way I'd be able to drive. I start to wonder how weird it would be actually having surgery. I decide I have to give myself a few days to let everything sink in before I make a decision.
5.15 Arrive
What does the Optimax laser eye surgery place look like? I think I'm expecting a standard doctor's surgery but I'm greeted by a room filled with comfortable-looking chairs, with a few doors and corridors off it and a long reception desk.
Immediately the receptionist has me over at a little computer in the corner of the room filling out a health questionnaire - am I on any medication, do I have any allergies and then I scan through options and tick boxes that apply to me. These are things like do I have a family history of glaucoma, have I ever had a heart attack, am I epileptic, etc. etc. A few of them I tick yes to: yes I have hayfever, yes I am due to have surgery soon (having a mole removed). Worryingly it says at the top of the list that any ticks might mean I'm unable to have the surgery.
Once I've finished I go and tell the receptionist and she then leads me off to have some tests done. I sit at three machines in turn and have to stare straight ahead and try not to blink. It's quite hard not blinking when all you can think about is not blinking. Mostly I tried to blink a bit before what I thought was the crucial time - but two of the tests she needed to repeat quickly so I was probably rubbish at predicting when the crucial time was! One of the tests was also one I'd read about where a puff of air is blown into your eye. Even though I knew it was coming it still made me jump the first time.
After that the show really started. I guess the time now is about:
5.30
The doctor comes out and calls me in. He's short, not of English origin and wearing a suit. I couldn't tell exactly where he was from, not that it matters of course. I enter the room.
First impression is that he's a typical, professional, no-nonsense doctor. On the one hand you could say he is abrubt, with poor beside manner I suppose. But on the other - and this is my experience with most doctors - he's just doing his job and he isn't there to hold my hand or make me feel at ease. He's not a salesman. If he were, if he was sitting me down asking how I am and am I ready to change the way I view the world and make my life ten times better?... I'd be running out the door right now.
He does some standard tests you get with glasses or contacts - looking at my eye, my prescription etc. He asks if I brought an old prescription along and I give him my old glasses which he goes off to measure to get the prescription.
When he comes back he puts drops to numb my eyes and then uses this instrument to measure the depth of my cornea. To do this he puts something against my eyeball for a few seconds. It's weird to have a numb eye - my eyelid feels kind of bouncy when it closes. Then he puts yellow dye in my eyes to have a look at their health through the microscope.
Next we go through my health form and I discover that my hayfever is not a problem, my upcoming surgery won't make a difference. Then he tells me that from his tests he can tell me that I am a candidate for either epi-LASEK or LASIK laser eye surgery. He asks if I know the difference between the two and I nod and say that it's basically the start of the procedure flap cutting with one, alcohol solution removal with the other. He nods as if he can tell I'm 'one of those ones that does their research' and asks which I prefer.
I say that epi-LASEK appeals more because of the lower risk factor. He then tells me that it is a surgery and as such can never be 100% guaranteed or safe. In my prescription case he tells me that there is a 95% chance I should have 20/20 vision. He informs me that when I reach 45 or so, I will need glasses for short distance again, as do the majority of people who have good eyesight for most of their lives.
I ask him about night vision problems. He tells me that my pupils are actually on the smaller size of normal so this is unlikely to be a problem for me. I say that while 20/20 vision is important, I also do not want to lose any contrast sensitivity. I ask if Wavefront would lessen the chances of this. He tells me that if this is not a problem now, it is unlikely to be a problem after surgery, and because the shape of my eye is pretty much average Wavefront is unlikely to make much difference to me. I ask about how long before I'm comfortable at a computer and he tells me it will depend on my personal recovery - most people can be fine after about a week to ten days but others can be more.
Mostly I get the impression from him that it's impossible to predict exact times. Every case is different in the pain threshold / speed of recovery etc.
After this we get to the fun part - where I get the pupil enlarging drops in my eyes. He tells me this is so he can view inside my eye. It feels fine for a few minutes but once he turns the lights back on after looking through the microscope at me I realise my close vision is a little blurred. Lights have also started to be a little bright.
He asks if I have any more questions and as we've covered all the ones I could think of I say no. And that's it, I'm done and dusted. The receptionist asks if I'd like to make a booking, I ask her to write a few available dates down at the end of May / early June as I need to check with work for booking a week off that will be followed by a few quiet days.
It's about 6.20 at this point and I walk back to the car with my boyfriend. The lights are hurting my eyes and my long distance and very close vision is blurry so there's no way I'd be able to drive. I start to wonder how weird it would be actually having surgery. I decide I have to give myself a few days to let everything sink in before I make a decision.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Laser eye surgery - pre consultation jitters
My consultation for laser eye surgery at Optimax is next Monday. I'm both excited and nervous. I'm hoping by then I'll have a much clearer idea of whether I'd like LASIK or epi-LASEK surgery. Realistically, I probably won't know until I've chatted with the consultant and then thought it all through.
When I booked the consultation I received a letter which advised me not to wear contacts for up to 2 weeks before the consulation. But I haven't worn my contact lenses for ages now, actually I think the last time was Christmas, mainly because they're just uncomfortable. One of my eyes is astigmatic (rugby ball shaped) so I have to have a weighted contact in that eye to keep it in the right place, except it still moves and I have to blink to get it back.
Also with the documentation was a risk form - part of the contract you have to sign when you undergo treatment with Optimax. It outlines all the possible risks and side effects and you have to initial each item to show that you have read and understood. It's quite a daunting list but it's standard legal stuff. Just imagine if you had to sign a contract before you were born and you had a list of all the horrid things that could happen to you in life - injury, financial struggles, heartache etc. etc. It's not often you have all the risks of your decision laid out in front of you like that, and of course they don't mention the benefits, because that makes it look like they're trying to give it a positive spin.
But I'm not too concerned. The idea of facing freedom from all that blinking and dry eyes in contacts is like a dangling carrot. And glasses can be a pain too: endless lens cleaning, slipping in hot weather, freezing metal on your face in cold weather, eyelashes brushing on the lens. Yes it would be great to be free of these things. People who don't rely on glasses have no concept of what it's like. I feel like a completely different person when I wear contacts, I'm sometimes amazed that people recognise me - not because I look different but because when you wear glasses it can feel like you're hiding behind them.
Here is my updated list of questions for the consultant:
- Which would I personally be most suited for - epi lasek or LASIK surgery?
- What is the success rate for my prescription on either surgery (my prescription is -2 sphere and -2 cylinder in my right, -4 sphere in my left)
- How long does pain last on average?
- How will I control the pain?
- How long before my vision would be at driving standard?
- How long before I'll be able to use a computer comfortably?
- How long should I take off work (will probably be determined by the answer to the previous question)
- What happens if my vision is not improved, or is improved but still needing glasses?
- What about hayfever, will sneezing or itching eyes be a problem - will I be able to take Clarityn as I have done for about the last 5 years?
When I booked the consultation I received a letter which advised me not to wear contacts for up to 2 weeks before the consulation. But I haven't worn my contact lenses for ages now, actually I think the last time was Christmas, mainly because they're just uncomfortable. One of my eyes is astigmatic (rugby ball shaped) so I have to have a weighted contact in that eye to keep it in the right place, except it still moves and I have to blink to get it back.
Also with the documentation was a risk form - part of the contract you have to sign when you undergo treatment with Optimax. It outlines all the possible risks and side effects and you have to initial each item to show that you have read and understood. It's quite a daunting list but it's standard legal stuff. Just imagine if you had to sign a contract before you were born and you had a list of all the horrid things that could happen to you in life - injury, financial struggles, heartache etc. etc. It's not often you have all the risks of your decision laid out in front of you like that, and of course they don't mention the benefits, because that makes it look like they're trying to give it a positive spin.
But I'm not too concerned. The idea of facing freedom from all that blinking and dry eyes in contacts is like a dangling carrot. And glasses can be a pain too: endless lens cleaning, slipping in hot weather, freezing metal on your face in cold weather, eyelashes brushing on the lens. Yes it would be great to be free of these things. People who don't rely on glasses have no concept of what it's like. I feel like a completely different person when I wear contacts, I'm sometimes amazed that people recognise me - not because I look different but because when you wear glasses it can feel like you're hiding behind them.
Here is my updated list of questions for the consultant:
- Which would I personally be most suited for - epi lasek or LASIK surgery?
- What is the success rate for my prescription on either surgery (my prescription is -2 sphere and -2 cylinder in my right, -4 sphere in my left)
- How long does pain last on average?
- How will I control the pain?
- How long before my vision would be at driving standard?
- How long before I'll be able to use a computer comfortably?
- How long should I take off work (will probably be determined by the answer to the previous question)
- What happens if my vision is not improved, or is improved but still needing glasses?
- What about hayfever, will sneezing or itching eyes be a problem - will I be able to take Clarityn as I have done for about the last 5 years?
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