The only site I'll ever need...

[morpheus]

I wear glasses a lot of the time, and I'm looking to get contacts so I don't have to deal with the frames anymore.  Anyone here have any recommendations about daily disposables, weekly disposables, etc.?  I'm a big girl and I'm scared to touch my eye, so I want this to be easy.

I got Lasik done at TLC in Westchester.  Changed my life.

Are you awake/cognizant while this is going on? The thought of seeing a laser shooting into my eye kinda freaks me out. But I miss waking up and seeing where I'm going until I put on my specs.

You are in fact awake.  You have to be, otherwise your eyes won't stay in position.  It's actually pretty freaky - they dope you up with Valium before it, which is assume is so you'll remain calm during the operation.  They numb your eyes with drops when you go in.  They cover one of your eyes.  Then they put this glass tube - looks almost like a beer glass with no bottom - in your eye socket to keep the lids open.  Then they go to work - they use a smaller instrument to cut the flap in your cornea and then they pull the flap aside and BOOM! you can't see anything except this milky light, which is the laser.  They tell you to focus on the laser as best you can, and then the laser starts firing.  You can actually smell your eyeball getting cut/seared as the laser cuts away tiny pieces of your retina to re-shape it - that I remember vividly for some reason.  But it doesn't hurt at all when they're doing it.  Then they put the flap back, and all of a sudden you can see again.  They use a brush (think like a watercolor brush) to smooth it over, put some drops in there, and that eyeball is done.  On to the other eyeball, where the process is repeated.  Then on to the recovery room, where you chill for about a half hour or so, put on your dark glasses (since your pupils are fully dilated as part of the fun) and then have someone drive you home - there's no way in hell you could drive yourself home.  That day will be the only day it hurts.  I went home and went to sleep for like 6 hours, and when I woke up it hurt a lot.  Took some painkillers, put in some drops and went back to bed.  They usually do it on a Friday so you'll have the weekend to recover - nut cutters do the same thing.

Saturday morning I woke up and it didn't hurt at all.  I went outside and could read street signs from a long way away... right after the operation I had like 20/10 vision, but as your eyes heal that reduces a little.  Now I'm 20/20 in both eyes.  I even had to fly to Philly that weekend for work and it wasn't a problem.  The only thing that gets tiresome is the eye drops - you get very good at putting those in, because for the first few days after the operation you have to put them in like every half hour.  As I recall it, there were four different sets of drops - a moistener, an anti-inflammatory, an antibiotic, and a tear producer (Restasis).  The two antis go away after a week, but the Restasis you do for like 3 months, and the moistener for like 6.  The frequency of drops declines to like 2 or 3 times a day after the first few weeks, so it's not that bad.

The other effect I remember clearly is that for the first few months as my eyes healed, at night lights would "starburst" a little, which made driving at night kind of tough with oncoming headlights and all that.  It wasn't that bad but it was noticeable.  That goes away though; they say that it's perfectly normal.

There, that's probably all you ever wanted to know about LASIK.  You'll go in for checkups at one week, one month, three months, six months.  After you get done doing the drops and cleared, which is at the six-month mark, you go in once a year for an eye exam and that's it. 

[Quality Start Machine]

Did you ask why they gave you a rectal beforehand?

[Tonker]

Did you ask why they gave you a rectal beforehand?

Who cares?  A rectal is a rectal!

[Dave B]

I wear glasses a lot of the time, and I'm looking to get contacts so I don't have to deal with the frames anymore.  Anyone here have any recommendations about daily disposables, weekly disposables, etc.?  I'm a big girl and I'm scared to touch my eye, so I want this to be easy.

I started wearing Focus Night and Days a couple of years ago and I love them. They are geared for 30-day wear and you can sleep in them, but I seldom do. If you take 'em out every night, they last about 50-60 days. You'll know when you need to change them. They are about $70 for a box of six. Might be a little cheaper on 1-800-CONTACTS. I like them because they are a little "sturdier" than Acuvue or some of the other disposables, which makes them easier to take in and out and less susceptible to tearing (which can irritate the shit out of your eye).

I am basically blind (a -9 prescription) with uncorrected vision and I see 20-15 with contacts. My eye doctor said Lasik would take me to 20-20 and I might be disappointed because I wouldn't see as well as I do now with my contacts. And my prescription only changed twice in 20-plus years of contacts.

[Andre Dawson's Creek]

I've never really had an issue with contacts tearing.  Most of the time, if it tears, it's when you're taking them out or cleaning them.  If that happens, you just toss it and open a new one.  I have never (in 5 years) had a contact tear while it was in my eye.  And I wear my 14 day contacts for months (I think I've made a 6 month supply last 18 months so far).

[Tonker]

I wear glasses a lot of the time, and I'm looking to get contacts so I don't have to deal with the frames anymore.  Anyone here have any recommendations about daily disposables, weekly disposables, etc.?  I'm a big girl and I'm scared to touch my eye, so I want this to be easy.

I started wearing Focus Night and Days a couple of years ago and I love them. They are geared for 30-day wear and you can sleep in them, but I seldom do. If you take 'em out every night, they last about 50-60 days. You'll know when you need to change them. They are about $70 for a box of six. Might be a little cheaper on 1-800-CONTACTS. I like them because they are a little "sturdier" than Acuvue or some of the other disposables, which makes them easier to take in and out and less susceptible to tearing (which can irritate the shit out of your eye).

I am basically blind (a -9 prescription) with uncorrected vision and I see 20-15 with contacts. My eye doctor said Lasik would take me to 20-20 and I might be disappointed because I wouldn't see as well as I do now with my contacts. And my prescription only changed twice in 20-plus years of contacts.

There has to be an umpiring gag in here somewhere...

[Dave B]

Good one. If I hear that occasional taunt, I just mumble to myself "what you don't know".

[Kerm]

I wear glasses a lot of the time, and I'm looking to get contacts so I don't have to deal with the frames anymore.  Anyone here have any recommendations about daily disposables, weekly disposables, etc.?  I'm a big girl and I'm scared to touch my eye, so I want this to be easy.

I got Lasik done at TLC in Westchester.  Changed my life.

Are you awake/cognizant while this is going on? The thought of seeing a laser shooting into my eye kinda freaks me out. But I miss waking up and seeing where I'm going until I put on my specs.

A BUNCH OF STUFF ABOUT LASIK.

Thanks for that.  Seriously.  I've always wondered how it works, and someday I'd like to get it done.  Contacts are a nuisance.  Now, if Indolent Reader can give us the rundown on the other procedure....

[morpheus]

I wear glasses a lot of the time, and I'm looking to get contacts so I don't have to deal with the frames anymore.  Anyone here have any recommendations about daily disposables, weekly disposables, etc.?  I'm a big girl and I'm scared to touch my eye, so I want this to be easy.

I got Lasik done at TLC in Westchester.  Changed my life.

Are you awake/cognizant while this is going on? The thought of seeing a laser shooting into my eye kinda freaks me out. But I miss waking up and seeing where I'm going until I put on my specs.

A BUNCH OF STUFF ABOUT LASIK.

Thanks for that.  Seriously.  I've always wondered how it works, and someday I'd like to get it done.  Contacts are a nuisance.  Now, if Indolent Reader can give us the rundown on the other procedure....

This may help...

http://www.prk.com/LASIKvsPRK.html

At http://www.lasik1.com they have photos of the process and other fun stuff.  http://www.lasik1.com/LASIK_Detailed.html has the pics.

[Kerm]

I wear glasses a lot of the time, and I'm looking to get contacts so I don't have to deal with the frames anymore.  Anyone here have any recommendations about daily disposables, weekly disposables, etc.?  I'm a big girl and I'm scared to touch my eye, so I want this to be easy.

I got Lasik done at TLC in Westchester.  Changed my life.

Are you awake/cognizant while this is going on? The thought of seeing a laser shooting into my eye kinda freaks me out. But I miss waking up and seeing where I'm going until I put on my specs.

A BUNCH OF STUFF ABOUT LASIK.

Thanks for that.  Seriously.  I've always wondered how it works, and someday I'd like to get it done.  Contacts are a nuisance.  Now, if Indolent Reader can give us the rundown on the other procedure....

This may help...

http://www.prk.com/LASIKvsPRK.html

At http://www.lasik1.com they have photos of the process and other fun stuff.  http://www.lasik1.com/LASIK_Detailed.html has the pics.

Awesome.  Thanks.

[PenFoe]

I wear glasses a lot of the time, and I'm looking to get contacts so I don't have to deal with the frames anymore.  Anyone here have any recommendations about daily disposables, weekly disposables, etc.?  I'm a big girl and I'm scared to touch my eye, so I want this to be easy.

I got Lasik done at TLC in Westchester.  Changed my life.

Are you awake/cognizant while this is going on? The thought of seeing a laser shooting into my eye kinda freaks me out. But I miss waking up and seeing where I'm going until I put on my specs.

A BUNCH OF STUFF ABOUT LASIK.

Thanks for that.  Seriously.  I've always wondered how it works, and someday I'd like to get it done.  Contacts are a nuisance.  Now, if Indolent Reader can give us the rundown on the other procedure....

JPen had Lasik done in May - pretty uncomfortable for about 18 hours or so (most of which you have to sleep), and then 20/15 within 24 hours. Truly amazing.  Lots of drops to be taken over the course of the next 4-6 weeks (like 10+ a day/eye), but to be able to actually see, well the payoff seems worth it.

For me, on the other hand, I have yet to recover from watching it all on TV as it was happening.  
I still have the night terrors...

[Andre Dawson's Creek]

I've always wondered why they tell you to talk to your eye care professional.  I would think they'd want you coming back year after year for glasses/contacts.  You get Lasik and they lose a customer.

[CT II]

Fuck this contact/Lasik/glasses debate.

Does anybody want to join me in starting up our own MMA League?

http://mmapayout.com/2008/11/notice-of-sale-of-proelites-assets/

[Andre Dawson's Creek]

Fuck this contact/Lasik/glasses debate.

Does anybody want to join me in starting up our own MMA League?

http://mmapayout.com/2008/11/notice-of-sale-of-proelites-assets/

I'd like to buy out Gina Carano's contract and have her perform for me in my bedroom.

[TDubbs]

Fuck this contact/Lasik/glasses debate.

Does anybody want to join me in starting up our own MMA League?

http://mmapayout.com/2008/11/notice-of-sale-of-proelites-assets/

I'd like to buy out Gina Carano's contract and have her perform for me in my bedroom. Whatever TDubbs said.

3rd Person Shoutbox'd