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This first video is my IntraLase: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut6uRqdMNqM&t=180s @4:12 - This is when the IntraLase machine came down on the eye piece and flattened my cornea. @4:30 - The laser fires and creates the bubbles under my cornea. @4:46 - The laser cuts around the cornea and it separates. This is the actual laser correction.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dit5mWHGpfw ENJOY!
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Aug 3, 2011 16:30
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I hope you watched that video before I requested it, if not, I'm sorry for making you watch it! Thanks for posting it though.
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Aug 3, 2011 17:51
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I think every YouTube video of LASIK procedures should automatically be given the Pixies' "Debaser" as a soundtrack.
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Aug 8, 2011 00:54
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I got a few pages in before deciding that I definitely want my eyes to have the suck laser beamed out of them. I've wanted it for years, since I first heard of it really, but have previously been too broke to consider it. Well, now I'm not, and the price has lessened considerably while the reliability of the procedure has increased. All I hope to find now are some recommendations anyone may have for laser surgeons (that still sounds so cool) in the Columbus, OH area. If anyone can help me out, I'd be quite grateful. zxqv8 fucked around with this message at 11:57 on Sep 4, 2011 |
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Sep 4, 2011 11:44
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I have recently had my eyes lasered, almost two months ago. I did tremendous amounts of research beforehand. The only side-effect that may be considered negative is that my night vision is a little worse than it was before the surgery; when a car is coming at me with bright headlights, all I can see are the headlights. Light sources are definitely a little blurry at night. I don't know if it'll get better. I believe that even knowing this would 100% be the case, (though I may be biased to accept) I would still have gone ahead. I only have one piece of advice to give people who are considering this, which came up during my research. Be very wary of places that charge less than a few grand for the procedure. Often, places charging discount rates are using old (read: obsolete) equipment, which means your satisfaction rate would conform to 5+ years ago's standards, which can be misleading.
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Sep 5, 2011 04:19
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@ zxqv8 : I had LASIK done in Canton,OH about 10 years ago. It was at Canton Ophthalmology Associates Inc. They are huge here in the Canton area. Everyone that goes there loves them. Maybe you could call them for a reference in your area? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- I've had LASIK for about (I forget) 10 or 12 years now. I got it shortly after it was widely available in my area (Ohio). AFAIK it was just the basic form of LASIK. Nowadays it seems there's all sorts of bells and whistles added onto LASIK. My left eye has lost enough vision in the past couple of years that I now need to think about using glasses while driving and reading fine text on my monitor. I haven't gotten glasses yet though... gently caress that, I'll get LASIK again. My right eye is still 20/15 all these years, it's awesome. Night-vision is at least as good as it was before the LASIK. I had some halo and star-burst effects for about the first 2 years. It was minimal and didn't bother me at all. After about 2 years though everything was perfect and I mean perfect! About 20 hours after the surgery I was back to work with no problems. Everyone at work was in awe, it was great. I would do it all over again if I had to!
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Sep 5, 2011 04:22
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I actually made my first new years resolution ever this year: "get my eyes fixed by the end of the year", and I've decided it's time to stop procrastinating. I'm really squeamish about my eyes so I can't really fathom having someone cut into my eyeball while I'm awake, but I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. I've been reading up, mostly on discussion forums like this, and it seems like the biggest advice is generally "do your research", "make sure you get it done by someone good", etc. But I'm not really sure what to research, or how to tell a good surgeon from a bad one. They all seem to think pretty highly of themselves. Does anyone have any advice on what to look for? I have insurance that will cover 15% of the cost, so my plan right now is to just make an appointment at one of these places and see what they have to say. There are a bunch of other uncovered options near me (Boston area), and I honestly don't mind paying full price for the best treatment, but I just don't have any idea how to determine whether one location/doctor is better than another.
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Sep 15, 2011 18:17
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Llama Patrol posted:I actually made my first new years resolution ever this year: "get my eyes fixed by the end of the year", and I've decided it's time to stop procrastinating. I'm really squeamish about my eyes so I can't really fathom having someone cut into my eyeball while I'm awake, but I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. This, this exactly is what I'm trying to determine. An answer this question helps two people. Also, I have a separate issue. I just want to ask frankly, will marijuana use cause any kind of issue with this, assuming one doesn't attend the procedure while under the influence? For that matter, will any other drugs, OTC or otherwise? I don't want to accidentally take a painkiller and find it could do something unforeseen.
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Sep 19, 2011 14:45
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Looking at the Ultralase Price List can anyone explain the difference between 'Ultra Elite' and 'Ultra Plus'. Obviously I want the best treatment available, but I'd prefer not to splash out £1000 more unnecessarily. The page for the treatment seems to suggest that the Wavefront machine is more up to date? Is that the only difference? How big of a difference does that make? Also those videos were great, thanks permanoob!
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Oct 19, 2011 18:25
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zxqv8 posted:This, this exactly is what I'm trying to determine. An answer this question helps two people. I really, really doubt it, as long as you're clean more than a day in advance so your eyes aren't all red going into it. The extent of the procedure is a local anesthetic, usually in the form of an eyedrop, directly on your eye, and then lasers all up in your cornea/lens. So as long as you're not loving with your eyes, you should be fine. I don't think painkillers would affect the local anesthetic. And you don't really need painkillers for the procedure itself, it's not painful at all, just a high degree of being uncomfortable.
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Oct 20, 2011 06:44
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zxqv8 posted:This, this exactly is what I'm trying to determine. An answer this question helps two people. Anectdotal - I was a regular smoker when I had my LASIK, and I didn't smoke the day before, or for a couple days after and I was completely fine. Be really liberal with the wetting drops either way.
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Oct 20, 2011 15:31
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Waarg posted:Looking at the Ultralase Price List can anyone explain the difference between 'Ultra Elite' and 'Ultra Plus'. Obviously I want the best treatment available, but I'd prefer not to splash out £1000 more unnecessarily. The page for the treatment seems to suggest that the Wavefront machine is more up to date? Is that the only difference? How big of a difference does that make? Laser eye surgery companies in the UK can only really compete with the brands of their lasers, they all get good results at the end of the day and all have high standards. You should take the time to go to consultations at a few different companies as the prices really can vary. Ultralase are one of the most expensive and if you have a small prescription you're basically subsidising those with high prescriptions by paying their one size fits all price. The forums on Moneysavingexpert is quite a good place for discussions on how to get a good price.
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Oct 21, 2011 02:32
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I'm seriously considering doing this but I just want to know how much Custom wavefront with intralase costs ball park area. Does anyone know any good surgeons in the bay area? I'm trying to shop around and find a lower price so that the surgeon I want to do it will price match it. Right now I'm finding them to be around $5000, but I was hoping for $500 less than that.
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Nov 11, 2011 22:43
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Since I used this thread to help make my decision about going in for LASIK, I figured I'd chime in with my own experience. I tried to get LASIK a couple of months ago, the doctor seemed to think I was a great candidate for the procedure. After a few attempts to get suction on my eyes with the machine, he found that he couldn't. He told me that I have some rare condition where my eyes retract upon contact. He told me to come back in another time and we'd go for PRK. So, I had PRK yesterday. It was pretty much as everyone else has described. Totally painless, but definietly weird. You feel the pressure and the vibration, but that's just about it. I was on Valium for the procedure just to relax a bit. The whole procedure total, for boths eyes, took just about 8 minutes. The actual time things were happening to my eyes totals to maybe 3 minutes. It was absolutley nothing and if you're worried in the least, don't be. As far as recovery goes... last night wasn't fun, but it was pretty manageable. After you have PRK they put a soft contact lens over your eye. They put that there as sort of a band aid to prevent infection while the eye rebuilds what was brushed away during the procedure. Personally, I have a very hard time wearing contact lenses, so my eyes may be more disposed to being irritated in this stage than most. Having said all that, it's really not that bad at all. I also went in earlier this morning for a check up. I'm already seeing 20/20. They anticipate that by the time my vision stabalizes, it'll only get better. They also told me that tomorrow may be the most painful part of the recovery. I'm not too worried, it really hasn't been that bad at all. I'm strictly using the medicine that has been prescribed, and everything is coming along just fine. So yeah, for now, mark me as yet another person who had a really good experience with PRK! Edit; Quick update; I'm in a fair bit of pain now (30 hours or so after procedure). It feels a lot like it does when a contact lens gets stuck in your eyelid (if you've ever had that happen), it's not too pleasant but I can still see petty well. I've been assured that by the third day or so, most of the pain and irritation should be gone. Chili fucked around with this message at 23:34 on Dec 24, 2011 |
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Dec 24, 2011 16:28
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Had Custom Wavefront Lasik done this past Tuesday to the tune of 4k total, + Free lifetime enhancements. Their slogan is 20/20/better or your money back! I could have dealt with 20/21 for a freebie, but I was able to easily read the 20/20 line after my 24 hour checkup. I'm not sure what my prescription was prior, but I could not see any definition of the E at the top of the snellen chart without my glasses. To be honest, I could barely read the 20/40 line with my 300 dollar Sterling Optical glasses. Had my procedure a week after my eligibility checkup. I apparently had dry eyes, so I was prescribed Azasite, Theratears, and Systane Balance for the dryness prior to surgery. Afterwards, I was given a steroid, and antibiotic drop to go with Systane Balance/Theratears. The combination of these makes my eye lashes look like I am wearing mascara. Overall, the worst part is the dryness. Use lots of eye drops! I have used an entire 10 mL bottle of Systane since tuesday. The doc said if you have any inclination to touch or scratch your eye, put a drop in. Works wonders. It's like a whole new world has opened up for me with my new vision. It was almost like the world was a horrible ms paint picture prior. Trees now have leaves, and definition I have never seen before. The Christmas lights twinkle instead of blur. Almost everyone who has had it is of the same opinion as me. The biggest downfall, is that you didn't go and do it sooner.
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Dec 25, 2011 07:51
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I'll obviously ask my doctor when I eventually go up there to talk to them, but would LASIK (I'd technically be getting PRK but I imagine it's no different wrt to this) be a waste if my job entails staring at a monitor all day every day (software developer)? Need to get laser surgery for future job opportunities but if I get it and subsequently lose the 20/20 because I had to continue staring at a monitor for a year, I'll probably just save the money.
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Dec 26, 2011 04:52
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Mr. Crow posted:...would LASIK (I'd technically be getting PRK but I imagine it's no different wrt to this) be a waste if my job entails staring at a monitor all day every day (software developer)?... When I had LASIK done, something like 9-11 years ago, the Doc told me there are just too many variables that will affect eyesight on some people through their lifetime and those same variables may not cause an effect on anyone else. He did say though that those variables very likely wouldn't have a different effect on my eyesight if I had LASIK done vs not having it done. From what I hear now, it is much easier these days to have multiple surgeries as you eyes change over time... if they ever change. Some Doctors offer lifetime treatments. Not because they know the patient will need more treatments but to assure those potential patients and get them to make that decision. The general aging of your eyes plays the largest role by far. LASIK or not, reading glasses are in many of our futures. The lens in your eyes starts to harden to a point that it's too stiff for your muscles to (change focus) flex it enough for reading. Other than genetics, the best way to combat this is to exercise your eyes every day and as often as possible. EDIT: fixed some grammar errors 
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Dec 26, 2011 08:51
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I got intralasik done earlier today. There was no pain at all and aside from how boring all these eyedrops are the whole thing owns. If you are on the fence still this is a a vote for it being really simple and amazing.
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Jan 8, 2012 07:19
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I got the intralase wavefront lasik on November 22nd. I find that my eyes were more crisp when I had first gotten the procedure, now they fluctuate like crazy. My left eye always seems to be blurrier than the right eye, sometimes I get double-ish vision. And there's halos, extremely dry eyes, starbursts. Hopefully that goes away soon.
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Jan 9, 2012 01:47
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Maximusi posted:I got the intralase wavefront lasik on November 22nd. I find that my eyes were more crisp when I had first gotten the procedure, now they fluctuate like crazy. My left eye always seems to be blurrier than the right eye, sometimes I get double-ish vision. And there's halos, extremely dry eyes, starbursts. Hopefully that goes away soon. I have dry eyes even without the surgery and I had mine done in July. It definitely gets better. Mine was PRK so the fluctuation was probably even worse, I couldn't even realistically drive the first few days. I still get dry eyes and occasional blurriness in one of them but that tends to be dry eye related. Definitely give it a bit more time, it'll get better.
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Jan 9, 2012 02:04
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So, I have 8mm pupils even on sunny days and the like so I'm assuming I'd get halos pretty severely. It is not caused by medication, I've had large pupils my whole life and I don't know the cause, there probably isn't one. Knowing this, is there a corrective surgery open to me that would not have complications?
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Jan 30, 2012 00:41
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Andorei posted:So, I have 8mm pupils even on sunny days and the like so I'm assuming I'd get halos pretty severely. It is not caused by medication, I've had large pupils my whole life and I don't know the cause, there probably isn't one. Knowing this, is there a corrective surgery open to me that would not have complications? Beep Street fucked around with this message at 00:29 on Feb 22, 2012 |
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Jan 30, 2012 19:16
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I'm pretty upset with my PRK I had done by the Air Force about two years ago. My right eye is worse than my left eye. Things I can see sharply with my left eye are blurry with my right. I might have to get a touch up on the right one 
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Feb 21, 2012 06:12
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I'm in the middle of the whole three-weeks of glasses before I get LASIK. I go next Monday for the final exam.then hopefully get it done on Friday, I went last week and they said it should be no big deal. My contacts are both -9.00 but I have a little bit of astigmatism. A little more in one eye than the other. I've worn glasses since 1st grade (switched to contacts around high school) so this will be huge. I really, really hate wearing these glasses. They're a couple years old so the one eye that has the worse astigmatism is just a little bit blurry. Plus they're small so I have a very limited field of view. I was getting headaches on the computer all day but I think I've gotten past the worst of that. I'd just love to not have to use 13 point fonts all the time or have to squint and do double-takes all the time. I never had really good vision super up close with contacts. I was trying to remove a link in a watch for my brother and he basically said "You really are blind, aren't you?". It's very frustrating to not be able to see sometimes. I'm hoping for 20/20, it would be amazing to have that without glasses or contacts. But I'd be happy if they come anywhere near it.
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Mar 7, 2012 18:58
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Getting lasik or PRK on wednesday. I think it's prk. I am kinda nervous as it is an Army thing. I will give an update when I get back. It is a 4 hour drive to the hospital.
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Mar 7, 2012 22:27
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SuperJa posted:Got wavefront surgery today and am kicking myself for not getting it done sooner. The minute I got up from the table I could read the clock on the opposite wall. This is pretty much what happened to me yesterday. I didn't mind the smell (reminds me of burnt human hair or something) but cutting the flap was a bit scary though not painful at all. Going back in a few hours for my first check up. What I didn't expect was how natural it feels to be able to see without glasses. Got wavefront done in Bangkok, Thailand for roughly 1600 USD which is about as cheap as you can get it if you want done at a private hospital/clinic. If I had the money I would of course go to this other place that offers lifetime warranty but it's almost twice as expensive. If anyone is interested in getting their eyes
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Mar 17, 2012 00:46
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Just had the intralase thing done today, went pretty well. I did have a minor freak out about it though, and they gave me two Ativan. The main reason for this was that I was supposed to have it done on Wednesday, got all prepped, numbing drops in, set up under the laser... and the surgeon saw my lash extensions and wouldn't do it. I had asked about them during the consult, and the person doing it said that they would be fine and not to worry. Obviously, this was incorrect, and the surgeon was concerned with foreign bodies going into the flap, so nixxed it. I got them removed Thursday, and went in today, so then I had two days to think about going under the laser and I worked myself up a little about it. Other than that, it went swimmingly. Suction cup thing was weird, and I had a mild headache later, I can see quite well, though light sensitive and kind of misty, similar to the cloudiness when I sleep in my contacts overnight. Pain is pretty minimal/nonexistent after the first few hours - I opted for the T3's since I can't take ibuprofen. We'll see how it goes tomorrow.
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Mar 17, 2012 05:29
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Alright, figured I'd pop in one last time (PRK procedure) to say that I've fully recovered and am now the proud owner of 20/10 eyeballs. I'm super stoked. The one thing I'll add to my report, cause I haven't heard this mentioned all that much, is that my procedure came with free touch ups for life, which is obviously, hugely beneficial. When you're shopping around for LASIK/PRK, I would definitely inquire about, and consider only getting the procedure with this component. LASIK/PRK isn't necessarily a permanent fix and it's very comforting to know that if things ever get fuzzy again, I'm covered. Chili fucked around with this message at 12:11 on Mar 19, 2012 |
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Mar 19, 2012 12:06
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May as well add my story to the list Currently at a -2.50 prescription in both eyes. Wanted to have surgery done since I was 17. Now I'm 21 and have the finances to do it. Went to Ultralase for my consultation on Saturday and was told I'm only suitable for LASEK. Now I'm booked in for April 6th. Kind of bummed that I couldn't get LASIK but at least LASEK is cheaper. Will update after the op and as I recover 
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Mar 19, 2012 15:25
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I had Intralase. I had to have a correction done as well. I just remember my eyes being really dry for a while. Also my pupils tend to be larger than normal for some reason, so I get some starbursts from lights at night. Apparently this is the result of the pupil being far enough out from the center of the eye to touch the flap. It's not enough to cause me any real problems, just a bit annoying. Your pupils get smaller as you age so it should go away eventually. My initial vision was around -8.5 in both. Cost was a bit over $5k.
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Mar 19, 2012 15:49
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actionjackson posted:My initial vision was around -8.5 in both. Cost was a bit over $5k. What are you now?
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Mar 20, 2012 04:16
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I got 'approved' on Monday, getting it done tomorrow afternoon. Custom with the wavefront etc, $6000  They dilated my eyes on Monday morning and it didn't go back to normal for almost 48 hours. Ugh. Sucked because I couldn't read magazines or a computer screen without zooming my browser into like 1600% or something. My pupils are small and corneas are thick so they said I should be 20/30 when they're done.
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Mar 21, 2012 17:59
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I'm pretty happy with the results so far, though the halo-ing and slight dryness is mildly annoying. So weird being able to read shampoo bottles in the shower! I go back on Friday for my one week follow-up, and am looking forward to not having to wear the stupid eye shields at night. Apparently I'll have to wear goggles for the next year while surfing, just in case, and I can't ride horses for another two weeks, on the off chance I get turfed. So, so worth it to not deal with glasses or contacts. Did anyone else have the overwhelming urge to shove their fingers in their eyes and take out their contacts before going to bed? When does that go away? It's so odd to go to sleep with clear vision.
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Mar 22, 2012 01:47
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Chili posted:Alright, figured I'd pop in one last time (PRK procedure) to say that I've fully recovered and am now the proud owner of 20/10 eyeballs. I'm super stoked. I see you got it done Xmas last year. How long since then would you say it has taken for your eyes to settle down and be healed? Up 'til now, or sooner?
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Mar 22, 2012 10:44
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Just so everyone who feels weird posting in this old thread knows, I've bookmarked it and read every post (I'm considering eyelasers myself) and very much appreciate the newer posts detailing their experiences.
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Mar 22, 2012 11:09
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4 hours to go. There was a huge LASER VISION van parked at a hotel this morning, about a block from where I'm getting it done.
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Mar 22, 2012 13:35
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Got home about 3:30, just woke up after a nap. Eyes burn. Feels like there is sand in them, they're red, and the tears are flowing. But I can pretty much see. The actual operation was quick and fairly painless, the flap cutting was like taking contacts in/out with tweezers, sorta weird.
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Mar 22, 2012 23:24
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Bob Morales posted:Got home about 3:30, just woke up after a nap. Eyes burn. Feels like there is sand in them, they're red, and the tears are flowing. But I can pretty much see. Bout all you can do at the moment is try to go take another nap. In a few more hours all of that burning will be gone.
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Mar 23, 2012 00:29
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SinJin posted:Bout all you can do at the moment is try to go take another nap. In a few more hours all of that burning will be gone. Yea it's pretty much gone now.
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Mar 23, 2012 00:43
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I had my first eye exam in 2 years today, and my eye strength has decreased by only .25 diopter, which my doc said makes me a great candidate for laser eye surgery. However, I have an autoimmune disease (rheumatoid arthritis). It's well managed and in one joint only. I get conflicting answers online—some people say you absolutely can't get it with RA, others have research showing you can, still others say it only matters if it's extra-articular, etc. Does anyone here have any advice?
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Mar 30, 2012 18:51
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