LASIK: A 7 Year Update

t’s been seven years since I had LASIK (read original post where I compare moving on to exes) and I wanted to give an update. I heard there was some buzz about influencers talking about getting it and I thought well why don’t I just talk about my experience I had – yes seven years ago is a while ago but let’s also consider – did it work? Was it worth it? Have my eyes changed?

I always tell anyone who I see who struggling with glasses or complains about contacts, “You have to get LASIK, it will change your life.” It will.

I mean, can you imagine waking up and seeing 20/20? Yes, like all.the.time. Like going to the bathroom at night and not stumbling feeling your way down the hallway.

No contact solution, no glasses, no reordering the contacts or figuring out which eye is for that contact prescription, I mean think of the expenses! Easier to travel, party all night (or binge watch all night). You’ll be like a brand new human being with your 20/20 vision, like Jesus himself touched your eyes and healed you himself. Thank you Jesus for LASIK laser beams.

My vision went from -1.25 in high school to -5.0, I could see a foot away from my face clearly and that was it. I really felt like I was blind, I couldn’t function or even drive without glasses or contacts, even laying in bed I could barely see my husband! So sad!  A few months into being married Benjamin said, “Let’s get you LASIK,” and that’s another reason why I gave him the nickname Mr. Wonderful as soon as we started dating eight years ago.

LASIK isn’t covered by insurance but I found specials during the summer where I went. Not sure why summer is discounted perhaps it’s because I’m in Phoenix and everyone disappears in the summer. Seven years ago I paid under $3000 for both eyes. I’m not sure why they say both eyes unless you needed just one eye done… ha!

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A few things to know about LASIK prep

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• Remove contacts 72 hours prior to surgery.
• Avoid wearing makeup a week post LASIK.  If eye makeup is in brand new packaging, you can wear it 48 hours after.
• You will need a driver.
• You will need to block off about an hour – which is really not the procedure itself as much as it’s you signing in.
• The actual procedure itself takes about 5 minutes.
• LASIK packages typically include all post follow up appointments but they see you once and sign you off, you’re fine. They just try to act like they need to see you after to make their package look amazing, but honestly you will be just fine with one check up (and if they include more, they aren’t going to see you).
• You may need to buy eye drops for prep and post, the cost will be less than $70.

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During the LASIK procedure

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• You may get a Valium or similar to make you chill out before the procedure.
• No need to wear scrubs – you show up in your clothes (minus makeup, hair gels, hairspray, etc.) and you even keep your shoes on!
• You lay on a comfy chair/table that leans you back.
• You feel pressure on your eye (a device keeps it open) which is just suction so you can’t move your eyeball while a laser is creating the flap on the eye (you don’t feel it since they put numbing eye drops on you).
• They slide you under a different laser for each eye with all these color lights. It looks like you are looking up into an overhead light.
• Your eyes are kept open (a tool does that), and your eye flap that was previously created is pulled back which makes everything blurry, but then you stare at a green light as other lights go around and for 30-45 seconds.  Repeat on the other eye and you’re done.
• This does not hurt.
• You will have a post follow-up the next day, and most LASIK procedures are scheduled on Fridays so you have all weekend to recover.

I’m sure a few things have changed since I got LASIK done, but I can’t imagine much. My friend said she paid about $3k which sounds about right.

I think my eyesight is definitely still 20/20 and sometimes it’s 30/20! I mean I can see better than Benjamin which then he jokingly says “is not fair”. The only thing I notice this many years later is that when I hold a screen to my face I do need to put it back just a tad away for comfort but I think that is expected with age and it’s not like bothersome and I don’t need bifocals yet.

If I need to get it retouched again (if that’s possible) then I will! But I am so glad I got it done, it has made going to bed easier, travel, daily life so much easier, one less thing to worry about. And, for me, it didn’t hurt so even better.

Have you had LASIK? When? How did you feel about it after?