Wear glasses / get laser eye surgery?

[squeezebox]

I'm thinking of bringing a pair of strong reading glasses as back up in case I bust my Rx glasses, your opinion?

[Coffee]

Now I'm getting tempted to look into this but with follow up work it might be a bit late to do anything before my PCT thru in April...

I also feel like if I didn't have my distance glasses, I would likely not be able to navigate the trail. That's a pretty scary thought. Of course, I always have both sunglasses and regular glasses so there is that fallback, but if night hiking, sunglasses aren't exactly a good solution.

[Jake2c]

Ok, this is important. Be very careful with your decision. Read up on it and make sure you know the possible complications. No procedure is always 100% successful. You have one set of eyes. First check to make sure you are a good candidate. A lot of places will say you are because they want to make a buck. Research your doctor well, what machine they will use, how many procedures they have done on that machine, their failure rate and follow up care. You will find some real horror stories online. Having doctors in my family, I did some very in depth research. Personally, I went with PRK over the flap for a number of reasons. I got it done 10 years ago now, and am very happy with the results. Now 10 years later I have 20/15 in one eye and 20/20 in the other. I was able to get mine done by a military doctor who had done many thousands. He did pilots, divers and SEALs, or rather people going into those fields. I think now days they accept the flap for pilots but still only do PRK for divers and SEALs but I could be wrong, I last checked a number of years ago. Much harder to find a civilian doctor who has a lot of experience with PRK so that needs to be taken into account. The difference is one they make a flap and ablate the eye, in the other they ablate the eye without a flap. I don't want to sound negative because I am not. I would do it again in a heart beat. If you are a contact wearer, I was, it can be healthier for your eye to get the surgery. There are other options out there and you should look at all of them and then make a careful, informed decision. While the chances of a problem are slim, it is not 0 and you could come up on the short end of the stick. Probably the most common problem, is dry eye. That is a more common problem with the flap over PRK but still the incidence of it happening are relatively low. I think 99.9% of the doctors out there will recommend the flap. Results and healing are quicker. Because I used to compete in karate and scuba dive, I picked PRK which was the doctors recommendation considering the things I did. I was very prepared for the longer healing period and it was not an issue for me. I have very large pupils and I was left with one thing. On very dark nights, green traffic lights look fractured a bit from a distance. This is due to how large my pupils get at night. The Doc said it was odd that it only happens with traffic lights and only the green ones but what can I say. Other green lights like on Christmas trees or on boats don't do that. I don't really notice it any more unless I think about it. It is the only anomaly, if you want to call it that, I was left with. I consider it insignificant and as I said I love the results and would do it again. My sister got the flap done and is also happy with the results. She did lose some ability to see contrast that I did not. 20/20 on a black and white chart is only one measure, there are many and she was not aware she would lose some contrast though she is still happy. It is most apparent with green and white signs or black on grey. The advantages of no glasses or contacts are innumerable for me. My only point in this very long note is that as great as the surgical results can be, there is always some risk. In my opinion you should do your best to minimize them but not ignore them. I wish you the best in what ever decision you make.

[MuddyWaters]

Double post

[MuddyWaters]

My husband had his done a couple of years ago. He was getting to the point where he almost had to have 3 sets of glasses - far away, computer and reading. Surgery has eliminated the far away and computer, but he cannot see up close without the reading glasses - at all.

This is a really good point.
When you are in your 40s+ and very nearsighted, and getting presbyopia too, you can still read without glasses. Put on glasses and cant.

I dont wear bifocals, i just take my glasses off for desk work. If i put them on i need reading glasses, ie bifocals.

With my regular glasses, i can look under them to read my watch. If i wear large coverage wraparound prescription sunglasses, i cant reaf my watch without lifting sunglasses, it gets old. If i had lasik, i would need reading glasses to read my watch, or do desk work.

You will end up with one, the other, or both eventually.
I

[Almost There]

Had it done in 2005, was at almost a 7 prescription for both eyes at the time, ended up with better than 20/20, and still about there almost ten years later. I had lasik done at LasikPlus...cost me about $5000 total at the time and that includes touchups for life, which I haven't needed yet. Might be some of the best money I've ever spent. Slight scratchiness to the eyes that night, but I could watch TV without glasses that night. All healed in a week. I am now 40, and my eyes are better than many half my age. Go for it.

[jdc5294]

I got LASIK a few months before I did it, it was for the AT but also because I was joining the military and didn't want to have to bother with glasses. Best desicion I've ever made.

[Firefighter503]

I spent just over $4000 (all inclusive, plus free touch up for life) to have mine done in the Fall of 2012 while home from Afghanistan for a few weeks. Landed/had my pre-op on day 1, surgery on about day 6, and then post ops on day 7 and 14. Headed back overseas after that with no adverse problems. Best money I have ever spent on myself. 20/15 vision in both eyes, no reading glasses needed (for now).

I wore glasses/contacts starting late in high school and for about 9-10 years and jumped on Lasik the first chance I had. I tried all of the different types of contacts while backpacking (longest section was 650 miles in 2011) but my eyes always seemed to be irritated/dry/infected from touching them while out on the trail, and eventually I ran out while on the trail and glasses in the rain were a pain in my ass.

[gumball]

I had it done about 5 weeks ago. My vision was 20/400, and I am 51. It took me years to get to this point, but I'm so glad I had it done. Yes, I need reading glasses, but that was an issue before I got this done. I don't sit and read a lot while I'm hiking and I hate dealing with contacts and glasses--I used to carry so many disposables when we were out for several days and glasses--feared I'd ruin a lens and not be able to see. I can see in the middle of the night and I don't have to fumble around for glasses.

I paid $3800, Laser Eye Surgery of Erie. I never felt pressured and I am certain, had I not been a good candidate, I'd have walked out with new contacts, not new eyes. A very personal decision, but worth every penny to me.

[Sheriff Cougar]

Had lasik done many years ago and I loved it. But after having it done I always had to use reading glasses. So, you may find you will have to do the same unless you are one of the few that won't. Good luck whatever you decide.

[Just Bill]

No complaints, one of the best things I have done period.
Infinitely nicer hen on the trail though as well.

[sympathetic joy]

Had it done in 2005, was at almost a 7 prescription for both eyes at the time, ended up with better than 20/20, and still about there almost ten years later. I had lasik done at LasikPlus...cost me about $5000 total at the time and that includes touchups for life, which I haven't needed yet. Might be some of the best money I've ever spent. Slight scratchiness to the eyes that night, but I could watch TV without glasses that night. All healed in a week. I am now 40, and my eyes are better than many half my age. Go for it.

This is almost my story exactly - except for the fact that I'm 45. I also went to LasikPlus and watched a bit of TV very late the first night. I drove myself to the follow up visit the next day.

10 years later my farsighted vision is still awesome. I am starting to wear reading classes around the house however but that's a normal part of aging.

Getting LASIK surgery was the best thing I've ever done for myself. I'm amazed that whenever the issue comes up in conversation there is always someone else who had the surgery and they're also always happy. Because of my results my sister had the surgery, and because of her story someone she knew had the surgery.

Only 2 points I'd like to add.

1. Before the surgery I had better than normal close up vision. I believe this is common because the shape of the eye is what causes the farsighted issue. The LASIK surgery fixed the shape of my eye so I could now see things far away better but I lost that amazing close up vision. For me it wasn't an issue. But if you're someone that does things on a minature level (small models, circuit board stuff, jeweler maybe) then the loss of close up vision may be an issue.

2. If you're going to do it then do it as soon as possible. The value is greater the longer you get the benefit. If you're 20 and get the surgery you'll have about 25 years before you need to worry about wearing any glasses for reading. If you're 35 then you have 10 years of no glasses at all. Etc.