Friday, March 12, 2010

LASIK - the good, the bad, and the ugly


I woke up this morning and could see crystal clear for the first time in my life. It is the strangest sensation to have "naturally" perfect vision when you are used to waking up and stumbling through your morning semi-blindly until you pop your contacts in. When I was little I read the book "Hatchet" and thought to myself that if I was ever lost in the wilderness by myself I would die because I wouldn't be able to see to catch anything to eat (err... not that I could catch anything even if I could see...) (I liked that book by the way, even if it's kinda a boy book) (Oh and he kills a moose in the book - goose the moose did NOT like that part).

Less than 24 hours ago I had LASIK eye surgery and I couldn't be happier. I'm supposed to be resting my eyes for 48 hours but as you will learn in a few minutes - my body decided to do just about everything opposite of what it was "supposed" to do.


For those of you that don't know what LASIK is, it's a laser surgery that corrects your vision so you don't have to wear contacts or glasses anymore. I've worn contacts for about 10 years and have struggled with the hassle of them. Beyond the fact that they are a pain in the butt I was also sensitive to contact solution, so I had a case of constant red eyes. Over the 10 years I tried different solutions but finally succumbed to the fact that my eyes were never going to be crystal clear as long I was wearing contacts. It has also crossed my mind that the twice a day pulling of the eye area to put the contacts in and take them out can NOT be good for that delicate eye tissue. Hello premature wrinkles!

Not everyone is a candidate for LASIK; you have to be over the age of 18, have stable vision (not more than a half a point change per eye per year), and I don't think you can have a major astigmatism. They also can't guarantee to get you to 20/20 or better if you have really bad eyesight starting out. For me this was perfect; I don't have an astigmatism and my sight has been stable since high school. I was a -4.00 and a -3.75 at the time of the surgery if anyone is wondering :) Everyone is different through, so if you are interested you should ask your eye doctor for a consult. There are other types of laser eye surgery as well, this is just the one I chose.

I got to my appointment and they immediately took me back to have a few tests run - nothing major, just looking at the "layout" of my eyeballs to help them get the coordinates right (like an eyeball map!). Then they put a hair cap over my head to keep my hair out of my face, plopped two yellow stickers on my forehead, and gave me a Valium to help me relax. The Valium was supposed to calm my nerves and make me a bit sleepy, or as they put it, put me in a "I don't care" mood.

Yes... you are awake for this surgery. Are you queasy yet?


I went back out into the waiting room to sit with my mom while the Valium kicked in. All I could think about was how silly the stickers on my forehead looked, and how I really wanted to draw little walmart smiley faces on them. ------> like so.
After getting the giggles over these stickers with mom I asked the nurse what they were for, and she said it was so that the doctor knew he was doing surgery on both my eyes. Think about that for a second... if I was doing one eye I understand a sticker over that eye, but who goes into LASIK to get NEITHER eye done? No one. So why did I have to have two stickers instead of none? I'm not sure, but it sure gave me a laugh. The hair hat was another laughing matter - I looked like a very silly Dr. Suess character.

So after about 10 mins they called me back, and I told them my Valium had not kicked in yet, which they said was okay. They told me to lie down on a chair/bed and the doctor put a patch over the eye he was not working on. He put numbing drops in, taped my eyelashes back to my lids so they were out of the way, and stuck in the little thing that keeps your eye propped open. All of this sounds worse than it was. He talked me through the entire process, saying things like, "okay look at the orange blinking light, a shadow will come towards your eye, you're doing great". It was all dandelions, rainbows and sunshine.. until the flap cutting part happened. In order to treat your eye they have to cut a flap on the surface of your eye, peel it back, and then laser treat the surface. The only bad part of the whole procedure was the flap cutting. It didn't hurt, but it was a lot of pressure and scariness and then your sight goes completely black and you feel like you have gone blind. It comes back after about 3 seconds though, and you can see that orange blinking light again (I was so happy to see that little light). Then the laser comes on and you hear some clicking and you can't feel anything at all, but you can smell your eyeball flesh burning (sounds horrible but it is really quick!). Then they lie the flap back down, put a few drops in your eye, take off the tape, and voila! Perfect vision! Then they move on to the other eye.

It takes literally under a minute an eye, and the laser is only on the eye about 15 seconds. Piece of cake! They numb your eyes up first and give you a relaxant to help calm your nerves (not that mine worked, lol) so it really isn't that bad. I got the "custom LASIK" if anyone is wondering. I know the picture looks scary, but I PROMISE it's not that scary in real life - you don't really know all that stuff is on your eye.

I then waited about 20 mins and the Doctor came and looked at my eyes to make sure the flaps were lying flat and then sent me home with goggles. I kinda love my goggles - I was allowed to take them off this morning but I still am wearing them proudly. I think I will sleep with them for a few more nights so I don't rub my eyes and dislodge my flaps (which doesn't really ever happen but I am convinced it can).
I was told that I would come home and immediately want to go to bed. Apparently the Valium normally makes people very sleepy so when they go home they just pass out, but he said I could also take a Benadryl if I needed it, which is an over the counter anti-inflammatory that is known for causing drowsiness, and then sleep it off. He also gave me a prescription painkiller in case I needed it, but said patients rarely do. So I went home, got in bed... and nothing happened.

7 hours later, I was still wide awake. As soon as the numbing drops wore off I started to feel uncomfortable so I took some benadryl thinking it would help me sleep - nothing. After all that, eyeball cutting and all, my body was wired to the walls and wide awake, wanting to do anything except sleep it off like I was supposed to. This was the hardest part - it lasted about 2 hours and there was nothing I could do to distract myself (like read or YouTube) because I had to keep my eyes closed. I had to sit under my blanket with all the lights off because of light sensitivity and my eyes were watering like crazy - not pleasant. That was the part I believe most people are SUPPOSED to sleep through (bad Elle).

I finally fell asleep at 9:30 and slept through the night, waking once at 2:30 for about an hour but then falling back to sleep. I woke up with crystal clear vision - it is amazing! I have a checkup appointment in an hour so he can make sure the flap is healing correctly, but considering I am on here writing a blog post and not lying in the dark with a killer headache I think I am doing alright.

EDIT: Just came back from my check up - my eyesight is 20/10!! Which is amazing, he called it "supervision". Better that what I could see with contacts/glasses :)

I would totally recommend this to someone who is considering it, and I would do it over again if I had to. I encourage people to do research and make up their own minds though - I had a lot of people tweeting me/emailing me scary stories about how they know people who have gone blind, etc., but that rarely happens. In fact... according to most research there is not a single documented case of someone going completely blind from LASIK. Also, there is a chance I will have to wear reading glasses after I turn 40 - that does not worry me in the slightest.

So anyway, cheers to naturally good vision, no more red contact eyes, and if I get stranded in the wilderness it will not be my eyesight that inhibits me from surviving :) Time to get rid of my glasses!

EDIT again: I didn't think I had to clarify this... but of course, I shouldn't have assumed. LASIK did NOT sponsor this, my family paid for it. Not that I should have to defend myself, but whatever. I don't believe insurance covers it either, and prices vary by location. Most of the time to consultation appointment is free though.

Elle Fowler

111 comments on "LASIK - the good, the bad, and the ugly"

Louise H on March 12, 2010 at 5:02 PM said...

Thank you soooo much for this post I have been considering laser for sometime - I think I'll definitely think about going for a free consultation - thanks again x

makeupandshoes on March 12, 2010 at 5:05 PM said...

awesome. I've wanted Lasik so bad for a while but it's a graduation present to myself =)

Tarisa_Olinski on March 12, 2010 at 5:08 PM said...

You must have felt like a vampire waking up with your new eyes! I'm so glad you didnt't have anything happen to you! xoxo

Victoria on March 12, 2010 at 5:11 PM said...

Thanks for this post, it's really informative. I really hope to get the procedure done one day. :)

Kelsey said...

I'm glad everything went well Elle! I must admit I am slightly jealous as I have a significant astigmatism and am therefore not eligable for lasik. After reading this I probably would if I could!

Jenna on March 12, 2010 at 5:11 PM said...

Thank you for blogging about this Elle, I am definately going to get LASIK when I can afford it. Kristin from The Hills had LASIK done and she did a whole video series on it documenting the whole process from her initial consultation right through to after the surgery (including having the surgery itself videoed) and the way you described your doctor, like the things that e said, sounds exactly like Kristin's doctor lol. anyway, I'm glad that you have got supervision now :) xx

Live Laugh Learn on March 12, 2010 at 5:19 PM said...

Thanks so much for posting this. I'm seriously thinking about doing LASIK myself but have always been so scared to do so, this helped me calm down about it. Congrats! :)

Anonymous said...

I couldnt see anything about the price? ...did LASIK pay for you to have this treatment & review it or did your family pay for it for you?
xx

Anonymous said...

OMG, really I would be soooooo scared! I wear lenses too! But my eyes are used to wearing them and only go red when I put powder make-up on, or when I wear them to long...
My grandpa had Cataract and had surgery for that, and it sounded sooooo scary! Really AAH!

So you really cool for having the guts!

GirlNextDoor14 said...

I have astigmatism :-/ Dang!

Jessica on March 12, 2010 at 5:26 PM said...

My mom had surgery similar to that, except for cataracts. Did they give you a movie of your surgery? They gave one to my mom, which was weird to watch because it was from the surgeons point of view. It was creepy and interesting at the same time. They did each eye on different days about 2 weeks apart, and she wouldn't watch the video from the first eye until the second eye was done.

Makeup Kitten on March 12, 2010 at 5:29 PM said...

Ooouuaa, that sounded really scary! Well done you for being so brave :)

helene said...

i'm glad it worked for you! the whole buring of the eyeball and cutting flap thing freaks me, but i think lasik is my only & last solution now.. i'm 16 and i've had contacts for 3 or 4 years now and after having them for a while i've diagnosed myself with chronic dry eye haha thanks :)

Anonymous said...

Please do a follow up blog entry in another month or two! I want to know about how your vision is, like if you have any blurryness around lights or have dry eyes from it.

melanie said...

Thanks so much for writing this post Elle! It was so informative. I'm only 16 but I am planning on getting LASIK as soon as I turn 18! I've worn contacts for 3 years and glasses for 6, and am so sick of not being able to see.
I totally understand the annoyingness of contacts! lol :)

Lauren on March 12, 2010 at 5:46 PM said...

Hey Elle! Thanks so much for the post! I've been considering LASIK for several years, but my eyesight has never been stable enough. I've worn glasses since I was 7-ish? (I'm now 19 turning 20!) and my eyesight is currently around -6.75 and -7. It's really neat to read about people's personal experiences with something like LASIK as it helps me to determine if I do indeed want to go through with it. Thanks so much for sharing your experience!!
xo, Lauren

MsAnnDee on March 12, 2010 at 5:57 PM said...

I could never do that...eyes freak me out...flaps...melting eyes...yucky. You're brave. I almost chickened out when I had jaw surgery over the summer but that seems easy compared to eyeball surgery! >.< And I ended up with 12 titanium screws in my face from that!

Enjoy being glasses free! I only need mine for driving and classes...and I love my glasses I always wanted them. Hee hee!

Jennifer said...

Wouldn't your eyes be dry during the procedure. I would not be able to do that if my eyes get dried out because it is impossible to to not blink for like 10 seconds! And I can't even put contacts in cause i freak out when something comes near my eye.WOW you are BRAVE!

*A* on March 12, 2010 at 6:22 PM said...

Awesome post!!! LASIK sounds really scary tho, with the little things to keep your eyes open and the eyeball burning smell. But congrats to perfect vision!

*A* on March 12, 2010 at 6:22 PM said...

Awesome post!!! LASIK sounds really scary tho, with the little things to keep your eyes open and the eyeball burning smell. But congrats to perfect vision!

*A* on March 12, 2010 at 6:22 PM said...

Awesome post!!! LASIK sounds really scary tho, with the little things to keep your eyes open and the eyeball burning smell. But congrats to perfect vision!

Anonymous said...

my grade is -4.25 so i'm QUITE blind. i find i can only wear contacts for a small amount of hours coz my eyes get so dry so i can't wait til i can get this done myself!

Kristen on March 12, 2010 at 6:45 PM said...

Thanks for the post! I'm hoping to have it done next year, but the surgery kinda freaks me out. I'm glad it's only a few minutes. I appreciate you're honesty!!

Kalyn said...

Elle, you are one tough cookieee! i dont think i would have the guts to do that awake! but im happy everything worked out great!
:]

Alice Caroline on March 12, 2010 at 6:54 PM said...

I love this post. To see crystal clear must be the best thing ever! I wear glasses for about 8 years, but I'm too young to do this surgery. Well, I can wait two more years. :D

Crystal Gale on March 12, 2010 at 7:29 PM said...

we almost have the same eye grade..you're just a grade higher hehe...I'm wanting to have LASIK too but I'm still saving up for it..but hopefully I can before I become 30..that's 5 years away! congrats on a "new" clearer vision!

Lacey said...

Glad to hear it went well! Now I really want it done, I've had -3.25 for probably five or six years in a row now. Probably the only issue would be the price, but I'm definitely going to check it out in the next year or so.

I agree about the stickers. If only one eye is getting done, then of course you need some indicator that you just can't miss, but if you're getting both eyes done, it wouldn't be necessary.

Anonymous said...

i just peed my pants thinking about this surgery. while i would love to get it (both of my eyes are -4.0) and i realize that it SOUNDS worse than it actually is, i have a slight panic attack when they put numbing drops in my eye at the optometrists office. but im glad it worked so well for you :)

Laura Pernetti on March 12, 2010 at 9:16 PM said...

Wow thank you so much for sharing this!!
I want Lasik so badly.
My vision is -9.25 and -9.50. I wear contacts
everyday and I have red eyes all the time
as well :( hopefully I'll have this surgery one
day soon. Glad to see you're ok !! Xxx

Cali C on March 12, 2010 at 9:17 PM said...

I'd love to get the surgery done because I have crappy vision but I heard it comes back after a while?

Check out my blog giveaway...
http://www.timelessfashionista.net/2010/03/yoyo-lipgloss-giveaway.html

Laura Pernetti on March 12, 2010 at 9:18 PM said...

Wow thank you so much for sharing this!!
I want Lasik so badly.
My vision is -9.25 and -9.50. I wear contacts
everyday and I have red eyes all the time
as well :( hopefully I'll have this surgery one
day soon. Glad to see you're ok !! Xxx

Laura Pernetti on March 12, 2010 at 9:18 PM said...

Wow thank you so much for sharing this!!
I want Lasik so badly.
My vision is -9.25 and -9.50. I wear contacts
everyday and I have red eyes all the time
as well :( hopefully I'll have this surgery one
day soon. Glad to see you're ok !! Xxx

Anonymous said...

Elle! Thank you for your post! I appreciate you telling us how it all went in your words and, in a weird way, it makes everything feel super comforting. I'm sorry for the people who hassle about you procedure being sponsored. Thanks for all of the work and time you put into your posts and yt!!!

SciFanGirl said...

I just want to clear things up a little, the numbers are not a grade, that is your prescription, if the numbers are minus you are short sighted if they are positive then you are longsighted. Refractive surgery is changing all the time both LASIK and LASEK, because yes there is more than one type. Having an astigmatism, different powers in different directions of your eye (your eye is shaped like a football not a soccer ball) doesn't prevent you in all cases from having refractive surgery and if you are interested you should get a consult they are normally free to see if you are eligible. Also Elle you will defiantly need glasses for reading when you get older, maybe not when you turn 40 but eventually everybody needs reading glasses, it is a natural change in the eye that is just an aging process. Hope this clears a couple of things up. I enjoyed this honest report of your experiences, Thanks.

Jes on March 12, 2010 at 11:26 PM said...

Woah , seems kind of scary , glad ur okay elle!
love u always! u r so amazing (:
- Jes (:

Serafia on March 13, 2010 at 3:06 AM said...

We don't have the 20/20 system over here so I have no idea what that 20/10 means but . I didn't know the -/+ digit system was used in North America. Oh well, silly European I am. :D Glad to hear the surgery went well and your feelings about it.

My eyesight is only -1.50 and -1.75 so I'm not even going to consider Lasik. I don't wear glasses at home unless I'm watching TV cause I can see well enough otherwise. Everything is a little bit blurry but I can't complain about that.

My dad had -2.75 and -3 at some point and when he got older his vision started changing so eventually he didn't need glasses anymore to see far, he only needs reading glasses now. He actually got the stamp off from his driver's license that said he needs glasses when driving. He doesn't anymore, which is kind of cool. :D

Unknown on March 13, 2010 at 4:29 AM said...

Thanks for sharing your experience.

My mom recently had Lasik as well and her insurance actually covered it because her eye sight is so bad. However, she really regrets doing it because now she can't see anything close up at all and has a terrible time seeing at night.

Ambrey on March 13, 2010 at 9:06 AM said...

congrats elle! i wish i could get lasik, but im only 14 and my eyesight is already really bad so it will never be consistent enough for me to get lasik. i'm a -4.75 in my right eye, and a -3.25 in the other! and i have a slight astigmatism in one of them! isn't that crazy?!

either way, congratulations :)

Fefe said...

Do you have to do any daily or yearly updates? Will you have 20/20 vision the whole entire way or will it go down in a few years?

Dani on March 13, 2010 at 12:31 PM said...

Hey Elle! My family has talked about me having Lasik done. How much did it cost? Did insurance cover it at all? I know the cost would definitely pay for itself over time!

Oh! And my eyes are the same (-4.00 and -3.75), but I wear -3.75 in both eyes for my contacts. The -4.00 contact is way too uncomfortable and gives me a headache!

HansenGirls on March 13, 2010 at 12:43 PM said...

im either a -4.75 or a -5.25 but my eye doctor said lasik was a good option for me and my parents and i decided to get it done when i was sixteen but you say its 18... is that really true?? my eyes suck tho, i had 3 eye surgeries and i still need contacts

Anonymous said...

I'm glad everything went well for u! This was a really informative blog post so thanku :). I have been wearing glasses for 5 years and i really want to have lasik but im too scared! But after reading this, its given me a lil push so im seriously considering it now. Congrats for crystal clear vision! x

Anonymous said...

Wow... I sort of felt intense fear like "omg I'm gonna die... and an animal is gonna poop on me... and it will then cough hairballs on me... giggle... and poop on me again... then toss me down a cliff... into a raging fire... where i'm clay baked into poop and made a monument for all to see" okay, maybe that's a liiiiittle bit much for the imagination but it really just made me go "Ahhhhh" inside. I'd say "I hope you're okay" but it seems you are awesome so I'm glad you are. YOU ARE SO SO BRAVE AND AMAZING I LOVEYOU AHHHHHHHH.

Goodnight (well.. it's 2:28am here in the Philippines) or Good somethingwherever you are, Elle :D

Anonymous said...

This is no joke. I wish you would have done your research and not had it done. I have friends who see halos and cannot drive at night at all.

http://www.lasikcomplications.com/TopTenReasons.htm

Elle Fowler on March 13, 2010 at 5:10 PM said...

@anonymous I did do my research - and I do not have a problem seeing at night. As with any procedure there are risks - but they are rare.

xlaurenm on March 13, 2010 at 7:17 PM said...

Im getting eye surgery soon, a cornial transplant hahah this vlog made me alot less nervous so thanks :)

Anonymous said...

My dad had Lasik surgery a few years ago. He had absolutely TERRIBLE eyesight-- without his glasses, he couldn't even see the big E on the vision chart!
He wore contacts, but in 2007 he was deployed to Iraq, and since all the sand could get in his contacts, he opted for Lasik. It made his vision amazing. (:

Just thought i'd share that... LOL.

Unknown on March 13, 2010 at 9:02 PM said...

Is there a price range you can give us for the Lasik eye surgery? It looks really scary, but I guess it's not like you can see your eye being cut or anything.

katelaureng on March 13, 2010 at 10:52 PM said...

Elle -- thank you so much for this! I'm seriously considering LASIK as I'm about -7.00 and -6.75 in each of my eyes at age 20. Ahhh imagine how blind I feel without my contacts! Totally makes it seem less scary by having you write your complete experience down! Thanks for all the details and hopefully you heal up in record times! <3

beautifullyrandom on March 14, 2010 at 12:08 AM said...

awesome post! I've been wanting to have LASIK done for soooo long now! I have almost the same vision as you (well, before your surgery) and I would love so much to wake up and be able to see! I hate dealing with contacts and glasses all the time. Anyway, I like how you talked us through the surgery process! very helpful. hope you continue healing well! get some sleep! lol

pesmegaara on March 14, 2010 at 9:50 AM said...

Wow. Thats a very comprehensive blog entry about LASIK surgery. I'm still too young to consider it but I have learned a lot from this entry! Thx :D

Anonymous said...

omg i would never do this, i have 20/20 vision already but even if i had to wear glasses, i dont think i would get this, the "flap", cutting your eyes part made me literally gag hahaha i am NOT good with anything gross to do with the eyes, i like freaking out as i type this. so ill stop ha
kudos on 20/10 vision though! you got 20/10 vision in 2010! haha

Anonymous said...

omg i would never do this, i have 20/20 vision already but even if i had to wear glasses, i dont think i would get this, the "flap", cutting your eyes part made me literally gag hahaha i am NOT good with anything gross to do with the eyes, i like freaking out as i type this. so ill stop ha
kudos on 20/10 vision though! you got 20/10 vision in 2010! haha

PRiiNC3Z4 on March 14, 2010 at 1:52 PM said...

i hope youu feel better elle!(:
hope you get better soon!(:
we miss youu♥

laibcn said...

WOW! You're so brave! haha! I hope you feel better Elle! =) ciaooo!

Paty on March 14, 2010 at 2:05 PM said...

I had my shortsightedness fixed about 5 years ago, I did not have Lasik because my cornea is too thin, so I wasn't a Lasik candidate. Anyway, I think this type of surgery is a MUST for anyone who can't live without glasses. It's probably one of the best decisions I've EVER made. I'm a big chicken, so I was really nervous, and as I read your post, I was thinking "if I had seen this pictures before, I probably wouldn't have done it", but as you said, it looks scarier than it actually is. And the result is DEFINITELY worth it!! So for anyone considering getting Lasik, my advice is GO FOR IT!

Anonymous said...

i also have -3.75 and wear contacts. i cannot wait to turn 18 and to have LASIK done. you're so lucky

Felicia on March 14, 2010 at 2:20 PM said...

um i just wanna know, hope i'm not being silly or anything but after lasik surgery does that mean you'll never hv eyesight any worse than 20-20?? as in it stays perfect forever?

Unknown on March 14, 2010 at 2:23 PM said...

your so lucky that you were a candidate i dont think i am because i have very bad astigmatism ):

Rochelle on March 14, 2010 at 2:26 PM said...

I am glad your surgery went well.

If i ever have vision problems I will probably do Lasik eye surgery as well, I just hope I am rich and can afford it lol!

Rest your pretty eyes and have a good day !

Anonymous said...

OMG. it's so much scarier when i saw the picture.

ShaYinYin on March 14, 2010 at 2:29 PM said...

Glad everything went well Elle! I sort of want to get a laser eye surgery but I'm not quite sure yet. My bf and my vision is terrible. We're both -4.25 on both eyes haha

Anonymous said...

That was really informative and it was reassuring for me to read your experience. I might get it done now. I have been thinking about it for years but never really asked someone who have had it done.

The only thing I am scared of now is not the pain as you put it, but the fact that I have to keep my eyes open and stare into the surgeon cutting the flap and having to go blind even if it is for a second. My nerves would go crazy and I would want to cry! Or does your eyes numb to the point you cant cry!?

But thanks Elle, keep it up!

- KK =^_^.v.

Jantastic on March 14, 2010 at 2:33 PM said...

Oh man. That seems so painful. Hope your recovery goes smoothly!

Mushroom on March 14, 2010 at 2:38 PM said...

I would love to get LASIK,
just have to wait until I turn 18.

Unknown on March 14, 2010 at 2:40 PM said...

The pictures looked scary. I had an eye exam a few months ago, and I didn't like all the "poking" and eyedrops they gave me.
I hope you feel better soon! ♥

Kel on March 14, 2010 at 2:43 PM said...

Is this available in the uk?
I think i'd be quite scared of a laser near my eye!

Unknown on March 14, 2010 at 2:53 PM said...

Whoa that LASIK sounds whack. Glad it went well for you, Congats to clear vision!!! :D I don't know if I would ever get it. That picture is pretty scary looking. I also have a astigmatism.

Itunesbabe on March 14, 2010 at 2:55 PM said...

That sounds soooo scarly lol, I hate anything near my eyes! glad ur recovering well

Unknown on March 14, 2010 at 2:56 PM said...

wow, congrats on the eyesight!!
im so lucky i've had great eyes my whole life
and its so great that theres something like this to help you out!
good luck with the recovery again!!

molly said...

Wow! I remember kim kardashian had lasik and she had to have this yellow/orange gel stuff around her face. looked so funny!
i can imagine you laughing about your stickers on your head. reading about it made me laugh!!
the picture of your eye looks painful. but i guess it was worth it. i'm glad you got amazing eyesight now (:
- molly xD

Darlene Wilson on March 14, 2010 at 3:05 PM said...

Congratulations! I'm so glad it went well for you. Thank you so much for posting every detail. My sister was considering this but it seemed too scary. She's getting married in a year, and now she's considering it again. She might not have to go down the aisle with glasses!

Anonymous said...

You are really brave to do this. I have been contemplating this for a while but I am so scared.

SammieJ said...

Thanks for your honesty Elle. For those of us "blind bats" thinking about this kind of surgery, your feedback is invaluable. I hope your eyes continue to heal well, and I'm glad you can now lie in bed and watch the stars (without squashing your glasses).

Anonymous said...

Elle, glad that you got along so I well! I wasn't so lucky! I had LASIK done 10 years ago when I was 19, even though my doctor said that you have to be 21. When I went in for my exam/consultation, I couldn't even see the big E! He was shocked! He asked me how many fingers he was holding up from about an arm's length and I couldn't say for sure!! My surgery experience was similar to yours up until the 15 seconds that the laser was reshaping my eye. They ran the laser for 90 seconds on one eye and close to that on the other! It took 2 weeks for me to be able to see. I also have trouble with driving at night due to a light sensitivity but I would have had that regardless because I have large pupils. I also have dry eyes now. Would I do it again though?!? ABSOLUTELY!! It was, without a doubt one of the best decisions I ever made! People need to realize though, that if their eyes are really bad, recovery time is going to be longer. Sorry for the book but thought your readers might benefit. Meg

Anonymous said...

awww hunny you are so brave to go row all that just seeing thos picks make you think how hurrible it must of been for you
awww
i hope to see you posting up a vido with a big nice smile on your face :D
hope you get all better
love from Sophie xx

Keysi said...

Hey glad you got it done! It went the same way as it did for me! I got mine done like a month after I turned 18, then my mom went in as well during the same month :] We both can see just fine. It took her a while since she got mono vision but I'm crystal clear :] Just remember to wear your drops! I know I always forget hah

erica on March 14, 2010 at 5:51 PM said...

this looks a bit scary!! i want to do this though but i wonder if i could since i have astigmatism I'm glad yours went fine!

LaurenPrater said...

Wow that sounds amazing, I have had such bad sight all my life and am really considering going for this! Thanks for explaining it all in detail, really has helped :) although I am sooo blind haha and have funny shaped eyeballs apparently (oh joy) so not sure if I could have the procedure.....
They do this in the UK I believe, so hopefully the way they do it is the same!

Take care xxxx

Unknown on March 14, 2010 at 6:39 PM said...

hi

sugarbumpkin on March 14, 2010 at 6:41 PM said...

before insurance, roughly how much did the procedure cost?

Courtney on March 14, 2010 at 6:56 PM said...

Hey Elle! I'm so glad that it worked out so well for you! I just wanted to say that you can have LASIK done if you have an astigmatism. My husband had a moderate to severe case and his vision is now 20/20 after LASIK. He had it done about four years ago and it's still going great :)

Anonymous said...

Glad you had a good experience, Elle. Looking forward to your new videos. Until then, please rest up and enjoy your time off!

Unknown on March 14, 2010 at 7:37 PM said...

Congratulations Elle! I'm so happy everything worked out well for you! :)

Anonymous said...

wow that must be amazing
to have perfect vision
and im so happy for you
now you can still look pretty
and not have to worry
about contacts! :)

Emily Rose on March 14, 2010 at 8:04 PM said...

so glad the surgery went well! ill pray for you! :)
~Emily Rose Barth

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad you posted this. You were just as blind at me. My eyes are -3.75 and I hate having to wear contacts. I want to get Lasik in a couple of years and I'm glad I got to read about your experience. Thanks Elle!

Angie said...

I really want to get LASIK!..but i'm turning 18 this october...and i don't think i will be getting it for some time..cause i would have to save up the money. and also, to see if i am compatible...:/ my vision is very very bad!. it's like -8.00 and -9.00 ...i think. :( so idk. we'll see. thanks for this post! helpful :)

Kelly Le on March 14, 2010 at 9:12 PM said...

I really hope you feel better! i'm planning to do lasik eye surgery someday too :) tell me how it goes!

Megan on March 14, 2010 at 9:25 PM said...

Omg you are so lucky!
I have very poor vision, and I plan to get LASIK as soon as I possibly can...which will be in about 6 or 7 years, and even then I may not be a candidate.

Anyways, I wish you the best of luck with your new vision, and I'm so excited for you. :)

Kimberley Nguyen on March 14, 2010 at 9:33 PM said...

I've always wanted to do LASIK but I'm afraidy-cat. I've been wearing glasses since the 3rd grade and lets just say that's over 10 years now. I want perfect vision again! Hope you are enjoying yours

Unknown on March 14, 2010 at 9:43 PM said...

elle
After reading ur blog i feel a bit better about it now lmao
i am thinking about getting it done when i'm 20 but i'm still so afraid. it's ridiculous. & how come the goggles are clear?

Unknown on March 14, 2010 at 9:47 PM said...

i want to get this done because my eyes get red too but iu have to wait until my eyes stop changing.

Heyitsgracy on March 14, 2010 at 10:45 PM said...

elle i would like to thank you...as i was thinking of having the same procedure done and in your blog you were very informative so thanks ....i definitely want to do it now ....:)

Unknown on March 15, 2010 at 1:05 AM said...

While they held your eyes open, did you naturally try to close them? I know it prevents you from closing them but seems like your muscles would react to different images and lights during the surgery.

Unknown on March 15, 2010 at 1:08 PM said...

OMG! I'm sensitive to eye solutions too!! I tried all of them! then I tried Aquify and it is the best one! It really softens them and you feel like you have nothing in yours at all! rlly comfy =)

Janna on March 15, 2010 at 4:24 PM said...

i really want lasik once i meet the requirements- but my eyes just wont slow down, I'm a -4.75 and -4.25. i have really dry etes and it kills me to tug on my eye skin- can't wait!

Anonymous said...

That was really helpful! I'm 14 and I have contacts and not long ago found out that I am allergic to the plastic in the contacts so I have very strict rules to wear them. My eye doctors have told me to start thinking about lasik eye surgery for when I'm older and I've been scared to eveen think about it. But this really helped me to actually now consider it. (:

Thanks Elle!

Sandra on March 15, 2010 at 7:19 PM said...

Hi Elle,
I'm happy your Lasik went well. I had mine done 8 years ago. For me my contacts were so thick from how bad my eyes were that my eyes were always red. Lack of oxygen.

The goggles they use now are way nicer. I had to tape eye discs on my face. lol

My daughters are 7 & 9 and we watch your (and Blair's) video's. Thanks for being someone younger girls can look up to.

Sandra

Anonymous said...

Hi Elle,
Glad to here your eyes are on the road to recovery.Thank you so much for blogging, tweeting and making video's. I just recently started wearing makeup and your videos are so helpful to go to and see how to wear makeup the right way.
Thanks so much,
- Maddie

Raenelly said...

I can't thank you enough for posting your experience. I find it so much more helpful to read personal experiences from those who have gone through it. I've done some research and will continue with that. I have an eye doctor appointment this week and will bring it up. I do have an astigmatism:( Not sure how bad it is though. Thank you soooooooo much again:):) I hope you heal up soon!!!

alyce on March 16, 2010 at 5:39 AM said...

omg
i've consindered it but I have to wait until my eyesight is stable~ it still varies - or that's what I'm believing in. I wasn't scared first
but after your description about the cutting open the surface makes me feel uncomfortable~ I guess it's because of my crazy vivid imagination so no offence to your writing.
I think it's great to let us know how this LASIK went and although I'm a bit scared now I'm also better informed. So thanks for this review!!

omg but still makes me have goosebumps all over LOL

Jaclyn on March 16, 2010 at 2:19 PM said...

I am so happy for you Elle! I have had contacts for over 6 years now and glasses for 12 years. I have reallllyy bad eyesight. My older brother had lasik about a little over a year ago and he loves his results. His procedure was slighty different from your's. Instead of pulling back the flap and then replacing it at the end, the removed the entire thing. My brother told me the doctor did this so that way a brand new film will grow, which means your results will last longer than regular. Despite the pain he had at the end, he was glad he did it. I might get lasik something in the future since I hear great things about it :) Feel better!

Unknown on March 16, 2010 at 7:44 PM said...

omygoodness. i would never be able to do that!!!
i would be so scared!

Anonymous said...

i dont know anything about LASIK until i read your blog..thanks!that was a great information..

My Ya Stuff on April 6, 2010 at 5:35 AM said...

i hope you get well soon! i hope that the surgery helped and goooood luck for the future!!! xoxo

Lisa Columbus Ohio on April 7, 2010 at 12:11 PM said...

I remember the dryness and not being able to sleep, but overall had a great experience.
It's crazy being able to see first thing in the morning! Have a great one!
-Lisa

Niki said...

Thanks so much for this post! I have the same conditioin as you (about red eyes and stuff like that) Im not allowed to get LASIK right now cause my eyes are still growing but i have terible vision and its so annoying to have to but on glasses or contacts. If been considering LASIK but ive been a little nervous! It seems scary at first but as I read on you assured me its not that bad. I wish someday I can wake up with amazing vision and it might happen because of you!


Thanks so much Elle!

Christina on April 27, 2010 at 4:10 AM said...

Hey Elle,

How long after you had your surgery were you allowed to start wearing eye make-up? I'm getting laser eye surgery next week! =)

Unknown on May 17, 2010 at 1:08 AM said...

damn. I think after reading that post, I want to do the lasik even less. I was always not wanting to do it because of the risks but this scares me off even more :S but thanks anyways for the graphic description

Unknown on June 20, 2010 at 7:38 PM said...

Elle! You had the same prescription that I do now! Except I am 15 years old! I wear contacts too and also have red eyes all of the time. I can't wait until I am 18 so I can get the surgery. Thank you so much for this post!

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