Why Did I Wait So Looooonnnnngggggg?!? - Bellevue, WA

So the doc told me that I may have a side effect called "halo effect" for a few months after surgery. I'm happy to report that I don't have any of that!What I'm noticing more of is difficulty focusing first thing in the morning and late at night. It's like my eyes are tired. My vision is still clear it's just that small letters become a little fuzzy and I have to blink a couple of times. The other thing is that sometimes I get the feeling that I need to take my contacts out. You know, cause they're dry but them I remember nope! no more contacts or glasses!! After a couple drops of artificial tears the feeling goes away. The dryness of my eyes fluctuates throughout the day. I have noticed in the morning on some days then in the evening on others. All of this was explained to me and is normal. I couldn't be more happy with my decision. And, I say it again. WHY DIDN'T I DO THIS EARLIER!?!?!

Hi all I wanted to take a moment and share my lasik journey.

I have been thinking about getting lasik for about 20 years. Since it first became available in the United States I have wanted it.

There were a couple of things that held me back. First, I was scared to death! The thought that something could go wrong and that I wouldn't be able to see anymore was a huge fear of mine. I've been doing research for years and knew that the likelihood of that was very small but for whatever reason I couldn't get over that fear. Second, the money. Let's all be honest Lasik is expensive and it's not covered by insurance like glasses and contacts are. So I talked myself out of it for 20 years and dealt with not being able to see without my glasses or contacts.

So you ask... what changed? Well my body I guess. All of a sudden I couldn't wear my contacts for very long. My eyes would dry out really quickly every time I tried to wear my contacts so much so that I could barely make it a couple of hours. Don't get me wrong I don't mind wearing glasses sometimes but the thought of having to always wear them was not something I was looking forward too. How could I rock that little black dress the way I was used to doing in thick glasses :-( So... you see vanity is a very strong motivator. I was finally able to overcome my fear and justify the cost because I was going to be faced with a life of having to constantly wear my glasses.

As of today I'm 4 days post op. All I can say is WHY? I MEAN WHY did I wait so long!?!?

What I'm telling you here is that after dealing with legal blindness for almost 30 years after 15 minutes I could see perfectly. Better then perfectly really. They tested my eyes the next day and I could see 20/15! And, to be straight the procedure itself only lasts 5-7 minutes the other time is used to recheck the prescriptions and to provide numbing drops for comfort during the procedure. I'll say it again...Why did I wait so long!?

Here's what you can expect if you go to the doctor I worked with Dr. Sharpe from Sharpe Vision in Bellevue WA.

Pristine office with state of the art equipment. You walk into the office and are greeted warmly by the staff. From that moment throughout the consult you are treated with respect and as if you have the right to any and all information they can provide. Dr Sharpe has each patient watch about a 10 minute video on an iPad that walks you through the whole procedure as you wait. This was really helped put my fears to rest and let me focus my questions during my consult. I felt fully informed and booked my procedure for a week later. I called the office a couple of time in between my consult and procedure to ask some followup questions. Each time I was treated with patience and respect. On the day of my procedure Dr. Sharpe was a bundle of energy and confidence. This is a unique combination but had a calming effect on me. He obviously loves what he does and it radiates through his practice. Once I was on the table for the procedure and the numbing drops were in full effect he started the treatment. They place this eyelid holder to keep your eye open and tell you to stare at the green light. He walked me through every step. Explaining that as part of the treatment the first laser will cause everything to go black for about 10 seconds. And then the second laser will cause the green light to go blurry for about 10 seconds. Everything happened just as he explained it would. After he completed both eyes and I sat up I could SEE PERFECTLY!!! I let out a little scream of delight! I had no idea it was going to be so easy and so dramatically different right away. The only thing you notice is that things seem a little hazy. Like you're looking through smoke or something.

They sent me home with some more numbing drops and a couple of eye drop prescriptions that I have to use for 7 days. I had no pain just mild discomfort for the first hour after the procedure. Pain did start to kick in at about 3 hours and so I took a sleeping pill and slept for 12 hours. When I woke up the next morning I had no pain just the feeling that my contact lens was inside out... or like I had an eyelash in my eye. NO BIG DEAL!

Now at four days I have no discomfort. I have been religiously using the artificial tears and the medicated drops as directed.

If you are considering this procedure don't be like me and waste all of that time and money on glasses and contacts. Do yourself a favor and go see Dr. Sharpe he will take great care of you!