22 Years Old - Blind As a Bat and Sick of Wearing Contacts - Cleveland, OH

Up until my LASIK surgery, I had been pining to have this surgery since I was 12 years old. I started wearing glasses when I was 4. I had experienced the lifelong struggle of wearing contacts and glasses, and my vision became progressively worse as time went on until eventually my vision settled out at about -8.5 and -9, respectively (I am near-sighted, or rather was near-sighted). My vision is far worse than almost anyone I've ever run across, and was told countless times that I would be unable to have LASIK surgery by numerous optometrists. Well, I wanted a second opinion.

I went to Dr. Ronald Kreuger at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio for a consultation. Dr. Kreuger is incredibly kind and a foremost expert on LASIK surgery. He told me during my consultation that not only could they do the surgery, but that he could probably correct my vision to beyond 20/20 - which is to say, better than perfect vision. I was ecstatic. I booked the appointment a month after my consultation, and began preparing for the surgery.

Before the surgery, you need to be careful about wearing your contacts or any eye makeup. I believe for the week prior to my surgery I was unable to wear makeup OR contacts. So I looked like a teenager for about a week, I didn't much care with the prospect of never having to wear my glasses again!

The day of my surgery was a bit of a struggle. I have moderate to severe anxiety, so this certainly didn't help my case. I was given a prescription for four Valium, and unfortunately I did not receive much relief as I waited to be called in for the surgery. My sister sat and waited with me, as you will most definitely require someone to drive you home.

I went into the procedure where four people were waiting for me. Dr. Kreuger, his resident, and two physician's assistants. I laid on the table, was given a stress ball for each one of my hands, and the physician's assistant put on my choice of relaxing music. The procedure began with them numbing my eyes, and I didn't feel much else after that. During the procedure (I won't explain exactly what happens - if you are a bit squeamish about this type of thing), you look up at two different sets of lights. These are the lasers that are used to correct your vision. Your eyes are held open by two (not uncomfortable) devices, and as the procedure continues you see what seems to be a stream of water going over your eyes. It's a bit disorienting, but as long as you keep breathing and listen to what the doctor is telling you - you will be fine. Overall my procedure took less than 15 minutes.

When the procedure was over, Dr. Kreuger called me over to him. My vision was very fuzzy, but strangely enough, I could see him! I walked over to where he stood, and he handed me a baggie that held special sunglasses and eye goggles to wear at night so as to protect my newly perfected eyes. He commended me on my good behavior, and out I went to greet my sister. My sister helped me to walk out to our car, and she drove me home.

This is where things were a bit difficult. Your eyes are not particularly comfortable after the surgery. They are very itchy and strange feeling, at least in my case. My advice would be to fall asleep after the surgery in any way you can, that is the easiest way to get through it. Once I arrived home, my mother gave me two Vicodin, and I slept for six hours on into the afternoon. I would highly recommend asking for pain medication to help you sleep. Without it, I would think it would be a bit difficult.

Once I woke up six hours later, it was like being born again (I know that sounds silly, but it's accurate!). My vision was so clear I could absolutely not believe what I was seeing. I saw details of things that I had never before seen in my life. It was absolutely astonishing. I ran downstairs to look at everything else, a smile across my face. I remember this feeling very clearly, I was absolutely ecstatic. The best thing was going outside (with my sunglasses on of course), and seeing the leaves on trees. They were stunning. So detailed. My vision was crystal clear.

I went back the next day for a follow-up appointment, where Dr. Kreuger told me my vision was now 20/20, but as my eyes healed, would potentially become better. Three months later, I went back for a follow-up appointment and my vision was 20/15 - better than perfect vision! This surgery was in my opinion absolutely worth every penny. The sooner you get it done - the sooner you will be able to save yourself time (and money in the long-run) by ditching your contacts and glasses.

If someone has told you that you can't get LASIK, get a second opinion! The field of LASIK has become very advanced, and it's better to ask someone who actually performs the surgery than to listen to someone who does not perform LASIK. If you are in the Cleveland area, I would HIGHLY recommend Dr. Kreuger. He is brilliant, and your new view of the world is worth the investment!