![Oh, and hey, did I mention I got LASIK? – Bloggin’ on the ETC [BEST OF FaN]](https://fierceandnerdy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/before-LASIK.jpg)
Oh, and hey, did I mention I got LASIK? – Bloggin’ on the ETC [BEST OF FaN]
I know, I know — I’ve had much more inspirational pieces here on Fierce and Nerdy, but strangely enough, this is the one I get asked about the most in real life. So just in case you’re considering getting LASIK and didn’t see this the first time around…
Because I totally did for a number of reasons:
1. My daughter kept snatching and throwing my glasses at the worst times. One time she threw them while we were out on the street, and I had to figure out how to keep her from running into traffic and find my glasses at the same time. Keep in mind I’m blind as a bat without them. Luckily a passerby picked them up for me, but it was chilling moment in both child-rearing and glasses wearing.
2. I had grown to hate the fuss of contacts. I kept meaning to go back to contacts after my daughter was born, but never did, accept for special events and vacations. After three years of glasses wearing went by, I kind of knew contacts were no longer an option.
3. I read and watch a lot of post-apocalyptic content, and I was becoming increasingly aware, that if some world-as-I-know-it-ending ish down, I would be completely effed if I lost my glasses.
4. I could.
#4 was the main reason I ended up going through with it. I consulted for LASIK back in 2007 and was told my corneas were too thin for the procedure. Five years later, I got to wondering if my corneas had improved given the fact that I no longer wore contacts and therefore didn’t rub them nearly as much as I used to. As it turned out, the cornea requirements aren’t as rigorous these days, because now the entire procedure is done with lasers. Also, just as I suspected, my corneas were a lot better, because I had stopped rubbing my eyes so much. I went in for my consultation on Thursday, March 8, and got the procedure done the following Tuesday.
One of the possible risks listed in the paperwork you sign is “Death,” which is alarming. But I suspect this is because people code out during the procedure. LASIK doesn’t hurt, but it does go against pretty much every biological instinct you have. Even with a Xanax, my heart beat like a rabbit’s the entire time. I think the part where they vacuum your eye alone is enough to induce a heart attack. My primal instincts told me to fight, to protect my eyes at any cost. But the doctor was telling me (in the rather soothing tones that I usually associate with veterinarians) to be calm and stay still. I can’t remember ever having such a physiological conflict between reason and primal instinct. So no, it doesn’t hurt, but…
The big con is that it’s taking me a while to get used to the way I look without glasses. CH has had to do a lot of reassuring in terms of looks. Though, I wore contacts for quite a while before switching back to glasses, I’d come to really love the way I looked in glasses. I liked walking into the room and being immediately pegged as a nerd. After over three years of glasses-wearing I worried that LASIK made me look “regular.” I didn’t quite realize what a huge part of my identity glasses had become until I no longer needed them.
But the huge pro of LASIK is that I can now see without glasses. What freedom! It’s been lovely not having to fuss around with them, and it has also expanded my wardrobe choices, because I don’t have to worry that certain items won’t look good with my purple glasses. I’m looking forward to adding swimming laps (which had become sort of impossible with my prescription and substandard sense of orientation) to my exercise routine. And, I’m also loving wearing sunglasses on a regular basis.
I’m very interested in hearing from other people who have either gotten or are considering LASIK. Are you still happy with your decision? Do you miss your glasses? Let me know in the comments.
Meanwhile here’s the Before and After:
Cute before AND after :) You could always get non-prescription lenses in your faves so that you can still wear them as accessory when the mood strikes you! My mom had Lasik and is always thrilled to open her eyes and see without fumbling around for her glasses. She also broke a couple pairs by falling asleep in them watching TV. She continues to be thrilled. Congratulations!
That’s what I’m thinking, too. I see a lot of neon-colored frames in my future.
the real question is: when did you get bangs???!!!
Those are faux bangs, girl. Basically you section off what you want your “bangs” to be then you chunky twist out the rest of your hair and do thin twists on the “bangs.” Voila. I tried putting them in itty-bitty bantu knots, too, and got AMAZING results. Seriously wish I had taken a picture.
Oh my, so cute! Thank you for the detailed account. I have long wanted Lasix, but always thought my very high prescription would make it impossible. Your reason #3 has been my primary thought on getting the procedure. You just made me think even more about going under the laser (though I’ll still have images of that scene in Logan’s Run where Farah Fawcett gets sliced up by one…)
They actually told me that the worse your prescription is, the better it is to get surgery. The one factor I didn’t talk about, though, was age. They warned me that I’d still eventually need reading glasses, and they weren’t lying. I had to increase the font size on my Kindle app and I probably have only 2 or 3 more years tops of reading at Actual Size on my computer. So definitely keep that in mind.
girl you are looking fabulous without the glasses! you are glowing. thanks so much for this post. i have thought about it too but i was like ah, do i really want someone burning my eyes with a laser???? i went though a consultation and they told me i was a perfect candidate. i’ll keep it in mind and see if i have the courage to do it.
Look at it this way. Gathering up your courage is the hardest part, then you get to see!
I thought about getting LASIK but I am still a little iffy about it. A former colleague had it done a few years ago and complains all the time about having night blindness now. And I think for me it’s knowing that it’s irreversible. Should anything go wrong, there isn’t much they can do to fix or replace what’s been taken away. But that’s just me being paranoid. :) You look great with or without glasses! :)
That’s not paranoid. You’re basically risking your eyes. But we risk so many things every day, including regret — so I say “Go for it!”