Congrats on getting it done. I had it done nearly 2 years ago. For me, the smearyness\haziness took many months (8-10) to get to the point where it was diminished enough and my brain was used to it that I didn't notice it on a daily basis. As you said, lights at night made it really noticeable. I still notice it sometimes... mainly at night and if the air is dry. The other issue I had was my eyes just always felt dry, even with tons of drops. That also took many months to go away. Finally stopped carrying rewetting drops about 3 months ago. My eyes were about as bad as yours it seems and despite the after surgery issues I'm glad I did it. I was 40 when I had it done, 42 now and wanted a few years of no glasses at all before potentially needing reading glasses. I believe you mentioned a similar reason in one of your videos. Best advice I can give is be patient, give your eyes time to heal and brain time to get used to things. After all, they took the perfectly good and clear lens over your eye and sliced it open... no amount of technology will let that be done and create a perfectly smooth cut. So it will be a slow improvement in your vision for quite a while until you one day notice that you didn't think about a vision issue that day. Best of luck with the new peepers and hope they heal quicker than mine did!
Mine took a year to heal completely, too, but it was so worth it! Woke up the next morning and I could see! (Was really nearsighted) Lights at night were annoying for a while.
mine took like 2 months to be satisfactory to my brain, but i still feel like my left eye is a lil bit worse than the right one... but I went the other method, the one that they scratch off all your protective layer instead of cutting it (it was a really significant price difference) I've made it almost 2 years ago, and i dont feel any difficult to read at close or long distances, but each case is a case, the only thing is this difference between the eyes.. (and yeah, the lights, LED mainly are all distorced)
@@danielrock04 When I was going for my consultations before the surgery, they told me they wanted to leave my left eye slightly less corrected so it helped me retain my close up vision for longer before needing reading glasses. I refused and had them correct them both equally. Maybe this is something they did for you? Did they discuss it with you during pre surgery consultation?
I have a really hard time putting in and wearing Contacts. The procedure was slightly traumatic (but no pain), but the it was done in 5 minutes. Well worth it even at my age
@@penni006 It is the best thing I have ever spent money on. The process for me was awesome! They made everything very chill and comfortable. Even if you have a little anxiety, it is over so fast that it won't matter. Like getting a shot.
@@blueredbrick there you go again, framing the issue to make a spectacle of yourself and hinge-ing on the rediculous. I guess the topic lens itself to such jokes, though. A prescription for sillyness, but amusing in hindsight, and especially needed after 20/20.
Hey Joe, I got Lasik about 7 years ago now, best money I've ever spent! I too had some of the issues you're describing and they do go away, I still deal with halos around lights at night but not too bad. Something I imagine you'll start noticing is the freedom from worrying about glasses, no more worrying about them getting lost or damaged, having to have them near you all the time. Being able to wake up in the morning and just SEE, it's fantastic. I'm sure the issues you're having will subside. Congratulations on taking the plunge.
I've always had the halos after my surgery in '97. You do get used to them, but not my favorite thing. It is the only bad thing about the surgery, but so worth it.
According to the FAA, you're 1 in 50 to still have halos more than 6 months after surgery. www.faa.gov/pilots/safety/pilotsafetybrochures/media/lasereye_ii.pdf
I am very much in love with my vision. And the idea of something "cutting" them to fix them, freaks me the hell out!!! I don't know how people get the nerve to do the surgery. Just the thought of it makes my knees weak, and my stomach tries to make me hurl!! So more power to you! I hope your vision clears up and everything is cool. Because if it did work for you, I may just have to go in and see if I can get it done myself.
well I had diopter around 6 so I couldn't see shit without my lenses, but with lenses any water related activity is a hazard where you might loose it, and you need to replace them, always thinking about it when you plan to go somewhere etc One day i said enough and did the thing.... best investment in my life. I also manmaged to checked how this whole things is done (not the greatest idea :D ) and I can guarantee that you are overimagining it (I was too), because my experience was that I got there, got some drops in my eyes, then laid down and looked at lights for a moment. Then they told me to sit and relax for few minutes and told me I could leave if I feel like it. It was over in like 20minutes since I got there.
I'm supremely grateful that I've long had the best vision in my family and that I've only started needing the cheap off-the-shelf reading glasses within the last few years. The thought of someone tampering with my eyes causes me enormous stress, and I genuinely don't think I could take the risk, however minimal it is purported to be.
I had double cataract surgery in December 2017, and had similar issues reading small print, and I still do, but I am 65 so ... old diabetic syndrome. I have taken to using the camera zoom feature of my phone to read small print, and it not only makes it bigger, but the low light feature makes it work great in low light conditions, such as restaurants (remember those). I think that your brain will compensate for the change, and your watch will become readable. It jyst takes time.
As someone who had LASIK a couple of years ago, I congratulate you. It can be scary, but but totally worth it. I was almost blind without them, when showering, swimming, waking up. It took me a while to recover from surgery. First days I could not focus in artificial light - reading by lamp light was a nightmare, focusing on a monitor for more that a minute was impossible. I was really worried, I earn my living on a computer! But it got better really fast. Lights at night were fuzzy for a lot longer, perhaps a year, but it doesn't really interfere with anything. I was told not to touch my eyes and not to shower for 10 days, because chorine water should not get in the eyes at all. Artificial tears, wearing goggles at night so I don't touch them while sleeping or brush my eyes on the pillow. It was rough, but it passes. Dry eyes are still a thing, though. Waking up you have to wash them or they stay fuzzy. Now I like to go out more! Before surgery I had really bad eyesight and being outside was just not enjoyable, now I see just fine and love the outdoors!
Suddenly worked out why I like u My husband talks about glasses and with such passion about things I never thought about Great job Joe . Love the stories
I got Lasik in 2013, right before I turned 26. I had the halos for a long time after, and yeah, they did go away after a few weeks and never came back. My personal theory about the halos was that it was traces of how my eyes used to see - lights in the dark used to be giant and the halos were about the size it would be before. I remember my instructions were to take 2 giant Xanaxes, one during the ride over and one right before. I had the laser cutting and it was a trip! Honestly a beautiful, unique sight to see. Unfortunately a few years later my eyes changed again and I wear glasses now, but like you, I had crazy coke bottle lenses before. Glasses didn't look cute because they made my eyes so small... People thought I was on drugs a lot. 😅 I think I can say with honesty that even though my eyes changed after Lasik, they'll never be as bad as they were before. I'm sure your vision will clear soon!
I'm quite near-sighted (-4.75 diopters on both eyes) and getting to the age when other people start needing reading glasses. I'm so glad that I never got my vision corrected with LASIK (I was thinking about it). Being able to read something at any time even without glasses is much more important to me than being able to read signs outside without glasses.
@@lakshmiwillowrose5112 well you don't have to be the internet police to expect proper manners, and respect from people, so yes I feel like before I enter your space I should respect you and ask first
I got LASIK done on 08/08/2008 and can't recall how long it took for all the effects to go away after the surgery but I quickly thought that it was the best thing I'd ever done! Good for you!
When younger went to an eye doctor appt with a friend with contacts. Doc was concerned with enlarged blood vessels due to extended wearing. That ruined me from ever considering contacts. The thought of willingly allowing my eyes to be cut, just sends shivers up my spine. I have had lots of stuff bounce off my glasses. Seems like a layer of protection. I guess I am happy wearing glasses every day. Hope your eyes clear up soon!
The smeariness is because of the flap healing. They took a coherent material and cut it; there’s going to be diffraction. It’s slowish because that part of the eye isn’t vascular, so it takes time. The near-focus thing is exactly what you described - you’re relearning how to use your eyes in a prompt/instinctual way. Have no fear my dude. It’s gonna be great!
I had mine done January 2022. I could smell my eyes burning, it was the most metal thing ever 🤘🤘 My right eye didn't *do as well as the left and so I have the lifetime thing, I reached out and I'll find out Friday what they'll do. Apparently I have a "hell of a lot of cornea left" so if its up to me I'll have them redo the right. As it is I have 20/15 left and 20/25 right, your brain is a hell of a machine so I can see very well with both. So its all good.
My LASIK in 2001 went great and lasted me years. Eventually my eyes changed and I had to get glasses again, but it got me through a period in my life where I had no money for healthcare or new glasses, which was great. (bought the surgery ahead of time knowing I was about to go into that kind of period in my life ... moving, going back to school, etc.)
Awesome! I had it done about 15 years ago. Best money I’ve ever spent. Being able to see clearly in the middle of the night, when I wake up randomly, is still a little surreal.
Hey Joe congrats on the new vision :) Give your brain a little time. It needs to adjust after all these years. The healing process isnt helping either but youll get there. Looking forward to hear from you when
I had lasik when I was 30, about a decade ago. I waited until after I'd gone for two years without my myopia getting any worse - although the myopia wasn't the reason I had it done. I also had astigmatism, so would have had to get prescription reading glasses instead of cheap off-the-shelf ones once I got old enough to need them, so lasik worked out cheaper in the long run. There was one other unexpected benefit though: I now have peripheral vision! I had got so used to not having clear peripheral vision that it actually weirded me out for a least a month afterwards. Your experience of getting lasik done was soooo not the same as mine though. Local anaesthetic tends not to be as effective on me as it is on other people, so while I did get a double dose, I could still feel my eyeball being cut open. It was painful only in the same way that a scratch is painful, and lasted a few seconds per eye, but it's not something you forget. I didn't feel a thing when they were reshaping the cornea though. I got lucky with the post-procedure discomfort, as mine was mild compared to what some people experience. My eyes felt like they'd got sand in the for a couple of days, but weren't actually painful. Like you I had issues with focusing, but they cleared up in about a fortnight.
Thank-you, Joe, for putting yourself into my Human Zoo and being an all-around decent hoomin bean. I've been debating eye surgery since I heard of radial keratotomy (which is definitely done with a scalpel) in the eighties. Hearing your account of LASIK makes it seem not-so-bad. Maybe I'll do it someday...
Congratulations! I had it twenty years ago. It was a stressful fifteen-minute procedure (I never got contacts because I couldn't have my finger near my eye). But so great once it was done and healed. Once the healing settled, I spent a month trying to read everything as far away as possible. I'm now in my late forties and started needing the reading glasses a year ago. Dang, this getting old business.
Glade you had it done. I’m sure things will work itself out for you. I had LASIK surgery 22 years ago using a blade to cut the flap. I had no issues except street lights had a halo around it for about 9-12 months. Also, I would catch myself for about 6 months trying to touch the bridge of my nose. A habit from pushing up my glasses. I have myopia and my shape of my eyes has changed over the years and I do need to get a touch up surgery done. I highly recommend LASIK to anyone interested and qualified with any vetted surgeon. Lastly your near vision issues might not be completely related to the procedure alone. It’s probably compounded by your age. I think they call it “adult vision”. I call it “short arm disease”.
Honestly Joe, you sound like you are doing quite well! I got Lasik done when I was 23 and it was quite a shock for me. My eyes were blurry for at least a week, I had to deliberately focus them to read and even then it would go in and out of focus like a drunk camera operator! It was two weeks before things got back to normal enough so I didn't need to manually focus my eyes every time I wanted to read something. I'd strongly suggest you pick up a cheap pair of glasses like a +1.00 or +1.5 will probably work. Your eyes will continue to change but at least you will be able to read without asking someone to read for you! All the best!
Joe at one week out you will still be healing and adjusting to them. Trust me I had it done years and years ago and it took a few weeks to get to where I was going to be. You really wake up one day and go "oh yeah it is good now". Thanks for all you do and I wish you the best!
It will get better. The halos around headlight, for me, never went away. But even with this, being glasses free for 10 years has been wonderful. I do own vanity frames for those days I miss being a glasses wearer.
ive done just laser, not lasik (not cut my eye) about 5years ago and just agree with your friend saying "its going to be the best thing youve done"... the quality of life not wearing glasses and seeing normal is priceless. hope you get better soon and see the world crystal clear. advise from me: keep your glasses and put some glas with blue filter (just for eye protection in front of screens for long pc sessions, keeping you more relaxed) and always (later on i mean) whenever you feel your eyes stressed, blurry vision, at nghts, on hot days etc have and use teardrops, your eyes will thank you for it. and yes your brain has to syncronise to your new vision thats a fact. all the love from greece
I have all the same concerns. I’ve enjoyed my nearsighted superpowers my whole life. I’ll be getting lasik this year. Looking forward to hearing how it is once things clear up. I think I would really miss my near focus abilities.
I had my cateracts done back in 2000. I sure don't miss wearing those heavy glasses. And yes, I remember the halo effect around the lights in my peripheral vision. Best advice I can give you is to make sure you use all the drops as prescribed. My grandmother failed to do that with her second eye surgery and she ended up going blind in that eye.
I seriously appreciate this. I've been considering it for a while but never pulled the trigger. Still don't know if I will, but this helps. Please give us another update at some point.
It sounds like you didn't have the blade-less LASIK, or at least not the same version as mine. When I had the procedure, it was like the main correction laser where I could see the ring of bubbles formed by the laser perforating the cornea to create the flap. That's what so fascinated me about the experience, was that it was the only chance I would ever get to feel a sense changing in real time. Hearing, smell, taste, everything else needs to go through healing first, and your knocked out for the procedure; but here I experienced my sight changing in discrete, quantized amounts. One of the best experiences of my life so far.
Please keep us updated. As the technology improves, they are getting closer and closer to being able to correct my vision this way and I want to know everything about what to expect.
I get your reason for feeling like your vision is your identity. I have the same thought about my own vision. I am near-sighted and have been for 25 years. Your brave for doing this very terrifying, life-changing thing.
Got mine done in 1998 (32 years old) during the infancy of the whole process. I remember the doctor using a 386 SX computer to do the calculations. First few months had me concerned with the haziness and starburst at night, but over 20 years later things are great. I needed reading glasses at 40 but at 54 I don't anymore except for extremely tiny print. Very pleased with the results.
I had LASIK done over 10 years ago. What you are describing is exactly the same experience i had. There will be a couple months of fluctuation in your vision. It's scary, but you shouldn't worry. It's just so easy to freak out about every little vision change as you heal. After 10 years, my vision is still 20/20. Last time I went to the eye doc, she told me to get out of her office because i have perfect vision.
My wife had similar vision growing up. Very thick glasses. Her stigmatism was very bad. She had RK (1988) done. She Had 8 cuts per eye twice which was the limit. She was so grateful not to need glasses to see. Fast forward, she does need reading glasses now but does not regret getting them fixed.
Be patient. Things will settle. Agree with Greg. You’ll be happy with it. Btw, I saw halos for about 6 months b/c apparently my eyes tend to be dry and and the LASIK exacerbated it. But even that eventually went away. So, don’t worry. You did well.
Wishing you a successful, rapid, miraculous recovery and the best vision you’ve ever have that will last you for the rest of your life. All the blessings of eye health and peaceful recovery. ✌🏼❤️❤️❤️❤️
I’m happy for you, Joe. I’ve been fortunate that my own sight isn’t bad enough to need glasses most of the time, but I’ve had to rely on reading glasses more often over the past several years. It’s comforting to hear how much optical corrective surgery has improved recently.
Valium. Xanax. A shot & a beer. Bottle of NyQuil. Two doobies. And a loaded gun. You’d have to point the gun at me to get me into that LASIK chair! Nope. Nope. Nope. A whole train full of nope! Good luck Joe. My knees were getting weak just listening to you.
Not a fan of Lasik as I said in my comment before you had it done, but now that it is done I wish for the best possible outcome and a long, long run without complications. Keep us posted.
The focus on the green point also freaked me out. I got PRK done, similar to Lasik, a few years ago. Best money I have spend ever!. The oasis tear for the eye are really really important. There are UA-cam vídeos of the procedure, I only checked them after, of course. It's interesting to see it from the outside.
Best money I ever spent. Suggest getting a copy of the records for the corrections. If you need cataract surgery at some point, it may make it easier for them to know precisely how to replace a lense.
It's about time... FINALLY! Welcome to the 2-eyes club (you can turn in your 4-eyes membership card now). You will miss the micro-vision, but you will enjoy life much better now.
I got PRK(very similar operation) about 7 years ago. Best decision ever! Before I was so blind I couldn't see how many fingers I had up if I extended my hand. The first three days I had to keep my eyes closed and pretty much audiobooked the entire time. The next week was the worst because my vision was so much better than before but everything was so blurry I could hardly look at a computer screen and I was used to having great vision using my glasses. The next month it fluctuated a lot, and over 4 months it would fluctuate between very good and alright. After that I had 2020 vision for about 6 years. Now I have glasses again, but for such a minor prescription it mainly is to help me drive at night. My operation only took about 3 minutes per eye, and the worst part was the cold saline solution they used when it was done. Everything was numb except I could feel cold on the back of my eye. Not a comfortable feeling.
I have the same vision that you had. I call my close-up vision my “x-ray vision” and I would TOTALLY miss it if I got lasik!! I LOVE having a super-power and will wear glasses forever rather than give that up!!
Being curious I asked my wife about this who is 6 years in and she said now everything is like that... Results obviously may vary but some food for thought.
I totally understand the anxiety with the unknown length of the process of healing. Especially on something as important as your eyes. I think you're doing a great job just taking it one day at a time and being honest with yourself and your doctors about your concerns. Looking forward to your next update. Especially regarding how you feel identity wise once you do have that perfect vision.
I have done SMILE last year and it's the best money ever spent. The procedures were similar to LASIK but without the need of "opening the lid". Seemed to be much faster recovery - perfect vision after the surgery and able to see computer screens the next day. I was back to work after 1 week of chilling out at home
I was near sighted and had Lasik done too (on Nov 30 2020). After the procedure I struggled to read my phone and close up for like 2-3 weeks. It's better now, but not as good as before surgery. My distance vision is still not 20/20 though. My doctor told me to wait up to 3 months and see how my eyes heal. Now I put in drops regularly to keep them hydrated. I hope both our visions get clear and sharp. Good luck!
I haven't had Lasik surgery, but I have had two eye surgeries. I was born cross-eyed and had corrective surgery when I was five. They over corrected, so I was then wall-eyed. At 13, I got contact lenses, and that helped. When 18, my left eye had pointed way out, so I again had corrective surgery. They got close, but no cigar, so I quit wearing my left contact. It was easier to ignore the (then close) second image when blurry than it was when it was in focus. Obviously, you have worn corrective lenses with a negative diopter. Mine is a STRONG positive diopter - a +7 to be exact. Literally, strong magnifiers. I used my backup glasses as magnifiers when I was working with very tiny work. I wish you all the luck, and am mildly jealous that you will now be free of glasses Joe - LOL.
I had it done 4 years ago (after wearing glasses and contacts for about 28 years) and had the same experience as you. It was a real rollercoaster for a couple of weeks. It got better and I really started enjoying SEEING, then I relapsed to "man this is bad" then slowly the good phases took over the bad. Now it's all good, but even after all these years there are still better and worse days.. which is strange. Also, my night vision went down to about 60% I can hardly focus at night, but especially bad in dusk (but they said it is a trade off for the procedure) All in all I don't regret having it done at all. Wouldn't go back for nothing.
Congrats Joe! I have seriously bad eyes too and have to spend lots of money for the special lenses. I have an incredibly dense cataract in my left eye from the trauma of getting hit in the eye with a dart when I was about 4. I've been told plenty of times that Lasik won't help me.
Had it done years ago.. worried that I was going to have so many issues since one place said they wouldn't do it because I could go blind because of a thinning issue with my retina. Went to another place with better testing and they approved me after weeks of testing. Had it done and they ended up giving me 3 xanax before the procedure took place. 1. Use the tears religiously 2. Don't worry about healing... just don't rub your eyes ever, and tell your optometrist if you experience any issues 3. It takes months for everything to click, but when it does it makes the whole experience worth every penny you spent. Just had my 3 year checkup and my vision hasn't changed from the almost 20/20 I had months after. Best thing I ever did for myself, and I wonder why I ever worried. Biggest plus for me is that allergy season is no longer an issue with being forced to wear glasses and feel horrible from my eyes constantly watering. I wake up in the morning and I can instantly see... it's still the strangest thing after 3 years. For those who are thinking of having the procedure done. Do it, but make sure you look for the best... look at reviews for different places and compare prices. Your eye sight is something you can never replace so don't think about going cheap.
For months after my LASIK, I found myself trying to adjust my glasses on my face, only to find they were missing. I guess that was a busy habit I had and didn't realize until they were gone.
All I can think about is the gash it cut in your eye for the procedure....and the brush of the flap on the eyeball. *cringe* Thankfully I got my dad's eyes...and have never needed glasses. Congrats on enduring the procedure and the recovery. I wish for you many years of great sight.
to each their own, once this guy took mud and spit and rubbed it into my eyes and my vision seems to be much better after that. do make sure to go to your follow up appointments sometimes they make mistakes and need to make corrections after my dad and my friend both had to have secondary surgeries to correct after their first.
Joe, I had it done in 2015 and got a lifetime warranty on the procedure meaning I could get corrections as needed. Turns out they didn't get an astigmatism corrected and my night vision was terrible, so I went in for a correction. They didn't re-cut the flap! They just ripped it open and redid the laser reshaping. That one part hurt worse than absolutely anything else about the procedure. Eventually the haziness and difficulty focusing up close will go away, but it took almost a month for me.
Best decision you will ever make. I wore glasses for almost 30 years. Fear stopped me from getting laser eye surgery for 20 years. I dont regret it one bit. Good choice. Had it done over 10 years ago.
When I was in California I worked for a time as a technician for both of those devices they used. The one holds the eye in place with suction while a little blade slices across. And the other one is the laser. There are some really advanced technology in laser eye surgery.
I had a close-up issue to begin with. Don’t get the glasses yet and let your eyes adapt, you’ll get there. Congratulations for doing the hard part! And try cutting onions, you’ll find you don’t cry, which is nice.
Please do a follow-up video. I have had glasses since I was 8 and I'm 35 now. My eyes get worse every time i see the Dr. I want to get the surgery but I've always thought that it would only make my eyes better instead of actually helping completely. Plus there's always the fear thing. Thanks for sharing your experience and hopefully there will be a follow-up video.
Been 13 years since I had my Lasik. The haziness cleared in less than 2 week. But what remains lifelong is the dryness of the eyes. If the eye dries, then there is some haziness in the vision. So I have continued to use the tear replacement (Alcon Tears Naturale II) about once of twice a day. As for reading glasses, its only now I have started using them. Agreed with the assessment, it is the one of the best decision. I had quite high powered glasses and had been wearing them since single digit age, so I was quite worried something might go wrong. Took the decision after my glasses was swept away in the sea on a vacation and I was driving (my wife did not drive at that time) and had to drive though the city hunting for a optician who would give me glasses in a day; me driving and my wife guiding me. The cutting process has changed, in my case I remember a small round silver colored stainless steel surgical knife attached to machine rotating at a very high speed that cut a layer off cornea (with tiny part attached). I could see it coming down on the eye. The eyes were held open with eye speculum (mine was made of steel and not transparent plastic). The pulling back and putting back of the cornea flap was managed by special shaped tweezers handled by the doctor. The brush you mention was to smoothen the flap of cornea put back post the laser procedure. . The key precaution to take is not to touch or rub the eyes for more than a month, otherwise the flap on the cornea develops wrinkles and spoil the vision. Had a patient before me undergoing corrective surgery to recover from that problem. My suggestion to all, go for it. It quite liberating; not only not using glasses, but also the clarity of the peripheral vision and absence of the distortion that the glasses introduce (specially if you have any cylindrical power like I had).
Without rummaging around your comments, I had LASIK 22 years ago when I was 37, and at the time it was relatively a new procedure. Like you, I was myopic with astigmatism (20/400 vision, or legally blind) which made the glasses like coke-bottle bottoms, and I had to start wearing them when I was in the 3rd grade. At the time in 1998, insurance didn't cover any part of the $4,500 ($2,250 per eye) so it was all out of pocket, but within months it became the best thing I had ever spent such money on. :) However, come 6 to 8 weeks after the surgery, I was still around 20/60, and this was unacceptable to me having spent that much money to expecting 20/20, so I had to go back for an additional lasering, but just days later my vision was at 20/15. It stayed that way until I was around 50, and now I only need bifocals to read very small print. So, since you are just days into the healing process, give it a few weeks for the corneas to completely heal, and enjoy the beauty for the rest of your life! ;-)
Hi Joe, I had exactly the same 'artifacts' as you describe. (I also felt odd about my glasses. I had them turned into sunglasses!) The artifacts went away gradually over a few weeks. The halo's around lights are still there a year later but hugely diminished. It's no worse than when I wore glasses now. I also thought I would need reading glasses but so far, no need. I think it took a few month to train my brain. My wife followed me after about 6 months and she is also extremely happy!
It's an interesting choice - I'm the same: short sighted but I don't want to lose the near vision and then be searching everywhere for reading glasses 🤣. I'd rather search for my distance glasses. Hope it settles down well and you get all the improvements you wish for!
I did the surgery 20 years ago here in Colombia, and the experience was the same for me... the most traumatic part is the opening of the cornea... you said flap... is really scary, but I didn't have much paint or haziness after the procedure, but my vision wasn't 20/20 (the correction was +0.5 not so bad... but not 20/20 as promised), so when I complain to the doctor he said he'll do a correction surgery... I said, "now that I think about it... I like to use glasses..." I was too scared to do the procedure again... that was my experience, but lots of people I know had no issues after the surgery... Joe, I feel your pain... please relax and try to be patient, everything is going to be OK...
I had lasik done in 2003 and it was wonderful! The haziness was gone in just a few days. I only missed two things from my pre-lasik days: being able to see super-clearly things very close and the cool, refreshing feelings of putting in my contacts in the morning. I believe you’re very conscious of every little thing at this time but give your eyes a chance to heal.
The haziness will go away. Over the next couple weeks while your eyes heal your vision will fluctuate. But it will eventually go away. Nothing to worry about. Just take a breath. As for the reading glasses, just give it time to heal first. I am 42 and I got lasik years ago. I might need reading glasses soon, but that is to be expected at our age lol. Yes, the itchiness is healing, but DO NOT rub your eyes lol. Your friend is right, give it a couple weeks and you will love it. I had the same worries when I got mine done and all is well.
I had LASIK 14 years ago and my experiences are similar to your own. The worst part of the surgery was when the machine comes down and puts a bunch of pressure on your eyeball. I couldn't fell anything but that pressure was just such an odd experience. I did take the nap they recommended and when I woke up everything looks blurry and nasty. I had a panic moment where I thought, "What have I done?" but things returned to a haziness a few minutes later. It took about 2 weeks for me to get everything cleared up. After that happened everything returned to normal and I no longer needed glasses. I saw perfectly clear at all distances. Now at 45 I find that to read short distances I need some time for things to focus. My optometrist told me that's a combination of the LASIK and age. Most of my life is in the middle to long distance being a software engineer. I'm also an avid ready so if I intended on doing some reading I try to set at least an hour aside to do so. I can read but for for the first 5 minutes or so things are just blurry that it's a bit annoying. Then without noticing (like when you have a headache and take some Tylenol) everything seems to clear up. I don't know if my brain is just getting used to the blurry or my eyes actually adjust.
Thanks for your experience sharing as the first person to tell the whole story. So nw I know that the many people who came to work post surgery could not read emails or even tell who coworkers were until 3’ away. The curtain is pulled back, 20 years later 🤔
Yeah, I got LASIK about 3 years ago. It took me about a month or two before the blurry part went away. My eyes used to be really itchy at first, but now they are only somewhat itchy. Just keep using those eye drops, they were the best help for me!
I have a friend who had it done back in the 1980s. She was at the point where they were telling her that if she didn't have it done she would be uncorrectable soon. I have another friend who had it done in the 1990's because she had no peripheral vision. They both now still need correction, but they are both now in their 60s. I had someone suggest I should get it. I informed them that they would never do it on me because my vision was too good. However, for the last 15 to 17 years I have gone out of my prescription distance glasses and into readers. I have readers everywhere, my desk, 3 by my bed, 1 in the kitchen, 2 in my wife's room, 1 in the bathroom, 1 in my purse, with another in a bag I carry with what I'm reading right now. I have a stronger pair at my desk to craft with and about 4 more spares in my desk drawers (in case any get lost or broken.) Ahhh, the joys of getting old!
I got in 2013, it took like 2 to 3 weeks to really feel comfortable and it kept getting better and better after that, not as noticeably as the first weeks but I'll say I got an extra 5% in the next two months. Don't overthink it, it's still healing after the surgery, just do your drops and take it easy
Joe, my vision after standard lasik steadily improved, it took a month for hazy / light halo symptoms to subside and 2+ months for my near vision to improve so I can read my watch face well at 12". It's been 2 years now, I have 20/20 vison beyond 2' and can read with slight blurriness at 1.5'. So, I bought some readers from dollar tree, 2.25 for close up book / phone reading and 1.25 for computer work. At $1 each buy several pairs and leave them conviently where you need them.
I had Lazik done in 2018, in my case they took both my crystalins out and replaced them with multi-depths presbyopia toric lenses. Took a while to get the result I expected, but now, I am extremely satisfied, so don’t loose hope, Will get there too!
I found that the blurriness after Lasik was very similar to being on acid. Not as in having hallucinations but how much light is let into your eye (probably because your pupils get dialated). The effect you are talking about is called haloing. I found that it was very pronounced when looking at a light source in a low light or dark environment. I found it really hard to see in a really dark environment and a very bright light source. The haloing does go away over time. Make sure to stay up on the drops. That's critical to the healing. I got a good 20 years mileage out of my surgery before i had to buy glasses again, but then i got mine when i was younger because i like you had maxed out conventional lenses, was having issues with my contacts, and wanted to be able actually have intimate relations with females. :) Good luck!
There are muscles in your eyes that pull on the lenses to change your focus. Possibly your eye muscles are getting used to having to work to focus and your brain has to get used to it. So that delay in being able to focus could be just that. As many of us work on computers these days and focus close up, it is good to look up and focus on a distant object and back to nearby one and repeat a few times to keep those muscles active. I'm not a doctor so this is in no way professional advice but I have worked on computers and in darkrooms for years (well... dark rooms are kind of a thing of the past now) and that has helped me. I've just been wearing contacts for years and have been fine with that. Best of luck.
I only got mild smeariness after the procedure which cleared just a few days after but what was more problematic for me was ghosting. If there is a white dot on a black screen, I would see 3-4 dots instead of one. This is clearly directly related to the unevenness of my cornea and so it was a good indication of how the cornea healed...and I can confirm, it does take a long time! I remember my vision still changing 3 months after the procedure! I’d say, be patient, it does definitely get better with time. From my experience, give it a month before judging anything. By that time I’d say your vision would have converged to 90% of the final status. Also, don’t be bummed out if you have to get a correction - it is actually quite common especially for people with strong myopia. You have to imagine, a significant chunk of your cornea is removed and so your eyes need to heal quite significantly and because the bruise is large, the randomness of the healing process is much more variant than if the patient had a smaller bruise. The doctor has to preempt this (my doctor said he had to deliberately put in an overshoot and let the healing process correct back my vision) and of course the healing process varies patient to patient and each patient ‘feels’ optimum vision at different numbers (I ended up having to be slightly long-sightedness to ‘feel’ optimum) so you can imagine it is very easy for one’s particular case to not become the ‘normal’ case. I was -7.00 ish before the procedure and I had to correct my left eye once and my right eye a further 3 times! Not saying this to scare you, but to let you know that it is very possible and very normal for further corrections to be applied. The corrections I did include further near-sightedness and also polishing of my cornea since my natural healing process didn’t end up with a nice smooth surface (which caused the ghosting). However, after all of that, I can report that I am very happy with my vision now :D It is without doubt by far the best thing that has happened to me. So don’t worry, it will eventually be fine! Just don’t expect everything to be fantastic within the first week. Hope everything gets better and you get the vision you want sooner rather than later! Look forward to following your progress!
I’m surprised you had your eyes open so quickly - when I got mine done they recommended keeping them closed for 24hrs except for putting the drops in. I had bladeless, no way I’d do it with a blade cutting my eyes. I thought it was a very cool procedure - they took a retina print of my eye as part of the pre-work, and then when the operation comes the machine checks to confirm the eyes match before it makes any adjustments, as a safety check. I had mine done about 15 years ago, and my eyes have started to decline a tiny bit with age, as expected. I totally agree though that once they’re all healed and adjusted you’ll be so amazed, it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.
I had Lasik a little over a year ago, but I got monovision (dominant eye tuned for distance, the other tuned for reading). I will say this, at our age (I assume you are about my age), healing took way longer than I ever anticipated. It got a micro-little-bit better every day though. To be honest the first two weeks was an experiment in my patience. I would say after a month my reading eye was great, but I don't think my distance eye got good until after 8 months. Even now I have 20/20 vision, but I still have less than a half diopter of astigmatism in my distance eye. At about the 3 month mark, I got some glasses just for driving at night. While I don't really *have* to wear my glasses, I like to wear them for night and day driving because it makes everything "crisper". All I am saying is this, those people that say they walked out of the Lasik office and their eyesight was perfect, are outliers. Everyone heals at a different rate, in my case, each of my eyes even healed at different rates. Be patient. :)
Don't stress, everything you're dealing with is normal. My vision was a little funky for the first few weeks after my surgery as well. It'll get better.
“One of them slices the eye hehe.” Super Joe Ok. 2021 confession- I have a huge phobia of people sticking things in or doing things to my head holes. I just know for a fact that poking n prodding with any instruments in any of those is going to be VERY uncomfortable at least and excruciating at worst. As a kid I got a large pice of metal stuck IN my eyeball. After they removed it they had to drill out the hole it left because the salt in tears made it rust in the hour in was in there. So teeth drilling horror noise, and eye forced open to watch the madness. It was a torture chamber for an 11yr old. So your eye surgery? I’m triggered as all getout and think you’re even cooler than I already thought you were because you were able to sit through that hell and lived to tell the tale! Happy 2021 Joe to you and the fam! 🎉 🥂 🎈 🎊 🍻
"you guys go out there and have an eye opening week"
I didn't catch that. That's so gross!
@@robertgaines-tulsa he didn't actually say it in this video, but it's how he finishes every one of his videos on the main channel.
Don't make a liar out of me Joe!!! Make your eyes heal NOW!!!
LoL
Congrats on getting it done. I had it done nearly 2 years ago. For me, the smearyness\haziness took many months (8-10) to get to the point where it was diminished enough and my brain was used to it that I didn't notice it on a daily basis. As you said, lights at night made it really noticeable. I still notice it sometimes... mainly at night and if the air is dry. The other issue I had was my eyes just always felt dry, even with tons of drops. That also took many months to go away. Finally stopped carrying rewetting drops about 3 months ago. My eyes were about as bad as yours it seems and despite the after surgery issues I'm glad I did it. I was 40 when I had it done, 42 now and wanted a few years of no glasses at all before potentially needing reading glasses. I believe you mentioned a similar reason in one of your videos. Best advice I can give is be patient, give your eyes time to heal and brain time to get used to things. After all, they took the perfectly good and clear lens over your eye and sliced it open... no amount of technology will let that be done and create a perfectly smooth cut. So it will be a slow improvement in your vision for quite a while until you one day notice that you didn't think about a vision issue that day. Best of luck with the new peepers and hope they heal quicker than mine did!
Mine took a year to heal completely, too, but it was so worth it! Woke up the next morning and I could see! (Was really nearsighted) Lights at night were annoying for a while.
mine took like 2 months to be satisfactory to my brain, but i still feel like my left eye is a lil bit worse than the right one...
but I went the other method, the one that they scratch off all your protective layer instead of cutting it (it was a really significant price difference)
I've made it almost 2 years ago, and i dont feel any difficult to read at close or long distances, but each case is a case, the only thing is this difference between the eyes..
(and yeah, the lights, LED mainly are all distorced)
wow, first useful reply I've seen. good luck man
took about 2 months for my eyes to heal as well. Keep using those eye drops!
@@danielrock04 When I was going for my consultations before the surgery, they told me they wanted to leave my left eye slightly less corrected so it helped me retain my close up vision for longer before needing reading glasses. I refused and had them correct them both equally. Maybe this is something they did for you? Did they discuss it with you during pre surgery consultation?
Make a follow-up in the future!!!!
You: "*explains procedure*"
My eyes: "*watering, wincing, thankful for glasses*"
I have a really hard time putting in and wearing Contacts. The procedure was slightly traumatic (but no pain), but the it was done in 5 minutes. Well worth it even at my age
I was geeking out too much on the machine and the tech to worry about the process. I loved the experience.
I watched this thinking that maybe I would do the surgery but all I did was wince.
@@penni006 It is the best thing I have ever spent money on. The process for me was awesome! They made everything very chill and comfortable. Even if you have a little anxiety, it is over so fast that it won't matter. Like getting a shot.
I literally just thought to myself "Wow, my glasses prescription is spot on, I love them."
Now you have adult supervision.
Clearly a great joke ;)
@@blueredbrick there you go again, framing the issue to make a spectacle of yourself and hinge-ing on the rediculous. I guess the topic lens itself to such jokes, though. A prescription for sillyness, but amusing in hindsight, and especially needed after 20/20.
@@robertrebbe8010 I clearly see what you all did there
@@robertrebbe8010 did you just think of this as you were going along? Kinda clever ngl
Hey Joe, I got Lasik about 7 years ago now, best money I've ever spent! I too had some of the issues you're describing and they do go away, I still deal with halos around lights at night but not too bad. Something I imagine you'll start noticing is the freedom from worrying about glasses, no more worrying about them getting lost or damaged, having to have them near you all the time. Being able to wake up in the morning and just SEE, it's fantastic. I'm sure the issues you're having will subside.
Congratulations on taking the plunge.
Sounds like contacts at night, lights for me have large halos, my least favorite part of contacts.
I've always had the halos after my surgery in '97. You do get used to them, but not my favorite thing. It is the only bad thing about the surgery, but so worth it.
According to the FAA, you're 1 in 50 to still have halos more than 6 months after surgery.
www.faa.gov/pilots/safety/pilotsafetybrochures/media/lasereye_ii.pdf
hang on, i've not had laser eye surgery and i see halos at night. doesn't everyone?
Moonlighting reference, fully understand and watched it (when it aired)
I am very much in love with my vision. And the idea of something "cutting" them to fix them, freaks me the hell out!!! I don't know how people get the nerve to do the surgery. Just the thought of it makes my knees weak, and my stomach tries to make me hurl!! So more power to you!
I hope your vision clears up and everything is cool. Because if it did work for you, I may just have to go in and see if I can get it done myself.
well I had diopter around 6 so I couldn't see shit without my lenses, but with lenses any water related activity is a hazard where you might loose it, and you need to replace them, always thinking about it when you plan to go somewhere etc One day i said enough and did the thing.... best investment in my life. I also manmaged to checked how this whole things is done (not the greatest idea :D ) and I can guarantee that you are overimagining it (I was too), because my experience was that I got there, got some drops in my eyes, then laid down and looked at lights for a moment. Then they told me to sit and relax for few minutes and told me I could leave if I feel like it. It was over in like 20minutes since I got there.
I'm supremely grateful that I've long had the best vision in my family and that I've only started needing the cheap off-the-shelf reading glasses within the last few years. The thought of someone tampering with my eyes causes me enormous stress, and I genuinely don't think I could take the risk, however minimal it is purported to be.
I highly recommend it.
You can just get the one eye done and wait before deciding on the other.
I had double cataract surgery in December 2017, and had similar issues reading small print, and I still do, but I am 65 so ... old diabetic syndrome. I have taken to using the camera zoom feature of my phone to read small print, and it not only makes it bigger, but the low light feature makes it work great in low light conditions, such as restaurants (remember those). I think that your brain will compensate for the change, and your watch will become readable. It jyst takes time.
As someone who had LASIK a couple of years ago, I congratulate you. It can be scary, but but totally worth it.
I was almost blind without them, when showering, swimming, waking up.
It took me a while to recover from surgery. First days I could not focus in artificial light - reading by lamp light was a nightmare, focusing on a monitor for more that a minute was impossible. I was really worried, I earn my living on a computer! But it got better really fast. Lights at night were fuzzy for a lot longer, perhaps a year, but it doesn't really interfere with anything.
I was told not to touch my eyes and not to shower for 10 days, because chorine water should not get in the eyes at all. Artificial tears, wearing goggles at night so I don't touch them while sleeping or brush my eyes on the pillow. It was rough, but it passes. Dry eyes are still a thing, though. Waking up you have to wash them or they stay fuzzy.
Now I like to go out more! Before surgery I had really bad eyesight and being outside was just not enjoyable, now I see just fine and love the outdoors!
“I just had my eyes lasered and I can’t see my Apple Watch”
Rich people problems :P
Hang in there Joe! I had it done a few years ago, best choice I ever made!
Suddenly worked out why I like u
My husband talks about glasses and with such passion about things I never thought about
Great job Joe . Love the stories
I got Lasik in 2013, right before I turned 26. I had the halos for a long time after, and yeah, they did go away after a few weeks and never came back. My personal theory about the halos was that it was traces of how my eyes used to see - lights in the dark used to be giant and the halos were about the size it would be before.
I remember my instructions were to take 2 giant Xanaxes, one during the ride over and one right before. I had the laser cutting and it was a trip! Honestly a beautiful, unique sight to see.
Unfortunately a few years later my eyes changed again and I wear glasses now, but like you, I had crazy coke bottle lenses before. Glasses didn't look cute because they made my eyes so small... People thought I was on drugs a lot. 😅
I think I can say with honesty that even though my eyes changed after Lasik, they'll never be as bad as they were before. I'm sure your vision will clear soon!
I'm quite near-sighted (-4.75 diopters on both eyes) and getting to the age when other people start needing reading glasses. I'm so glad that I never got my vision corrected with LASIK (I was thinking about it). Being able to read something at any time even without glasses is much more important to me than being able to read signs outside without glasses.
I feel like you just made a new clone but gave him better eyes than you
@@lakshmiwillowrose5112 haha I’d have to agree
Great the new clone can SEE none of us actually do anything
@@lakshmiwillowrose5112 maybe he'll auction off a clone or 2 for charity 😁😁 ( clone seeking work, got fired by his self please help )
@@lakshmiwillowrose5112 it seems you have a channel, may I subscribe???
@@lakshmiwillowrose5112 well you don't have to be the internet police to expect proper manners, and respect from people, so yes I feel like before I enter your space I should respect you and ask first
I got LASIK done on 08/08/2008 and can't recall how long it took for all the effects to go away after the surgery but I quickly thought that it was the best thing I'd ever done! Good for you!
When younger went to an eye doctor appt with a friend with contacts. Doc was concerned with enlarged blood vessels due to extended wearing. That ruined me from ever considering contacts. The thought of willingly allowing my eyes to be cut, just sends shivers up my spine. I have had lots of stuff bounce off my glasses. Seems like a layer of protection. I guess I am happy wearing glasses every day. Hope your eyes clear up soon!
I did the PRK variant of this procedure mid-2020. Wish I had fixed my eyes years previously. Congrats on the new views!
The smeariness is because of the flap healing. They took a coherent material and cut it; there’s going to be diffraction. It’s slowish because that part of the eye isn’t vascular, so it takes time.
The near-focus thing is exactly what you described - you’re relearning how to use your eyes in a prompt/instinctual way.
Have no fear my dude. It’s gonna be great!
I had mine done January 2022. I could smell my eyes burning, it was the most metal thing ever 🤘🤘
My right eye didn't *do as well as the left and so I have the lifetime thing, I reached out and I'll find out Friday what they'll do. Apparently I have a "hell of a lot of cornea left" so if its up to me I'll have them redo the right. As it is I have 20/15 left and 20/25 right, your brain is a hell of a machine so I can see very well with both. So its all good.
Thanks for sharing, i've always been fuzzy about how lasik goes.
My LASIK in 2001 went great and lasted me years. Eventually my eyes changed and I had to get glasses again, but it got me through a period in my life where I had no money for healthcare or new glasses, which was great. (bought the surgery ahead of time knowing I was about to go into that kind of period in my life ... moving, going back to school, etc.)
Awesome! I had it done about 15 years ago. Best money I’ve ever spent. Being able to see clearly in the middle of the night, when I wake up randomly, is still a little surreal.
Hey Joe congrats on the new vision :) Give your brain a little time. It needs to adjust after all these years. The healing process isnt helping either but youll get there. Looking forward to hear from you when
I had lasik when I was 30, about a decade ago. I waited until after I'd gone for two years without my myopia getting any worse - although the myopia wasn't the reason I had it done. I also had astigmatism, so would have had to get prescription reading glasses instead of cheap off-the-shelf ones once I got old enough to need them, so lasik worked out cheaper in the long run. There was one other unexpected benefit though: I now have peripheral vision! I had got so used to not having clear peripheral vision that it actually weirded me out for a least a month afterwards.
Your experience of getting lasik done was soooo not the same as mine though. Local anaesthetic tends not to be as effective on me as it is on other people, so while I did get a double dose, I could still feel my eyeball being cut open. It was painful only in the same way that a scratch is painful, and lasted a few seconds per eye, but it's not something you forget. I didn't feel a thing when they were reshaping the cornea though. I got lucky with the post-procedure discomfort, as mine was mild compared to what some people experience. My eyes felt like they'd got sand in the for a couple of days, but weren't actually painful. Like you I had issues with focusing, but they cleared up in about a fortnight.
Thank-you, Joe, for putting yourself into my Human Zoo and being an all-around decent hoomin bean. I've been debating eye surgery since I heard of radial keratotomy (which is definitely done with a scalpel) in the eighties. Hearing your account of LASIK makes it seem not-so-bad. Maybe I'll do it someday...
Congratulations! I had it twenty years ago. It was a stressful fifteen-minute procedure (I never got contacts because I couldn't have my finger near my eye). But so great once it was done and healed. Once the healing settled, I spent a month trying to read everything as far away as possible. I'm now in my late forties and started needing the reading glasses a year ago. Dang, this getting old business.
Glade you had it done. I’m sure things will work itself out for you.
I had LASIK surgery 22 years ago using a blade to cut the flap. I had no issues except street lights had a halo around it for about 9-12 months. Also, I would catch myself for about 6 months trying to touch the bridge of my nose. A habit from pushing up my glasses.
I have myopia and my shape of my eyes has changed over the years and I do need to get a touch up surgery done.
I highly recommend LASIK to anyone interested and qualified with any vetted surgeon.
Lastly your near vision issues might not be completely related to the procedure alone. It’s probably compounded by your age. I think they call it “adult vision”. I call it “short arm disease”.
I've had lasik and, well, my dog is typing this. EYES OF FIRE!!!
Honestly Joe, you sound like you are doing quite well! I got Lasik done when I was 23 and it was quite a shock for me. My eyes were blurry for at least a week, I had to deliberately focus them to read and even then it would go in and out of focus like a drunk camera operator! It was two weeks before things got back to normal enough so I didn't need to manually focus my eyes every time I wanted to read something.
I'd strongly suggest you pick up a cheap pair of glasses like a +1.00 or +1.5 will probably work. Your eyes will continue to change but at least you will be able to read without asking someone to read for you! All the best!
Joe at one week out you will still be healing and adjusting to them. Trust me I had it done years and years ago and it took a few weeks to get to where I was going to be. You really wake up one day and go "oh yeah it is good now". Thanks for all you do and I wish you the best!
It will get better. The halos around headlight, for me, never went away. But even with this, being glasses free for 10 years has been wonderful. I do own vanity frames for those days I miss being a glasses wearer.
ive done just laser, not lasik (not cut my eye) about 5years ago and just agree with your friend saying "its going to be the best thing youve done"... the quality of life not wearing glasses and seeing normal is priceless. hope you get better soon and see the world crystal clear. advise from me: keep your glasses and put some glas with blue filter (just for eye protection in front of screens for long pc sessions, keeping you more relaxed) and always (later on i mean) whenever you feel your eyes stressed, blurry vision, at nghts, on hot days etc have and use teardrops, your eyes will thank you for it. and yes your brain has to syncronise to your new vision thats a fact. all the love from greece
I have all the same concerns. I’ve enjoyed my nearsighted superpowers my whole life. I’ll be getting lasik this year. Looking forward to hearing how it is once things clear up.
I think I would really miss my near focus abilities.
I had my cateracts done back in 2000. I sure don't miss wearing those heavy glasses. And yes, I remember the halo effect around the lights in my peripheral vision.
Best advice I can give you is to make sure you use all the drops as prescribed. My grandmother failed to do that with her second eye surgery and she ended up going blind in that eye.
I seriously appreciate this. I've been considering it for a while but never pulled the trigger. Still don't know if I will, but this helps. Please give us another update at some point.
It sounds like you didn't have the blade-less LASIK, or at least not the same version as mine. When I had the procedure, it was like the main correction laser where I could see the ring of bubbles formed by the laser perforating the cornea to create the flap.
That's what so fascinated me about the experience, was that it was the only chance I would ever get to feel a sense changing in real time. Hearing, smell, taste, everything else needs to go through healing first, and your knocked out for the procedure; but here I experienced my sight changing in discrete, quantized amounts. One of the best experiences of my life so far.
That feeling of "missing" them goes away after a bit. Got LASIK a few years ago myself and felt the same way.
Please keep us updated. As the technology improves, they are getting closer and closer to being able to correct my vision this way and I want to know everything about what to expect.
Congrats!!! I’ve always held that getting my eyes zapped was my second best investment
I get your reason for feeling like your vision is your identity. I have the same thought about my own vision. I am near-sighted and have been for 25 years. Your brave for doing this very terrifying, life-changing thing.
Got mine done in 1998 (32 years old) during the infancy of the whole process. I remember the doctor using a 386 SX computer to do the calculations. First few months had me concerned with the haziness and starburst at night, but over 20 years later things are great. I needed reading glasses at 40 but at 54 I don't anymore except for extremely tiny print. Very pleased with the results.
I had LASIK done over 10 years ago. What you are describing is exactly the same experience i had. There will be a couple months of fluctuation in your vision. It's scary, but you shouldn't worry. It's just so easy to freak out about every little vision change as you heal. After 10 years, my vision is still 20/20. Last time I went to the eye doc, she told me to get out of her office because i have perfect vision.
Didn't notice half the things before you mentioned! Love you for you, Joe, glasses or not.
Nothing like waking up at 4am to a joe video. Congrats on the eye surgery, hope it goes well.
My wife had similar vision growing up. Very thick glasses. Her stigmatism was very bad. She had RK (1988) done. She Had 8 cuts per eye twice which was the limit. She was so grateful not to need glasses to see. Fast forward, she does need reading glasses now but does not regret getting them fixed.
Be patient. Things will settle. Agree with Greg. You’ll be happy with it. Btw, I saw halos for about 6 months b/c apparently my eyes tend to be dry and and the LASIK exacerbated it. But even that eventually went away. So, don’t worry. You did well.
Wishing you a successful, rapid, miraculous recovery and the best vision you’ve ever have that will last you for the rest of your life. All the blessings of eye health and peaceful recovery. ✌🏼❤️❤️❤️❤️
I’m happy for you, Joe. I’ve been fortunate that my own sight isn’t bad enough to need glasses most of the time, but I’ve had to rely on reading glasses more often over the past several years. It’s comforting to hear how much optical corrective surgery has improved recently.
I would need so much valium to do this
Valium. Xanax. A shot & a beer. Bottle of NyQuil. Two doobies. And a loaded gun.
You’d have to point the gun at me to get me into that LASIK chair!
Nope. Nope. Nope. A whole train full of nope!
Good luck Joe. My knees were getting weak just listening to you.
They give you a bunch of anti anxiety meds before hand lol. Plus the whole thing only takes like 5 minutes and you can't see what's happening
They don’t make enough Valium for me to get this done
@@CapinCooke CapinCooke, Can I sign on as one of your crew? 😅❤️
@@happyviewer4872 Absolutely you can join my crew. Bring an extra big bottle of NyQuil and we will definitely “sail away”.
Cheers 🍻
Not a fan of Lasik as I said in my comment before you had it done, but now that it is done I wish for the best possible outcome and a long, long run without complications. Keep us posted.
The focus on the green point also freaked me out. I got PRK done, similar to Lasik, a few years ago. Best money I have spend ever!.
The oasis tear for the eye are really really important.
There are UA-cam vídeos of the procedure, I only checked them after, of course. It's interesting to see it from the outside.
Best money I ever spent. Suggest getting a copy of the records for the corrections. If you need cataract surgery at some point, it may make it easier for them to know precisely how to replace a lense.
It's about time... FINALLY! Welcome to the 2-eyes club (you can turn in your 4-eyes membership card now). You will miss the micro-vision, but you will enjoy life much better now.
I got PRK(very similar operation) about 7 years ago. Best decision ever! Before I was so blind I couldn't see how many fingers I had up if I extended my hand. The first three days I had to keep my eyes closed and pretty much audiobooked the entire time. The next week was the worst because my vision was so much better than before but everything was so blurry I could hardly look at a computer screen and I was used to having great vision using my glasses.
The next month it fluctuated a lot, and over 4 months it would fluctuate between very good and alright. After that I had 2020 vision for about 6 years. Now I have glasses again, but for such a minor prescription it mainly is to help me drive at night. My operation only took about 3 minutes per eye, and the worst part was the cold saline solution they used when it was done. Everything was numb except I could feel cold on the back of my eye. Not a comfortable feeling.
I have the same vision that you had. I call my close-up vision my “x-ray vision” and I would TOTALLY miss it if I got lasik!! I LOVE having a super-power and will wear glasses forever rather than give that up!!
Being curious I asked my wife about this who is 6 years in and she said now everything is like that... Results obviously may vary but some food for thought.
What do you use the "x-ray vision" for??
@@robertf6409 I only use my powers for good!
I totally understand the anxiety with the unknown length of the process of healing. Especially on something as important as your eyes. I think you're doing a great job just taking it one day at a time and being honest with yourself and your doctors about your concerns. Looking forward to your next update. Especially regarding how you feel identity wise once you do have that perfect vision.
I have done SMILE last year and it's the best money ever spent. The procedures were similar to LASIK but without the need of "opening the lid". Seemed to be much faster recovery - perfect vision after the surgery and able to see computer screens the next day. I was back to work after 1 week of chilling out at home
Aww, you looked terrified in the car shot. Glad it went well. Give us updates. I have wanted to get it done for decades. Still can't go forward.
I was near sighted and had Lasik done too (on Nov 30 2020). After the procedure I struggled to read my phone and close up for like 2-3 weeks. It's better now, but not as good as before surgery. My distance vision is still not 20/20 though. My doctor told me to wait up to 3 months and see how my eyes heal. Now I put in drops regularly to keep them hydrated. I hope both our visions get clear and sharp. Good luck!
I haven't had Lasik surgery, but I have had two eye surgeries. I was born cross-eyed and had corrective surgery when I was five. They over corrected, so I was then wall-eyed. At 13, I got contact lenses, and that helped. When 18, my left eye had pointed way out, so I again had corrective surgery. They got close, but no cigar, so I quit wearing my left contact. It was easier to ignore the (then close) second image when blurry than it was when it was in focus. Obviously, you have worn corrective lenses with a negative diopter. Mine is a STRONG positive diopter - a +7 to be exact. Literally, strong magnifiers. I used my backup glasses as magnifiers when I was working with very tiny work. I wish you all the luck, and am mildly jealous that you will now be free of glasses Joe - LOL.
I had it done 4 years ago (after wearing glasses and contacts for about 28 years) and had the same experience as you. It was a real rollercoaster for a couple of weeks.
It got better and I really started enjoying SEEING, then I relapsed to "man this is bad" then slowly the good phases took over the bad.
Now it's all good, but even after all these years there are still better and worse days.. which is strange.
Also, my night vision went down to about 60% I can hardly focus at night, but especially bad in dusk (but they said it is a trade off for the procedure)
All in all I don't regret having it done at all. Wouldn't go back for nothing.
Congrats Joe! I have seriously bad eyes too and have to spend lots of money for the special lenses.
I have an incredibly dense cataract in my left eye from the trauma of getting hit in the eye with a dart when I was about 4. I've been told plenty of times that Lasik won't help me.
Had it done years ago.. worried that I was going to have so many issues since one place said they wouldn't do it because I could go blind because of a thinning issue with my retina. Went to another place with better testing and they approved me after weeks of testing. Had it done and they ended up giving me 3 xanax before the procedure took place.
1. Use the tears religiously
2. Don't worry about healing... just don't rub your eyes ever, and tell your optometrist if you experience any issues
3. It takes months for everything to click, but when it does it makes the whole experience worth every penny you spent.
Just had my 3 year checkup and my vision hasn't changed from the almost 20/20 I had months after. Best thing I ever did for myself, and I wonder why I ever worried. Biggest plus for me is that allergy season is no longer an issue with being forced to wear glasses and feel horrible from my eyes constantly watering. I wake up in the morning and I can instantly see... it's still the strangest thing after 3 years.
For those who are thinking of having the procedure done. Do it, but make sure you look for the best... look at reviews for different places and compare prices. Your eye sight is something you can never replace so don't think about going cheap.
For months after my LASIK, I found myself trying to adjust my glasses on my face, only to find they were missing. I guess that was a busy habit I had and didn't realize until they were gone.
3 years past and I occasionally try to push my glasses up.
All I can think about is the gash it cut in your eye for the procedure....and the brush of the flap on the eyeball. *cringe*
Thankfully I got my dad's eyes...and have never needed glasses.
Congrats on enduring the procedure and the recovery. I wish for you many years of great sight.
to each their own, once this guy took mud and spit and rubbed it into my eyes and my vision seems to be much better after that.
do make sure to go to your follow up appointments sometimes they make mistakes and need to make corrections after my dad and my friend both had to have secondary surgeries to correct after their first.
Joe, I had it done in 2015 and got a lifetime warranty on the procedure meaning I could get corrections as needed. Turns out they didn't get an astigmatism corrected and my night vision was terrible, so I went in for a correction. They didn't re-cut the flap! They just ripped it open and redid the laser reshaping. That one part hurt worse than absolutely anything else about the procedure. Eventually the haziness and difficulty focusing up close will go away, but it took almost a month for me.
Best decision you will ever make. I wore glasses for almost 30 years. Fear stopped me from getting laser eye surgery for 20 years. I dont regret it one bit. Good choice. Had it done over 10 years ago.
When I was in California I worked for a time as a technician for both of those devices they used. The one holds the eye in place with suction while a little blade slices across. And the other one is the laser. There are some really advanced technology in laser eye surgery.
I had a close-up issue to begin with. Don’t get the glasses yet and let your eyes adapt, you’ll get there.
Congratulations for doing the hard part! And try cutting onions, you’ll find you don’t cry, which is nice.
Please do a follow-up video. I have had glasses since I was 8 and I'm 35 now. My eyes get worse every time i see the Dr. I want to get the surgery but I've always thought that it would only make my eyes better instead of actually helping completely. Plus there's always the fear thing. Thanks for sharing your experience and hopefully there will be a follow-up video.
Been 13 years since I had my Lasik. The haziness cleared in less than 2 week. But what remains lifelong is the dryness of the eyes. If the eye dries, then there is some haziness in the vision. So I have continued to use the tear replacement (Alcon Tears Naturale II) about once of twice a day. As for reading glasses, its only now I have started using them. Agreed with the assessment, it is the one of the best decision.
I had quite high powered glasses and had been wearing them since single digit age, so I was quite worried something might go wrong. Took the decision after my glasses was swept away in the sea on a vacation and I was driving (my wife did not drive at that time) and had to drive though the city hunting for a optician who would give me glasses in a day; me driving and my wife guiding me.
The cutting process has changed, in my case I remember a small round silver colored stainless steel surgical knife attached to machine rotating at a very high speed that cut a layer off cornea (with tiny part attached). I could see it coming down on the eye. The eyes were held open with eye speculum (mine was made of steel and not transparent plastic). The pulling back and putting back of the cornea flap was managed by special shaped tweezers handled by the doctor. The brush you mention was to smoothen the flap of cornea put back post the laser procedure. .
The key precaution to take is not to touch or rub the eyes for more than a month, otherwise the flap on the cornea develops wrinkles and spoil the vision. Had a patient before me undergoing corrective surgery to recover from that problem.
My suggestion to all, go for it. It quite liberating; not only not using glasses, but also the clarity of the peripheral vision and absence of the distortion that the glasses introduce (specially if you have any cylindrical power like I had).
A video truly worthy of this Channel's name
Without rummaging around your comments, I had LASIK 22 years ago when I was 37, and at the time it was relatively a new procedure. Like you, I was myopic with astigmatism (20/400 vision, or legally blind) which made the glasses like coke-bottle bottoms, and I had to start wearing them when I was in the 3rd grade. At the time in 1998, insurance didn't cover any part of the $4,500 ($2,250 per eye) so it was all out of pocket, but within months it became the best thing I had ever spent such money on. :)
However, come 6 to 8 weeks after the surgery, I was still around 20/60, and this was unacceptable to me having spent that much money to expecting 20/20, so I had to go back for an additional lasering, but just days later my vision was at 20/15. It stayed that way until I was around 50, and now I only need bifocals to read very small print.
So, since you are just days into the healing process, give it a few weeks for the corneas to completely heal, and enjoy the beauty for the rest of your life! ;-)
Hi Joe, I had exactly the same 'artifacts' as you describe. (I also felt odd about my glasses. I had them turned into sunglasses!) The artifacts went away gradually over a few weeks. The halo's around lights are still there a year later but hugely diminished. It's no worse than when I wore glasses now. I also thought I would need reading glasses but so far, no need. I think it took a few month to train my brain. My wife followed me after about 6 months and she is also extremely happy!
It's an interesting choice - I'm the same: short sighted but I don't want to lose the near vision and then be searching everywhere for reading glasses 🤣. I'd rather search for my distance glasses. Hope it settles down well and you get all the improvements you wish for!
I did the surgery 20 years ago here in Colombia, and the experience was the same for me... the most traumatic part is the opening of the cornea... you said flap... is really scary, but I didn't have much paint or haziness after the procedure, but my vision wasn't 20/20 (the correction was +0.5 not so bad... but not 20/20 as promised), so when I complain to the doctor he said he'll do a correction surgery... I said, "now that I think about it... I like to use glasses..." I was too scared to do the procedure again... that was my experience, but lots of people I know had no issues after the surgery... Joe, I feel your pain... please relax and try to be patient, everything is going to be OK...
I had lasik done in 2003 and it was wonderful! The haziness was gone in just a few days. I only missed two things from my pre-lasik days: being able to see super-clearly things very close and the cool, refreshing feelings of putting in my contacts in the morning.
I believe you’re very conscious of every little thing at this time but give your eyes a chance to heal.
Your experience is similar to mine. In a month you will be back to normal. Give it time. Best thing I EVER did for myself.
The haziness will go away. Over the next couple weeks while your eyes heal your vision will fluctuate. But it will eventually go away. Nothing to worry about. Just take a breath. As for the reading glasses, just give it time to heal first. I am 42 and I got lasik years ago. I might need reading glasses soon, but that is to be expected at our age lol. Yes, the itchiness is healing, but DO NOT rub your eyes lol. Your friend is right, give it a couple weeks and you will love it. I had the same worries when I got mine done and all is well.
I had LASIK 14 years ago and my experiences are similar to your own. The worst part of the surgery was when the machine comes down and puts a bunch of pressure on your eyeball. I couldn't fell anything but that pressure was just such an odd experience. I did take the nap they recommended and when I woke up everything looks blurry and nasty. I had a panic moment where I thought, "What have I done?" but things returned to a haziness a few minutes later. It took about 2 weeks for me to get everything cleared up. After that happened everything returned to normal and I no longer needed glasses. I saw perfectly clear at all distances. Now at 45 I find that to read short distances I need some time for things to focus. My optometrist told me that's a combination of the LASIK and age. Most of my life is in the middle to long distance being a software engineer. I'm also an avid ready so if I intended on doing some reading I try to set at least an hour aside to do so. I can read but for for the first 5 minutes or so things are just blurry that it's a bit annoying. Then without noticing (like when you have a headache and take some Tylenol) everything seems to clear up. I don't know if my brain is just getting used to the blurry or my eyes actually adjust.
Thanks for your experience sharing as the first person to tell the whole story. So nw I know that the many people who came to work post surgery could not read emails or even tell who coworkers were until 3’ away. The curtain is pulled back, 20 years later 🤔
Yeah, I got LASIK about 3 years ago. It took me about a month or two before the blurry part went away. My eyes used to be really itchy at first, but now they are only somewhat itchy.
Just keep using those eye drops, they were the best help for me!
I have a friend who had it done back in the 1980s. She was at the point where they were telling her that if she didn't have it done she would be uncorrectable soon. I have another friend who had it done in the 1990's because she had no peripheral vision. They both now still need correction, but they are both now in their 60s. I had someone suggest I should get it. I informed them that they would never do it on me because my vision was too good. However, for the last 15 to 17 years I have gone out of my prescription distance glasses and into readers. I have readers everywhere, my desk, 3 by my bed, 1 in the kitchen, 2 in my wife's room, 1 in the bathroom, 1 in my purse, with another in a bag I carry with what I'm reading right now. I have a stronger pair at my desk to craft with and about 4 more spares in my desk drawers (in case any get lost or broken.) Ahhh, the joys of getting old!
I got in 2013, it took like 2 to 3 weeks to really feel comfortable and it kept getting better and better after that, not as noticeably as the first weeks but I'll say I got an extra 5% in the next two months. Don't overthink it, it's still healing after the surgery, just do your drops and take it easy
Thanks for this. I've been thinking about LASIK as well and this helps!
Joe, my vision after standard lasik steadily improved, it took a month for hazy / light halo symptoms to subside and 2+ months for my near vision to improve so I can read my watch face well at 12". It's been 2 years now, I have 20/20 vison beyond 2' and can read with slight blurriness at 1.5'. So, I bought some readers from dollar tree, 2.25 for close up book / phone reading and 1.25 for computer work. At $1 each buy several pairs and leave them conviently where you need them.
I had Lazik done in 2018, in my case they took both my crystalins out and replaced them with multi-depths presbyopia toric lenses. Took a while to get the result I expected, but now, I am extremely satisfied, so don’t loose hope, Will get there too!
I found that the blurriness after Lasik was very similar to being on acid. Not as in having hallucinations but how much light is let into your eye (probably because your pupils get dialated).
The effect you are talking about is called haloing. I found that it was very pronounced when looking at a light source in a low light or dark environment. I found it really hard to see in a really dark environment and a very bright light source. The haloing does go away over time.
Make sure to stay up on the drops. That's critical to the healing.
I got a good 20 years mileage out of my surgery before i had to buy glasses again, but then i got mine when i was younger because i like you had maxed out conventional lenses, was having issues with my contacts, and wanted to be able actually have intimate relations with females. :)
Good luck!
There are muscles in your eyes that pull on the lenses to change your focus. Possibly your eye muscles are getting used to having to work to focus and your brain has to get used to it. So that delay in being able to focus could be just that. As many of us work on computers these days and focus close up, it is good to look up and focus on a distant object and back to nearby one and repeat a few times to keep those muscles active. I'm not a doctor so this is in no way professional advice but I have worked on computers and in darkrooms for years (well... dark rooms are kind of a thing of the past now) and that has helped me. I've just been wearing contacts for years and have been fine with that. Best of luck.
I only got mild smeariness after the procedure which cleared just a few days after but what was more problematic for me was ghosting. If there is a white dot on a black screen, I would see 3-4 dots instead of one. This is clearly directly related to the unevenness of my cornea and so it was a good indication of how the cornea healed...and I can confirm, it does take a long time! I remember my vision still changing 3 months after the procedure! I’d say, be patient, it does definitely get better with time. From my experience, give it a month before judging anything. By that time I’d say your vision would have converged to 90% of the final status.
Also, don’t be bummed out if you have to get a correction - it is actually quite common especially for people with strong myopia. You have to imagine, a significant chunk of your cornea is removed and so your eyes need to heal quite significantly and because the bruise is large, the randomness of the healing process is much more variant than if the patient had a smaller bruise. The doctor has to preempt this (my doctor said he had to deliberately put in an overshoot and let the healing process correct back my vision) and of course the healing process varies patient to patient and each patient ‘feels’ optimum vision at different numbers (I ended up having to be slightly long-sightedness to ‘feel’ optimum) so you can imagine it is very easy for one’s particular case to not become the ‘normal’ case.
I was -7.00 ish before the procedure and I had to correct my left eye once and my right eye a further 3 times! Not saying this to scare you, but to let you know that it is very possible and very normal for further corrections to be applied. The corrections I did include further near-sightedness and also polishing of my cornea since my natural healing process didn’t end up with a nice smooth surface (which caused the ghosting).
However, after all of that, I can report that I am very happy with my vision now :D It is without doubt by far the best thing that has happened to me. So don’t worry, it will eventually be fine! Just don’t expect everything to be fantastic within the first week.
Hope everything gets better and you get the vision you want sooner rather than later! Look forward to following your progress!
Wishing you all the best for a quick healing mate ❤️✌️
I’m surprised you had your eyes open so quickly - when I got mine done they recommended keeping them closed for 24hrs except for putting the drops in. I had bladeless, no way I’d do it with a blade cutting my eyes. I thought it was a very cool procedure - they took a retina print of my eye as part of the pre-work, and then when the operation comes the machine checks to confirm the eyes match before it makes any adjustments, as a safety check.
I had mine done about 15 years ago, and my eyes have started to decline a tiny bit with age, as expected. I totally agree though that once they’re all healed and adjusted you’ll be so amazed, it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.
I had Lasik a little over a year ago, but I got monovision (dominant eye tuned for distance, the other tuned for reading). I will say this, at our age (I assume you are about my age), healing took way longer than I ever anticipated. It got a micro-little-bit better every day though. To be honest the first two weeks was an experiment in my patience. I would say after a month my reading eye was great, but I don't think my distance eye got good until after 8 months. Even now I have 20/20 vision, but I still have less than a half diopter of astigmatism in my distance eye. At about the 3 month mark, I got some glasses just for driving at night. While I don't really *have* to wear my glasses, I like to wear them for night and day driving because it makes everything "crisper". All I am saying is this, those people that say they walked out of the Lasik office and their eyesight was perfect, are outliers. Everyone heals at a different rate, in my case, each of my eyes even healed at different rates. Be patient. :)
good on you looking good ,and i particularly like your sense of humor in your videos 📹👍
Don't stress, everything you're dealing with is normal. My vision was a little funky for the first few weeks after my surgery as well. It'll get better.
“One of them slices the eye hehe.” Super Joe
Ok. 2021 confession- I have a huge phobia of people sticking things in or doing things to my head holes. I just know for a fact that poking n prodding with any instruments in any of those is going to be VERY uncomfortable at least and excruciating at worst. As a kid I got a large pice of metal stuck IN my eyeball. After they removed it they had to drill out the hole it left because the salt in tears made it rust in the hour in was in there. So teeth drilling horror noise, and eye forced open to watch the madness. It was a torture chamber for an 11yr old.
So your eye surgery? I’m triggered as all getout and think you’re even cooler than I already thought you were because you were able to sit through that hell and lived to tell the tale!
Happy 2021 Joe to you and the fam!
🎉 🥂 🎈 🎊 🍻