After years of saying I’d consider it “one day,” last year at my annual eye exam, I asked the optometrist if she thought I would be eligible for LASIK.  I was pleased when she told me that she thought I’d be an excellent candidate, based on my age and vision.  She recommended a few different places in the area. My prescription hadn’t really changed in 4 years, so I made an appointment for a consult at UCLA.

Six months later (yesterday), I had the actual procedure.  So far, I’m really excited by the results.

Reasons why I chose to do it:
* Contacts are fine for me on a day-to-day basis, but I have a tough time with them while traveling. I do not wear contact lenses on planes, and I have suffered from extreme light sensitivity and irritation in areas with a lot of air pollution (think Mexico City).
* I have read recommendations from other patients and from doctors, advising that if it’s something that you want to do, you shouldn’t put it off. Since most people will probably need reading glasses after middle age, you’ll enjoy the greatest benefit (i.e., glasses-free time) if you get the surgery in your 20s or early 30s.
* I use Clear Care solution, which I highly recommend for sensitive eyes. However, if you take out your contacts, they must sit in the solution for 4-6 hours until the solution becomes neutralized. This means it’s really inconvenient to take them out to nap or for any short period of time.
* I have two friends who had LASIK in the last year or two, both about my age with similar eyesight to mine. Both highly recommended it and had excellent results.

What I thought of the process:
* Everyone at UCLA was incredibly nice and very professional. All of the tests beforehand seemed very thorough, and I felt comfortable throughout the procedure. The surgeon spoke through the entire process, which was very helpful to me, as it’s disconcerting to be lying on a table with something in your eye and your vision obstructed. There are a lot of less expensive options out there, but this is not something that I would choose to skimp on.

As of this morning, I was able to read most of the letters on the 20/20 line, which I have not been able to do since I was 8 years old!  My vision should change/stabilize over the next few weeks, and I’ll go back next month for a follow-up visit.