Saturday, September 30, 2006
A few details about the procedure
I arrived at the TLC clinic around 9:40 am, Thursday morning. Somehow, I managed to remain fairly calm the entire morning, maybe because I had to focus on driving through Toronto rush hour traffic. My girlfriend was with me, she was driving us home.
I walked into a fairly busy waiting room. Iwas surprised at homw many people were there, as it wasn't so busy when I went for my consultation the previous Friday.
After a few minutes of waiting, they called me into an office. I filled out some paperwork and paid in full up front. I then went back out in toe waiting room with my girlfreind where I waited another twenty mintues or so.
A woman with dark, wrap around sunglasses walked out of a room being guided by a nurse to a man in the waiting room "Where's your white cane?" he asked. "I can see," the woman replied. That made myself and some other patients in the waiting room very relieved.
Another 15 niutes and I was called up again. I looked at my girlfriend, said wish me luck, and walked off with the nurse.
She took me to another waiting room. This room at five green recliners on one side of it, and four padded wooden chairs on the other. I sat on a wooden chair. The people in the recliners were the ones that were next up for the surgery. We were all pretty nervous sitting there waiting. We talked about why were going through with it, and talked about our nervousness. Soon after, a you girl was guided into the room by a nurse. She was told to sit there with her eyes closed for twenty minutes while wearing the supplied dark wrap around sunglasses. We asked her how it went, and she siad it went well. We later found out that this girl actually passed out just before the procedure, but that's because whe was extremley squimish.
When she came in, another guy was taken into the operating room. We wish him luck. A new person came into the waiting room and sat down beside me. Not even ten minutes later, the guy who was taken away was back. "That was nothing!" he said. Again, very good for the rest of us to hear.
The young girl was given some eye drops by the nurse, and then she was taken out to the waiting room to see her parents.
That's when I was moved over to her chair.
I sat there for a minute or soon, when I was called out to talk to the surgeon. He examined my eyes, looked at my chart, and told me he was 100% comfortable performing either PRK or LASIK on my eyes, which was great to hear because I was a little nervous about LASIK after what I was previously told before. I made my decision to go with LASIK and was sent back to my cushy green chair. Just a bit more waiting to go.
I arrived at the TLC clinic around 9:40 am, Thursday morning. Somehow, I managed to remain fairly calm the entire morning, maybe because I had to focus on driving through Toronto rush hour traffic. My girlfriend was with me, she was driving us home.
I walked into a fairly busy waiting room. Iwas surprised at homw many people were there, as it wasn't so busy when I went for my consultation the previous Friday.
After a few minutes of waiting, they called me into an office. I filled out some paperwork and paid in full up front. I then went back out in toe waiting room with my girlfreind where I waited another twenty mintues or so.
A woman with dark, wrap around sunglasses walked out of a room being guided by a nurse to a man in the waiting room "Where's your white cane?" he asked. "I can see," the woman replied. That made myself and some other patients in the waiting room very relieved.
Another 15 niutes and I was called up again. I looked at my girlfriend, said wish me luck, and walked off with the nurse.
She took me to another waiting room. This room at five green recliners on one side of it, and four padded wooden chairs on the other. I sat on a wooden chair. The people in the recliners were the ones that were next up for the surgery. We were all pretty nervous sitting there waiting. We talked about why were going through with it, and talked about our nervousness. Soon after, a you girl was guided into the room by a nurse. She was told to sit there with her eyes closed for twenty minutes while wearing the supplied dark wrap around sunglasses. We asked her how it went, and she siad it went well. We later found out that this girl actually passed out just before the procedure, but that's because whe was extremley squimish.
When she came in, another guy was taken into the operating room. We wish him luck. A new person came into the waiting room and sat down beside me. Not even ten minutes later, the guy who was taken away was back. "That was nothing!" he said. Again, very good for the rest of us to hear.
The young girl was given some eye drops by the nurse, and then she was taken out to the waiting room to see her parents.
That's when I was moved over to her chair.
I sat there for a minute or soon, when I was called out to talk to the surgeon. He examined my eyes, looked at my chart, and told me he was 100% comfortable performing either PRK or LASIK on my eyes, which was great to hear because I was a little nervous about LASIK after what I was previously told before. I made my decision to go with LASIK and was sent back to my cushy green chair. Just a bit more waiting to go.
I can' beleive how well this procedure has worked. Three days ago, I could barely read my monitor without my glasses due to my astigmatism. Now, I'm typing this just fine! I have 20/20 vision, and it's only the second day after my procedure. I'm taking a variety of eye drops right now and wearing safety glasses so that I don't inadverntenlty touch my eye, something I can't do for at least four days. My cornea has to heal up first, it can still be displaced right now, which would completley mess up my vision. I'm VERY happy with the results and can't beleive how nervous I was going in.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
I can see. It's incredible, but I can see.
More on this tomorrow.
More on this tomorrow.
I can see. It's incredible, but I can see.
More on this tomorrow.
More on this tomorrow.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Tomorrow is the big day. The day that I allow a surgeon to cut into my corneas with a laser and gently reshape the curvature of my eyes. Yikes!
I'm a little nervous about the whole process, but at the same time excited. It will be nice to be free of my glasses. If the surgery is that successful. They have given me plenty of paperwork saying that results are not guaranteed, and that I might still need to wear glasses after the procedure. A scary thought considering how much this is costing me, but the odds are in my favor. Most people come out of this with very favorable results.
The other thing that is making me nervous about this, is that I've found a few negative websites out there in the past few days. Websites that tell of permanent damage done to peoples eyes from LASIK, and I even saw one of the ads on this website warning against LASIK.
LASIK apparently has more surgical risks than PRK due to the creation of a corneal flap, but has a much faster healing time.
In less than 14 hours, I'll be heading to TLC and preparing for my surgery. Wish me luck!
I'm a little nervous about the whole process, but at the same time excited. It will be nice to be free of my glasses. If the surgery is that successful. They have given me plenty of paperwork saying that results are not guaranteed, and that I might still need to wear glasses after the procedure. A scary thought considering how much this is costing me, but the odds are in my favor. Most people come out of this with very favorable results.
The other thing that is making me nervous about this, is that I've found a few negative websites out there in the past few days. Websites that tell of permanent damage done to peoples eyes from LASIK, and I even saw one of the ads on this website warning against LASIK.
LASIK apparently has more surgical risks than PRK due to the creation of a corneal flap, but has a much faster healing time.
In less than 14 hours, I'll be heading to TLC and preparing for my surgery. Wish me luck!
Friday, September 22, 2006
Today was my first trip to the TLC laser centre. First off, I just have to say how friendly every one there was. They really made me feel comfortable while talking about the procedure and completing the various tests and checks on my eyes.
First up, I looked into a machine one eye at a time that had a triangle of red lines in it. This was the machine that actually scanned my eye. The red lines would move around and twist as it took in the surface of my eye.
I blinked a few times, which made us have to start over again, but it was a totally painless process.
I looked in a few other machines, each one performing a different task and measuring a different trait of my eye. After this, I went on to see the optometrist there. She went over my results from the tests, and the results from my exam with my eye doctor.
She put some drops in my eyes and used an instrument to measure the thickness of my cornea, a crucial step as the thickness of your cornea determines whether or not you are a candidate for LASIK at all. She told me that I am a candidate for both LASIK and PRK. I have to decide which process I'd rather have done.
After that, I went and talked with another person who went over my options, the cost of the procedure, filled out some paper work and answered my questions.
All in all, it was a great day, and my procedure is booked for next Thursday. They told me that I will meet the surgeon that day, choose which procedure I would like to have done, and then have my eyes corrected.
They told me the whole process will take between 2 and 3 hours, with only about 20 minutes of actual surgery.
I have to do some more research now to determine which method I would like to use for my eyes.
First up, I looked into a machine one eye at a time that had a triangle of red lines in it. This was the machine that actually scanned my eye. The red lines would move around and twist as it took in the surface of my eye.
I blinked a few times, which made us have to start over again, but it was a totally painless process.
I looked in a few other machines, each one performing a different task and measuring a different trait of my eye. After this, I went on to see the optometrist there. She went over my results from the tests, and the results from my exam with my eye doctor.
She put some drops in my eyes and used an instrument to measure the thickness of my cornea, a crucial step as the thickness of your cornea determines whether or not you are a candidate for LASIK at all. She told me that I am a candidate for both LASIK and PRK. I have to decide which process I'd rather have done.
After that, I went and talked with another person who went over my options, the cost of the procedure, filled out some paper work and answered my questions.
All in all, it was a great day, and my procedure is booked for next Thursday. They told me that I will meet the surgeon that day, choose which procedure I would like to have done, and then have my eyes corrected.
They told me the whole process will take between 2 and 3 hours, with only about 20 minutes of actual surgery.
I have to do some more research now to determine which method I would like to use for my eyes.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Yesterday I went to the eye doctor for my first real consultation.
It was a little freaky at first. He put drops in my eyes to fully dialate them so he could look inside and make sure everything was healthy. The drops burned a little bit when he first put them in, but it went away after a minute or so.
The freaky part was the next set up drops he put in my eyes. They made them go numb so I couldn't feel anything, which is good because he placed something on my eyes to test the pressure. All I could feel was him holding my eyelid open, and all I could see was a blue light from this thing. Apparently, my eyes have a pressure of 14 (whatever that means) which is normal.
They need to check this because they check the pressure again after the surgery to make sure everything is healing well.
When I left the office, I had a bit of trouble focusing on things up close due to my eyes being fully dialated. Reading was near impossible.
I take my first trip to TLC on Friday. They'll do their full consultation, and then I'll know for sure if I'm a candidate for this or not. My eye doctor says it should be no problem.
It was a little freaky at first. He put drops in my eyes to fully dialate them so he could look inside and make sure everything was healthy. The drops burned a little bit when he first put them in, but it went away after a minute or so.
The freaky part was the next set up drops he put in my eyes. They made them go numb so I couldn't feel anything, which is good because he placed something on my eyes to test the pressure. All I could feel was him holding my eyelid open, and all I could see was a blue light from this thing. Apparently, my eyes have a pressure of 14 (whatever that means) which is normal.
They need to check this because they check the pressure again after the surgery to make sure everything is healing well.
When I left the office, I had a bit of trouble focusing on things up close due to my eyes being fully dialated. Reading was near impossible.
I take my first trip to TLC on Friday. They'll do their full consultation, and then I'll know for sure if I'm a candidate for this or not. My eye doctor says it should be no problem.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Found this cool little animation while looking around on Digg. You can type in any text you want, and this little ninja will carve it out with his katana. Though it was pretty cool. If you'd like to use it on your website, message board or blog, click on the link below and it will take you to the website to make your own. Very cool.
Ninja Text Generator
Ninja Text Generator
Friday, September 15, 2006
I received a package from TLC in the mail. It contains couple of brochures, some information on the different types of procedures, and a bio of the doctor who will be performing my procedure. It all adds up to make me feel very comfortable about the everything. Oh yes, and the one brochure has Tiger Woods on it. Apparently he was a TLC patient, and was legally blind without his glasses before undergoing the procedure. You can watch a video of Tiger saying that himself at the TLC website.
The brochures talk a lot about safety, and about the different types of procedures that they use. Lasik, CustomLasik, PRK and so forth.
I won't know for sure what procedure I'll need done until I have my appointment with TLC next Friday. That's when we'll figure out what is best for my eyes.
Less than two weeks away now!
The brochures talk a lot about safety, and about the different types of procedures that they use. Lasik, CustomLasik, PRK and so forth.
I won't know for sure what procedure I'll need done until I have my appointment with TLC next Friday. That's when we'll figure out what is best for my eyes.
Less than two weeks away now!
Thursday, September 14, 2006
After telling my eye doctor that I wanted to go with TLC, they set up all of the appointments for me. I was pretty surprised at how quickly the appointments are coming up.
Next week, on Tuesday Sept 19, I go to my eye doctor for a preliminary check up. Apparently he's going to give me some eye drops to dilate my eyes so he can better examine them, and make sure that I don't have any eye disease or anything else that would complicate the procedure.
Because of the eye drops, I can't drive myself that day.
Once that is all taken care of, I have an appointment at TLC on Friday, September 22. That is where they give me there consultation and figure out what procedure is best for me. I can drive myself no problem that day.
The week after that, on Thursday, September 28, I have the actual procedure done.
I'm starting to get pretty excited now. Two weeks from today, my eyes are getting fixed! (Hopefully)
Next week, on Tuesday Sept 19, I go to my eye doctor for a preliminary check up. Apparently he's going to give me some eye drops to dilate my eyes so he can better examine them, and make sure that I don't have any eye disease or anything else that would complicate the procedure.
Because of the eye drops, I can't drive myself that day.
Once that is all taken care of, I have an appointment at TLC on Friday, September 22. That is where they give me there consultation and figure out what procedure is best for me. I can drive myself no problem that day.
The week after that, on Thursday, September 28, I have the actual procedure done.
I'm starting to get pretty excited now. Two weeks from today, my eyes are getting fixed! (Hopefully)
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
After quite a bit of reading and talking to co-workers, I've decided to go with TLC.
Herzig and Bochner both seem to be great places as well, but I just feel most comfortable with TLC. That is where most of the patients from my eye doctor go to, and a couple people at work have also gone there.
I was talking to one guy who went to LASIK MD, also in Toronto. I was interested in what he had to say, as that wasn't one of the options given to me by my eye doctor. Apparently, LASIK MD is a more "affordable" choice. But I'm a little leary of that, because my doctor told me you get what you pay for. Now I'm not saying anything bad about LASIK MD. The guy I was talking to at work was more than happy with his results, and can see great now. But he has to go back to them for follow up care. With TLC, I can go to my own eye doctor, who is right down the street from me, and not an hour away in Toronto.
I'll keep you posted on my upcoming appointment schedule.
Herzig and Bochner both seem to be great places as well, but I just feel most comfortable with TLC. That is where most of the patients from my eye doctor go to, and a couple people at work have also gone there.
I was talking to one guy who went to LASIK MD, also in Toronto. I was interested in what he had to say, as that wasn't one of the options given to me by my eye doctor. Apparently, LASIK MD is a more "affordable" choice. But I'm a little leary of that, because my doctor told me you get what you pay for. Now I'm not saying anything bad about LASIK MD. The guy I was talking to at work was more than happy with his results, and can see great now. But he has to go back to them for follow up care. With TLC, I can go to my own eye doctor, who is right down the street from me, and not an hour away in Toronto.
I'll keep you posted on my upcoming appointment schedule.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Well, I went to my eye doctor the other week and asked him about the possibility of having laser eye surgery. Not everyone is a candidate for it, and I wanted to make sure I was. I have a an astigmatism that has prevented me from getting contact lenses in the past. Even the toric lenses, which they say are designed for people with astigmatism, wouldn't work well with my eyes. This made me less than optimistic about my chances of being a candidate for LASIK.
My eye doctor made me feel much better about.
"You'd be fine," he said. "No problems at all. Your prescription has been relatively stable, and your problem is mainly astigmatism, not short or near sightedness. I see no reason why you couldn't have it done."
Yes! I thought that was great. I could finally get rid of my glasses. No more carrying around a pair of prescriptoin sunglasses and glasses. No more change my glasses getting in and out of the car. I can even get normal sunglasses again.
I hope.
You see, this is only step one in the process.
My eye doctor than gave me three choices of laser eye clinics to go to, all of which are in Toronto.
TLC Laser Eye Centre (www.tlcvision.com), the Bochner Eye Institute (www.bochner.com), and the Herzig Eye Institute (www.herzigeye.com).
I had a lot of research to do. Do I go to TLC, where they plug Tiger Woods as being a past client? Bochner, the official eye care centre of the Toronto Raptors, Maple Leafs, and Argos? Or Herzig, with their promises of High Definition vision seen so frequently on TV?
Time to start reading some websites and talk to people at work who have also had the procedure done.
My eye doctor made me feel much better about.
"You'd be fine," he said. "No problems at all. Your prescription has been relatively stable, and your problem is mainly astigmatism, not short or near sightedness. I see no reason why you couldn't have it done."
Yes! I thought that was great. I could finally get rid of my glasses. No more carrying around a pair of prescriptoin sunglasses and glasses. No more change my glasses getting in and out of the car. I can even get normal sunglasses again.
I hope.
You see, this is only step one in the process.
My eye doctor than gave me three choices of laser eye clinics to go to, all of which are in Toronto.
TLC Laser Eye Centre (www.tlcvision.com), the Bochner Eye Institute (www.bochner.com), and the Herzig Eye Institute (www.herzigeye.com).
I had a lot of research to do. Do I go to TLC, where they plug Tiger Woods as being a past client? Bochner, the official eye care centre of the Toronto Raptors, Maple Leafs, and Argos? Or Herzig, with their promises of High Definition vision seen so frequently on TV?
Time to start reading some websites and talk to people at work who have also had the procedure done.
Well, if you've found this page, you're probably a lot like me: Looking for information on Laser Eye Surgery.
I've been looking into it for a few weeks now, and am now confident enough to actually go through with the procedure.
However, while searching for information on the internet, I couldn't find an actual first hand account of the procedure. I guess I was looking for a review site or something. Since I couldn't find one, I've decided to make my own.
Over the course of the next few weeks, I will be posting about the different events, tests, and procedures I go through. I will let you all know the ups and downs, and in the end, the result.
I hope this blog will help rid at least a few people of any fears they may have about laser eye surgery, or point out a few problems they may not have thought of.
I've been looking into it for a few weeks now, and am now confident enough to actually go through with the procedure.
However, while searching for information on the internet, I couldn't find an actual first hand account of the procedure. I guess I was looking for a review site or something. Since I couldn't find one, I've decided to make my own.
Over the course of the next few weeks, I will be posting about the different events, tests, and procedures I go through. I will let you all know the ups and downs, and in the end, the result.
I hope this blog will help rid at least a few people of any fears they may have about laser eye surgery, or point out a few problems they may not have thought of.
