Cotton-Pickin’ Days

There was actually a news report here about more people going for LASIK after the fungal infection scare.

I am just glad that I use daily lenses. Perhaps one day, I will also go for LASIK.

I love my LASIK’d eyes

I do have to use a wetting solution several times a day, but have not had any other problems whatsoever.

My dad suggested why not get LASIK done then no need to worry about glasses, contacts, whatever else. But I wouldn’t qualify as my eye sight is not really that bad - but this was a few years ago, when it really wasn’t so bad.

But I wonder what it’s long-term effects might be. I have had some friends who got it done and in two years later their bad eyesight was back. :-S But it might have improved since.

I am a contact-lense wearer by day, maybe 4 days a week. I am a Complete girl. Never liked Renu’s marketing ploy Nah…i had always been recommended Complete by the optometrist regardless of where I went, hence it stuck.

I remember way back in the 1980’s making my own saline solution for contacts - and there was concern about infection back then.

I’ll stick to glasses for now. Maybe not as pretty as contacts, but much safer for your eyes. (My eye doctor isn’t a fan of LASIK.)

Oh Hsien… “drive more people to Lasik”? If only it was that easy! My goodness, you make it sound like it’s a choice… If only I had the money to go out and get a $3000 procedure for ONE of my eyes… I don’t have the luxury of living close to a Lasik hot spot… we only have one provider around here that will do it. We have to drive to Canada, a 10-12 hour drive, to get it cheaper, and then there’s the cost of staying in hotels for the checkups the next day and driving back up in the following weeks. If only it was so easy.

Hey, wanna pay for my Lasik surgery?

parentingjoy: That’s really interesting that there really was an increase in LASIK procedures observed. My eyesight isn’t quite that bad, so I think I’ll probably stick with glasses/contacts.

river2sea72: Sounds nice! I have to deal with my glasses fogging up all the time.

Smitha: I haven’t heard of any of my friends complain about theirs although I suppose because our eyes do continue to change over time, I can see the effects being impermanent. I have heard that as we age, nearsighted people can see an improvement in their vision. I’ll wait to find out!

Leslie: Whoa! I remember in parasitology class learning about a particular parasite that comes from making saline solution from incompletely sterilized water. *shudder*

kimmellee: Awww, I’m sorry. I meant more that for people who were contemplating it and who had the option, this might provide the extra little incentive for them to go for it.

I have hard lenses, never had to try Renu!

Kristina: Oh! I didn’t realize that you didn’t clean your lenses with the same solution. Still have to use something sterilized, though, right?

Next time I go for a check-up, I’m planning on getting some contacts, and just having the lenses in my current frames replaced. I hate not having clear peripheral vision. I won’t have Lasik done, not because it’s expensive (I think I could get it done for around $3K for both eyes, prices have come down considerably since they first started doing them); but because there is a new technology which sounds better. Intraocular implants. They basically lift your cornea? and slide a corrective lense underneath it. This seems better than Lasik because if your eyes get worse again, the implant can be replaced. I don’t know how many times you could have the Lasik procedure done.

I also don’t know how expensive the intraocular option is. I plan to ask my doctor when I go.

I should clarify and say that it isn’t a ‘new technology’, because it’s been used in cataract surgery for a while now; but it’s being applied to corrective vision surgery too I think.

Just thought you might be interested to know that there is a news report here today about 4 more infection cases here despite the product being recalled weeks ago. Apparently, these people wanted to finish up whatever remaining solution they have before switching brand. How stupid can one get?!?!

Deb: My eyesight would have to get really bad before I let someone poke around in my eyes.

parentingjoy: Are you serious?! When I heard about this, I immediately dumped my FULL bottle in the garbage.

“using up” dubious products? WOW that is truly dumb! I heard a report on the news last evening about this, and they’re not thinking the product itself is contaminated, but that something about the solution in tandem with the plastic of the lense and the nice warm moist environment of the eye, is what is fueling this fungus.

just. gross. It kinda vindicates me about my initial reaction to “moistureloc” products going in the eye- I thought it sounded like a Bad Idea. heh.

My eyesight will have to get significantly worse before I’m willing to let someone come at my eyes with needles and lasers and things, while I’m AWAKE. I’ll try to remember to let you know what my optometrist says about the different eye surgery procedures. I have to remember to actually book an appointment first, and that is tricky with Mommy-brain. hehe