WHO I AM

A little information about myself: I’m 41 years old and I have worn eyeglasses since I was 11 years old. In other words, I’ve been wearing glasses for about 30 years. Although I’m not really an athlete, I am a pretty avid golfer and I coach Little League baseball for my son and daughter. Because we have a pool in our backyard I suppose I tend to swim more often than many people. I enjoy being outdoors in warm weather, working around my house and I also own a boat, so I really enjoy being out on the water. My family and I will go snorkeling in the Florida Keys from time-to-time.

I’ve written about the LASIK procedure for some time as a web designer specializing in healthcare and ophthalmology websites, so I’m very familiar with the technology and the history of refractive surgery.

Years ago, I stopped wearing contact lenses because I truly hated the process of putting them in and taking them out. As a result I wore contacts less and less frequently, eventually only on special occasions. More than once, my lens case leaked and the saline solution dried up, ruining the lenses. I was unable to use extended-wear lenses because they wouldn’t fit properly. Eventually, I simply gave up on contacts altogether.

When I decided to undergo LASIK, I jotted down some of my everyday annoyances and inconveniences of wearing eyeglasses. Some of the items on the list might seem quite trivial, but anyone who wears glasses is likely to identify with many of them. I’m sure there are countless others for people who ski, play tennis, etc.

So here goes:

THINGS I WILL NOT MISS ABOUT EYEGLASSES:

Waking up and having to hunt for my eyeglasses to see my alarm clock. More than once, glasses have wound up on the bedroom floor and under my feet when I get out of bed, resulting in a strange dance as I try to avoid putting my full weight on the foot positioned atop my designer frames.
Watching television or reading as I’m dozing off. In other words, having to remove my glasses before drifting off to sleep or risk bent, misaligned frames upon waking up and finding them somewhere under my shoulders.
Steamed or fogged eyeglasses in the summer on the golf course or after walking out of – or into – air-conditioned buildings. I just don’t always carry a clean cloth to with which to wipe them. I also hate how they slide down my nose in humid weather, especially when I'm lining up a putt on the golf course.
Airborne eyeglasses during pick-up basketball and football games, or when reaching for a ground ball. It's especially fun to watch them fly and get coated with infield mud. Contacts could work here, but I really hate them.
Racquetball with eyeglasses – goggles don’t fit over them. Again, contacts would probably work here, but…
Wiping my brow on a hot day while working around the house and getting dirt and sweat all over the lenses.
Cooking, where grease from the barbeque specks the lenses. Sausages seem to have a real knack for spraying grease and only glass cleaner will properly clean them.
Fogged lenses when trying to shovel snow in the winter.
Wet lenses in the rain. I really hate this in the spring when I get caught in a downpour and my shirttail is too wet to wipe my glasses clean.
Relatedly, having to wipe my glasses clean every few minutes due to sea spray while on a boat in choppy or foggy seas.
Scratched lenses that seem to make things ‘halo’ under certain lighting conditions.
Being unable to place my eye properly into the viewfinder on a camera or camcorder because my eyeglasses get in the way.
Distorted vision when snorkeling or using goggles. I’ve never quite been sure if that long, silvery fish really was a barracuda and I’ve been told they bite.
Having to deal with two sets of glasses all the time – regular eyeglasses and prescription sunglasses. Recently, I switched to the magnetic ‘snap-ons’ but I’m forced to carry a hard case for those even when I’m not wearing a jacket. Sunglasses at least clip onto your shirt; hard eyeglass cases don’t clip onto anything.
Not being able to even consider purchasing sunglasses with curved, wrap-around lenses unless I was prepared to spend a king’s ransom for them.
Poor peripheral vision. I can see movement out of the corners of my eyes, but I haven’t a clue as to what they are unless I turn my head to position my glasses.
Having to clean my eyeglasses with lens cleaner at least three to four times daily.

There are probably a few more that I’ve forgotten. And although glasses do offer the ability to change your fashion-look, I’m also looking forward to the elimination of the red-dimples that have seemingly become a permanent part of my nose.

initial examination and consultation

First off, I underwent a comprehensive eye examination directly with Dr. Boozan consisting of various tests to determine if I would benefit from LASIK. This is important because there are many factors that can affect the outcome of the LASIK procedure and it is far better if the tests are conducted by the doctor, rather than a technician. In addition to the physical tests, Dr. Boozan also spent some time trying to determine my objectives and expectations. Because I was already pretty familiar with the technical end of the LASIK procedure, he explained just how much tissue he was looking to remove in relation to the anatomy of my eyes. He determined that I was a good candidate, and in total, the examination and consultation lasted about 45 minutes.

We then scheduled a date and time for the procedure two weeks later. Since I live on Long Island and the Surgery Center was located in Manhattan, it was suggested that I have someone drive me home from NYC after the surgery.

The two weeks leading up to the surgery gave me an opportunity to reaffirm my decision.

the lasik surgery

On the day of surgery, Dr. Boozan performed a final eye examination and the laser’s computer took a topographic picture of each eye. Dr. Boozan then explained exactly what the laser would be correcting. The procedure itself was actually quite quick. Anesthetic drops were put in each eye and I was placed under the laser. A clamp was placed on my right eye and I was told to focus on a flashing red LED light.

Since I was a good candidate for traditional LASIK rather than Wavefront (where the laser creates the corneal flap), a mechanical, microkeratome performed the cut for the corneal flap. The flap was then lifted and my vision in my right eye was milky for a few minutes. The laser then did its thing – you don’t actually see it, but you do hear a snapping noise for each light pulse. The flap was then repositioned and Dr. Boozan counted off three minutes for the flap to adhere back into position. All the while he was administering drops to keep the eye lubricated. There was no pain at all, maybe a little discomfort from the eye clamp, but mild.

After that, we moved to the left eye and the same routine. The entire procedure for both eyes lasted a total of 10-15 minutes.

I was then led to a dimly lit room and asked to relax with my eyes closed for about 20 minutes in a reclining chair. Dr. Boozan then performed a brief post-surgical examination. I was given a set of dark sunglasses and instructed to go home to take a nap for a few hours.

Until I got home, my sight was very cloudy and my eyes felt as though there were small specks of sand in them. Again, nothing painful, just a little discomfort. I’ll admit that it was a little disturbing to have such clouded vision while traveling home, and my natural feeling was to question my judgment for undergoing the procedure in the first place. But I was aware that it would take 24 hours or so for things to get clear, so I went home to sleep using these funny-looking goggles (they protect the corneal flap for the first few days).

Dr. Boozan called me at home that night to see how I was doing.

the next day

Things were definitely a whole lot different the following day. To start, the alarm clock was in focus when I woke up. No more eyeglasses! I drove myself to the train station for my early-morning appointment to see Dr. Boozan for post-surgery examination. My vision was tested and I was now seeing 20/15. I did have some rings around light sources for the first few days, but Dr. Boozan said that was not uncommon and that they would diminish quickly. I was told to come back in about a month if all continued without any problems.

six months later

That was in December. Six months later and I sometimes have trouble recalling what it was like when I wore glasses. On occasion, I still attempt to push imaginary eyeglasses up my nose – I hadn’t realized that I even had such a habit.

What a difference! Things are clearer than when I wore eyeglasses! Shortly after the procedure, I was in Hawaii and played golf in Kauai. Although it was humid, the course and the greens were crystal-clear. When warming-up one of the pitchers on my Little League team, I could put the catcher’s mask on without it driving my glasses into my nose! Small things, maybe – but it’s great not having glasses anymore.

I only carry my new sunglasses these days – ones that I could finally choose without asking if prescription lenses would fit on the frame. This summer I’ve been boating with only sunglasses, so when they get wet I just take them off and I can still see perfectly. I couldn’t do that before – I previously had to have another pair of glasses ready at the helm.

I definitely recommend the LASIK procedure. More importantly, I certainly, completely and wholeheartedly recommend the doctor. I always felt like as though Dr. Boozan was treating me as if I were a member of his family. I felt I could ask him any question – simple or complicated – and he would always be pleased to explain the answer. I can’t thank him enough.

~ John Pellman