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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>--Off Topic--</FONT><FONT face=Arial
size=2>.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Well I finally did it. After 20 +/- years of
wearing glasses I had enough. Yesterday I went in and got LASIK surgery to
rid myself of them forever. I have to admit from the beginning I
was a nerve wreck, after all we're talking about someone coming toward my
eyes with medical instruments intending to change the way my eyes work!
What if something goes wrong? Do I really want to do this? It's my
eyes after all! I'm thinking to myself what it would look be like
walking with a cane for the rest of my life. Okay, I could be a blind
tuner, there are a few of those around. But aside from that I'm thinking
all kind of awful things. Aaaaaaagh!!! </FONT><FONT face=Arial
size=2>Okay reality time. I keep hearing stories about "it's no big deal"
and "You won't feel a thing". Okay time to be brave, maybe it's not so
bad. So I go in for all my preliminary exams. The typical thing
looking at letters on the wall and such. They determine what prescription
is appropriate and an appointment is set. Okay, here we go...</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Yesterday I went in at 10:00 as
scheduled. A little nervous but okay. The first thing they give me
is a Valium pill. Ahhhhh, okay that's relaxing. Then comes a series
of eye drops, each with a different purpose. Some are numbing, some are
lubricating, some do other things I have no idea. Nevertheless I sit and
wait for a half hour for the drops and the Valium pill to kick in. Sure
enough I'm feeling nice and mellow. The anxiety edge has been smoothed
over, and they lead me into the operating room. Did you hear me, the
"OPERATING" room. This is it! More drops in my eyes and then the
doctor looks and me and takes a marker pin, (I assume a special type, not a
sharpie), and literally makes marks on my eyes while I'm sitting there. He
is literally coming at my eyes with a marker and I don't even care, imagine
that!!</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>So now they have me lay down on a padded table
somewhat resembling a massage table with contours to make it comfy. Above
me is an apparatus with various lights and gismos attached. A green light
is dead center and I'm told to stare at it. By this time the drops have
made my vision a bit blurry but I can see the light. More drops, and then
some kind of big wegit goes against my eye and applies some light vacuum
pressure. No big deal, but the light above gets fuzzier with each
step. "Keep looking at the light, don't look away, just keep centered on
it" he says. Another thingy comes down over my eye and there's a noise and
a little vibration. What's he doing? By golly he is CUTTING my
eye! He's removing the outer cornea layer. Well not quite all
the way, there is just enough remaining to act as a hinge and it's folded
open. Forget the light, I see nothing. The lens part of my eye is
missing, it's like looking through an ice cube under water. All I can see
is ambient light, no details of any kind</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> "Here we go" he says. The laser is
turned on and scans across my entire eye, removing just enough material to
properly reshape the exposed surface to the proper optical dimension. Not
only is there absolutely no pain, I can't even see it. The laser works in
a spectrum not normally visible. The only evidence that it's working is
the pleasant smell of your eye-flesh being burned away. Within less then
15 seconds it's all done. He cleans things up with some sort of drops,
closes the flap to wear it goes, applies a little pressure to make sure it's all
the way down, wipes it the surface with some sort of squeegee-like thingy, and
he says "ALL DONE". Excuse me, did he say "done"? That's it?
The other eye seems to go even quicker. Within about three minutes I'm
sitting up getting ready to leave! He looks at my eyes through some sort
of scope thingy, the nurse gives me some drops to take home, and they tell me to
take it easy for the rest of the day. "It will be itchy and irritated for
the next few days, just don't rub it".</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This morning I wake up and.... and... I can
see! I can see WITHOUT my glasses! As the hours pass it gets better
and better as the cloudiness disappears. I returned to the office this
morning where he re-examines me through the scope again. "Perfect" he
says. "In a week you'll see better then you ever have in your life".
</FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>So here I am about 26 hours later after the
operation and I'm already seeing better then I did with the glasses. There
is a little irritation but no real pain to speak of. I'm a little
sensitive to bright light but that's normal and they gave me a pair of
sunglasses.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>So the bottom line: If you have ever
considered LASIK, my advise is DO IT! It's no big deal, it doesn't hurt,
most of the irritation is only the apprehension, it's easier then going to the
dentist, it's over in 10 minutes, and you will never have to deal with
prescription glasses again. EVER. I highly recommend
it.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Rob "seeing clearly" Goodale</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Las Vegas, NV</FONT></DIV>
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