August 6, 2004

LASIK Procedure: $3000
Being able to see without contacts/glasses: PRICELESS

Getting LASIK done is seriously one of the best things I could've done for myself, as well as being a most worthwhile investment. Just being able to get up in the morning and see without putting on glasses first is to me, a gift, heck - even a miracle. Before my surgery, when my alarm rang to wake me up every day, I would have to stick my face right in front of the clock and squint to see the time. (Did you know that a prescription of -3 to -4 is considered legally blind? If that's the case, I was way beyond legally blind!) Yesterday morning after my surgery, when I heard the radio blast, all I had to do was turn my head and voila! the red numbers displaying 6:30 were crisp and clear.

On Wednesday, I was so ready to have LASIK done and over with. My time at work flew and before I knew it, I was at the doctor's office, signing the consent forms with my mom as my witness. They could tell I was pretty "energetic," so they ended up giving me 3 valium. I had asked previously how I would know it was working, and after just two, I knew. My limbs felt really heavy and my mom had to hold my arm because I could barely walk straight. Mentally I was still alert though. They took me into the room and I laid down, while the music from the cd I brought in filled the air. The doctor came in, got me prepped while explaining again what would be happening. He went through everything step by step and told me how the procedure was going along the way. It was pretty much painless; I only felt a split second of pressure when he put the clamp on to keep each eye open. (I had no trouble not blinking either!) I hadn't watched a surgery beforehand, so I assumed that the red blinking light I'd be fixating on would be just that, but to me it looked more like a ball of fire, which kept me fascinated and unblinking. Each eye only took 60 seconds to laser, so the procedure was done in like 5 minutes. (And it was 60 seconds for my eyes because of my high prescription; if you have a lesser number, it'll be like 20 seconds!) When the doctor moved the machinery away from me, he asked me to read the clock on the wall. I told him "Quarter to six" and everyone clapped and congratulated me. I walked out, rested for a while on a lounge chair, then was able to go home. I kept my eyes closed for as much as possible and went to bed early.

The next morning was a whole new me. I went to work to usual and everything. I even drove last night for a celebratory Jamba Juice with some friends. (No problem with the night vision.) I had my post-op checkup yesterday in the afternoon, and the doctor said that my vision is doing great for less than a day after and that I can expect my vision to get even better! After dinner last night, I watched the video of my surgery that the doctor sent home with me. I couldn't believe I was watching my own eyes being done. I admit it was pretty gross, but I was laughing because I was in such disbelief. This science and technology stuff is truly amazing.

As for my doctor, I highly recommend him. His name is Dr. Emil Chynn and you can find out more about his practice at his site, www.iwant2020.com . I totally trusted him and wasn't worried about the possibility of going blind or having some sort of complication. He answered all my questions, as well as his staff, who all had LASIK done by him as well. Dr. Chynn even had LASIK done on himself and now he's 20/20. His office manager who had it done a few months ago, is 20/13, which is even better than 20/20! I was just so excited to see the end result. I knew that when it came to my eyes, I had to go to the best doctor I could find, and he is it. He even called me at home that night to give me his cell phone number in case I had any discomfort I was worried about. I didn't at all! I had a great night of sleep and even woke up earlier than usual because I thought I had been sleeping for too long. If you're considering LASIK or LASEK, go for it with Dr. Chynn. You won't be disappointed.

What's funny about this whole thing is that I swore that before my surgery I had put my glasses in its case, in my bag. But when I got home and dumped everything out, they were gone! I looked for them everywhere, even asked the staff when I went back yesterday, but they're nowhere to be found. Not that I'll ever need them again, but I wanted them for sentimental value. Oh well, I guess this is a sign!

If you want to know more about LASIK from me, just ask! I'm a walking testimonial and success story. I couldn't be more thrilled with how it all turned out.