20-20

[tinyjo]

I've just taken my first step towards 20-20 vision. I've worn glasses or contacts since I was seven. I had a seat near the back of the class and I always used to take my exercise book and lean on the teachers desk in front of the blackboard so that I could see to copy from it. When she called me on it I explained that I couldn't see it from my desk and she sent me to an optician who said "Blimey - what rubbish eyes" (or something) and thus my fate was sealed. If I'd known a little more about evolutionary theory at the time I would have realised that with two parents with glasses, one of whom was extremely short sighted, I was always likely to end up needing glasses. I didn't get teased about them (I'm not sure the other kids realised that they were something you were supposed to mock) but I hated them. They were heavy and kept slipping down my nose. I still couldn't see things out of the corner of my eye. When I was riding or something else that made me very hot as well as slipping down my nose even more they would mist up at the sides.

When I was older I nagged and nagged my parents to let me have contact lenses. I practiced holding my eyes open and touching the eyeball so as to be sure I'd be able to put them in. The optician wasn't sure - he didn't think I'd take care of them properly - but my parents persuaded him that I was very sensible and I got them for my 15th birthday. They were, and still are, fantastic. I've got peripheral vision. I can combine them with cheap sunglasses I don't have to worry about, I can still see in the rain without having to stare at the ground the whole time. But they do have their disadvantages. I can't easily stay out at someone’s house (I've got to the point now where I always carry a spare case but they don't do the soaking solution in handbag sized bottles). Camping is a problem. So is swimming. Getting a bit of grit in the eye really really hurts (which can cause problems if it happens while cycling). And in the end, I can't wear them all the time. If I get up to change the CDs on the CD player I can't quite tell, looking back at Alex in the bed, whether he's making a face or not. If I want to read before I go to bed I have to hold the book up to my nose.

So, as you can imagine, as soon as I heard about laser eye surgery I wanted it. But it was expensive, risky and took a while to recover from. But of course that was then and this is now. 5 years is a long time in technology. Now you can get your eyes fixed by Boots opticians. It only takes 20mins, will give nearly everyone 20-20 vision and carries hardly any risk. You can even be back working on VDUs the next day. And it only costs £2500 for both eyes - a big hit for one go but I am still eligible for graduate loans. So I'm going for an initial eye test tomorrow to assess whether I'll be a suitable candidate, whether they can give it all back to me. Keep your fingers crossed.

Comments

[soulsong.livejournal.com]

Please let me know how it goes. I've been considering it for a while.

I started wearing glasses aged 8, and got contacts when I was 16. I can easily afford the laser treatment at the moment so the only thing holding me back is the fear of something going wrong, or the chance that my eyes will simply get worse again almost right away, totally defeating the point.

I found myself looking at two different laser eye treatments yesterday alone. Time for me to do some research into the level of risk today, I think.

[truecatachresis.livejournal.com]

This was all sounding quite good - until you got to the price.

Holy crap! That's a lot of money - and the major problem with laser eye surgery is that, once done, it cannot be done again. And your eyesight will probably get worse again afterwards. Glasses really aren't that much of a hassle.

gross!

[cleanskies.livejournal.com]

.... urgh. You used to practice touching your eyeball as a teenager. You're lucky you didn't fetch up with a fetish ...

eeeh, I'd never let anyone start poking around in my eyes, not unless there was NO OTHER WAY (tigers, sisters, terrorists, certain death, etc.)

and to think I was dithering over the £300ish so it'll cost me to replace my fucked-up NHS cap ...

The Eye thing

[cloudhigh.livejournal.com]

Hey... nearly forgot to post this and wouldn't have forgiven myself. Apparently the effect of the treatment is good. A former boss of mine, in Seattle, had it done and swears by it. However (however) there are some odd rumours flying around that after a "few years" (not defined) you start to find very slight hazing with night vision (only night vision). The effect, apparently, is just a little like having a slight film over your spectacles at night, causing lights to have a halo. Now it's not serious, it's very slight, but check this out carefully. From a personal (purely personal) perspective, I don't want to have it done until I've see the reports ten years after the majority of people who tried the technique (that means the late 1990s onwards) have started to comment. So that means around 2009 onwards. Just a thought. You may be entirely convinced and entirely happy. But check.