CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

**Curt Palme**

... juts had my eyes checked. Still 20/20... with my -7.0 contacts in. Legally blind without.

I think I startled the doc a bit doing the eye test when I recognized that she was doing astigmatism testing, as the lettering shape changed as she was flipping lenses. She didn't expect me to tell her what she was doing.. Very Happy

loribates · Joined: 02 Dec 2007 Posts: 185 Location: KS

Contact free after Lasik on Feb 1. WOOOO HOOOOOOOO Wish I'd have done it years ago. Cool to watch a movie late at night and not have my contacts giving me fits!

perisoft · Joined: 29 Aug 2007 Posts: 2920 Location: Ithaca, NY

Nashou66 · Joined: 12 Jan 2007 Posts: 16171 Location: West Seneca NY

So hows the Marquee running Its been so long since you posted I cant remeber if that is what you have?

Athanasios

loribates · Joined: 02 Dec 2007 Posts: 185 Location: KS

You talkin to me? Wink

If so the Marquee is running great but I've got upgrade-itis. Not pj upgrade, but wanting to go ahead and get the HD Fury so I can at least put the Toshiba HD player to use for upscaling.... I'm running everything via component to a transcoder right now and that little disclaimer that pops up on standard def DVDs "high res output disabled for this type connection" or some such crap is really getting on my nerves.

Nashou66 · Joined: 12 Jan 2007 Posts: 16171 Location: West Seneca NY

Yeah you'll love it when you switch to HDMI. I hear good things about the fury.

Athanasios

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 3:42 am Post subject:

Lori, get the advanced version with the power supply. It was plug and play for both my A2 and A3 Toshiba players.

But also, how did Lasik go? I hvae never had issues with contacts, and loathe the thought of someone cutting my cornea. I don't fear pain, I fear losing my eyesight though..

What strength contacts did you have? HOw long was recovery? Are you 20/20 now?

loribates · Joined: 02 Dec 2007 Posts: 185 Location: KS

Yes, I am 20/20 now. Here's how this went. I had a small bit of astigmatism, but elected not to get the wavefront that corrects minor abberations. They said if I didn't notice ghosting and starbursts around headlights and streetlamps now, then the astigmatism wasn't anything I'd notice being absent. My prescription wasn't as bad as yours, dearest. L was -3 and right was -4.25

The wavefront was an extra thousand so I opted not to have it so regular correction Lasik and chose to go "bladeless" where the laser cuts the flap rather than a doctor slicing the flap with that archaic looking beasty.

Curt, I swear to you, I wasn't there an hour. Most of that time was spent with a final last minute exam/check to make sure my eyes were healthy and nothing had transpired since my initial evaluation that would make it impossible for them to operate (infection, etc)

They took me back, gave me a valium or demerol or something, waited a bit and started putting numbing drops in my eyes every few minutes. I was in the actual lasik room probably 10-15 minutes. I never felt a thing. The laser cuts the flap, then they swing you under another laser that does the correction - just a few seconds worth, then on to the other eye. The change was immediate. They sat me up, asked me to look at the clock and it was in focus. Hard to explain, like looking through a window through fog, but you know that the focus is there.

The worst part was the 45 minute ride home. They tell you to immediately get to where you are going and take a 4 hour nap. if I had been able to go right to sleep I wouldn't have had one complaint. The only problem I had was I couldn't sleep in the truck and I don't much care for the hubby driving it (you remember the tire incident, right?) and my eyes were watering like a sieve, which in turn made my nose run... It was a wet mess by the time I got home, but as soon as my head hit the pillow I was out because there was no pain, just a dryness, sort of like when you've opened your eyes underwater. When I woke up 4 hours later, it's as though nothing had happened. No pain, no soreness, no more tears streaming down my face. I could see!

By my checkup the next morning I could see great and they released all my corrective lens restrictions on my drivers license.

I had never had trouble with my contacts up until recently, they just seemed to not sit as well as they used to and always started getting dry and itchy earlier and earlier in the day. More the time factor with me. I hated screwing with them every morning and every night and I hated not being able to lay in bed and watch a lightning show during a thunderstorm.... simple things.

Anyway, long post and sorry, but I am so thrilled I did it and I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

loribates · Joined: 02 Dec 2007 Posts: 185 Location: KS

Oh, I did have to wear eye protectors to bed for several days so I didn't bump or scratch my eyes in my sleep. No rubbing your eyes for a while either. Antibiotic drops for a week, and lubricating drops for a month then only as needed if your eyes feel a little dry.

ac/dc · Joined: 09 Jun 2006 Posts: 49 Location: Mpls Mn USA

My uncle had laser surgery. They goofed it up. He can't even drive now his eyes are so bad.. And his eyes will never get better. I'll never even think of corrective surgery after seeing what he's gone thru.

loribates · Joined: 02 Dec 2007 Posts: 185 Location: KS

I am sorry for your uncles experience. I too heard horror stories. I did my research. There are several different types of laser surgery. There are also butchers and fly by nighters out there. I researched the procedures, researched my surgeon, his equipment and track record then I made the choice that was right for me. I opted for the best procedure I could with the best doctor. I am happy and I don't have any reservations about saying it was a good experience for me and my own experience is all I can speak toward. Everyone should go about any elective surgery with as much information as possible

May I ask which surgery your uncle had and what was it that went wrong? Undercorrection? Overcorrection? Incomplete flap or a dislodged flap?

**kal** · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 5:23 pm Post subject:

Definitely NOT something you want to take chances on.... you certainly don't want to go with the cheapest. Around here the best seems to be a company using some sort of "Wavefront Guided" technology.

Kal

loribates · Joined: 02 Dec 2007 Posts: 185 Location: KS

Wavefront is what is used to fix minor abberations, including astigmatism. Its supposed to reduce the incidence of halos and ghosting. Without the wavefront you get just the correction for near/far sightedness. Like I said, my astigmatism was so minor that I elected not to have the wavefront procedure because the additional cost really wasn't for much more benefit in my case.

Again, best to research your doctor, know all the available procedures and risks, the different systems used, and make an informed choice as to whether it's right for you. Even PRK is still a laser procedure, it's just that rather than cut a flap, they use a form of abrasion on the cornea before the laser work is done and the healing period is longer and involves a little more discomfort during the healing process, but you don't have the concern about a flap healing incorrectly or becoming detached during the procedure or during healing.

Analog Marty · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 4:59 am Post subject:

I had mine lasered about 5 months ago, used to be -4.75 and -4.5, no astigmatism.
What really got to me was watching a movie and realising my glasses were pulling the green out on the edges of the screen, I kep thinking my aligment keeps going off Smile

The procedure is quick and painless, couple of days of focus going back and forth, then it's all good.

I had halos for about 2 months, especially lights at night. Was not so bad on the screen except when trying to read subtitles and they would haze over. That has gone now and I do not regret having them done at all, it took me 35 years of wearing fricking metal and glass on my face to finally build up the courage to have someone burn a layer off my eyes Wink

nipper1955 · Joined: 31 May 2007 Posts: 20

There was just a big hullabaloo (boy that's showing some age) about this in Ohio. Seems they need to do several pretests before you can be accepted as a candidate. If they don't do this some 17-20% of people should not have the procedure. Reports of continuos pain and dry eye problems? And you thought contacts were trouble!