Should I get corrective vision surgery or therapy?

[Anonymous]

I don't even know if I am a good candidate for laser surgery. I was never previously interested because I don't want to mess with my already terrible eyes. However, now that I have kids, I am often gripped by the fear that in an emergency, I might lose my glasses/contact lenses and be unable to protect them. (To read a page of 12 pt type, I have to hold it about 1 inch in front of my nose.) Has anyone else dealt with such fears?

[Anonymous]

I'm a -10, so I can't see crap without my glasses/contacts.

I do worry a little bit about an emergency. People who aren't as nearsighted can't understand what it's like not being able to see that much!!

To deal, I keep 2 extra pairs of glasses around for me and my DH (also myopic). I keep one right by my bed at night anyway, and another spare in the closet.

And, tons of extra contacts.

Can you see okay with your glasses? In an emergency, you'd probably just use those anyway, if you didn't have your CLs in. Just make sure you have an extra pair or two.

I'm more scared of having vision loss after LASIK, so I haven't even wanted to do that.

[Anonymous]

Thanks! The glasses are so expensive, but I think I'll invest in a few more pairs. Certainly cheaper and safer than surgery.

[Anonymous]

-14 here!

I know how you feel. It's all about the spares as previous poster said...don't forget to keep a pair in your car or at least in a purse that you carry around all the time in case you are ever on the road and have a vision issue (contact falls out, glasses break, etc.). And realize that the more nearsighted you are, the more dangerous vision correction surgery becomes (if it even remains an option!)

[Anonymous]

It amazes me that people are so far into the negative. I always thought the further to either side you were (ie, -14 or +..) the worse vision was?

Going to have to go do my googling now!

I'm -3 and -5.... was legally blind til a few years ago..corrected vision is only at 20/70 at best with both eyes.

I'm heavily reliant on my contacts (glasses only correct me to 20/135 at best- not good enough for driving!) so I really have to be careful. I always make sure I keep several months ahead on my contacts in case I need to replace them sooner than expected. I also always keep a spare set in my purse.

I do plan to get a pair of glasses for emergency use though...I'm terrified of having a contact pop out while I'm driving or something. 20/135 is better than 20/250 / 20/400 (my sight without assistance) so I'd feel safer having them.

Thankfully, I guess there's a silver lining to having lived 18+ years without any vision correction... I'm really not reliant on my contacts to the extent many people with vision that is better than mine are. Nobody's ever really known I had vision problems (except for the more obvious nystagmus) unless I told them...most were shocked to hear it. Most people in my life now have no idea- even though many of them see me on a daily basis without contacts because I often skip wearing them unless I need to drive or want sharper vision for something in particular! But I totally understand the fear of not having the vision when you do need it, it's valid, especially for how poorly most people do without their lenses since they never adapted to it the way I did through lack of choice.

I doubt I'd be a candidate for surgery, but I'd never do it. I occasionally get halos now under certain conditions and it drives me insane- I couldn't imagine having that all the time due to surgery. The dry eyes would also be a no go for me since if/when my vision deteriorated again I'd probably need contact lenses. For me, having gone from legally blind to being able to see as an adult...the surgery is not worth the risk however small that I would have any vision loss. Every bit I've got is a bit precious to me.

That said, my experience is different from most people here I'm sure, so what I say can probably be taken very safely with a grain of salt.

[Anonymous]

-5 here. No fears like that (but have others so maybe therapy is an option).

Definitely go with the coping strategies PP suggest and see if that helps.

For me, I'm sad I can't swim well with my kids because I can't see underwater. That's the only reason I've considered Lasik. I guess I could get swim goggles, but that's kind of goofy.

Elective surgery always just seems like we're asking for trouble, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks! The glasses are so expensive, but I think I'll invest in a few more pairs. Certainly cheaper and safer than surgery.

13:14 here.

Try 39dollarglasses.com for an extra cheap pair. If you don't care too much how they look, etc, you can get a decent spare with the hi-index/thinner lenses for around $100.

Or, if you want a store, try Costco/JCP Optical. Stay away from LensCrafters, you'll end up paying an arm and a leg! (speaking from experience!)

[Anonymous]

Thank you--this is great to know!