I had Lasik exactly a year ago after thinking about it for 2 years and considering it with my opthamologist who performs Lasik on a part time basis. My severe near-sightedness was at a point of no return with both eyes -10.5. I could only use one type of daily wear contacts and my eyes were rejecting them based on having dry eye and SPK. My glasses were so heavy that I would get a splitting headache and nose ache if worn more than a few hours a day. So, I took the plunge last July hoping to just get to thinner glasses or disposable contacts. One eye came out to a nice -1.25 which corrects to 20/25 with contacts or glasses. The other eye had terrible ghosting and halos and would only correct to 20 /80. We panicked, the Dr. checked me everyweek and sent my for another topography. I had a high spot, or central island that had not gone down with the rest of the eye. I wore a -1.0 in glasses which really did nothing. I saw double reading with this eye and began closing it at work for reading. Everything was a challenge and miserable. Luckily the days were long, so driving at night was not essential or I would have had to be driven. The light shows were a nightmare. Going to a movie was also heart breaking. I saw streaks of light and a double ghost image. The high spot slowly flattened out partially to about 20/40. My Dr. then tried a gas permeable contact lense which helped but did not fit right. Again, lights in the dark were horrible and it became unwearable after 5 hours. After 4 attempts he sent me to a specialist optician here in Atlanta who only works with PROBLEM contact wearers. He primarily handles Lasek disasters including others much worse than me. He fit me with a prism lense which is weighted and very flat to accomodate the now flat cornea. It has helped significantly. I now get rings around lights, which I can live with and I actually see 20/20 with the hard lense in. Problem is, I can only wear it about 8 hours a day due to irritation from dry eyes and SPK flareups. The surgery pushed me into reading glasses of course, I can't read a simple newspaper now and had to get both reading glasses and progressive bifocals. So, I exchanged one very thick pair of glasses and soft contacts for 2 different types of contacts each requiring its own care, expensive bifocals which make me dizzy, and numerous drugstore reading glasses to wear over the contacts when reading. I use liquid tears constantly and must use steroid eye drops at night for the SPK. My Dr. said the laser will receive FDA approval in about a year to go in and correct this central island and flatten it down with the rest of the eye. I will have to think long and hard before getting this done. I don't want the double vision again which finally has gone away a year later. So, the recovery is long but I try not to get depressed. I think I did the right thing as my eye glasses were unwearable at -10.5. Luckily, there are experts out there to fit you for special hard lenses as I had. My Dr. picked up the tab for that which was nice. Would I do it again? Based on numerous Dr. visits, time away from work, and expense--absolutely not.

kyoest@elastic.com