LASIK Inventor in Glasses

[Cali]

Over the last year I've come across a few pictures of the inventor of LASIK, Professor Gholam Peyman, in GLASSES! It makes me nuts each time I see it. I went out for margaritas tonight. I'm basically now an agoraphobic shut-in from my LASIK induced dry eye and neuralgia. But tonight I went out and felt my eyes hurt until about 1 1/2 margaritas into my psycho chip obsession. You see, I'm on an anti-inflammation diet for my eyes. Tonight, chips and alcohol, sooooo taboo.

I am obsessed with Googling corneal neuralgia over and over for days and weeks on end. Always finding the same information, I keep searching for some sign of hope, something new that I've perhaps missed. Tonight though, I just look at Peyman's picture and get irate!!! Sorry Rebecca. Maybe I'm violating forum rules here....but it's the margaritas. Here's his pic in his GIANT GLASSES: http://www.oteurope.com/ophthalmolog.../detail/456171

Oh, and I especially like this quote.....about how "he" felt the benefits would outweigh the possible advantages. He, in his glasses. I don't know about any of you, but I was not informed up front that my corneal nerves would be severed. Yes, I signed the consent form. I read this a year ago and was dumbstruck. Tonight, I'm just plain mad and disgusted:

"When I invented LASIK in 1985,1 I knew that corneal incisions would cut the corneal nerves but felt that the benefits, would outweigh the possible disadvantages," explained Professor Peyman.

Venting, venting, venting. Payman, you were wrong.

[spmcc]

I've never had a refractive surgery, but I used to go to a Laser Clinic to get my 3-month dissolvable plugs (I've since had all four puncta cauterized). Anyway, all the doctors I saw there wore glasses, and I would ask them why they didn't get Lasik/Lasek/PRK. There was always some convoluted (to me) answer. I don't know enough about vision etc to judge, but I always thought it was weird that all the doctors wore glasses!

[soaps]

Umm my lasik dr and current Dr had lasik . so Im afraid it never really adds up...
And wen i was desperate for a script for eyes the gp was like i had lasik no problem here . i felt defeated

oh cali i hear u about shut in and diet.....

[Guest]

Makes you wonder how they look at themselves in the mirror every day... granted, maybe they have a condition that makes LASIK clearly contra-indicated, in which case they have a plausible excuse... but if not, then if they are too worried about it to do it to themselves it seems so wrong that they will go ahead and do it to others. Ridiculous. Makes me think they are greedy self-centered schmucks who care more about making a buck than doing their duties as doctors and helping patients decide if LASIK is a good risk for them or not. Of course they don't have an answer for why they won't do it - if they told people the truth about why they are scared to have it themselves, then no-one else would have it either and they'd be out of business.

Ah well, can't change it... live and learn... we'll all be much more conservative in future when evaluating whether or not an elective procedure is worth the risk to us.

[Guest]

'm basically now an agoraphobic shut-in from my LASIK induced dry eye and neuralgia. But tonight I went out and felt my eyes hurt until about 1 1/2 margaritas into my psycho chip obsession. You see, I'm on an anti-inflammation diet for my eyes. Tonight, chips and alcohol, sooooo taboo.

You've gotta keep fighting the tendency to shut yourself away from the world - I'm glad to hear you went out... we all need that, and it's good for you. Wear moisture chamber glasses, and use drops as much as you need to... but you've gotta get out there and LIVE. Do your eyes hurt just as much at home as when you're out? If so, then go out anyways... might as well since it'll be good for your mental health.

Now I'm not a huge new-age-y person who's usually into this stuff, but sometimes I think that if we've tried all the regular stuff, medications etc., then maybe it's time to invest in some self-help-style books (buy the audiobook versions if it's too hard on your eyes to read), and try to find some strategies that you can use to find happiness, despite your struggles with your eyes. I know it sounds sooo cheesy, but you know what? Sometimes it helps to read someone else's perspective on happiness, ways to cope with chronic illness etc. I know that's the kind of stuff I seek out if I'm feeling down, and it does comfort me... a lot. Don't know why, but if I can find just the right article, it calms me down and brings me back to my senses (ie. normal me), rather than letting me go on feeling despair and sadness. Maybe try it...

(((hugs)))

[Cali]

I really do have hope. The serum has made a huge impact on my comfort levels and I do believe I will get a handle on the cornea neuralgia. I just hate to be in this situation because "I chose" to do elective surgery. I still get mad at myself but then realize that I simply wanted to "see." The urge to see is strong, primitive, instinctual so I try to rationalize that my decision to do LASIK really came from a biological base. But that doesn't sometimes make me less angry.

I know others have lives that are way worse. And this shut-in behavior is about self-preservation. When you hurt you just aren't capable of functioning normally in the world. I live in a beautiful area on the California coast. I went for a walk with my dog and a "new" friend the other day along a very popular cycling/walking stretch overlooking the ocean. My dog stopped and took a pee on the grass. I carry poo bags with me tied to the handle of my leash. This older man running with his wife passed us and screamed at me to pick up my dog's mess. I just lost it and screamed and screamed at him as he went running by that she peed, she peed you idiot!!! I was screaming and screaming like a mad woman. I then turned to look at my "new" friend's face. She was horrified at my behavior. Then I told her about my eyes. She was silent and then said she understood. Her mother-in-law has sjogren's and has basically let her whole house go and nobody is allowed to visit and her behavior has changed. I explained how painful it is. She was silent again for a very long time and realized that she and her husband never really knew how bad dry eye is, the amount of pain it causes and the psychological issues that result. She felt guilty. She emailed me a thank you that night from her husband who now has compassion for his mother.

[Guest]

I really do have hope. The serum has made a huge impact on my comfort levels and I do believe I will get a handle on the cornea neuralgia. I just hate to be in this situation because "I chose" to do elective surgery. I still get mad at myself but then realize that I simply wanted to "see." The urge to see is strong, primitive, instinctual so I try to rationalize that my decision to do LASIK really came from a biological base. But that doesn't sometimes make me less angry.

Among the many reasons I had to get LASIK, one of them was that I didn't want to be dependent on something in order to see. If my eyeglasses broke, I'd feel helpless since I couldn't focus on anything further away than a few inches from my face. Ironic that I am now more dependent than ever on things to see (ie. eyedrops, moisture chambers etc. since without them my eyes would be useless)

The only way I look at so I don't feel angry at myself is to remind myself that TONS of people I know that wear glasses have decided to get refractive surgery - refractive surgery is so prevalent in my circles that it is no longer amazing or even cool for someone to do it... it's just what you do if you can afford it. Normal. The obvious choice. Ha... too bad it didn't work out well for ME, but now that so many people do it, I feel less stupid for doing it myself. Hell, if doing it makes ME stupid, then I guess I'm surrounded by stupid people since they all did it too. Only difference is that it worked as advertised for them... not my fault that it didn't for me, right? Or you, for that matter.

And this shut-in behavior is about self-preservation. When you hurt you just aren't capable of functioning normally in the world.

Fair enough... as long as you haven't given up on yourself and are trying to fix this mental state you're in so that you CAN function in the world... even with crummy eyes, there are ways to get out there and be happy... if you haven't found that for yourself yet, don't give up trying to figure out a way that works for you, ok? If it takes a long time, that's cool... but just don't stop looking for a way to feel better mentally... there is something out there for you that will work, it's just a matter of finding it.

My dog stopped and took a pee on the grass. I carry poo bags with me tied to the handle of my leash. This older man running with his wife passed us and screamed at me to pick up my dog's mess. I just lost it and screamed and screamed at him as he went running by that she peed, she peed you idiot!!! I was screaming and screaming like a mad woman.

He sounds like a real winner... Aside from the embarrassment factor in "losing it," it was kind of a public service in that he will now think twice before opening his big mouth about things he knows nothing about hehe

She felt guilty. She emailed me a thank you that night from her husband who now has compassion for his mother.

At least some good came out of that episode then... just trying to look on the bright side...

Don't know if this will help, but the other night I was worried about a new potential health issue... it sent me into a rage - I was so upset... thinking how unfair it was... first a crappy delivery with my firstborn (seriously horrendous... why ME?)... my LASIK screwing up my eyes (why ME?)... the whole high risk of MS and lesions in my brain thing (WTH?) and now a freaking THIS?!?!?! I was royally pissed off... depressed... crying those big ugly gulping sobs that made my nose so stuffy I couldn't even swallow properly... it was ridiculous and WAY over the top - but this was just TOO MUCH and sent me over the edge - but I just felt like WHEN will these crappy things stop happening to me?!?! Seriously. Enough. is. enough. I was feeling positively irrational about it all since I had no interest in needing a freaking surgery to fix something ELSE. So I started googling... found this... it calmed me down...

http://www.alpineguild.com/COPING%20...20ILLNESS.html

Maybe it will help you too?

(And it turns out that this new potential health issue was a false alarm, thank goodness.)

Slept like a baby after that.