Still Good 11 Years On

[Sammy B.]

Hi everyone,

It’s been over 11 years since I had LASIK in Jan of 2008. I’ve come a long way, you can click on my profile and check out my old posts. But today I am glad to say that the only thing I have to do to support the residual dry eye is to rinse my eyes every night with saline solution and then use Soothe ointment every night. I wash my face and eyes thoroughly every morning and thankfully my eyes and vision are near perfect. So to those of you fresh out of the LASIK gate - it can get better. I’m so thankful to be able to say that my decision to undergo LASIK and the residual issues seem like they were a lifetime ago. Time really helps - it’s helped me immensely - even if things are rough for the first few years like they were for me. Best of luck to everyone!

Rose

[Trying2StayHopeful]

I really needed this post. Thank you for sharing. I had LASIK a year and a half ago. I have gotten better over that time, but not at the rate I would like. It is more a one step forward, two steps back progression rather than constant improvement. There are also times when I get so frustrated! I am grateful that my vision is actually very good, but keep worrying that I will have to deal with the other dry eye deal forever. I have been told by a couple doctors that some people heal more slowly, and that there is still time for improvement. Your post is evidence that this is true. I really hope I can experience the happy outcome you've had. I have bookmarked this post for inspiration! Congratulations to you, and thank you again for giving me more hope.

[Guest]

Thank you Sammy B. for giving me hope. I am one year post Lasik this week and am getting better ever so slowly. I am very happy for you.

[Trying2StayHopeful]

SunnyinPDX, healing is a maddeningly slow process, isn't it? I am also getting better at 1 1/2 years post-LASIK. In the months following surgery, I was using 10-20 vials of PF drops per day. Now I average 1/2 to 1 most days, with a little extra on bad days. It's kind of a night-and-day comparison, but that doesn't stop my frustration.

I suppose what frustrates me most is that I feel like I wasn't presented with a realistic range of how healing might progress after LASIK. As I alluded before, my vision is really, really good. I would have appreciated being told in advance, however, that everyone recovers at a different rate. Many do recover quickly, but doctors have told me since my surgery that MANY people. Heal very slowly...not to mention those that have a less-than-optimal visual outcome. That is not fair. I have a history of very bad anxiety, and this experience has really tested me. All anyone needed to do was be up front with me about the whole healing spectrum. I do really enjoy seeing clearly, and I know it probably sounds crazy to some people, but I do not completely regret having the procedure. There have been some really nice aspects to being able to see. What I do not appreciate, however, is not being treated with enough respect to be told the whole truth.

Despite my periodic freak-outs, I am a strong woman. And, at the risk of being smug, I am a very smart woman. I do not appreciate having facts withheld from me. I understand a lot of things, and all I ask of anyone is to tell me the complete truth. Give me all the data, and I will make the best decision for me. I am very annoyed at having been given a false portrayal of this healing process because, try as I might, I cannot let go of the concept that was explained to me. If I knew from day one that this could be a long haul, I could have prepared myself mentally. I have had other long recoveries in my life that were made bearable by the fact that I had access to the whole truth. I wasn't afforded that in this case, and it has given me a lot of unnecessary stress.

But...I digress. What I want to say in parting is that Sammy B. Is proof that people like us have every reason to believe that recovery is still forthcoming. Thank you, Sammy B., for reminding me of this and renewing my hope.

[Guest]

Trying2StayHopeful, you are not alone with respect to your LASIK experience. I too was not provided full information about the risks and recovery time. In addition, the surgeon did not do adequate tear testing and I discovered post LASIK that I have MGD.

The emotional recovery has been as difficult as the physical one. This whole debacle has had me sideways like never before. For the first time in my life I started taking anti-depressants although, one year post LASIK, I am starting to taper down.

Thank you, Trying2StayHopeful for sharing your experience that so closely matches mine and thank you again to Sammy B. for starting this thread.

[Trying2StayHopeful]

SunnyinPDX, just that little bit of extra information from the surgeon would have meant so much! If he would have said "you may be fine in a couple weeks, or it could be as long as a couple years," I would have been able to either not have the procedure, or at least steel myself for a lengthier recovery. I am not sure what I would have decided, but I do know that I should have had the right to base my decision on all the facts. I do so much better with advance warning! Instead, it has been a roller coaster ride culminating in the discovery that indeed some people take a long time to heal. Further, I did do a lot of research before having LASIK, and the facts about potentially slow recovery were not apparent.

I do think we will get better eventually, but it is a long hike toward the end goal rather than a short jaunt. Please message me if you want to chat. I think we need to support one another.