Lasik update

OK, so several friends weren't aware of my Lasik debacle. Back in Jan. 2007 I had Lasik. I researched and found the best doctor, got references, did a consult with two doctors and chose Dr. M. on the Upper East Side. It coast around $5000 not covered by insurance but I could use flexible spending thus not pay tax on that as if it were salary. Brother loved his, friends loved theirs, one friend in Oregon had starburst at night but he got used to them over time. I thought I was OK. I read about dry eye issues and a few other things but really hadn't heard about the pupil dilation v. resurfaced area problem until after my surgery. To explain what I see is easy - it's a greyer, shadow, 'ghost' image hovering around the true image. To explain how it feels, I kept thinking my contacts had dried out and I needed to take them out or lubricate my eyes. Bleck.

Basically my pupils typically dilate larger that the procedure's resurfaced area thus the light bends differently at that edge causing the ghosting image. If I'm in really bright sunlight I can see 20/20 since my pupil dilates smaller and lets light into only the area the laser corrected. I can take drops to purposely dilate my pupils but they give me headaches; the rebound effect after they wear off is worse that the original ghosting image.

On friend asked if I could have the laser redone to a larger diameter circle. This is not approved here in the US but the doctor I went to see in LA, after I felt Dr. M was patronizing and dismissive of my concerns , told me I could go to Canada if it really bothered me; there were no gaunentees it would work and there are risks like dry eye and other things since the laser will have altered a greater portion of the surface area of the eye. I'm learning to live with it but in the theater and during the grayer days and winter months it SUCKS. I would not do it again knowing what I know now. Had they told me about the pupil dialtion gap issue, I may have made a different decision but it's impossible to say. I just like a more informed consent scenario. And I certainly don't like a patronizing doctor who refuses to explain things to me thinking I can't handle the phisiology or light physics aspects of the process and procedure. Dr. M was very bad on this account. I miss my 20/15 vision :(

For those who wonder, "How bad was it, really?" I would send you to a few friends who had to deal with me and my blindness at work. Isabelle was laughing so hard in one meeting, me wearing these huge dark granny glasses and still not being able to really see, she had to leave the meeting 'cause it was too funny - my Mr. Magoo impersonation. Also, if you were within a 10 foot radius of my computer you could read anything on the screen 'cause I had to enlarge the fonts to SENIOR BIG. It got better, to about 20/40, but still not what I was used to. Now I cough and see like a little 80 year old lady. I just need to learn to wield a heavy purse like a weapon and I'm all set to join their Grey League of Evil. Now where's my walker?

P.S. Those are my new eyebrows. As my friend mentioned, "I hardly noticed until you said something, and the woman couldn't even get them symetrical." I know!