"When you dream of something for long enough, when you give up on the dream, the possibility of it coming true seems insane. What do you do when it does? ...Don't you start to figure out what you have kept yourself from doing? Because if this dream can come true, maybe others can too."
Wish I could frame this and put it up on my wall. Beautiful writing!!
I also began wearing glasses at 7. Now I’m 77 however because I’m nearsighted with mild cataracts I read without my glasses. Frequently I misplace my glasses, with the frequent adventures of discovering where I misplaced them. As a physician I was Leary of the surgery. Years ago my lovely sister had to have the surgery, after all glasses were terrible. Later, although not proven she developed severe persistent issues with low pressure glaucoma. I have two grown smart beautiful daughters who wear glasses. The glasses of course are very stylish.
Beautiful article! I'm having cataracts removed from both eyes in May, which means I won't have to wear glasses (for distance) for the first time in 35 years. I hope my results are as wonderful as yours.
I have had the same transformative experience but through having the tiny bones inside my left ear restored so I can now hear, fully rounded, in stereo. Healing surgery is one thing, but a surgery that restores one of our senses, and delivers information that informs the way we interact with the world, is like learning a new language, and with it, an entirely new culture.
Apparently I'm not a LASIK candidate. Glasses since grade 1. I remember my vision before starting primary school was 20:20 and was tested at the start of it. It quickly deteriorated the moment I started to read the chalkboard. Now at 65, -12 doesn't correct it.
Perfect vision is a world those that have it since birth take for granted. Those that have it restored are grateful for, as this article illustrates.
I could not agree with you more. However, instead of LASIK, I had special multifocal lenses put in during cataract surgery. I have 20/30 vision now and couldn’t be happier. I was not a good candidate for LASIK because my eyes are already dry but these lenses have changed my life. Although I had to wait decades to get them, they were definitely worth the wait! I’d worn glasses since I was 8 years old and hated them with a passion. Contact lenses were difficult due to dry eyes. These lenses are wonderful! Some glare around bright lights is the only drawback (not to mention the expense). Still i recommend checking them out.
Ha! I so understand what you mean. It's like a dimension that you never knew existed has opened up! There was the x-axis and the y-axis and now there's a whole new plane and by extension, frame of reference for the world. It's an incredible feeling. Loved this.
I got LASIK 23 years ago. Seeing the world without fingerprints and fog and sweat is amazing. And as I told the doc, "Now I know why people put mirrors in their bedrooms." But I discovered, as I fired up a circular saw.on a job site, that I'd been using my glasses as safety glasses.
similar experience, but with correction of limb deformity that has made me "whole' physically. I understand your sense of the miraculous- something prayed for , given by God, but through the hands of another human.
I was not a LASIK candidate, but the absolute joy of vision at 68yrs old after cataract surgery was amazing! I am thrilled & grateful. Wearing glasses from 7yrs old brought teasing & bullying which contributed to an already introverted, highly-sensitive personality. I’m happy you made the decision! Continue to enjoy!
I had LASIK surgery in 2021 after a life time of glasses and contact lenses. The results were spectacular and life changing .. much like the author . I instantly could see and read a click on the wall across a room where minutes before the procedure I could not see the clock! My vision prior was 20/600 , with astigmatism . While correctable with glasses or contact lenses, without , I was legally blind in the state of Michigan. Being freed of glasses and contact lenses was nothing short of a miracle. I had cataract surgery in my distance eye( I had contacts for and chose lasik for mono vision ( one eye for distance one eye for reading and up close work ). The results with older technology, four years ago was less than optimum ( the result of lasik to be mindful of). Last week I had cataract surgery with new technology of the Light Adjustable Lens. I can have the doctor fine tune my vision after the lens insertion !! A fantastic new development. My vision is crisper and clearer than my other eye ! Do not be afraid of lasik or of cataract surgery. While some poor results can occur , as with anything, the wonders of science and technology can lead you to better more clear vision too. A good outcome is more likely than a bad . Pick your surgeon well, then sit back and smile!
I know exactly what you mean! After I had the surgery, I felt like somebody had pulled a magic screen down in front of me, that allowed me to live with a superpower. I could swear, those first few days, that I was able to see through walls. Who knew that Nature has such precise margins. For the first few months, I was afraid that somebody was going to lift that magic screen, and all this clarity would be gone again.
I read through the comments first and I'm in the same boat. I had the lens replacement/cataract surgery a couple of years ago after wearing glasses since I was 8. I rarely use the phrase "life changing," but this definitely is! I've settled into what I really look like and it's still amazing to me that I can see the clock if I wake up in the night and getting into the shower able to see. One of the first things I did was buy several pairs of cool sunglasses since that was always off limits to me with heavy prescriptions. I know the glasses industry makes a ton of money off of prescription glasses, but I wish more doctors would talk about this when they have a patient with such intense Rxs. I had to ask in frustration when it looked like I was going to have to switch off between three pairs of glasses every day and then the surgery was the easiest one I've ever had. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Thank you for sharing your insights. I had early onset cataracts (when I was 45). Seeing everything gradually become tripled in my sight was disturbing! Having the surgery and then seeing clearly (more clearly than I had ever remembered seeing before), was wonderful. Your essay brought back those welcomed memories.
Assistive technology, like thicker lenses or hearing aids, can be absolutely life-changing for many, and I have so much respect for those who rely on it. Personally, even minor adjustments to my glasses leave me feeling renewed. Thankfully, my vision hasn't necessitated extremely thick lenses or surgery. And my hearing aids have been invaluable in keeping me connected and engaged with the world around me.
"When you dream of something for long enough, when you give up on the dream, the possibility of it coming true seems insane. What do you do when it does? ...Don't you start to figure out what you have kept yourself from doing? Because if this dream can come true, maybe others can too."
Wish I could frame this and put it up on my wall. Beautiful writing!!
I also began wearing glasses at 7. Now I’m 77 however because I’m nearsighted with mild cataracts I read without my glasses. Frequently I misplace my glasses, with the frequent adventures of discovering where I misplaced them. As a physician I was Leary of the surgery. Years ago my lovely sister had to have the surgery, after all glasses were terrible. Later, although not proven she developed severe persistent issues with low pressure glaucoma. I have two grown smart beautiful daughters who wear glasses. The glasses of course are very stylish.
Follow Hayden🖤
…on Instagram. His eyesight is destroyed as the result of this procedure. He has done extensive research on the dangers of LASIK surgery.
Beautiful article! I'm having cataracts removed from both eyes in May, which means I won't have to wear glasses (for distance) for the first time in 35 years. I hope my results are as wonderful as yours.
thank you for reading! my father had a cataract procedure as well and told me that my writing resonated with him — best of luck with your surgery
Thank you!
I'm sure it will come out wonderfully, as did mine.
Great to hear!
I have had the same transformative experience but through having the tiny bones inside my left ear restored so I can now hear, fully rounded, in stereo. Healing surgery is one thing, but a surgery that restores one of our senses, and delivers information that informs the way we interact with the world, is like learning a new language, and with it, an entirely new culture.
Apparently I'm not a LASIK candidate. Glasses since grade 1. I remember my vision before starting primary school was 20:20 and was tested at the start of it. It quickly deteriorated the moment I started to read the chalkboard. Now at 65, -12 doesn't correct it.
Perfect vision is a world those that have it since birth take for granted. Those that have it restored are grateful for, as this article illustrates.
I could not agree with you more. However, instead of LASIK, I had special multifocal lenses put in during cataract surgery. I have 20/30 vision now and couldn’t be happier. I was not a good candidate for LASIK because my eyes are already dry but these lenses have changed my life. Although I had to wait decades to get them, they were definitely worth the wait! I’d worn glasses since I was 8 years old and hated them with a passion. Contact lenses were difficult due to dry eyes. These lenses are wonderful! Some glare around bright lights is the only drawback (not to mention the expense). Still i recommend checking them out.
Ha! I so understand what you mean. It's like a dimension that you never knew existed has opened up! There was the x-axis and the y-axis and now there's a whole new plane and by extension, frame of reference for the world. It's an incredible feeling. Loved this.
I got LASIK 23 years ago. Seeing the world without fingerprints and fog and sweat is amazing. And as I told the doc, "Now I know why people put mirrors in their bedrooms." But I discovered, as I fired up a circular saw.on a job site, that I'd been using my glasses as safety glasses.
similar experience, but with correction of limb deformity that has made me "whole' physically. I understand your sense of the miraculous- something prayed for , given by God, but through the hands of another human.
I was not a LASIK candidate, but the absolute joy of vision at 68yrs old after cataract surgery was amazing! I am thrilled & grateful. Wearing glasses from 7yrs old brought teasing & bullying which contributed to an already introverted, highly-sensitive personality. I’m happy you made the decision! Continue to enjoy!
I had LASIK surgery in 2021 after a life time of glasses and contact lenses. The results were spectacular and life changing .. much like the author . I instantly could see and read a click on the wall across a room where minutes before the procedure I could not see the clock! My vision prior was 20/600 , with astigmatism . While correctable with glasses or contact lenses, without , I was legally blind in the state of Michigan. Being freed of glasses and contact lenses was nothing short of a miracle. I had cataract surgery in my distance eye( I had contacts for and chose lasik for mono vision ( one eye for distance one eye for reading and up close work ). The results with older technology, four years ago was less than optimum ( the result of lasik to be mindful of). Last week I had cataract surgery with new technology of the Light Adjustable Lens. I can have the doctor fine tune my vision after the lens insertion !! A fantastic new development. My vision is crisper and clearer than my other eye ! Do not be afraid of lasik or of cataract surgery. While some poor results can occur , as with anything, the wonders of science and technology can lead you to better more clear vision too. A good outcome is more likely than a bad . Pick your surgeon well, then sit back and smile!
The history of this procedure is fascinating too!
https://socaleye.com/2021/03/lasik-history/#:~:text=1970s%20Radial%20Keratotomy&text=The%20procedure%20was%20originally%20developed,particles%20in%20both%20his%20eyes..
I know exactly what you mean! After I had the surgery, I felt like somebody had pulled a magic screen down in front of me, that allowed me to live with a superpower. I could swear, those first few days, that I was able to see through walls. Who knew that Nature has such precise margins. For the first few months, I was afraid that somebody was going to lift that magic screen, and all this clarity would be gone again.
I read through the comments first and I'm in the same boat. I had the lens replacement/cataract surgery a couple of years ago after wearing glasses since I was 8. I rarely use the phrase "life changing," but this definitely is! I've settled into what I really look like and it's still amazing to me that I can see the clock if I wake up in the night and getting into the shower able to see. One of the first things I did was buy several pairs of cool sunglasses since that was always off limits to me with heavy prescriptions. I know the glasses industry makes a ton of money off of prescription glasses, but I wish more doctors would talk about this when they have a patient with such intense Rxs. I had to ask in frustration when it looked like I was going to have to switch off between three pairs of glasses every day and then the surgery was the easiest one I've ever had. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Thank you for sharing your insights. I had early onset cataracts (when I was 45). Seeing everything gradually become tripled in my sight was disturbing! Having the surgery and then seeing clearly (more clearly than I had ever remembered seeing before), was wonderful. Your essay brought back those welcomed memories.
Assistive technology, like thicker lenses or hearing aids, can be absolutely life-changing for many, and I have so much respect for those who rely on it. Personally, even minor adjustments to my glasses leave me feeling renewed. Thankfully, my vision hasn't necessitated extremely thick lenses or surgery. And my hearing aids have been invaluable in keeping me connected and engaged with the world around me.
Amazing article, and I love your music drop! I’ve added it to my Spotify as well. Thank you for sharing your gifts 🙏🏼