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Jeepers Creepers

soupcan Mar 07 2007 09:25 AM

I'm going under the laser this afternoon to have my vision corrected. Been wearing glasses since I was 18 which is now going on 25 years. I'm just letting you all know in case the doctor is drunk and fries my corneas (corneae?) so I'll never see again. In which case you'll never hear from me again because, well, I won't be able to see anything much less a computer screen. If everything works out then maybe you will all benefit from my lack of spelling errors or something. Anyway - it's ben real.

Edgy DC Mar 07 2007 09:39 AM

Be cool. I'm sure they have ways for peeps to type online with fried corneae. I hope you like your new face.

metirish Mar 07 2007 09:52 AM

I hope you don't have the same Doctor that did Bernie Williams eyes,he hasn't been the same hitter since........ah only joking soupcan....

Johnny Dickshot Mar 07 2007 10:02 AM

Meantime, I'm almost certain I need to start wearing glasses for the first time. All that remains is a trip to the physician. So that I may increase my general Soupcannery, perhaps you can donate your glasses to me.

soupcan Mar 07 2007 10:19 AM

That's fine - I have craploads of glasses. As I got new pairs I never threw out the old ones, just tossed 'em in a shoebox. I have big round wire frames, squareish, tortoise shell, professorial horn-rims. I have clip-on sunglasses, non-descript prescription shades, prescription vuarnets that I used to use when I skied. I have a couple of boxes of unused contact lenses as well if you're interested. I'd be happy to send you any or all but be prepared to look like a mod -80's New Wave hipster (skinny leather tie and back & white checkered sweater vest included), a wanna-be yuppie (tube of half-full Tenex hair gel included) and Nick Nolte in Prince of Tides (repressed sexual assault memories not included). Edgy DC wrote: I hope you like your new face. I was thinking that it would pretty much be my old face.

Methead Mar 07 2007 10:22 AM

Yeesh... good luck. You're gonna miss the game though.

KC Mar 07 2007 10:25 AM

I'm in the same 18/25 boat, I'd never even entertain the idea of getting laser surgery to correct my vision. What prompted you to do it? (I realize it's kind of a personal question and I fully would understand if you don't want to say)

soupcan Mar 07 2007 10:36 AM

Methead wrote: Yeesh... good luck. You're gonna miss the game though. Nope. Game time is 2:00, corneae get fried at 5:00. Hopefully the last SU game I see will be a victory. ="KC"]What prompted you to do it? I've been pondering it for years - even went to a doctor for a consult three years ago - I have a lot of friends and family that have done it and just rave about it. The whole glasses, prescription sunglasses, contact lenses (which I totally suck at by the way - takes me 5 minutes per eye to put the little fuckers in), swim goggles, etc. just started to get old and I'm tired of dealing with it. Besides the fact that my eyes are starting to get worse and it looks like I'm starting to need reading glasses as well.

KC Mar 07 2007 10:53 AM

My eye doctor has suggested it once or twice ... I'm a wuss. All the best with it. I'm both near and far-sighted, have a slight astigmatism, and have been knock- ing glaucoma's door. I wear one contact now when not wearing progressive lenses and it's worked out pretty well. Kinda weird at first. Waking up and being able to see the time on the cable box should be cool!

soupcan Mar 07 2007 11:04 AM

KC wrote: Waking up and being able to see the time on the cable box should be cool! EXACTLY!

Yancy Street Gang Mar 07 2007 11:22 AM

I've been wearing glasses for about 19 years now. Never considered contacts. (No way am I going to touch my eye!) Never considered laser surgery. (No way am I going to let a laser beam touch my eye!) Forty years from now, if I'm still alive, I'll probably be the last person on the planet with glasses balanced on his nose.

Rockin' Doc Mar 07 2007 01:18 PM

Best of luck with your procedure, Soup. I don't think you need concern yourself with "fried corneas" and i fully expect to see you online again very soon. LASIK is a highly effective and safe means of vision correction when done by a highly trained and experienced professional.

cooby Mar 07 2007 01:37 PM

soupcan is going to Pearle Vision

soupcan Mar 07 2007 01:42 PM

Rockin' Doc wrote: LASIK is a highly effective and safe means of vision correction when done by a highly trained and experienced professional. Thank you Doc, I appreciate the affirmation. ="cooby"]soupcan is going to Pearle Vision No. He is not.

ScarletKnight41 Mar 07 2007 01:57 PM

Good luck soup!

iramets Mar 07 2007 02:13 PM

soupy--if u cn rd ths, thn yr srgry wrkd ok

cooby Mar 07 2007 02:35 PM

wow, I finally figured out the thread title

seawolf17 Mar 07 2007 02:51 PM

Rockin' Doc wrote: Best of luck with your procedure, Soup. I don't think you need concern yourself with "fried corneas" and i fully expect to see you online again very soon. LASIK is a highly effective and safe means of vision correction when done by a highly trained and experienced professional. Ah, sure, Mr. Eye Doctor Propaganda Man. I'm freaked out by LASIK too. The person who invented the contact lens was one sadistic bastard, but I'm used to 'em now. I'm probably a good candidate for LASIK; give it a few years until insurance companies start covering the whole thing, realizing it's cheaper to do that than to pay to replace my contact lenses every two years.

Rockin' Doc Mar 07 2007 09:51 PM

Seawolf - "Ah, sure, Mr. Eye Doctor Propaganda Man." Well, it's not like I'm a surgeon that benefits from refractive surgery procedures. My practice is built on examining patients, correcting their vision needs with glasses or contact lenses, diagnosing and treating eye diseases, and making appropriate referrals for surgical intervention when appropriate. Seawolf - "I'm freaked out by LASIK too. The person who invented the contact lens was one sadistic bastard, but I'm used to 'em now. I'm probably a good candidate for LASIK; give it a few years until insurance companies start covering the whole thing, realizing it's cheaper to do that than to pay to replace my contact lenses every two years." Don't hold your breath waiting for insurance companies to cover LASIK. Refractive surgical procedures have been around since the 1970's and the first excimer laser procedure (LASIK) was performed in 1987. The procedure is no closer to being routinely covered by insurance companies now than it was 20 years ago because it is not economically feasible for the insurance companies to do so. I will attempt to explain why it is not feasible for insurance companies to cover refractive surgical procedures with the following simplified example: The majority of individuals that have prescription eye care benefits generally receive them through an insurance rider (such as VSP, Superior Vision, Spectera, etc.) that is seperate from their medical coverage. These policies generally cover glasses or contact lenses up to a specified amount every year or two depending on the policy. If the policy were to cover $200 towards corrective lenses on an annual basis, it would take 15 years for the insurance company to pay out $3,000 on your benefits. Meanwhile, you (or your employer) would be paying premiums to maintain the coverage. However, with refractive surgical procedures (LASIK, PRK, Intacs, CK, LRI, phakic IOLs, etc) the company may spend the entire $3,000 on your behalf in one procedure for the two eyes. Meanwhile, with your vision now corrected, you would have little incentive to continue paying premiums for a vision insurance rider that you no longer feel you need. As a result, the insurance company likely spent the same amount of money on your behalf, but had to do so all at once and lost out on 14 years of future premiums in the process. The only way that I forsee refractive surgery being paid for by insurance is if the mainline medical insurers (BCBS, Cigna, Medicare, UHC, etc) were to start covering the procedures. Since these insurance companies seldom cover corrective lenses, I doubt you will see them opt to pick up the more expensive surgical procedures any time soon.

Rockin' Doc Mar 07 2007 09:53 PM

Soup, I hope all went well with your procedures and I hope to "see" you online soon.

seawolf17 Mar 07 2007 10:23 PM

I'm so glad you're here, Doc. Well said. I was being flippant with my comment; thanks for the info.

Rockin' Doc Mar 07 2007 10:35 PM

No offense taken. I knew you were just messin' with me. Your response gave me an opportunity to answer a question that patient's often ask me regarding why insurance companies don't generally cover refractive surgery procedures.

soupcan Mar 08 2007 10:04 AM

I'm back. All in all it went pretty well There was no pain at all but it was pretty uncomfortable. I was very tense throughout the whole procedure. I was uncomfortable last night and my vision was similar to what it is like after you've been swimming in a chlorinated pool for a couple of hours. Lots of what they call 'ghosting' Bottom line though - My vision is now 20/15 and I ain't wearing glasses as I type this.

metirish Mar 09 2007 09:22 PM

Great stuff Soupcan......

ScarletKnight41 Mar 09 2007 10:00 PM

I'm glad that it went well soup.