I Got LASIK! In my 40's!
My experience so far (week one).
If you follow me on social media, you already know! I got LASIK on Friday!
This all happened super quickly, but I have actually been thinking about getting LASIK for the last decade, since my 30’s. But I was terrified of the surgery, even though I knew a few people who had great experiences. I also did not like how much it cost.
I wasn’t having issues with my contacts either, so I kind of just forgot about it.
Fast forward to my 40’s, when I was getting very tired of chronic eye infections, and having to wear glasses whenever they occurred. My optometrist advised me against it, since my prescription was bound to get worse with age. I accepted that my time had passed, and put the idea out of my head.
Until earlier this month, when I scratched my eye taking out a contact lens. This happened around the same time I booked my first commercial in forever, and I freaked out at the idea that I wouldn’t heal in time for the shoot (luckily I did).
My ophthalmologist informed me that along with the corneal ulcer I had in my 20’s (from sleeping with my lenses on — a bad habit I broke immediately after that painful vision scare) I really couldn’t afford to keep injuring my eyes like this, especially when I make my living in front of the camera sans glasses.
He suggested LASIK — and just like that, the door re-opened. Once my infection healed, I went to my optometrist for another vision test. And then to the LASIK surgeon for a consultation. I wanted to get it done before we go to Japan next month, and he assured me I would be fine by then.
I’m currently editing a vlog that will go up on my YouTube Channel pretty soon with lots more about my feelings (no footage of the surgery, don’t worry — although they gave me a copy of that for some reason). But in the meantime, I wanted to write a little guide, while everything is still fresh. Some of these are also your questions from social media. Keep in mind, I literally got this done on Friday so I still have a while to go before everything is stable/fully healed — but here’s what I wanted to know when I was researching.
THE STATE OF MY VISION
Despite being in my 40’s, my prescription did not change much the last few years. A stable prescription for at least a year is one of the LASIK requirements.
I have a slight astigmatism in my right eye, which is -3.50 but not in my left one, which is -5.75. I was able to return most of my contacts to ContactsDirect.com since I had bought them pretty recently and they were unopened, but am still waiting for my refund. (BTW I still have some dailies left if this is anyone’s prescription!)
The LASIK prescription wound up being identical to what my glasses were.
WHO I SAW AND WHAT IT COST
Larchmont Optometrics referred me to Dr. Alan Berg of Berg-Feinfield Vision Correction, who does the surgery out of their Sherman Oaks office. With the referral discount, it cost $4500, plus $150 for a post-op kit (which is really just eye drops and plastic shields to protect your eyes). There is also an option to spend another $600 for a “lifetime guarantee” in case your vision changes again and you need a touch-up. I turned the latter down. The $4500 also covers your doctor’s checkups for the year — I can do them at Dr. Berg’s or at Larchmont Optometrics.
PRE-LASIK
The optometrist vision test took about 30 minutes. Then, the LASIK consult took about 1.5 hours. They dilated my eyes — so I did have to wear double sunglasses after (Abe just drove me, but they said it would be safe to drive). They do a whole bunch of vision tests, recheck your prescription, and you can ask Dr. Berg any questions you want. I had already watched about a dozen YouTube videos about the surgery so really my only question was: “Can I use my red light mask?!?” Answer: No. (Damn.)
Because of my eye infection, I already hadn’t been wearing contacts (aside from dailies the one day I was shooting the commercial) and that’s something you should plan for — you can’t wear glasses before the evaluation. I’ve read online that some places require three weeks; for me it was two, so I’m not sure what the exact number is. Same goes for the surgery — you can’t wear contacts for a while before that. So plan your contacts schedule accordingly.