Let me give some background first. I was about 12 when I first noticed I wasn't doing well in school. My mother and I didn't understand why cause I did really well in some classes and not too well in others. (Because I sat in the back in some classes and in the front in others. DUH!! LOL!!) We talked to my teachers and none could shed any light. This went on for another year till I was 13 and started "aunt flo". SORRY guys! Just bear with me. Lots of headaches, cramping, etc just normal things that are associated with it. RIGHT? Well the headaches lingered longer that the um,...er,... "aunt flo". LOL!!! So I went to see our family doctor. He suggested we get my eyes tested.

Lo and behold I needed glasses. GO figure!! LOL!! So that the age of 13 I started wearing glasses. Anyone remember when they didn't have the light weight plastic lenses and we had to get the heavy glass lenses. Well I needed the heavy lenses. UGH!! And it took two weeks to get your glasses not the nifty swifty one hour like at Lenscrafters.

Fast forward to Sept 2003. I hear about this really cool Lasik surgery. I go in for an extensive 2 hour eye exam to see if I am a candidate. I AM!!!! HOORAY!!!! My sweetie pays the $4500 fee. OUCH!!! I just love that man. He also paid for my LapBand as well. DOUBLE LOVE HIM!!!!!

October 2003 I have Lasik surgery and can see 20/20 immediately after surgery. I cry and wail and gnash teeth,... oh wait no gnashing of teeth but I do cry and wail. I am thrilled with the results.

I notice about 8 months after surgery a deterioration in my vision. The distance is not a crisp as it was right after surgery. I schedule an appt to get my eyes tested again. They say my eyes are still adjusting. I wait four months till my yearly checkup. NOTHING changes. I schedule another appt. They tell me that I still have what is considered 20/20 vision. I ask about will it get worse or better or what. They said if it wasn't better in a couple of months to come back.

I just got home from the eye doctor TODAY. I have a second LASIK surgery scheduled on March 22nd. I am having monovision with custom vue to make the vision better in the weaker eye. If they try to correct both eyes I will lose all close up vision in both eyes. This way I can still have close up vision and my distance will be much clearer and still not have to wear glasses. HOORAY!!!!

I am just not looking forward to another surgery right now. I will be in and out in under 15 min or less actually. It takes longer to set up for the operation than the operation itself. LOL!!

My doctor is Charles Manger, III and his clinic is Saddleback Eye Center. It is located in Laguna Hills which is in the Irvine area. So on Tuesday the 22nd, I go to the clinic for the surgery and stay overnight at an area hotel. Then the next morning go back to the clinic via their shuttle for a checkup then I will take a taxi to the train station and come home. My sweetie is driving me down and staying with me and then taking me to the hotel afterward, but he has to get home that night so he can take my 17 yr old son to his driving school classes the next morning. UGH!!

I am not at all anxious about it, I just didn't wanna have to do this right now. But if I don't do it now I would have to wait till May. I will be out of town for the month of April. OH well it is what it is.

Marie: Do you use any eyedrops for the dryness other than the prescription cyclosporine? I use the Refresh liqui-gel. It is really soothing and keeps my eyes hydrated for 4 - 6 hours in between drops. Check with your doc before you get any. It is sold at any drug store over the counter. Have they suggested Restasis? That is also another eyedrop for dry eyes.

Mine were tested today and they are somewhat dry but not too much. I have to increase my eyedrops from twice a day to 4 times a day till surgery, just as a precaution.

I had astigmatism as well really bad but they were able to work with it in my first surgery. They have made such leaps and bounds in the surgery these days. It is amazing.

I've bought every type of over the counter eye drops or gels that they make. Yes, the Restasis is the RX cyclosporine drops I'm using. I think I'm just prone to dry eyes. Previously, wearing contacts, I never could sleep in them for days and days like my son does. Just one of those weird little quirks that some people get and others don't.

Hopefully you won't have any problems. And since you've had this done before, you know what to expect. I do want more than the 1 valium they gave me next time though! LOL

Penni-

When I had mine done they told me after 40 I would need reading glasses. Which I kinda do now. They said they could than do the mono-vision BUT would recommend that I just use reading glasses instead. If you could get perfect distance in both & just need reading glasses that MAY be another option instead of having the mono.. I have heard of people getting the mono & not being able to adjust. Maybe see if you get it done & don't like it months from now if you can go back to just near-sighted vision correctiveness?? Just a thought.. Well be seeing ya;0) Lol- Good Luck

Penni,

Best of luck to you. Hope all goes well with the surgery.

Good Luck Penni.

I have been thinking about doing the Lasik myself just do not have the money to pay for it.

The only time I have problems with dryness is when it is so cold and the heat is on alot. Once in a while in the summer when it is over 100 degrees I have some dryness. I use the saline drops off the shelf that they had me use after surgery, and after a couple of days, I am back to normal.

How long ago was everyone's eye surgery? I was told it takes a good year and sometimes two years for your eyes to make its own tears.

I asked about doing both eyes and just using reading glasses. I was told that if they correct both my eyes then I would need reading glasses for EVERYTHING else. Including typing like I am doing now. SO I would still be in glasses 50% to 60% of the time. If I get the Monovision then I won't need reading glasses for another year or two and then just for reading in low lite areas or fine print. They let me see the difference with both eyes and with monovision by using lenses to see how it would affect my eyesight. I must admit I am more interested in the monovision than doing both eyes.

I still have time to cancel. I can even talk to them the day of surgery.

I had my original surgery Feb 2004. I have had a constant battle with dry eyes. Put in lower plugs, put in 'smart' plugs that stay forever, now I have an upper plug in my right/distance eye and the 'reading' eye is dry. I never had dry eyes in my life! The monovision is great for up close reading, but still is NOT helpful for computer work. The distance is great for real far away IF I use my glasses that correct the 'reading' eye. IF not, I have very distorted vision and the detail I was once used to is no more. I may still go back and have the distance only corrected on the 'reading' eye. I don't mind glasses, but now there is no middle ground. If I'm looking over someone's shoulder at a computer screen, I have no GOOD 'middle' vision, it's all very distorted and guess what! I used the Dr who has done 'THE MOST' lasik surgeries IN THE WORLD. They can't tell me if the dryness will ever correct itself, or the distortion. It's cool if I'm doing nothing in particular, but even watching TV is a nuisance with distorted vision. Lotsa money to go permanently damage my good eyes.

Leatha I was hoping by now you were much better.

They told me I could do both eyes for distance or just one and read with the other. The whole point of me getting the surgery done was to not wear glasses anymore. I went with the monovision because of that. I am happy with the outcome, and would do it again in a minute. I had mine done about 3 years ago.

I am with you Betty. I don't wanna have to wear any type of glasses till I absolutely have to. I wore them for over 30 years so to not have to wear them for the past year and a half has been fabulous.

I will just do more asking questions till I feel completely comfortable.

Good luck, Penni!

Can I do a quick hijack??? This may sound really dumb, but are watery eyes a symptom of dry eyes? I have been having the worst problem with watery eyes for the last 2 yrs. I thought it was allergies for a long time, but NOTHING my allergist has given me has helped. Okay, Penni, back to you, LOL!

I had my Lasik in December, 2004. I chose the mono because I didn't want to wear any glasses. I do like being able to wake up in the a.m. and be able to see! I'm trying to be patient and hope this dry eye/distance eye corrects itself. But it is a huge financial investment and a risk to take having someone operate on your eyes.

Yes, Blossum, it is.

How long ago was everyone's eye surgery? I was told it takes a good year and sometimes two years for your eyes to make its own tears.

I was told that if they correct both my eyes then I would need reading glasses for EVERYTHING else. They let me see the difference with both eyes and with monovision by using lenses to see how it would affect my eyesight.

I had mine in 1998. It took aprox 6-8 mnths for my eyes to not be so dry. I used natural tears for drops & after that intial phase never needed them again. I do think my vision isn't as sharp as it was a couple years ago but I am too chicken to go & find out if I am no longer 20/20.LOL

I think you should go for the mono vision- sounds like you have your heart set & you've done great research - so go for it & let me know how it goes. I am sure I will do it in couple years also.

Surgery is scheduled for 8am on Tuesday the 22nd.