Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT

WCDT 14 Mar-18 Mar 2011 (1881-1885)

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Carl-E:
Re:  Lasik - remember, as you age, even with the procedure, you'll still need reading glasses.  It does nothing to reduce the stiffening of the lens over time.  You just won't need bifocals! 

And my opthamologist recommended against it, as my prescription still shifts a bit each year.  If I'd gotten Lasik, I still would've needed glasses after a year or two!  Granted, most people aren't in my glasses shoes, but it's best to check first.  Just another good reason to avoid the places that are "selling" it! 

Skewbrow:
I have had problems finding glasses for all my needs. I could probably still drive a car safely without, but prefer to get some aid from a lense. I need about +4 for reading, so progressive bifocals are the catch-all solution. Unfortunately that is not sufficient for computer work, so I have another pair for "close range only" use. This is a recent addition - other solutions might be out there.  A further complication comes from my hobbies one of which is orienteering. There you need to see distant objects, but also need to see tiny details on the map. AND as you are running full steam thru forests, across marshland and over the boulders, the risk of accident is always there. The price of progressive bifocals is kinda high, so I tried some narrow, cheap +4s down on my nose. Unfortunately that creates a discontinuity zone, so after limping thru a couple of seasons I gave up on that idea. My ophthalmologist keeps renewing my presciption every two years, so at that time the solution of using the old pair for sports was available, and mostly satisfactory (if need be I can use the small magnifying glass attached to my compass). She also recommended that I try contacts for sportactivities, but I never learned the trick of putting them on quickly enough.

Surgery is pointless at this age for the reason Carl-E described.

I'm currently in my 3rd pair of progressive bifocals. The pair #1 is somewhere in the swamps after a tree branch I ran into recoiled and knocked them out of sight. Pair #2 works for sport use, but I get funny looks from others as I tie a shoelace around my head in order to not lose that pair...

Tetrinity:
I've been wearing glasses for around nine or ten years now, and almost every time I go for a checkup or to pick up some new frames, I get inundated with suggestions (mostly from friends) that I get laser eye surgery instead. I've vaguely considered it, especially since my prescription seems to have more or less plateaued around -5.5 at this point, but... eh. I like my glasses and feel they suit me, but it does make going swimming or to a metal concert rather inconvenient. I don't think it's something I should commit to unless I'm completely sure I want it done; those operations cost a lot of money...

Mind you, I've never even tried contact lenses. I remember asking my parents when I was around thirteen whether I could get them, to be met with a resounding, "no, you're not hygienic enough", which I thought was a bit harsh, but hey. Never pushed the issue after that, and when I turned eighteen and didn't have to get them to countersign any forms, I'd been wearing my glasses for too long to think about switching. Perhaps I'll get some of those temporary contacts and try them out over a weekend or something.

Incidentally, is it only referred to as lasik surgery in the US? I'm in the UK and have only ever heard it called laser eye surgery; I thought it was some kind of in-joke I was missing until I Googled the term!

cabbagehut:
I considered laser eye surgery, but I'm not a candidate.  My eyes have been deteriorating since I was about five, and they haven't stabilized.  They're so bad that I'll never be without glasses, but that's okay.  I'd just like a pair to cost less than $500, and to have the option to wear contacts.  That'd be swell!  Mostly, it's just nice to have options.

westrim:

--- Quote from: Tetrinity on 17 Mar 2011, 00:43 ---I've been wearing glasses for around nine or ten years now, and almost every time I go for a checkup or to pick up some new frames, I get inundated with suggestions (mostly from friends) that I get laser eye surgery instead. I've vaguely considered it, especially since my prescription seems to have more or less plateaued around -5.5 at this point, but... eh. I like my glasses and feel they suit me, but it does make going swimming or to a metal concert rather inconvenient. I don't think it's something I should commit to unless I'm completely sure I want it done; those operations cost a lot of money...

Mind you, I've never even tried contact lenses. I remember asking my parents when I was around thirteen whether I could get them, to be met with a resounding, "no, you're not hygienic enough", which I thought was a bit harsh, but hey. Never pushed the issue after that, and when I turned eighteen and didn't have to get them to countersign any forms, I'd been wearing my glasses for too long to think about switching. Perhaps I'll get some of those temporary contacts and try them out over a weekend or something.

Incidentally, is it only referred to as lasik surgery in the US? I'm in the UK and have only ever heard it called laser eye surgery; I thought it was some kind of in-joke I was missing until I Googled the term!

--- End quote ---

I've never had it suggested to me that I get surgery. I guess I just look good in glasses. The transfer if I ever did it would be a bit weird, since I wear them from the moment I get out of bed to the moment I get back in- excepting showers, of course.

Also, Lasik is one of those brand names that gets so dominant it becomes a term for the product no matter who supplies it. Like Kleenex, or aspirin, pot noodle (for a UK specific product), or... Google.

Edit: Oh hey, Wikipedia  has a list; apparently the term is 'genericized trademark'. Lasik isn't listed, but that's why you see it.

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