LASIK, Eye Decided Yes! (A Mom's Guide to LASIK)

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Decision made.  I was ready.  Every time I'd push my glasses up my nose, I'd snort in disgust knowing I wouldn't be wearing them much longer.  I have decided to have LASIK eye surgery (read about my struggle with the decision here) and I wasn't backing out.

Decision made, now I needed to decide where to do it.  Word of mouth is big here in the Austin area, especially with so many transplanted families, we rely on others' experiences to guide us.  So I asked around.  And I researched online.  We have many choices to choose from, all having excellent references.  I made two appointments because I wanted to get a feel for two different surgery centers, see if they differed in procedure, comfort, and frankly, price.

From my free consultations, I saw that both centers were very nice.  Both had knowledgeable staff and took ample time to answer any of my questions. The procedures were very similar as well as price.  I could go with either place and have the same results - awesome vision.  However, something drew me to Dr. Zamora at Advanced Eye Care & Surgery.

It wasn't the convience (10 mins from my house), it wasn't all the high tech equipment they use to test your eyes (though that was cool), and it wasn't the fancy facility (although it is super nice). It was the releationship that I developed with Dr. Zamora & his staff.  He is very down to earth, patient, answered every single question, and made me completely at ease.  I mean, we are cutting my eyeballs open here, so you kinda want someone you trust.....

The exam itself was easy - they took topographic images of my eyeballs, tested the thickness of my corneas, and did a dryness test among other things.  Overall, I was there about 2 hours, which shows the level of care they take to do everything correctly and make sure you know exactly what you can expect.

Dr. Zamora himself had LASIK done a few months ago, so it was great to hear all the experience that he personally went through.  He walked me step by step through all the sounds, smells, and thoughts I might have during the procedure.

And he answered all the crazy questions I had - like "how do I keep my eyeball open that long??" (it's not long, less than a minute but the answer is with a speculum) and "what happens if my pupil moves while the laser is in my eye?" (y'all this technology is so amazing, the laser moves with your pupil!).  No question was too silly or too much.  All the more relaxed and confident I felt about going through with it.

One thing he was clear about - the LASIK procedure I choose would not prevent me from one day needing bi-focals.  As I was near-sighted and couldn't see across the room, seeing distance was my primary concern.  I actually tested well for my far-sightedness, so hopefully it will be years down the line before I need some "readers".

Next step, we booked the LASIK appointment (yay!) and I was scheduled to go to the actual surgery center a few days before it to get some final preperatory instructions and tests.  Dr. Tom Walters at Eye LASIK Austin was my surgeon.  His staff was just as friendly, knowledgeable and patient with me.  The pre-op appointment had me watching a set of short movies that walked me through every step from taking a valium (yes!) to relax me to the sounds I might hear while the laser is doing it's thing.  I also had a few more eye tests to confirm everything.

That was it.  I was more than ready to have the procedure done at this point. Only 2 more sleeps and I would be glasses free......but was I mentally ready for it?

Come back tomorrow to hear my actual experience with LASIK.

This is a series of sponsored posts by Advanced Eye Care and Surgery and Eye LASIK Austin.  All opinions are my own.