The road to better vision – part 2

Change can be dramatic – a sudden trauma or event – but can also be so gradual that we barely notice. Maybe its that extra kilo or two that sneak on each year until suddenly you look back at photos of you ten years ago, significantly healthier looking. Or like me, maybe it’s your eyesight – once so crisp and clear – but slowly deteriorated to the point of being unsafe and difficult to function. I didn’t want to acknowledge the change. I think I was in denial about my need for glasses, an annoying inconvenience to remember to pack, that I could scratch or lose; a barrier between me and the world that would get wet, dirty and interfere with a busy life.

However, my denial ended and I embarked on a process with incredible support and laser surgery from the London Vision Clinic. PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision has truly changed the way I view the world. Now I am wondering why I denied my problem for so long. FEAR. False Expectations Appearing Real. I guess it’s okay to fear someone messing with our valuable asset of vision! I am amazed though at what medicine and technology have enabled. Six weeks post-surgery and the initial ‘fog’ has cleared.

Everyday when I open my curtains or head out on my bike, I wonder at the crispness and clarity of my view. The world seems to be in 3D, high definition, more colourful, everything more beautiful to look at (except maybe my own reflection in the mirror which seems to have a few more wrinkles than I thought!).

I had made all sorts of ‘excuses’: the time, the expense, the risk, the fact that I quite liked my ‘rose-tinted’ world where things looked ‘soft’. I realise now that they were excuses for my fear. And I am so glad that I overcame it. I feel to be much more ‘in’ the world again, safer when I ride my bike, and grateful for the bright new world I see everyday.

Although every patient’s recovery differs, here’s what I can say from my experience so far…

• For me, the ‘fog’ lasted about 2 weeks but every day my vision still feels to be improving.
• I put drops in three or four times a day for the first month, but now I only use them maybe once a day or if I’m out riding in the wind.
• My one-month post-operative check-up showed things to have healed well and my vision to be WAY better.
• I had ‘PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision’ eye surgery, which means one eye is corrected well for distance, with some intermediate vision, and the other for some intermediate vision and reading. It’s a small compromise from ‘perfect’ but it feels fantastic to me in both aspects compared to what I had…

If you too feel like you are fearful about the idea of laser eye surgery, I recommend you get in touch with the clinic and listen to what they have to say. If you’re not quite at that stage, a good place to start is reading their mini guide on addressing anxiety surrounding laser eye surgery.

You can watch Karen’s journey below: