Five years of better sight

I commemorate all sorts of anniversaries on this blog, so I have no idea how I missed this: May 8 was the fifth anniversary of my Lasik eye surgery. That time has passed in the blink of an eye (sorry…).

I took the photo of me at left using my iMac (which I don’t even have anymore) the evening after my surgery. It accompanied a brief post about the surgery that I typed while wearing those goggles. I don’t know why I didn’t mention this at the time, but I was barely able to see as I typed, partly because of the goggles, but also because I couldn’t yet focus very well, especially on close things, and because bright light (like a glowing computer screen) made my eyes water and sting a bit. All of which is the real reason that post was so short.

In the years since the surgery, the “starbursts” I sometimes saw have diminished greatly, or maybe I just don’t notice them anymore. Same with the “halos” I saw around some lights, but I know those are still there.

Overall, my vision has remained pretty stable, though some days are better than others (usually depending on how tired I am). All the benefits I mentioned in the posts after the surgery are still true.

The only bad thing about my vision has nothing whatsoever to do with the surgery: Good old presbyopia (age-related vision decline) has set in. I can’t read much at all without reading glasses, though off-the-shelf ones with the lowest possible strength (+1) have been just fine for me. Sometimes, however, I need to use a magnifying glass, too, for very small type or when contrast is bad or lighting levels are too low. I think that I may eventually need somewhat stronger reading glasses.

Had I not had the surgery, I’d still have the presbyopia, only I’d be wearing bifocals now. That was something I was determined to never do, and the surgery meant I wouldn’t have to.

So, five years on, I still have the one regret that I had at the time: I wish I’d done it sooner.

Related posts:

In recovery (mentioned and linked-to above)
Seeing again for the first time
AmeriNZ 88 - Seeing again for the first time – my podcast episode on the surgery
One month, still good
Super Vision – After my final post-surgery check-up