Come and talk to me about laser eye surgery.

[TheDevilWearsPrimark]

I've got a consultation on Friday and I'm starting to get worried. The stories from friends are all negative.

I am trying to join the fire service and it's essential before they even consider me.

I'd love to hear your experiences, good and bad.

It is one of those things where who does it for you, and by what system, matters.

Dh had his eyes lasered, some years ago now - 3? - and it's transformed his life. The adjustment was quite tricky - his sight was classically seriously short-sighted, and they needed to fix each eye differently, so now he's got one "close focus" eye and one "long focus" eye (and there's a little bit of a middle-distance gap, but not really a bothersome one), and getting his eyes to re-learn how to co-ordinate when they were at such different focal lengths took a good few months.

But for him, it's a case of the phrase "never looked back" being literally true.

Do please do lots of research on the outfit you plan to use, and research other options too (so don't get railroaded into going with your first lot without looking at others). Technology moves on all the time, and you want what's most up to date without being not adequately tested.

Thanks.

I've done loads of research and am confident if I go ahead it is the best place I can do it. It's actually within a teaching hospital, but won't be performed by students.

The horror stories keep playing on my mind though. It is a huge risk as a single parent if I was to lose my sight.

I've never regretted it for an instant. Well worth the money, I was using the monthly leave in lenses and spending a fortune, so broke even about a year and a half after my surgery.

Don't be nervous about the consultation, you don't have to go ahead and a decent clinic would not offer the surgery on the same day anyway, as they like you to have time to think it over.

I was told I was only suitable for the cheaper version of surgery (without cutting) as my eyes are very small. I had no pain during or after the surgery (and I'm very eye squeamish, I took an hour to get a lens into my eye when I first tried) but my eyes did water ridiculously afterwards and everything was incredibly bright until I used the emergency drops they gave me and then I was fine. I've never had especially good night vision so wasn't especially concerned about the risks of it getting worse.

I had it done about 6/7 years ago and it was the best thing I ever did. Surprisingly my optometrist was in favour of it, said that only the failures made a song and dance about it (not surprisingly!) and there are thousands and thousands more had it done successfully and who don't have to report back to the world in general that they are happy!

HOWEVER ! Please make sure you have it done by a good place, don't know where you are but THE best place is Moorfields eye hospital in London - I couldn't fault them - it was brilliant and their special machines track the eye so if for some reason you move during the op - it shouldn't happen cos you are pinned down and anaesthetised (or however you spell it!!) - but if you do then the machine tracks the eye and no damage is done - amazing. You will need someone to be with you after the op to guide you, but I was able to go onto the tube almost straight away and could already see fuzzily - the next morning was still fuzzy but by then I could see better than I ever could before - it was magic!

It does cost to have it done (as I'm sure you know) but think of everything you saveover the years - contact lens stuff / prescription glasses etc. I think the consultant I had was called Miss Linda Frick and she is excellent.

I say go for it and I'm sure you will be a credit to the fire service - Good luck !

dh had it done - probably about 4 years ago - also at Moorfields. he's never regretted it - he never got on with either lenses or glasses and just loves having been liberated from all that.

I liked it because I got to take the piss out of him for wearing a mask in bed for a week . such a supportive wife.

I have a tricky prescription, I spoke with my optometrist who advised phoning Moorfields who would give impartial advice rather than sales targets to meet.

It's Moorfields I'm going to. I suppose I'll be less nervous after the appointment.

I am worried about the Sedation aswell, does it work enough, and how does it make you for the next 24 hours?

Yaay! You'll be fine going to Moorfields and you are right - you will feel ok after appt.

Don't worry about sedation - it is only for the eyes not your whole body - I really honestly didn't feel a thing - I could hear the sound of the laser and could smell a slight burning smell which was a little offputting but couldn't feel a thing. As I said earlier I got up straight away, had to wait in another room for a short while where DH met me and then not long after we walked out by ourselves and went on the tube - I could see but it was real fuzzy.

I'm sure I didn't have to wear a mask at night (not that I would have minded) but you do need to write off a couple of days after - if nothing else for putting loads of eyedrops in and making sure your eyesight is clear before you dash off to Tescos!

It is soooo worth it - believe me !!

ps I should have said that I am no good with anaesthetics generally but I was fine with this.

I had a consultation at Moorfields but was completelely put off by the 1 in 1000 risk of permanent damage. I needed the equivalent of cataract surgery. I am absolitely gutted as I would dearly love to have it but I simply can't take the risk of damaging my sight.

Thanks champagnedahling sounds like a good experience.

The risk doesn't worry me too much, it's very slim. Plus being a fireman will be pretty risky

So DWP, were you quoted 1 in a 1000 risk of something going wrong? I guess I just need some context of whether or not that is high?

I am not sure until after the consultation. I'm hoping I can have Lasik, with which there is very little risk.

I've just been looking at statistics for the more invasive procedures though and they are quite worrying.

Yah I had Lasik, didn't realise they still did the one where they slice the top layer off - it sounded grim to me. I know someone who had that done at a bucket shop type place and it did go wrong. Not heard any probs with Lasik but go talk to Moorfields and make your mind up afterwards.

Hope you make fire service

They do for more complicated cases. I'm hoping I will be fine with Lasik.

Thanks for the good wishes, I really hope so too. My friends think it's hilarious, I used to be a fashion journalist, now do odd freelance jobs and am a sahm so it's quite a big life change

moorfields v good, was going to suggest it.

a mum at dd's school had this done there and is v pleased (iirc one eye needed re-doing, which is quite common)