What is your power. I am minus 1.5 just buy cheap sunglasses from the corner store and then take them over to the optician and have the stick transition lenses in that change color with UV:

I had LASIK done 5 years ago and am incredibly happy with it. I was -6 in both eyes with an astigmatism. LASIK corrected it perfectly. No glasses, no contacts. Just sunglasses outside.

+1

http://www.boxerwachler.com/olympics


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Cheers, Neal

+1 mph Faster

the decision to get corrective surgery needs to be completely your own but I had it 7 years ago and couldn't recommend it more highly. Because of amount of correction and my corneal thickness I had to have PRK (not LASIK) which is more painful and has a much linger healing period. Still way worth it. In fact, although at the time I would have been disappointed to be one of the unlucky few still needing glasses, it would have been worth it to get from the massive prescription I had where I was practically blind without contacts or glasses, to something like a -0.5 or -0.75 where I could function without them for most things. Luckily I only began needing glasses for reading 6 years after the surgery - more related to ageing.
wife had LASIK and drove herself to the next day check-up.

we used an inexpensive "production line" surgeon who was doing a surgery every few mins - but who had done a great job for our neighbors and their friends.

I've heard mixed results with LASIK. Scares the crap out of me, honestly; however, I have been rockin' contacts since I was 10 or 11. Technology has gotten so much better in that time. I don't know what your current situation is, but I couldn't do glasses full-time. I'm -9 in both eyes – my glasses are ridiculously un-weight weenie. Contacts save me a few grams.

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@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri

Have you tried glasses with high index of refraction material? It supposedly halves the thickness/weight of the lens. My next pair will be made out of that material.

Lasik 13 years ago.

Best money I have ever spent.

I would do it again in a second (but I don't need to).

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Jason
None of the secrets of success will work unless you do.

Hello Swanbird and All,

Just a couple of comments on eyesight correction.

In my case I have had a bit better than 20/20 vision most of my life ... however in my early 60's (about 20 years ago) I needed a mite of correction .... I consulted with the medical department the Air Line Pilots Assn and they advised to use Dr. Boxer-Wachler who was then at Jules Stein Eye Clinic at UCLA. (He is in private practice now.)

After an exam he recommended LASIK and provided the procedure for both eyes. At that time the usual procedure was one eye focused at infinity and the other closer for reading ... much like some people do with contacts .... I opted for both eyes at infinity focus since I wanted to catch and throw and thought it might help with depth perception. I was fortunate in that I could still see close for reading (and still can today) without external lens. After aging to my late 70's some astigmatism developed in one eye. I had a 30 second procedure with Dr. Boxer-Wachler where he surgically slit the cornea in the area where it had some tension that cause the astigmatism ... and relieved the astigmatism. My vision returned to about 20/15 and has stayed that way.

As others here have noted there a many vision procedures besides LASIK .... I would recommend getting an examination and learning what your options are.

If you are older (or not) and have cataracts that can be removed and a new lens inserted that is a possibility ...... among many ..... for restoring good vision without external lens. (As an aside ... Dr. Boxer-Wachler has his teen age daughters wear sunglasses ..... which begs the question .... do those people who have worn sunglasses all their lives have less incidence of cataracts? It appears so.) Also there are new lens for cataract surgery that provide both near and far vision.

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Cheers, Neal

+1 mph Faster

I have mono vision contact lenses. They work great. I'm a -5.25 in both eyes, corrected to 20/20.

Why mono vision? Once you hit 40+ you'll be increasingly unable to see close up and you'll need bifocals. By 50, you can't read a book without bifocals. Monovision largely correct for both close and far vision, eliminating any need for bifocal glasses.

I considered Lasik, but my eye doctor advised me that Lasik can only correct for the distance vision and get me to 20/20, but I would still have to wear glasses for close vision....like reading my Garmin watch or seeing the readings on my bike power/cadence device.

Lasik 16 years ago. Eyesight is still great. Couldn't be happier. Worth every penny.

lutzman

I am in that 50+ age (52) where I will need to get bifocals SOON :)

I have been wearing glasses only for the past 10+ years, and wore contacts mostly prior to that.
I am interested in the laser procedure, but if not a candidate, or if I chicken out, I think these mono-vision lenses sound like a great compromise.

Can you tell me if there are side effects of having two differing lenses/corrections? I wonder about dizziness etc. Do they also correct for astigmatism?

Additionally, I wanted to add / ask that I was under the impression that laser procedures are now possible to correct for mono-vision, as your contacts seem to do.

thanks

I see there are a lot of people recommending LASIK, I have heard of a lot of happy customers. But let me warn you. If you choose to go this route you need to do your homework. There are people who should not get LASIK for one reason or another. This is all fine and well when you go to honest practices where they do a legitimate screening to determine your candidacy. But there are too many surgery mills out there who qualify almost anyone and then have horrible problems. My wife got LASIK a year and a half ago. She has had halos and constant burning eyes ever since. To boot she is now back wearing glasses to correct her vision after 2 enhancements have failed to correct her vision.

Just a word of warning. Ever since my wife has had this trouble I have heard all kinds of horror stories from people who have had trouble with LASIK. I have one friend whose father is legally blind in one eye from failed LASIK.

I would never get it myself because contacts are free through my insurance....save the money and buy some bike gear.....or a new bike for that matter.....less risky in my opinion.

A variety of experiences and it might be somewhat age dependent too. At 61, glasses help cover wrinkles around the eyes (from goggles of course).

When riding, I want to wear glasses for protection. My prescription glasses are shatter proof, darken and are bifocals. As I have aged the prescription doesn't change much and I usually just end up changing for style reasons.

On the other hand, when I was in the third grade or however young one can get Lasik, I would have been all for it.

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Indoor Triathlete - I thought I was right, until I realized I was wrong.

Definitely do your homework. I have a couple of friends who are optometrists and asked them about the local docs before getting mine done. My procedure was pretty expensive, even with an employee discount. However, it is the best money I've spent in a long time. I have slightly better than 20/20 vision without any issues.

There are no "side effects" that I'm aware of. I've worn soft contact lenses for 30+ years. As my vision began to change in my late 40's I was increasing becoming a guy who had to always carry bifocal glasses. I went to my eye doc thinking Lasik. He explained that Lasik wouldn't solve my close vision problem. They could correct my vision, but I would continue to lose close vision. He told me I would see perfectly for distance, but bifocals would be required for close vision.

As I understand it, the mono vision essentially corrects one eye for distance, the other for close vision. It takes a couple of days, but somehow your brain is wired to figure out which eye to use to process the visual info it sees, using the appropriate eye to give you 20/20 vision be the image close or far. I never experienced any kind of dizziness or any other side effect. The only downside is my vision is not quite as precise as if I only correct for distance or if I wear bifocals. Far distant horizons are not quite a sharp as with glasses. I still struggle a bit reading menu's in a dark restaurant or reading my Garmin 500 from the aero position when my face is 10 inches or so from the device. I'm told that eye dryness can come with age, but I haven't experienced it yet. For now, I'm completely happy with my soft contact lenses and the results I get with mono vision....no bifocals, unlike many of my older, Lasik corrected, bifocal wearing friends.

I wear contacts when I ride and run but I am seriously considering lasik. My vision is pretty good I think I am maybe +\- 1.5 if I remember correctly. I have astigmatism in both eyes. Contacts are just such a pain for me, but wearing glasses is not an option when training.

I got PRK in 2011, and the last 5 years have been great. I was -2.2 in one eye, -3.9 in the other. It's awesome doing a tri, and during the turnaround on the swim you can still see individual people on the beach (goggle fog/scratches permitting).

Although PRK is reputed to be painful, I was very diligent with my eyedrops and didn't experience any pain during the recovery at all.

But: I have noticed you have to be careful about letting your eyes dry out. In the winter or in other overly-dry environments, I find my eyes can dry out and my distance vision gets pretty fuzzy. I've had some bike rides where I forget my sunglasses, and sometimes my eyes dried out from the wind so badly that I couldn't read speed-limit signs as they went by. Generally only happened on cold (32F-40F) rides, and since then I've always worn sunglasses.

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STAC Zero Trainer - Zero noise, zero tire contact, zero moving parts. Suffer in Silence starting fall 2016

For those of you who have had corrective surgery, was this paid via your medical or vision insurance? What was your +/- out of pocket?

I wear mono vision contact lenses, one for distance one for reading. I have the extended wear contact lenses. You put them in at the start of the month and do not have to remove them until the end of the month, though I find that if I leave them out overnight once a week they are more comfortable and clearer.

My eye insurance only gave me a "discount" of some percentage. I don't recall what that was exactly but I paid $3600 out of pocket. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

For those who have had the PRK procedure, can I ask how long it took to recover to the point of being able to function normally / train / work without issue?

thanks