20/20 Vision

Ever since I have had a grown up job where I could afford to budget and spend money on myself I have wanted to get vision correction done.  

In fact Tami and I had our first consult together in 1994 (and as I'm typing this realize that was when I was 22).

Every other year I have gone to the doctor to see if the newest advances were something they could be done for me (near sighted in one eye, far sighted in other, terrible astigmatism in both.  And to top it off super thin eyes that can't have LASIK because there isn't enough eyeball).  

In 2007 when I gave up trying to wear contacts my doctor told me about implantable lens.  At the time they were trialling non-astigmatism and he expected approval in the upcoming months.  His prediction was the that the astigmatism would be approved at the end of 2008.  

Tick tock

Tick tock

Tick tock 

Each visit still a no go

Last November I was snorkeling in Cancun with Chris, Arturo and Tarzan and a lot frustrated with their glee of the wondrous underwater creatures. Back in Chris' casa on Merida I started researching again.

Still no FDA approval, but they had no successfully done tens of thousands south and north of the border. And most impressively with a very published physician in Belgium.

Tarzan,"we are headed to Belgium!"

I contacted the doctor in Belgium and then I went to see my doctor to see if he would do my aftercare.  While there he explained why the FDA hadn't approved (trials too successful and the manufacturer of the lens got into a disagreement with the pleasant government agency), he did not expect approval for the next several years - but did have a colleague who had a high regard for Arturo Chayet (a doctor with a practice in San Diego and Tijuana who is in expert in lens placement and one of the founders of the latest LASIK technology). 

Tarzan, "we are headed to Tijuana"

For fun in February we brought Jess along for a LASIK consult. We were both perfect candidates for our respective surgeries.  My lens were ordered from Switzerland and the wait began for their arrival.

Tick tock ;)

Visian ICL

Finally I was able to schedule for July 30 and August 1.  And Jess for August 1. I reserved a villa by the beach for recovery and over planned our trip to/from Tijuana. (Even downloading a app that tells you the current wait at the border to ensure the least amount of time waiting to cross). 

All instructions said almost an immediate recovery but I was still skeptical. 

Yesterday am I got a clean bill of health, feel great (Tarzan says my eyes look huge) - we both and 20/20 vision.

The world is a brighter place!