Glasses or no glasses

I knew when I had my ICL surgeries 7+ years ago that there would probably come a time when I'd need reading glasses, just like anyone else in their 40's.  Sometimes I do feel like I could use some when I've spent way too long on the computer, as my eyes feel the strain and occasionally trying to read the text on my smartphone is difficult (I've since enlarged the font).  I'm a graphic designer so my workday is filled with computer time, and then I'm on my home computer a lot.  Plus, my home office chair is a recliner so it sits farther back from the monitor (great for those Netflix binges).

Since the surgeries I've had 3 different pairs of 'computer glasses' and while they do help improve the clarity of what I see, I can still read the computer just fine without them most of the time.  The main problem I'm having now is that when I do wear the glasses, if I have to look away to a farther distance, or if I take the glasses off, one or both of my eyes burn very intensely.  It's so intense that my eardrum vibrates and my eyes turn bright red as they run with tears.

So now I have once again abandoned the glasses altogether, which has reduced the burning instances to next to never.

I think part of the problem is my optometrist (who is not my ICL surgeon) doesn't understand the impact the halos have on my vision tests when I'm in his dimly lit exam room during those eye tests.  That's the worst lighting situation you can be in when you have a halo problem.  He insisted last time that the right eye "wouldn't pass a driving test", and yet I know in normal daylight driving my right eye is remarkably sharp in its vision and the left eye is pretty close.

6 years later

Well, my six year anniversary since my ICL surgeries came and went, and there's still nothing new to report, so that's good, I guess.  I do find that I'm using the very thin reading glasses my optometrist prescribed after my surgery more often, but only when reading for long periods.  I don't need them at all, most of the time.  Plus, my office chair is a recliner, so most of the time I'm sitting much farther back from the computer than most people would, so I am probably straining them a bit more than necessary.

The only thing notable, really, is that a couple of days ago I had a migraine aura occur, and I haven't had one of those in at least 15 years.  I've got some job stress going on right now, and for me, aura is never accompanied with pain, so after it completed its usual C shape, it was over after about 30 minutes.

I do sometimes have migraines without aura, and they always are painful, but the aura-types are always pain-free.  Just really weird!

I continue to be amazed

I recently went for my annual vision checkup at my optometrist.  Still reading at 20/20.  Pretty amazing for someone in their forties to not need reading glasses. Distance vision, though, is what really impresses me.  As I drive on the interstate and see so sharply at long distances, I still ponder on how novel that is for me.

My eye doctor commented on my adjusting the distance at which I held reading material (backwards) during his checkup. As if that signaled a need for reading glasses on the horizon.  Maybe so, but I pointed out that for my first 30+ years of reading, I had to bring things closer to me to be able to see clearly and I'm still sort of in the habit of bring things close to read, and then adjusting backwards, even 5 years post-ICL.

5 year mark

I hit five years with my ICLs at the beginning of this month, and not much has changed.  Literally.  I still have halos.  I still have YAG hole artifacting.  I still see 20/20.   I am still happy I had my surgery.  And if you are considering ICL surgery, my mantra is still the same:  do your due diligence (research) and be realistic in your expectations.

4 years later...

Tomorrow marks my four year anniversary with ICLs.  Four years later, I'm still 20/20 with no major issues to speak of.  The halo problem persists, but I really don't think about them much any more.  I don't use the anti-halo drops at all these days.  Some nights, the halos are barely there and the next night they'll be worse than ever.  Their impact on my quality of life is minimal.

Now having gone four years without contact lenses or glasses, it's almost like I can't remember what that was like, and how much of a hassle it was.  I love being free of those things!  I love seeing the alarm clock in the middle of the night, even if there is a halo around it. ;)

If you're considering ICL, really think about pros vs cons, and accept that there are likely to be cons.  It's amazing to think about going from total nearsightedness to 20/20 in a couple days' time.  That kind of magic has to have a price with it, and apparently my price was a few halos.  I'm happy to have paid it and enjoy my clear vision.