It started in third grade; I couldn't read the blackboard in school any more. Squinting helped for a while, but it made me look kind of insane and gave me headaches.

Finally, my parents, both bespectacled themselves, realized I needed glasses.  At first, I thought my glasses were cool, like a fun, new, accessory! Until I realized I was dependent on them.  I couldn't see a thing without them; and every year it got worse. At every eye doctor appointment, I needed a stronger prescription. As a kid I secretly worried that someday I would just go completely blind. I knew it was bad when my vision became worse than my mother's. I mean, she had the thickest glasses I'd ever seen! At about 12, my eyes were worse than hers.

And of course, there's the mean kids. Yes, I got called "four eyes" and was made fun of for my "coke bottle glasses". That's why, when my parents told me I could get contacts at 14, it was pretty much the happiest day of my life! I thought contacts were the future, just the best invention ever. At the time, I didn't realize how much more a year contacts were costing my parents... but I loved them! Until I started paying for them myself. And as I grew older, and my eyes steadily worsened, as they'd always done, I had to get different, more expensive, daily-wear contacts to deal with the eye sensitivity and protein build-up I'd developed from years in contacts.

So that leads us to now. I'd spent 23 years of my life in contacts and glasses, and I was ready for a change. Sure, I'd thought about LASIK, but it kind of seemed like a dream that would never come true for me. I thought my eyes were just too bad, and to be honest, I was scared.

Last photo in glasses pre-surgery!
Last photo in glasses pre-surgery!
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That's where Grand Rapids Ophthalmology came in and changed my life. After the initial exam, I was surprised to find out I was a qualified candidate! Could it be true, could LASIK fix my totally screwed-up vision? Dr. Weber assured me that it could. And he was right!

 

Grand Rapids Ophthalmology's wonderful staff prepared me for the surgery and answered any questions I had, alleviating my fears. Was I nervous on the day of surgery?  Yes, but knew I was in excellent hands. (Sidenote: They also give you something to help with the nerves, which is nice.) Grand Rapids Ophthalmology has been helping families in West Michigan since before I was born! Plus, they do more LASIK procedures than anyone else.

The surgery really is over relatively quickly, I knew exactly what to expect, and there's no blades, no blood, or anything like that involved. Dr. Weber talked me through the whole procedure, and checked on me throughout to make sure I was doing OK. I knew it would all be worth it to have 20/20 vision, something I hadn't had since I was a kid.

And now I do! Thanks to Dr. Weber and Grand Rapids Ophthalmology I am out of glasses and contacts, and can see clearly without correction for the first time since I was eight years old. It's incredible and such a blessing, and I could not be more grateful!

Thumbs up! Headed home in shades to rest after surgery.
Thumbs up! Headed home in shades to rest after surgery.
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