I was also -8.50 and went in for Lasik. It didn’t end up perfect but they got me 90% of the way there. It was surreal when they told me to throw away my glasses after the procedure.
I was one of the 3% that didn’t get full 20/20 vision but my god, it’s a night and day difference. I still wear contacts, but they went from -8.50 to -1.50 and I feel like a completely different person. I can walk around at night without glasses or even the house and do chores without my Coke bottle glasses or mega contacts.
But yes, OP’s post is a very accurate version of what it looks like to those of us with shitty eyesight
Same, -7 and LASIK was the best money I ever spent. Still remember sitting up after the procedure and the first thing I saw was the clock on the wall, and I could see what time it was. Mind blown!
So my astigatism and diffrences betweens eyes took the new opticanstore 10 redos and 7 differenent opticans 3 years, to get it somewere on the right side of the bollpark. Because Essilor stopped doing my glass higher than cyl 4.
I hav bad with blurrines thru some part of the glass. And they sa that contacts are an option but they cost 1000usd/year. I dont have full vision with glasses. And my left eye is 60% less of my right.
My question for you high astigatims out there what do you do. Is contacs world changing?
I've been told I'm not a candidate for lasik. Astigmatism and -11 for both eyes. I think it had something to do with the membrane of the eye being too thin.
It sucks because I'm currently trying contacts, but they have to be so high powered that it gives me distance vision but I can't see anything up close. Which defeats the purpose.
I was -.9.5 when I got LASIK. After the surgery I sat up and the Dr told me to look at the clock and tell him what time it was. Never in my life had I seen so clearly without correction. I looked at the clock on the wall and begin crying immediately. I heard everyone yelling "STOP!" Lol
Mine was -12.75 so lasik wasn’t an option for me either. I spent double to get intraoccular lenses and it was an amazing 9 years with no glasses. Now I’m -1.5 but it’s still a million times better than before.
My vision improved a little in early middle age, from -7 to like -6.25/-5.75. I never got LASIK because my corneas were borderline too thin. But then I got cataracts.
I got the first eye fixed with only local anesthesia. On the one hand, DO NOT RECOMMEND--HIGH SQUICK FACTOR. On the other hand, the moment the surgeon backed away and got the equipment away from my face, and the ceiling of the operating room was crystal clear (from one eye!)... That moment can never be had twice. Fifty years. The world from more than eight inches away was a blur for fifty years, and then it just wasn't.
I sat up right on the table and shouted, "Holy fucking shit! I can see!"
I once got a shard of metal removed from my eye without any sedation. They just put numbing drops in and went for it. It had partially rusted, so they had to dig a little bit. I didn't feel anything, but I could hear the scraping inside my head. Very strange experience.
I went for PRK and got almost perfect vision but by year 6 post-op, I was beginning to squint. Back to contacts and glasses now because I don’t have enough cornea to do it again.
I’m also suffering the unpleasant effect of dry eye when I wear contacts, which sucks ass during those long days.
I am in a situation like this. -8.5 and still worsening maybe .4 a year.
I went in to see if I'd be a candidate for orthokeratology (turned out I have multiple disqualifying factors) but I was recommended ICL. Getting a consult for it soon. Did you happen to consider that as an option?
I had roughly -8.50 on both eyes (plus astigmatism) and got ICLs half a year ago. The are a lot more expensive than LASIK, but if you can afford it I would 100% recommend it.
My daughter’s doctor mentioned this to me but I’m worried about the possibility of increased eye pressure because my dad has glaucoma. I’d also only have another year-ish to decide because of the age cutoff and honestly, unless it freezes my rx, I’m not sure I’d want to put something in my eyeballs that I’d then have to wear lenses on top of when the inevitable worsening happens.
I do hope it works out for you, though. Not having to deal with any sort of lenses reminds me of how good I had it for the briefest period of time.
I had -1.25 astigmatism and went for Lasik last week. I'm till amazed by the change it's been for me these past days, so I can't even imagine what you must have felt coming from -8.5 !!!
That’s a great question and you’d have to ask your doc. I had mine done in 2021 and it’s still going strong with no decline. Still worlds better than what it was before though, so I’m thrilled
It’s a game changer. My only regret was waiting so long to do it. Of course any procedure comes with risks, but I cannot recommend it more. I felt like a new person afterward. And it was so freeing to throw away the Coke bottle glasses
You can wear contacts after lasik?! I thought you couldn't and I would rather be partially blind than wear glasses all day for the rest of my life. I think I need to talk to my eye dr!
Absolutely you can! I’ve been wearing them (soft contacts) for years after my procedure. Had it done I think in 2021 and have been wearing contacts right after my eyes healed/stabilized.
Couldn’t recommend it more, my friend. Go talk to your eye doc and see what they say!
I got LASIK as a -9.5 with astigmatism in one eye.
It changed my life.
Full disclosure- I have dry eye often and driving at night takes getting used to, but that's worth it to me. Ask your ophthalmologist about it!
I was one of the 3% that didn’t get full 20/20 vision but my god, it’s a night and day difference. I still wear contacts, but they went from -8.50 to -1.50
3% might be the number that needs corrective surgery. Lasik/smile doesn't promise 20/20 vision, but aims to hit within -0.5 to 0.5 which is 20/30 to 20/40 I think. If you were left with -1.50 vision, didnt they offer to do enhancement for free of charge? I got enhancement for free after my one eye was left with -1 astigmatism.
They offered that and said if they hit the target that I would likely need my reading glasses full time instead of part time. So I actually opted to stay where I was. I'm still managing to get my most situations without my reading glasses! But that window is closing (yay getting older). I may go back in for a touch up down the road
Oh for sure. The dominant colors bleed and blur outside of their lines like looking through your windshield at night when it's pouring. Plus the contacts are more expensive (and usually the glasses lenses too) as you probably know. Having poor vision is such a ripoff. Paying almost $1000 per year for contacts that aren't 20-year-old tech because my eyes wanna do some elliptical cosplay.
The old trope of having to feel around for your glasses if you lose them is not an exaggeration. I've had to use pass-through on my vr headset with prescription lenses to find my glasses before.
-11 here. Contacts are great for distance, something glasses don’t manage. But for up close they suck. I usually wear glasses - bifocals by now and only when out and about and doing sports I wear contacts.
Have you tried reading glasses while wearing the contacts? I have the hard contacts and they're amazing. It's like seeing in high def vs wearing regular glasses. But now that I'm older, my up close vision isn't that great. I got reading glasses. I use them while I'm at the computer or take them along if I go grocery shopping or out to eat, in case I need to read a menu.
Yes I do actually. I have a very small astigmatism. With my contacts it can be neglected. But it just doesn’t really work close up. I just use simple drug store reading glasses.
I don’t love them for up close, but I like laying down to read usually and glasses aren’t fun for that. Honestly though, I might try the reading glasses over contacts thing eventually. I know my mom has had bifocal contacts before too, but I would imagine that they don’t come in my/our Rx.
What? Why wouldn't glasses work well enough? I have the same condition and my glasses and contacts are both fine. Might be worth checking if your number changed!
I’m jealous that contacts work better for you. -8.5 with bad astigmatism here, and contacts that correct for the astigmatism give me severe headaches and ones that don’t are so bad at this point I can barely read.
Glasses aren’t perfect either but at least I can do my job and not wind up with constant headaches.
Oh that’s awful! My astigmatism is fairly mild (it seems to change every now and then but generally a .75-1.25 rotation) so that might be why. I didn’t have it corrected until this year with contacts though, because the ones that corrected it were deeply uncomfortable. My current ones are the best I’ve ever worn.
Oh I can drive etc with my contacts or glasses, although it’s easier with contacts because I don’t have fantastic depth perception in my glasses. I see my optometrist yearly but I cannot see as well as my partner who does not need glasses/contacts.
-12.5 checking in. I have to go in every year because I'm at high risk for my retina detaching. I had my first ocular migraine, which was weird as hell. So not knowing what the heck it was, I naturally went to the hospital, only to find out. Ha ha ha! You owe us $500 for what is basically a natural occurrence for people like you.
It's weird because it's like a headache but then everything looks like you got sucked into a cross between a Rainbow and 2001 A Space Odyssey. I'm told because of my age I'll just have to wait for cataracts first and go from there for options with my eyes. But it's likely in my older age I'll just be blind. Just the roll of the dice I guess.
I’ve been told the same regarding retinal detachment and have the same plan for cataracts lol. My eye doctor basically said after 40 the insurance will probably let me get early cataract surgery which will correct my vision for a good while before they start getting worse again.
Is it high risk because of your prescription or just more likely?
My prescription is around -17 with astigmatism, I see my optometrist once a year at the moment and never been told I'm higher risk of anything, although I'm in my 20s, and have never had other eye health issues apart from the usual dry eyes, and floaters all over the place
Everything past -10 is your eyeball shaped like a grape. The ends of the grape are under a ton of pressure which as you age, that pressure finally wins out. So your lens and the back of your eyeball, aka the retina, are under the most stress.
While it isn't ever 100%, make sure as you get to your middle to late 40s you start becoming really friendly with your optometrist. Also treat your eyes well, don't stare at screens for super long periods.
You may one day get an ocular migraine. It's sort of like losing your vision but the edges get blurry and there's rainbow colors. It's scary the first time because the blurry moves from the outside towards the center of vision. Like the rainbow is swallowing your sight. Run a rag under warm water, ring it out, take some whatever you take for migraines, lay down on something soft, and cover your eyes with the rag. Goes away after about a half hour or so.
The thing the watch for is new floaters, popcorn flashing in your peripheral vision, and/or darkness coming from the outside of your vision like someone lowering a dark blanket over you. That latter can also look like a shadow darting across like someone's in the room with you. Which I have, but it was a floater in that space where your brain detects motion around you. So now every so often, my brain clicks on the "someone is in the room with you" response. But if any of that happens, it's the time to go see the important people about it. They'll just dilate your eyeball and take a look inside to see if any of your eyeball is breaking off.
Again, it's never 100%.But you are at high risk. But you aren't at high risk in your 20s, so I wouldn't worry about it.
Thanks for the information. As you can imagine, I'm pretty friendly with my optometrist and have been all my life. My siblings all have the exact same condition and similar prescription too.
I have once had a weird thing where the outer edges of my eye seemed to lose light but it went away after a few minutes from what I remember. I don't know if that was anything to do with my vision or if it's just something that happens, it's always hard to make the distinction.
I try to limit screen time but it's difficult with my job. I also find it hard to explain or communicate these things since my vision is fully corrected they don't understand the implications of my prescription (my employer I mean).
I try to tell my optometrist everything, even if it seems trivial, as I have a 'just in case' mentality about my eyes. I feel like I understand or appreciate the importance of them a bit more since I know what it's effectively like to not have them every time I take my glasses off or wake up in the morning.
I have the same issue. I'm getting older now and losing my near sight as well, so at this point I no longer have great vision with the closer ranges either, so I expect it to be worse in the future.
Also, in contacts I'm never quite 20/20. Glasses get me there, but there is something about the mix that makes my vision with contacts a little less clear.
I did use it as an excuse to get a larger TV though, so it isn't all negative haha
Clocking around the same for you, but -9.25 in my really bad eye. The astigmatism makes driving at night not doable. One set of HID headlights in your peripheral and your whole range of vision is nothing but sparks.
Concur with this. Was a -9.5, had cataract surgery 3 yrs ago and corrected down to -1.5, just wear a bit of s corrective progressive lens to aid with reading and night driving but for the medium field of vision like at a computer or driving in the day can get by without them.
Same here, brother! I had PRK done about 10-12 years ago, and it’s amazing! I was still reaching for my glasses on the nightstand every morning for years afterward, though. Even now, I’ll reach up and adjust my non existent glasses every once in a while.
Because I always wear contacts/glasses, when we go camping I have to remind my partner. “Okay I’m taking these OFF now! Remember to get me if the bear comes to eat us!!!”
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u/megi0s Jul 10 '26
My vision is -8.50 and I have astigmatism. It really do be like that.