I Have A Story … by Jared

I’ve had major vision problems my whole life. I got my first pair of glasses on my 7th birthday (1988), and started with contacts my freshman year of high school (1996). I barely passed the eye test to get my driver’s license; and in 2008, while taking a DOT exam for my job, I couldn’t pass the vision test with my glasses. I actually had to go back a second time with contacts, and still ended up having to memorize the eye chart to pass. In 2007, I decided to go for a iLASIK consultation with a reputable eye surgeon in South Florida, where I lived at the time. I was told I wasn’t a candidate due to the severity of my astigmatism and overall strong prescription. Over the years I have continued with glasses and contacts and routine eye exams with no real improvement. I recently moved to the area, and elected Graystone Eye as my new eye care provider.

While visiting Graystone Eye for my routine annual eye exam, I was asked by the contact lens technician if I wanted to try hard contact lenses. I agreed to try them and see if they would improve my vision, and returned the next day for a fitting. Ironically enough, I had posted on Facebook about not being a candidate for iLASIK and needing to experiment with hard contact lenses. That post brought about an inquiry from the Refractive Director at Graystone Eye who indicated I might actually be a candidate and would I be willing to meet Dr. Oursler for a free consultation. Of course I agreed to the meeting, and while I was already at Graystone for my new contacts, I was taken for several eye measurements that would be used the following day at my LASIK consultation.

While meeting with Dr. Oursler at my consultation, he reviewed my measurements and did a couple of more tests. Once my workup was complete, he informed me that I was in fact a candidate for iLASIK, and he would be happy to perform my surgery if that was still what I wanted, since the new contacts had actually improved my vision. Without any hesitation, I scheduled my iLASIK procedure for a couple weeks out.

Overall my experience with Graystone Eye has been incredible. Not once in my 20 years of wearing contacts have I ever had a technician talk to me about options like hard contacts to improve my vision. As uncomfortable as they are, I would have continued with them if that had been my only option, because I could actually see better. I cannot express my gratitude that this practice not only reviews feedback left on their social media sites, but in my case engaged with me to offer a possible alternative. I am so glad they asked me to come in for the iLASIK consultation, even knowing I wasn’t candidate in the past. Everyone was friendly and explained the process thoroughly. Dr. Oursler is an incredible surgeon, and made me feel very comfortable and talked me through the entire surgery, explaining each step.

I can honestly say that my life has changed due to having iLASIK. I no longer have to deal with glasses or contacts, and every day I see more clearly. I have an active lifestyle and enjoy riding motorcycles. Getting dirt in the eye while riding and wearing contacts results in a miserable day. Along with the fact my eyesight pre-iLASIK, was beginning to affect my riding and the ability to navigate rough terrain and see at high speeds. I was never confident with my sight to enter any races, but now that I can see clearly, it is definitely on my list for the very near future. My words of wisdom for anyone who thinks they are not a candidate for LASIK; don’t give up hope!