My LASIK Journey Part 1: 30 Years of Vision Problems and Finally Taking the Plunge
This is not a sponsored post - just my honest experience with LASIK surgery.
I've been wearing glasses since 2nd grade and contacts since 6th grade. That's about 30 years of vision issues defining my daily life. For most of that time, I lived in contacts 99% of the time, but over the last two years, things changed. Putting contacts in became increasingly difficult, and I found myself wearing glasses 90% of the time in the past year. My eye doctor explained this was partly due to dry eye, so I started incorporating drops into my daily routine - sometimes more than once a day.
The Breaking Point
Life with glasses became increasingly frustrating. They were constantly dirty from skincare and makeup, requiring me to wipe them down every few minutes. I had eyeglass cloths and wipes littering my condo and in every bag or purse. The right arm was always loose, so I learned to keep a mini screwdriver nearby for constant adjustments. Then I got new over-the-ear hearing aids last summer, and the combination of things around my ears became really difficult to manage. I began to realize my personality was being impacted and not in a positive way.
Oh, and the upgraded glasses I got 18 months ago weren't transitions, and I absolutely hated my prescription sunglasses. They felt "bubbly" in terms of vision and gave me weird depth perception. My mood was honestly on the grumpy side, constantly dealing with dirty glasses, sun in my eyes, small ears crowded with equipment.
I'd been passively entertaining LASIK for several years. Like everyone, I knew dozens of people who'd had it done. I also knew none of my insurances would cover it, so it would be a significant out-of-pocket expense.
The final straw came when I realized my glasses were sabotaging my health. Last fall, I lost 20 pounds doing a lot of walking (indoor and outdoor), but as the weather cooled down and I was forced to use the treadmill, the combination of sweaty face, dirty glasses, and bouncing vision created such a terrible experience that I let my discomfort take over my health goals. I know I'm overweight again, and I really felt like my vision was impacting both my wellness and my drive.
Making the Decision
I went in for a consultation at LASIK Plus, a national franchise that's been in business for 30 years (pretty much aligned with when LASIK first developed). This longevity in the field gave me confidence in their expertise and patient experience. The office closest to me in downtown Chicago approved my candidacy. Yes, I know they want my business, but I also knew my vision had been stable for years due to regular eye checkups, so I was confident in their analysis.
I understood that LASIK isn't future-proofing your vision - it's a right-now solution. If my vision gets worse in the future, I may need readers or an adjustment. With LASIK Plus, I get adjustments for free (which turned out to be important sooner than I expected). I’m hoping for 1-2 decades of a glasses-free life at this point.
I want to mention that there's been a lot of advancement in laser eye correction surgery and there are multiple types of laser treatments. There's also a permanent contact option if traditional lasers are not an option for you. LASIK Plus only deals with traditional laser surgery so just an FYI in case you want to shop around for different options. A permanent contact was not appealing to me personally, and I knew already I was likely to be a traditional candidate.
I knew the basics and had to sign off on almost a dozen pages of disclaimers and warnings and protocol for healing. Here's what I didn't find in my research homework:
The Reality They Don't Tell You
Location Logistics: The office where I had my consultation wasn't where the actual procedure would happen. For me and my timing, the downtown office was going through renovations to their lab, so I had to travel over an hour away for the actual surgery.
Transportation Planning: I know myself - I'm not a great passenger princess, and I didn't think I'd be any better after the procedure. You're supposed to sleep for 4-6 hours afterward, and adding in an hour-plus car ride each way just didn't seem worth it, especially since I had to be back the next day for a post-op check.
The Hotel Solution: I booked a hotel literally next door to the surgery center - a 5-minute walk (I even timed it to verify). The surgeon didn't want me walking alone afterward because even though I don't have a history of fainting, it can happen post-procedure. I felt silly ordering a rideshare for such a short distance, but I did it anyway. (Also, read up on tax-deduction medical procedures and transportation, a portion of my costs are write-off'able since my hotel was exclusively for a medical visit. If you itemize your taxes like I do anyway 😉)
This hotel stay turned out to be one of my best decisions, and I'm so glad I trusted my instincts about the logistics. I arrived the night before and stocked up on some food and snacks for the next day so I could stay cozy and safe and off my phone for ordering delivery.
Pre-Surgery Communication
The surgeon was amazing. The staff had noted my hearing loss on a bright sticky note, so he came out and spoke to me for 15 minutes (longer than the actual procedure!) to ensure I knew each step of the process and when he'd be asking me things. He was thorough and patient, which considerably lessened my nervousness. Surgery day was full of patients and literally everyone before me came out smiling/happy/in good moods which also helped. I was eager not anxious.
I also learned in my pre-op I didn't have actually have a diagnosis of dry eye. This is important because if you have official dry eye via a dye test (SO uncomfortable!), LASIK could make it worse, definitely not better. They said since I had been using drops the last 2 years and significantly reduced my contact wearing (and had switched to dailies when I did) – it greatly improved my eye health. This also proved to be good news as part of the recovery process.
Vision Changes
If you wear contacts, the post-procedure (when done correctly) literally just feels and looks like you're wearing contacts every day. I'm not seeing more clearly, but the same level of clearness (which matched my prescription). They check your vision with tests every appointment to make sure they have the details right. So while it might be fuzzy at first while your eyes heal – you should end up with the vision you're used to when wearing contacts. I can't say the same for people who wear glasses predominately, because while that was my recent behavior, I wore contacts for so long that's the easiest way to compare it.
Costs
As of this post (July 2025) LASIK Plus averages about $5,000 for both eyes. They often have specials/promotions and they also accept Care Credit. This is a medical-type credit card that I’ve had for years, first to help pay for vet visits but I also used it for my hearing aids last summer. Different providers offer different terms, but most are 12-months interest free which is what mine. I had two discounts: a $1,000 off promotion + bonus for getting the procedure done within 2 weeks of my consult. Total bill for the surgery including all visits + post opp care was $3,700. Which also includes the adjustments I needed + any in the future with a lifetime value (I think actually 20-30 years value - I have it in my paperwork).
Next Post
In Part 2, I'll share what the actual procedure was like, the recovery timeline they don't warn you about, and the complication that led to a second procedure. Spoiler alert: there were some surprises that I definitely didn't read in Reddit threads. It's not always fun being in the 1% club!
Coming up next: The real recovery timeline, unexpected complications, and what it's really like to shower in safety goggles for over a week.
