My Laser Vision Correction

Tagged with eyeglasses, surgery, vision on February 25, 2024

Although I had eye surgery back in 2004, which was called LASIK at the time, I didn’t achieve “perfect” vision. Don’t ask me which is which, but one eye is slightly worse than the other. Regardless, my vision is good enough that I can drive a vehicle without issues. I can read normal-sized text on a computer screen without eyeglasses of any kind.

Techniques have probably changed. After all, that was 20 years ago, and technology tends to advance a lot faster now.

What Did I Sacrifice?

The only thing I sacrificed, that I’m aware of, is my near vision. Tiny text, like what’s printed on prescription medicine bottles and imprinted on some electronic devices, is impossible to read without using reading glasses. I keep some near me, in case I need to use them, although I don’t need to use them very often.

My wife, Josie, is far-sighted. She tends to steal my reading glasses from me when she can’t find her own (she has at least three in various parts of the house).

Needing Eyeglasses

I only need reading glasses for tiny text, but I probably should be wearing eyeglasses for minor vision correction. Bifocals, most likely. One lens would be clear with a magnifying area, and the other would be a minor refraction with a magnifying area. It would still be a far cry from the coke-bottle lenses my eyeglasses had, that I had to wear for years until I had the surgery.

Although it’s been 20 years, my vision hasn’t changed (yet). I don’t know if it will. The problem I have is focusing on objects or people. I have lazy eyes, called strabismus, and I sometimes see double. Eyeglasses can correct that problem.

Poorly Designed Websites

No amount of vision correction can fix bad web design. When I started this blog, I researched the proper font sizes for most devices. I considered the article titled “Responsive Font Size (Optimal Text at Every Breakpoint)”, by Matthew James Taylor, to be the best resource I could find on the subject.

Many blogs, especially older ones, have a tendency to use a fixed size for regular text for all devices at anywhere from 15 to 17 pixels. On my 1920 pixel-width monitor (1080p), that text is tiny, nearly impossible to read without reading glasses.

Even the default fonts on Linux Mint, my Linux distribution, tend to be too small. Luckily, I can adjust the font sizes and the sizes of the icons in the menu and panels to a more comfortable size. Windows 11 is just as bad, just in case you’re wondering.

Is Laser Vision Correction for Everyone?

Definitely not. You have to be awake and motionless. Even a shudder while the laser is operating can cause irreparable damage to the cornea of the eye being targeted. I was surprised that I didn’t have an issue. I know for a fact that my younger son, who involuntarily shudders at a slightly cool room temperature, is a very poor candidate.

If you read this, and you’re considering some form of eye surgery, please do your research. As an old adage suggests, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Image by U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brien Aho, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons