A Journey Through Self Care: How Blade-Free LASIK Changed My Life (The Pre-Op) has been sponsored by the Kleiman|Evangelista Eye Center in partnership with Mom It Forward. Although I received complementary BladeFree HD IntraLASIK eye surgery, all thoughts, opinions, and experiences are my own. #KEHelpedMeSee
I’ve talked about self care several times this year. The phrase has been a really huge piece of my life the past two months, and I’ve really worked hard to give myself more “me” time. When you have a special needs child, one that’s in the hospital 10 months long, and always in and out of many doctors’ offices, you don’t get to spend a lot of time on yourself. For the new year I committed myself to taking more time for myself and doing things exclusively for me and no one else. I’m trying to regain my old self back, and in order to be the best mom and wife possible, I have to take care of myself. I rang in the New Year at a local charity ball with Mathew, I got new glasses, we cashed in our massage gift certificates, we began Whole 30 (and I lost 15 lbs!), and then I made the seemingly scary decision to get BladeFree HD IntraLASIK eye surgery…all in the month of January. I was really gung-ho about changing my life for the better, and let me tell you, of all the things I did in January, BladeFree HD IntraLASIK changed my life.
To be honest, when I applied to be considered as a blogger for BladeFree HD IntraLASIK at the Kleiman|Evangelista Eye Center, I didn’t think it’d even happen for me. I did some research, I applied thinking it was a long shot, and went about my way. I’d been so frustrated with contacts drying out all the time and glasses always getting mascara flakes or smudges on them that it just seemed like a great idea to finally give in and get LASIK. Then I got an email that said I’d been chosen for consideration- and I froze. Was I really about to consider getting LASIK?! I threw myself into a ton of more research because I’m naturally an anxious person. The more and more I looked into it though, BladeFree HD IntraLASIK at the Kleiman|Evangelista Eye Center actually looked like a really great thing to get. Kleiman|Evangelista Eye Center became one of the first laser eye centers in the DFW area to offer LASIK, and it continues to be the focal point of their practice, which was a HUGE deal to me in deciding whether or not I would go ahead with the procedure. I also checked out the Kleiman|Evangelista Eye Center website and their FAQ page to get a lot of information and even watched a video on an animated procedure to see what I’d be going through if I proceeded with my BladeFree HD IntraLASIK. The Kleiman|Evangelista Eye Center has state-of-the-art technology with two different lasers for the procedure, which was very comforting to know as well.
Although I was still a little nervous about the thought of LASIK (even though I’d wanted it ever since I was in high school), James, the Director of Patient Services, called me from the Kleiman|Evangelista Eye Center for a pre-op consultation. I was so excited to see if I was even a candidate for the BladeFree HD IntraLASIK eye surgery, and James and I talked a little about the events that would occur leading to the procedure, and then told me about the procedure itself. He answered any questions I had about LASIK and really put me at ease with his extensive knowledge and friendly attitude. James is the kind of person that is incredibly thorough, and it really made me more comfortable because I am the type of person that thrives on knowing as much as possible before a procedure. I guess that’s what happens when you’re a mom of a medically fragile child that’s had 6 surgeries and multiple procedures. I hung up with James and was really excited to go to my appointment in a week to see if I was a candidate for BladeFree HD IntraLASIK eye surgery.
A week later, I drove up to Dallas, and I met James in person at the Kleiman|Evangelista Eye Center Dallas location (they have 3 locations in the DFW area). He was just as friendly in person as he was over the phone and he took me around to do two different tests on my eyes to see if I would be a candidate. One test gave a general idea about my prescription, and the other test was a Pentacam, which takes about 25 pictures of your eye in about 5 seconds. The Pentacam was really important because it gives the depth of your eye to see how much corneal thickness you have. After the two tests, I got to sit down with a doctor and had a basic eye exam (you know- one…or two?) to review that my prescription hadn’t changed in about a year or more. We got to talk about any concerns I had and any medical questions that I still needed answered, and we talked about glaucoma. Glaucoma runs in my family (my Memaw had it and my Aunt Gloria has it) and I have a good chance of having it later on in life through genetics. The doctor recommended that he see me again for a Visual Field Test to make sure I had good peripheral vision before having surgery. I would only be allowed to have my BladeFree HD IntraLASIK if I passed the test. The fact that the doctor wanted to make extra sure that I was a candidate really made me feel good about the Kleiman|Evangelista Eye Center. Any other doctor could’ve just said that I was a candidate and then I would’ve been really upset to find out this information later in life, but the Kleiman|Evangelista Eye Center took the time to make sure I was a perfect candidate.
After the three eye tests, I sat with James in his office and we discussed some great questions as to how the procedure would be done, how much it generally costs for people, payment options, and what to expect after the surgery. We sat chatting for almost an hour just making sure I has all the information I needed, was comfortable, and was ready to make a decision regarding whether or not I would proceed with BladeFree HD IntraLASIK. James was SO helpful and I left my appointment feeling happy and confident that I was choosing the best place possible for my surgery. I was really excited to have decided to go with the Kleiman|Evangelista Eye Center for my BladeFree HD IntraLASIK. To make the day even better? I got to meet up with my sweet friend Amber in Dallas after the appointment. Talk about a great day!
I was so excited about my surgery that James and I scheduled it for the following week after I really thought things through and talked with Mathew. I’ll admit, it made me so excited that everything was happening so soon. I wish I’d gotten BladeFree HD IntraLASIK done years ago!
I’m determined to get LASIK this year. My insurance now includes it so I want to make sure to take advantage and ditch the annoying glasses and contacts!
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This looks so much less traumatic than I thought it would be. Was there any pain with your procedure?
I can’t wait to read more! I’ve been wanting Lasik for a really long time… my mom got it over 10 years ago (!!!!) and it was new-ish I guess. I followed you on Snap and watched everything… I totally think I can do it now!
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I’m so glad you had it! I know PRK was life changing for me! I know it will be life changing (in a good way) for you!
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That is so great! Can’t wait to read about your surgery experience.
What an awesome experience for you! I’m hoping to get lasik soon, but need to do some research too. Best of luck on yours!
Oh my gosh, I can’t wait to read the rest … this is on my list to have done eventually but it always seemed to scary!