Posts by Kenneth Fisher3

stormystag16 said:Price?
Laser surgery at the hospital is covered by insurance... totally free

As for recovery? If you ask me, just a few days
The first day, maybe even the second, might sting a little, but after that, you're golden

But hey, who knows how it'll go for you...

Just to clear things up—laser vision correction and strabismus surgery (fixing crossed eyes) are two totally different beasts. Strabismus isn't fixed with a laser; instead, surgeons perform traditional surgery on the muscles that hold the eyeball in place to adjust its position. As for laser vision correction, in the US, you generally won't find that covered by standard public health programs—it’s usually handled through private clinics and definitely isn't free. There was actually a thread about this on an old forum here . Also, you have to be at least 18 for the laser stuff. Now, fixing strabismus won't actually improve your visual acuity (how sharp you see), but it can definitely fix the aesthetic side of things by aligning the eyes. That said, the chance of a "perfect" result—where the misalignment goes all the way to zero—is much higher in adults if the angle is small and you still have good vision in that eye (like 80% or more). This is because, once we're adults, the neural pathways in the brain are pretty set; the brain has already learned to process the world a certain way, so sometimes the eyes drift back after surgery.
Laser vision correction almost never helps with issues caused by strabismus. Most of the time, the vision problems associated with crossed eyes happen because, during childhood, the brain never really learned how to "use" that eye properly—so the issue is actually neurological rather than physical. Unless there's a bit of irregular astigmatism involved (which is rare), you won't see a huge jump in clarity. Still, I don't think having just one eye with max vision is such a massive handicap. For instance, I sometimes wear just one contact lens; when I do that, I have about 25% vision in the other eye, and my overall sight feels almost identical to when I'm wearing both lenses. Normally, with my best possible glasses prescription, I'm at 160% in my right eye and 130% in my left.
They say people with two healthy eyes develop binocular vision, which is what gives us that sense of depth perception. I've heard stories from people who lost an eye complaining that they struggle with judging distance or moving around, especially when playing sports—but honestly, everyone is different. Personally, even with just one eye working fully, my sense of depth feels just slightly different than someone using both, but nothing crazy.

rowdypuma said:It makes sense to me—if you hit the gym and lift weights, you build muscle mass and get stronger, right? So, shouldn't the same logic apply to the muscles around the eye lens? More strength should mean a better ability to reshape the lens, which would theoretically lower your prescription...

The catch is that when you’re nearsighted, those ciliary muscles holding the lens are actually at their most relaxed state while looking into the distance. To fix nearsightedness, you'd essentially have to learn how to relax those muscles even further than they've ever been before—which, let's be honest, is pretty much impossible. That's why computer tests never show any actual reduction in prescription from these exercises. You might see some tiny, limited improvements in reading things on a chalkboard if you manage to tweak the way your eye muscles move the eyeball itself—but that's just forced accommodation. It's unnatural, and it usually just leads to eye strain, fatigue, and blurry vision. Personally, if you're nearsighted, I'd say don't waste your time with these workouts. Even if you did see a slight change, you'd probably find it pretty frustrating rather than helpful.

Sarah Walker5 said:I posted this on the automobile forum too, not sure where it fits best, but I'm posting here because I seriously need some answers ASAP (basically looking for anyone's experience) 🙂

At the end of January this year, I had laser eye surgery at Visumed and everything went perfectly.

So, my driver's license is expiring in just a few days, so I went to the Crnomerec Health Center yesterday for my medical checkup, and the lady there (you guessed it) put a 5-year restriction on my license even though she literally said my vision is great!

I tried being super nice about asking why, since my vision is totally normal now and shows zero signs of getting worse...

Anyway, I'm stressing out because why would I want to explain myself to the cops that I don't wear glasses or contacts? And honestly, why would I pay for another quick checkup every five years when I can see fine now and don't need a specialist? Plus, the chances of my vision slipping are the same as anyone else with healthy eyes, right!?

So, basically, what I wanted to ask is: have any of you done a medical exam after laser surgery? Did you get cleared from those driving restrictions and the periodic checkups? And if you did, where did you go for the exam?

Thanks a bunch for the help!

Laser surgery basically just corrects your existing prescription; it doesn't stop your vision from changing later on. In other words, there's no more difference between going for a license renewal before surgery versus after. Before, you used glasses or contacts to bring your prescription down to zero, and now, your treated cornea does that job. The way a prescription naturally shifts stays the same in both cases—and that potential shift is exactly why they slap those restrictions on you.
Now, the real question is whether people who were nearsighted or had laser surgery have the same risk of their vision shifting as everyone else.
Even if vision tends to stay stable for adults who were previously nearsighted or had laser surgery, the chance of things getting worse is still technically a bit higher than for someone without a vision restriction. It comes down to the fact that glasses and lasers target "zero," whereas people with normal vision often have a tiny bit of farsightedness that they compensate for through accommodation. That little bit of extra "plus" might make near vision slightly harder, but it actually makes them less likely to drift into being nearsighted.
Still, nearsightedness can develop later in life. For example, if I had taken my test at 17 before I was nearsighted, I wouldn't have a restriction. But I know plenty of people who became nearsighted after 25, and some even say it can happen after 30.
Then there's age-related farsightedness, which can progress so much—even well before age 65—that it ruins not just your near vision, but your distance vision too. It's kind of strange that the current trend is allowing people to drive up to age 80 without mandatory medical exams, especially considering how common eye issues become at that age. Maybe they just assume seniors are conscientious enough about road safety that they won't drive if their vision fails, whereas everyone else needs a formal check-up to ensure they're being responsible?

Matthew Lee11 said:I’m curious if anyone here has gone through laser vision correction! How was the experience for you? Does the recovery process take forever, or is it pretty quick? Also, who would you recommend as the top specialist in Chicago for this kind of procedure, what’s the typical price tag, and is there a specific prescription limit? Right now, I’m sitting at -4.00, but my vision seems to be getting worse constantly.

Check it out—this thread is 45 pages long! You'll find a ton of personal stories and links to scientific studies in there. Honestly, the most interesting stuff really kicks off around page 13.

Angela Wright said:By the way, eye misalignment can also happen if there's a tumor growing on the optic nerve or near the eye itself.
I’d really suggest seeing an ophthalmologist just to rule that out and make sure you get a solid diagnosis.

Basically, eye misalignment can stem from pretty much any ocular issue—if we're talking about degenerative changes in the optic nerve, retina, vitreous, lens, or even corneal clouding, you'd usually see some loss of vision at the same time.
If your vision in that eye is still crystal clear (when you cover the other one, of course), it's quite possible we're looking at paralytic strabismus http://www.mayoclinic.org/?section...=8892&show=1#4 which is caused by issues with the muscles that move the eyes—this kind tends to pop up more often in adults. It could even be Brown syndrome
http://www.mayoclinic.org/?section...&nocpp=0#35042

Brown syndrome
Could someone please give me a quick rundown of what Brown syndrome actually is?

It involves the sheath of the superior oblique muscle. If that sheath is too short or if the muscle itself is stiff, you won't be able to look upward after looking toward your nose. Usually, it's a congenital thing (something you're born with), though it can show up later due to inflammation, scarring of the tendon, or even a mass near the muscle interfering with how it works. Because the eye can't move in certain directions, people often tilt their heads to compensate. If that's happening, or if the eye drifts when looking straight ahead, surgery might be needed. Lighter cases can sometimes just be monitored since they occasionally improve on their own (especially if it wasn't caused by an injury).

Ivan Čima, MD, ophthalmology specialist

Honestly, I think your best bet is to see a strabismologist—that's the only way to get a definitive answer on what's going on.

Ryan Harris11 said:If you're looking for actual sleeping pills, you'll need a prescription. I don't see why that would be an issue, though; your primary care doctor will probably prescribe them without much trouble if you just explain what you're going through. The over-the-counter stuff isn't quite as effective, although I guess they can help take the edge off and make it easier to wind down. For instance, there's Bonisan by Dietpharam which helps with insomnia (I think you might even find it at Walgreens). Or maybe some herbal tea like lemon balm or valerian... But for the real sleep meds, you'll definitely need a prescription.

Here's an interesting link about insomnia

and some people's experiences:
http://www.depresija.org/forum/index...opic=7317&st=0

Basically, those pills aren't great for your body and can lead to dependency. Personally, I feel like synthetic medication should always be the absolute last resort—only if nothing else works.

Melissa Davis46 said:thanks.

Does anyone happen to have a specialist they could recommend?
I really want to see if there's any hope left for this....

You can find stories here from people who’ve already had surgery or are getting ready for it.
Supposedly, the chances of a successful outcome are much higher if the squint angle is minimal—and if your visual acuity, even with the best possible corrective lenses, is roughly equal to your other eye.
In certain cases, surgery might not help much at all, so it’s super important to figure out which category of candidate you actually fall into.
One risk that wasn't mentioned on that link is double vision after the procedure—there's a real possibility your vision could actually get worse in that regard. Also, the doctor mentioned on that site noted just one case abroad where someone had to undergo a second surgery because of double vision, so I’d take things with a grain of salt. Honestly, when you're dealing with top-tier specialists, it can be tough to find unbiased info if they have a financial stake in the questions being asked. I’ve actually dealt with doctors straight-up lying to me or using little tricks to push me toward an expensive LASIK procedure—and that was for a high-risk option involving both eyes at once! It really makes you realize there's a massive gap between the glossy advertisements and reality.
It’s actually pretty common nowadays for ophthalmologists to get a kickback from surgical clinics for every patient they talk into undergoing a procedure, so my best advice is to be really careful about whose information you trust.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/strabismus/symptoms-causes/dtx-20050731
You can actually find most of the answers to your questions right there in that link.

As for whether your first doctor made a "mistake" by giving you a correction that was 2.5 diopters too strong—you can actually test this yourself! Just put those old glasses on and check your distance vision using only your right eye (make sure to cover or close your left eye, of course). If the prescription was indeed too high, your distance vision in that eye should look really blurry. On the flip side, if we assume your previous doctor gave you the correct prescription for the right eye (+3), then your vision with the new +0.5 prescription might still seem okay because younger people have much stronger accommodation power—basically, your eyes work harder to compensate for the difference. The only real issue there would be some confusion from the other open eye or maybe seeing double.
Now, if your vision with those old glasses (+3 in the right eye) looks terrible at a distance when you cover the left one, it doesn't necessarily mean the measurement was wrong. It might actually be a specific type of proactive therapy for strabismus that isn't universally accepted or understood by every ophthalmologist out there. See, if the right eye gets blurred out by that extra "plus" power, the left eye (the squinting eye) takes over the heavy lifting for distance vision. This is actually a way to prevent the squinting eye from becoming even weaker; in fact, it's standard practice for many American eye specialists to have patients patch their healthy eye for certain periods to force the weaker eye to develop.
Honestly, I find it hard to believe your previous doctor's measurement was just flat-out wrong—I mean, it’s tough to see how someone could miss the mark by that much, especially multiple times.

Regarding the chances of fixing it completely, unfortunately, the odds aren't great once you're an adult. Strabismus surgeries are performed, but they aren't exactly risk-free—there are definitely downsides to consider, which are listed in the last few lines of the link I shared regarding treatment efficacy in adults.
http://healthline.com/health/strabismus-treatment
I personally know someone who went through that surgery back in their teens, and honestly, there wasn't any noticeable improvement in their condition afterward.

Robin Mendoza3 said:Hey, if you wouldn't mind, could you give me the lowdown on how everything turned out with your wife's laser eye surgery at Light Polyclinic? I was actually seriously considering getting it done myself, but now—I don't know—I'm feeling pretty iffy about it. Thanks in advance!

Hey, check this out—there’s actually a thread here that goes on for 41 pages! Definitely give it a read before you make up your mind. Honestly, the most interesting stuff starts around pages 13 or 14.

quietpilot87 said:👍 Exactly.
I mean, I don't know what your calorie burn looks like if you're just making up for it all with a massive dinner every night.

Calorie burn definitely matters, but let's be real—increased activity usually triggers much stronger hunger, which kind of puts a cap on how much weight you can actually lose. For instance, I once did this incredibly grueling manual labor job—we're talking 8 to 12 hours a day—for almost three months straight. And guess what? I didn't lose a single pound. Now, I wasn't exactly "heavy" before that, either—I had a little bit of a gut, sure—but that huge lifestyle shift didn't tone me up at all. It was probably because the sheer exhaustion just drove my appetite through the roof; back then, I’d easily polish off half a loaf of bread in one sitting! On the flip side, I have a buddy who played water polo competitively—once he stopped training, he packed on about 65 pounds in the following 18 months. He kept eating the exact same way he always did, just without the exercise. He was overweight before he started playing, too, so I think it really comes down to how an individual responds to physical activity. Personally, pure exercise has never been the magic fix for my weight, regardless of whether I've gone through phases of being super active or totally sedentary.

Noah Gray4 said:I actually heard from this really prominent ophthalmology professor that laser surgery isn't always the luckiest move to make, because you might get a good twenty years out of it, but nobody truly knows what the long-term consequences are yet, and I've even heard that in some cases people experience progressive vision loss or even blindness toward the end of their lives 😢
this was observed in patients who had surgery back in the 80s over in Russia when laser tech was still in its infancy.
I'm not trying to start a panic here, but it's definitely better to hold off for a little while longer.
My eye doctor actually advised me to just keep wearing contacts for as long as my eyes can handle them.
In my opinion, laser surgery is really meant for people with extreme nearsightedness like -10 or higher, where those folks seriously don't have much to lose 🤷

In my opinion, what people are describing as a "drop" in vision is likely ectasia—that cornea warping that can happen to younger folks shortly after LASIK, though it can also show up later in life. Older patients tend to deal more with increased eye pressure, so if the cornea has been significantly thinned by laser surgery, it creates the perfect storm for those symptoms. The tricky thing about ectasia is that it messes with your visual acuity so badly that glasses won't even help anymore—sometimes a corneal transplant is the only way out. That said, I think it's a stretch to worry about ectasia with PRK (unless you're looking at an extremely deep correction). That issue is much more tied to LASIK, since LASIK inherently compromises corneal strength more due to the flap, which never quite fuses back together completely—it just heals at the edges. Since LASIK didn't even exist in the late 80s, I honestly think the idea that people go blind late in life from those early procedures is mostly a myth; it just doesn't hold up logically.

Alex Foster6 said:Well, other methods are being utilized as well... here is the link. If you aren't fluent in Russian, just click "English" in the top right corner 🙂 http://www.mntk.spb.ru/

To be honest, this thread about laser eye surgery completely caught me off guard. I actually sent this link to a friend who is planning a trip to Russia later this month. While I have considered getting corrective surgery myself at some point, I am now feeling quite certain that I would pass... unless, perhaps, this latest method becomes standard practice.

It seems more prudent to wait until the technology has fully matured.

For context, my prescription is roughly -5.5 or something in that ballpark.

I'm really not a fan of their website because they market LASIK as the absolute gold standard. Don't get me wrong—LASIK is great—but it's great for the business side of clinics, not necessarily for the patients.
They claim a 98% satisfaction rate after LASIK, which just isn't true. When unbiased surveyors conduct follow-up studies long enough after the procedure, that success rate often drops by more than 10%. And honestly, being "satisfied" should mean having the exact same vision you had before the surgery.
I noticed they use customized ablation (wavefront), which is definitely modern tech, but it's still not the cutting edge. Right now, the most advanced customized eye ablation belongs to the Ivis suite equipment. Beyond just corneal topography, it takes into account things like pupil width, shape, and position, using advanced algorithms that treat the human eye as a living organism rather than just a surface. It places way more emphasis on corneal regularity. Plus, the Ires laser has a larger optical and transition zone compared to typical wavefront lasers and operates at a higher frequency, which helps lower the risk of corneal haze. The surgeon working with the Ivis suite at www.vid.si, based on his official site, seems to prefer surface methods—taking it case by case—so it doesn't look like chasing a quick buck is his main priority. Still, stay cautious, because even surface methods aren't entirely risk-free. You can read all about the risks at the link I provided

swiftmason8 said:That seems a bit silly..
My husband works in a clinic where they perform laser procedures, and based on everything he tells me, they handle quite a few operations and seem to do them correctly.
I honestly don't see why anyone would feel the need to travel all the way to Russia for that when you can find high-quality options right here in the US or even in neighboring countries. I doubt the quality is any worse than what they offer in Russia..🤷
You really should do some actual research...

It's true that I wouldn't opt for anything here in America if I felt like they were cutting corners right in front of my eyes...
But things work differently here; it's a different standard altogether—better and more refined. We are in Switzerland, after all...
Here is a link so you can go look for yourself..
www.laservis.ch

I was originally fixated on the price too, but once I dug into how important the specific equipment and techniques actually are, I completely ruled out Russia. Honestly, I might have considered going there if I knew they were using surface methods (instead of LASIK or Epi-LASIK) and utilizing the Ivis suite equipment. If you want to learn more about the risks associated with certain methods and why the gear matters so much, you can read about it here, along with some patient stories:

It’s a bit of a long read, so I’d suggest jumping straight to around page 13 and reading from there. It clearly demonstrates how some clinics tend to downplay the risks and the actual nature of certain procedures.

wanderingranger63 said:Can anyone tell me if I should be straining my eyes during an eye exam to get the best vision possible, or just relax and let things happen naturally? A few days ago at my appointment, I relaxed my eyes and ended up with a +2.5 prescription—now, whenever I wear these glasses, I just get terrible headaches. They work fine for close-up stuff, like reading, but that's it. Without them, I can see everything clearly, but not for very long because my eyes get so tired from the effort. Once I stop straining, everything goes blurry. I’m not sure how else to explain it, but if anyone has dealt with something similar, please help! Sorry if there are typos—I'm typing this while wearing these new glasses. THANKS

Those headaches could definitely be caused by an incorrect prescription. I'm not sure if they tested you using the standard eye chart or a refractometer, or if they used any dilating drops? Since the glasses work well for near vision (where you probably aren't getting those headaches), it sounds like the prescription might be too strong for distance. A thorough exam really ought to include both a refractometer test with cycloplegia—that's when they use drops to relax your eye's focusing muscles and dilate your pupils—and a standard chart test. Unfortunately, a lot of private clinics in the US don't always perform such a comprehensive exam, which leads to mistakes like this. I've actually been through this exact same thing myself.
As for whether you should strain or relax your eyes, I don't think it matters much if they use those dilating drops (cycloplegia), because those drops basically prevent you from straining anyway, which provides much more reliable results.

http://www.oddsoddsodds.com
If you’re looking for a solid way to compare odds across different sportsbooks, this is a great spot! You can check out various leagues and sports all in one place—though, just a heads-up, some bookies hide their specific lines unless you actually sign up for an account. It’s super helpful for seeing which sportsbook is covering which league, especially since some places only drop their lines on the actual day of the game. Besides the standard moneyline, they also list Asian handicaps, point spreads, and over/under totals.
http://hot-odds.com This one is my go-to for tracking movement. If you click on "all games," you can see exactly how the odds are trending—whether they're climbing or dropping for specific matchups.
http://betexplorer.com
You can find similar data here too, including those crucial odds trends, but I’ve noticed the updates are a bit sluggish compared to the first site. While oddsoddsodds seems to refresh almost instantly—like, maybe 5 to 10 minutes after a sportsbook changes their numbers—this one takes its sweet time.

fadedraven25 said:Since you've been in the game for a while, could you let me know which sportsbooks offer the US Second Division besides FanDuel and DraftKings?

Well, DraftKings and FanDuel do have those leagues, but their limits are pretty tiny—they’ll cap you at maybe $20 or $30 per bet.
10bet is honestly a mess; they have these ridiculous limits of just $4 or $5 on certain leagues and sports. I really don't get why they even bother listing them if most of their coverage comes with a $4 to $20 ceiling. I think they only offer decent stakes on big derby matches in major leagues where everyone knows the outcome, but for everything else, the limits are a disaster. Plus, getting your money out is slow.
Bet365 isn't a bad book until they hit you with limits. Once they spot a playing style they don't like, they'll tighten the screws on you. That’s exactly how I ended up in the red there after about two months of betting—I got limited because I was hitting high-stakes singles, and suddenly my max bet dropped to $5 or $10.
DraftKings also moves pretty fast to limit successful or "suspicious" players, though otherwise, I don't have much to complain about.
DraftKings is actually one of the better ones—huge league selection and you can place high stakes on almost anything. My only gripe is that transfers from moneybookers to the account don't always land instantly; sometimes it takes 2 or 3 hours. Payouts take about 5 days.
BetMGM is also a very solid sportsbook, similar to DraftKings, just without that delay I mentioned earlier.
BetMGM is a bit lower tier than the previous two, but still a decent option. Their deposit limits are lower than DraftKings or BetMGM, and sometimes they’ll only accept part of your bet and put the rest "under review," meaning you have to wait for approval before the match starts. Approval usually comes through before kickoff, though. The variety is great, and payouts take 1-2 days.
FanDuel is an excellent book. They update their odds faster than anyone else, and their opening lines are usually the highest you'll find. Word is they don't limit winning players—at least, I haven't heard of anyone being restricted there yet. You're mostly stuck with singles, and for some leagues, the limits are lower than other books, but they offer some niche handicap markets you won't find anywhere else. They mostly use Asian Handicaps with margins set near 1.95/1.95, which fits my betting style perfectly. It's probably not the best spot for casual recreational bettors, though. Payouts are super fast, usually within a few hours.
DraftKings—so far, I haven't had any issues with them, though I've only been using them for about 6 months. I did hear stories about people having trouble in the past, but I think things have improved lately; payouts became way faster about a year ago after a lot of complaints. They have a massive selection of leagues and markets, making them a useful tool for me. They supposedly limit stakes quickly, but I haven't run into that personally, even though I've been riding a significant winning streak. I'm pretty sure they've ironed out their old kinks.
FanDuel hits winners with limits pretty fast. They have lower deposit limits right out of the gate, but they can offer some really good odds.
FanDuel is quite good with high limits, though they tend to move their odds slowly. Very wide range of options.
BetMGM's main drawback is how slow they move their lines, plus the low limits and how quickly they restrict successful players.
FanDuel is basically the same as BetMGM.
Betsson is just like the previous two, only with even tighter deposit limits.

So, here is my ranking:
1. FanDuel
2. BetMGM
3. DraftKings
4. BetMGM
5. FanDuel
6. DraftKings
7. Bet365
8. FanDuel
9. BetMGM
10. Betsson
11. 10bet
12. DraftKings

This list is based strictly on what works for my specific style of play. If I were just a casual player betting small amounts for fun, this whole list would look completely different! I haven't tried enough of the others or used them long enough to give a real opinion, but I've heard good things about 188bet, Caesars Sportsbook, and Ladbrokes.