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February 21, 2006
My Lasik Story - After LASIK Surgery
As I mentioned in my previous article on this topic entitled 'My Lasik Story - Before LASIK Surgery', I went through about 30 years of vision issues that dramatically affected my life and my lifestyle.
I avoided certain activities in life because they were too impacted by my poor vision. Examples included physically-jarring activities like tackle football and ice hockey and other less intense activities like swimming. These I avoided like the plague because I was admonished by my parents enough times as a youth for breaking 'another set of glasses' during my early years of wearing glasses while rough-housing with my two older brothers. And, no, I didn't discriminate against my older sister so she was fair game too, though not as often, because, er, she was 'a girl'.
But, after growing tired of the 'masking-tape-on-the-bridge-and-temples' look that so negatively affected me during my early would-be dating years, I soon realized that I had better do what I could to make the most of my absolute dependence on wearing glasses, preferably without the masking tape as an added fashion statement.
So, I discovered and began wearing contact lenses during my early twenties.
But, as I mentioned in my earlier article on this topic I, after twenty years of contact lenses wearing, started to undergo changes within my eyes that were out of my control. Physical changes that would prohibit my being able to wear contacts except for only several hours each day.
Well, this didn't bode well for me since due to my severe myopia and astigmatism I would get headaches whenever I would wear glasses for extended periods of time.
And after having my opthamologist tell me about the severe case of giant papillary conjunctivitis that was occurring in my eyes and that it would take several months and maybe several years to remedy, if at all, I knew something drastic needed to occur.
And that is when the possibility of LASIK surgery entered the picture. Although my opthamologist had discussed this potential solution over the years he did not fully endorse it for me. Apparently I was not the optimal client for this type of surgery at the time and with the actual procedural requirements and limitations with this evolving medical technology.
But over the years the surgical techniques had improved sufficiently enough that he felt I could undergo sufficient correction with new technologies that were constantly being announced and so I took the plunge in the fall of 2004 to consider and schedule my very own LASIK procedure.
And I am sure glad that I did that.
As of this writing, just over one year after my LASIK surgery in January 2005 I can say that there have been significant changes in aspects of my life that I never imagined, or could see. No pun intended.
You see, the first thing that happened after my surgery was the immense sense of freedom I felt because my world was no longer limited to the nearest and clearest eight-inches in front of my eyes. It now spanned the entire world, or at least as far as I could see.
As you can imagine I was actually able to function in life without the fear of not being able to see if my glasses broke or I ripped one of my contacts and didn't have a spare set to wear. Instead, I could now see 24/7/365. I could see during the day, the night, far, near, and even see the stars clearer than before while needing glasses or contacts.
Now I'm not saying that after my surgery that I felt so free that I went out and started bungee-jumping and skydiving. No. Rather, I was able to function in life in a manner and with a freedom that I had not experienced since I was about ten-years-old, about the time I started needing to wear corrective lenses.
But, I also noticed something that I have never seen nor heard anyone else who has gone through LASIK surgery correction mention. And this 'something' for me was the fact that I no longer felt like I was hiding something from those who saw me.
You see, after my surgery I had the epiphany, after no longer needing to wear contacts, that I was carrying around a large amount of guilt because I was actually hiding the fact that I needed to wear corrective lenses all the time. And after my surgery, I realized that I didn't want others to know this fact and by the simple fact that all most people in my life knew me for was as a man who 'didn't need glasses' because that is what they saw when they looked at me. That is, a man without glasses or needing to wear them.
And the only way I became aware of this 'shame' and 'guilt' was after the surgery because I truly DID no longer need corrective lenses to see. And although I still looked the same to everyone else, now I truly didn't need to wear glasses or worry that someone would find out that I was 'hiding' the fact that I did need glasses to see.
Yes, I know, this is kinda 'out there' but it is something that I never figured or knew I was carrying around with me every day. And it certainly wasn't something that I expected to experience from having such a relatively simple 'cosmetic surgery' type of procedure. After all, it wasn't touted to have the mental benefit that I found myself experiencing.
So there, now you have it, and if you're considering LASIK surgery you too might undergo this 'transparent' change that truly will change your life, and perhaps even lift a little bit of unbeknownst to you self-induced burden off your shoulders.
But, LASIK surgery is not without its own inherent risks that require SERIOUS consideration and detailing.
Let me explain...
~~~~
You see, the Lasik surgery I underwent was not without problems.
Don't, don't, DON'T believe the television commercials and those newspaper ads you see of smiling people having the time of their lives now with family and friends and during those fantastic vacations scuba-diving, waterskiing, and snorkeling. LASIK surgery is just that...surgery. And all surgery has risks. Especially this type of surgery.
And when it comes to LASIK surgery, which is literally cutting into your eyeballs, well, mess this up and you don't get a second chance to get it right.
You see, LASIK surgery is occurring on a very very small portion of your eye and the correction actually occurs on such a microscopic scale that it can only be correctly done by a specially designed computer. And with this type of needed precision the procedure can get messed up, in untrained or with the wrong surgical hands.
Even I experienced what I can only classify as 'double-vision' for several months after my LASIK procedure. I went back to the surgeon several times complaining of this and he didn't know what it was because this double vision I experienced was only occurring during daylight hours. Nighttime vision was virtually perfect.
He was never able to tell me what was causing it and even rejected my suggestion that it was a 'central island'. But all I can speculate was occurring was that my eyes were not used to seeing 20/40 after being 20/900 and 20/750 for almost the last 15 years and they were taking their own roundabout time to adjust.
But fortunately for me now all I have is minor blurriness during the day and my vision is corrected to 20/20 with slight prescription sunglasses which work perfectly here in sunny Arizona.
Of course, I've read absolute horror stories on other websites which are valid and true and DO occur due to surgical mistakes and equipment malfunctions. So, again, don't believe that things CAN'T go wrong or that they won't happen 'to me'.
Essentially, my biggest tip: DO YOUR HOMEWORK.
Research the bejeabers (is that a word? ;-) out of the subject of laser vision correction. Find out what CAN go wrong and determine if you still want to take the risk. Get at least THREE opinions and analyses from corrective LASIK eye surgery clinics. And DON'T go with the bargain basement clinics offering the Thursday discount or the 'buy one get one free' special. Your eyes are much too precious to risk them that way.
Why do I say this? Because, I can tell you that when I was seeing double images ALL THE TIME and there was no correction for it, that was scary to me. VERY scary. The thought of having to see that way for the rest of my life was too much to consider.
But, I was one of the more fortunate ones in that the problem took care of itself after a couple of months. Others aren't so lucky as you can read elsewhere on the web.
So, ask yourself - "Is it worth it - the risk that is?" but DON'T tell yourself "Nah, it won't happen to me. Other people have the problems - not me."
Research www.asklasikdocs.com and www.mylasikstory.com to start.
And then realize if the risk is worth the benefits to you. For me, it was worth it. But if I were somehow writing to you today having to see through uncorrectable double vision, my answer would be different.
And, also, do realize that even if everything does work in your favor with the procedure that some documents on the web state that ANY messing around with LASIK has an effect on the cornea and increases a person's risk for glaucoma in later years. So don't think that even with a good 20/20 outcome that you've undergone a risk-free LASIK procedure. You haven't.
So, bottom line...
They're your eyes.
It's your decision.
Make it a good one 'cause you probably won't get a second chance with LASIK surgery gone bad.
Thank you kindly.
Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'
(Author's permission is granted to share this full article with others. Just leave the signature line intact, please.)
Posted by Andre Best at 4:42 PM | Comments (14)
February 6, 2006
What's So Bad About Trans Fats and Partially Hydrogenated Oils?
I was grocery shopping last night at the nearby supermarket and again I was reminded of some of the pretty subtle consumerism that's going on and that we, the consumers, are not supposed to be aware of.
In this case it's all about the subject of these so-called 'trans-fats' that are now touted as not being included in virtually every product manufactured and sold on store shelves. You've no doubt seen these products - ''0 grams trans-fats'' they state on the package.
Now, let's back up a bit and detail exactly what this is all about and why it's of any concern to anyone, including the food manufacturers.
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'Trans-fats' are a simpler way of stating that the product has trans-saturated fat in it. Now what, pray-tell, is trans-saturated fat? Good question.
Very simply, and because I'm not a health expert by design, trans-saturated fats are the bad fats that, when consumed, lead to higher LDL fat in the bloodstream. And LDL cholesterol fat is the type of fat that one does not want to have too much of in their blood. Why? Well a couple of minor reasons, namely...heart attacks...and, strokes.
Enough said on that? Good.
Now, the reason why LDL cholesterol fat is so bad is essentially because it is the type of fat that doesn't get readily absorbed in the body. Instead this type of 'bad fat' floats around the body via the blood and when it sees fit to, it plants itself somewhere inside the blood vessel. And sometimes this 'sticking around' of the LDL fat is what causes the above health conditions since too much fat sticking to the wall of any part of a blood vessel, as you know, leads to a narrowing of the blood vessel and, ergo, heart attacks and strokes. Not good.
Now, again, let me remind you that I am nowhere near considered a health expert. The description I gave you above is my very 'dumbed-down' (okay scratch that description and replace it with 'simplified') version of what this medical stuff is all about. If you want to have a more detailed explanation ask your general practitioner or go to WebMD.com, or do some Googling on 'trans-fats'.
Now, continuing...
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So, I hope we can both agree that trans fats are bad for the human body. In this case, your body, my dear reader.
And I trust that we'd agree that it's a good idea to limit this type of fat with the food we intake on a daily basis, right?
Well, now the food manufacturers would have us believe that they're on our side and only looking out for us, the consumers of their products.
But, I happen to think regarding their new '0 grams of trans-fats' that this is all - in four simple and family-friendly words: 'A bunch of bull!'
You see, for almost a century food manufacturers have been using a food manufacturing process that involves changing an oil, through a process called 'hydrogenation', into a different type of oil called 'partially hydrogenated oil'.
Very simplistically, what this process does is it adds another hydrogen atom to the carbon chain in the oil molecule. Essentially, an artificial molecule, a 'hydrogenated' molecule is created.
But here's the real issue, in my opinion, around food manufacturers utilizing this process.
These hydrogenated molecules cannot be absorbed by the body because they're artificial. And normally something artificial that's consumed would be purged or eliminated out of the body. But, unfortunately, not with this stuff - these hydrogenated oils.
I'll explain...
You see, because of the artificiality of these oil molecules, combined with the fact that they're essentially fat molecules, causes them to stay in the body and not get used by the body. Instead, they get stored in the body's fat deposits, along with all the other fat molecules.
Now, picture yourself consuming a lot of partially hydrogenated oil through eating food containing this oil, this artificially processed, partially modified, fatty oil. And picture a lot of this artificially fatty oil being stored in the body, in the body's storage areas - the fat deposits - because the oil molecules can't be absorbed or used.
Would you not agree that this is not a good scenario for us?
Would you think it plausible that perhaps some of this artificially modified oil compound, that is stored in the body's fat deposits, is not a good thing and potentially could lead to certain diseases - like cancer?
I do.
And many others do too.
Again, I'll explain.
~~~~
I worked with this man in the mid-1990's who had survived bowel cancer. I learned a whole lot from his experience and in fact this was the first time I had ever heard about 'partially-hydrogenated oils'.
He once told me that the first thing he cut out of his diet after recovering from his cancer was 'partially hydrogenated oils.' I asked why and he told me what I described to you several paragraphs above.
When he told me about these oils and what happens in the body with this stuff it really struck a chord with me. It made total sense.
Essentially, we're eating a chemical that the body can't use, but instead keeps IN the body and stores in the fat. It's hard to argue that this is something to be preferred inside anyone's carcass.
~~~~
Now, why do we even have to be discussing this topic, that is, why do manufacturers use this type of manufactured oil in the first place?
Easy answer...money.
Remember my 'A bunch of bull!' statement from earlier? Well, the reason why I said that was because food manufacturers are now removing trans-saturated fats a.k.a. trans fats a.k.a. partially-hydrogenated oils from their food products. Why? Because the U.S. Surgeon General said in 2005 that trans-fats are bad for today's diets.
So, the food manufacturers are removing the oil because they're responding to a health statement from the U.S. Surgeon General, right? Right. Seriously, that's a correct statement.
But let's get to the real crux of the matter which is, why was partially hydrogenated oil used in the first place in food products?
Again, easy answer...
Money.
You see, this type of oil allows a product to have a longer shelf life. Essentially, it stays consumable for far longer because of this preservative-type oil in it.
...And a longer shelf life means less food spoilage since it's more likely to be bought before spoilage.
...And less spoilage before purchase means that food manufacturer actually sells the product before needing to throw it away due to spoilage.
...And more sold food and less waste means more money in the food manufacturers pockets.
Again, it's all about economics.
Oh sure, there may have been an admirable reason to have this type of trans-fatty oil in certain products earlier during the 20th century when refrigeration still wasn't a readily available option in the vast majority of kitchens. Heck, I still remember my parents storing bread in the bread box, and me and my siblings having to check every sandwich before we ate it to make sure there wasn't any 'green' on it (and I'm not talking money). But those times are long gone.
How can I be so sure? Well, let's do a quick rundown of what categories of products TODAY still contain partially-hydrogenated oils:
- bread
- pastries
- yogurt
- ice cream
- cereals
- soups
- pasta
- candy
- frozen pies
- frozen meals
- frozen popsicles
Essentially, these are the big categories that contain hydrogenated oils. There are thousands more smaller categories.
Now, let me ask you - is it necessary that we have artificially manufactured oil in ice cream? In yogurt? In frozen uncooked french fries?
Where's the economic need in that in today's society? I'll tell you where...nowhere.
The only reason food manufacturers use partially-hydrogenated oils, which are harmful to us, the consumer, is so that their products stay fresher longer and they make more money through product sales.
And now we're supposed to believe the advertising for all these redone products to '0 grams trans-fats' is because the food manufacturers have our health in mind.
And again...'bull' I say.
Food companies are only making this switch because the U.S. Surgeon General said trans fats should be consumed in limited amounts and now they want to be seen as being responsive and caring for your and my health and so that we'll then by more of their products because they're trans-fat free. Sneaky, eh?
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So what is the salient point of me and my long diatribe about trans-fats and partially-hydrogenated oils?
Well, I would hope that through my sharing about this topic that you, my fellow human being, is more educated about what is going on down at your local supermarket, wholesale food superstore, and corner grocery store.
After all, it is your body. And now that you know what's going on and how easy it is to find out which products contain partially-hydrogenated oils a.k.a trans fats oils, the big question becomes...
What are YOU going to eat?
Written by Andre Best
President, Ultimate Results, Inc.
http://www.andrebest.com
'Learn About Life From Another Perspective'
(Author's permission is granted to share this full article with others. Just leave the signature line intact, please.)
Posted by Andre Best at 12:58 PM | Comments (8)