LASIK in Vietnam

My last picture in glasses.

I have been wearing glasses or contacts since I was 11 years old.  A few weeks ago, my glasses broke.  I needed to navigate the streets of Saigon to track down some not-cheap glasses, but I had recently talked with a friend here who had done LASIK with a local eye doctor at the French-Vietnamese Hospital in District 7 for a fraction of the price it is in the States.  I was curious because, let's face it, wearing glasses kind of stinks.  And wearing contacts here is extra difficult because of the pollution and going back and forth from humidity to air-conditioning all day long.

I had an appointment last weekend and was given the go ahead for the procedure.  Derek and I decided it would be worth it to do it now so that I can enjoy see clearly for more years before my eyesight starts to go due to age.  And we figured, if I can even go five years without buying glasses or contacts, the surgery more than pays for itself.

So I had LASIK in Vietnam.  

The procedure itself went exactly as I had read about in a number of other blogs.  It was creepy to have all the different instruments being shoved into your eye socket, and I was nervous because you "can NOT look away from the green light."  You know, it was kind of terrifying.  Look away (which is your natural instinct), and you will mess everything up and have to do it again.  I was told the smell would be the worst part, but I thought the metal, circular devise being pushed onto my eyeball was far worse than a faint smell of burning flesh.  

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