Lasik Gave Me A Second Chance: The Chronicles Of John Doe

Introduction 

I have met quite a lot of people in my life and it is safe to say that none of them had immaculate and fantastic eyesight like my uncle, who goes by the name John Doe. Uncle John was one of those people whom I used to admire when I was growing up and I still do to this very day because he is and always has been an easy-going individual who used to mind his own business all the time. Little did he know that soon old age will catch up with him and he might risk losing his precious gift which is the ability to see with his own two eyes. 

Chapter One 

When I came home from college for the festive season holidays, I was very surprised to hear that my uncle had undergone a Lasik operation for his vision. It soon came to my attention, as he sat there, watching TV, and wearing sunglasses on a rainy Johannesburg afternoon. Apparently though, one of the possible temporary side effects of the Lasik procedure is sensitivity to light, which gets worse at night when there are bright lights…

After having a conversation with Uncle John privately, he came to realize that he hadn't actually had any of the side effects that his Lasik physician had described but was having a wonderful time making the family think that he did. What a character he is.

Chapter Two 

Uncle John is one that always enjoys new gadgets and people's sympathy, and he always made sure he always had the chance to tell stories to anyone who is gladly willing to listen. You can say it pretty much almost seems that the Lasik procedure was tailor-made for my uncle, especially since his Lasik operation was essentially trouble-free and hassle-free and there were no complications at all…

In addition to the sunglasses prescribed for him, the doctor that performed his Lasik surgery gave Uncle John a pair of goggles to wear at night so that he would not rub his eyes while he was asleep. Uncle John also wore them at breakfast and for most meals, saying that a possible squirt in the eye from a grapefruit or wine glass was not allowed in the Lasik manual. I should mention that we don't usually drink wine and that he was not given a Lasik manual.

Two of the more common temporary side effects after Lasik surgery are sensitivity to light or glare, especially at night, and some possibility of fluctuating vision for several days after the Lasik procedure. I have never seen man milk so much out of a combination of one or both of these symptoms, though he never had either one. It became extremely sad when he couldn't clear dishes from the table because of his fluctuating vision as he was afraid he might drop the plates, and he also couldn't drive to the convenience store at night because... well, you get the idea. I do wonder why I was told the real story of my uncle’s Lasik procedure, but I guess a secret partner makes the stories all the sweeter every time….

As it turns out, the only real post-Lasik symptom that Uncle John actually had was dry eyes consistently basis, and he had eye drops for that. And as it turned out, he actually needed to get a second type of eye drops from his Lasik physician since he needed a thicker prescription to get through the night comfortably without any hassles… Uncle John was surprised that he seemed to be a model Lasik patient at his age, though his doctor said he had done a number of very successful Lasik surgeries for clients into their seventies, and even a few in their eighties.

Chapter Three 

I am surprised but also happy that Uncle John bothered to look into the Lasik operation, for I never in a million years would have noticed that he had a problem with his glasses. He says it was because Lasik would reveal the handsome man he is and always was, more clearly to the ladies, though he has been a widower for twelve years and seemed fine with that, this time things seem very different as though he has gained a lot of Hope and confidence just overnight…

He actually did say though that the clarity of vision that the Lasik procedure gave him is way better than any he has had in over thirty years. Perhaps that is true, for my post-Lasik procedure, my uncle is far more interested in things and more active than I have seen him in the past few years.  Perhaps Lasik might probably have something to do with that.

The End

Thank you for reading till the end. If you loved what you just read please have a look at this short story Wonderful Tales From The Lasik Waiting Room which is also published on this site.