Weaning for lasik surgery?

[Meriwether]

My husband called to make an appointment for lasik surgery today. He was told I have to wean the baby three months before they schedule a consultation. Dh set aside $800 dollars in our cafeteria plan to help pay for the surgery. If we don't use it by Dec. 31, we lose it. So, we either lose the money or I have to wean Baby NOW.

 

Baby is 19 mos. old. I do not consider myself an extended breastfeeder. I had no plans to nurse her this long. But -she likes nursing a lot. She nurses at least 5x/ day now. She is my last baby unless I can talk Dh into one more. I don't want to quit nursing her yet. She will hate weaning. I will wean her, but I hate being forced into it.

 

Does anyone have any advice for weaning this age group? I've never quit cold turkey before.

[Reeciecup]

Lasik is eye surgery right? Why would you need to wean your baby for that?

[MelanieM]

No advice for weaning, but thought you might find this article useful: http://www.kellymom.com/health/illness/lasik-eye-surgery.html

[Mama_Rana]

Wait, you're getting the surgery, or he is?

I assume you, but I was confused.

 

First of all, find out why. Is it due to the medications they'll have to give you to do the surgery or ones they'll need to give you after? Get specific names.

Then call a La Leche League Leader and find out what the risk level is for those drugs. Some are perfectly acceptable to take while nursing, but most doctors will just say don't do it.

 

 

As for weaning cold turkey, I'm sorry I have no advice. I did it with my elder when I had to have back surgery [long story, I probably didn't need to, but I did and I still sort of regret it], but he was only nursing to go down for nap and bedtime. My mom helped him through that transition since I was unable to parent at the time and my hubby was out of town. He was also 27 months not 19. :(

 

:hug:

[Meriwether]

Yes, the appointment is for me. Dh makes most of our medical appointments, because I don't like dealing with insurance stuff. It doesn't have anything to do with drugs. They said something about nursing changing something about the eyes. To get an accurate consult, I need to wean three months prior. I am very nervous about getting eye surgery. Dh wants it done. I would rather wean than risk something being done incorrectly.

 

I'm trying not to cry now. The baby is ready for her nap and came to nurse. I'm nursing her today. I think I'll start weaning her tomorrow when Dh can put her down for all naps and bedtimes for three days.

Edited September 2, 2011 by Meriwether

[Medieval Mom]

Yes, the appointment is for me. It doesn't have anything to do with drugs. They said something about nursing changing something about the eyes. To get an accurate consult, I need to wean three months prior. I am very nervous about getting eye surgery. Dh wants it done. I would rather wean than risk something being done incorrectly.

 

If you really want the surgery, I'd follow the doc's recs to a T. I know of several people who have permanently damaged eyes after the surgery, uncorrectable by glasses (non-lactating men ;) ). I'd (personally) not want to take any additional risks.

 

OTOH, I'm a chicken. If I weren't 100% willing to get the surgery, I'd rather use the $800 toward some new nifty glasses or contacts (if possible in the plan), or even take the loss.

 

You mentioned your dh wants it done. Why? And more importantly, do you want it done?

[Teachin'Mine]

deleted

 

Best wishes with whatever you decide. : )

Edited September 2, 2011 by Teachin'Mine

[Meriwether]

No advice for weaning, but thought you might find this article useful: http://www.kellymom.com/health/illness/lasik-eye-surgery.html

 

Thanks for the article. I'll dicuss it with Dh tonight. He'd like for me to wean, anyhow. I also wouldn't mind her being weaned. I just don't want to wean her. She likes nursing so much. I know that sounds conflicting. I am conflicted. It probably also sounds like Dh is telling me what to do. He has made about two comments in the past 6 months along the lines of - So how long are you going to do this. He doesn't give me grief about it, but I know he would like her weaned sooner rather than later.

[Garga]

I had Lasik.

 

To explain it in simple terms (because those are the only terms I know!) :

 

Lasik surgery uses lasers to cut away and change the actual shape of your cornea. Once it's cut, it's gone--pieces of your cornea are gone, never to return again.

 

When you are pregnant or nursing there is extra fluid in your body and it slightly changes the shape of your cornea--swells it up a bit. It's a known side-effect of pregnancy that your vision may get slightly blurry, due to the eye swelling. I knew this from when I was pregnant--not when I had the lasik, so this isn't something I heard from a lasik doc. I heard about it from an ob and a midwife.

 

If they were to base their preparations for the surgery on your slightly enlarged eye (from all the extra fluids) and then perform the surgery on it (where they are going to slice off parts of your cornea)...well, that would obviously be a Very Bad Idea. Once the normal pregnancy/nursing swelling goes down...what vision would you be left with? Who knows.

 

Take them very seriously when they tell you that you must not be pregnant or nursing when they test your vision and when they do the surgery.

 

 

Oh--and having the Lasik was one of the best things I ever did. I had 20/1200 vision (which is abysmal) and now I have 20/20. You want to seriously consider this and not let the opportunity pass you by. Your sweetie pie is close to a natural weaning age anyway...but you'll have your vision for the rest of your life....

Edited September 2, 2011 by Garga

[Meriwether]

If you really want the surgery, I'd follow the doc's recs to a T. I know of several people who have permanently damaged eyes after the surgery, uncorrectable by glasses (non-lactating men ;) ). I'd (personally) not want to take any additional risks.

 

OTOH, I'm a chicken. If I weren't 100% willing to get the surgery, I'd rather use the $800 toward some new nifty glasses or contacts (if possible in the plan), or even take the loss.

 

You mentioned your dh wants it done. Why? And more importantly, do you want it done?

 

I've wanted to get it done for years. But the thought of permanent damage has always kept me from getting it done. Both of my siblings have done it with great results, and my sister had a tricky problem they had to fix. At the beginning of the year, Dh told me, "This is the year. I'm putting the money into the cafeteria plan for you."

 

Why do we want it done? I have really bad eye sight. Bad enough that if I didn't have access to my glasses in an emergency, I'd be in trouble. I had contacts for awhile, but I developed eye issues with them.

[Medieval Mom]

I've wanted to get it done for years. But the thought of permanent damage has always kept me from getting it done. Both of my siblings have done it with great results, and my sister had a tricky problem they had to fix. At the beginning of the year, Dh told me, "This is the year. I'm putting the money into the cafeteria plan for you."

 

Why do we want it done? I have really bad eye sight. Bad enough that if I didn't have access to my glasses in an emergency, I'd be in trouble. I had contacts for awhile, but I developed eye issues with them.

 

This is the same reason I keep considering it, too. Sigh. Dh's boss had (who went to one of the very best clinics), had his vision permanently damaged, however. On the one hand, I'd LOVE to have Garga's experience. I can hardly imagine what it must feel like to see well without glasses!!! OTOH, I'd rather wear glasses than have my vision irreparably damaged. (At least now I can wear Coke-bottle glasses! Not glamorous, but essential :) )

 

Good luck with your decision!

[RegGuheert]

Why do we want it done? I have really bad eye sight. Bad enough that if I didn't have access to my glasses in an emergency, I'd be in trouble.

That's the main reason I had laser eye surgery!

 

FWIW, I did not get Lasik but instead got PRK. My doctor offered both and they both use exactly the same laser. The only difference is how they open the eye. Without going into the gory details, the main differences are that Lasik offers a faster and easier recovery period, but PRK offers a result without a scar line, so it is less likely to tear open later if you would happen to get hit in the eye. (I'll stop short of making any recommendation, only that you have basically two options here.)

 

I will make a recommendation about the laser portion of the surgery, however. I suggest avoiding the more-expensive "custom" surgery in which they measure the topography of *your* eye and correct based on that. I've known quite a few people who were quite far-sighted after getting that type of surgery. When I did my consultation, I *finally* got my doctor to admit that there is a higher probability of far-sightedness from the "custom" surgery than the standard, less-expensive version.

 

BTW, I'm very happy I got laser eye surgery about 4 years ago!

 

Best wishes for whatever you decide!

[celticmom]

I have very poor vision and multiple allergies. I do not want to chance lasik and at one point I picked up a brochure about another option that involved using special contact lenses almost like orthodontia on teeth to correct the shape of the cornea and correct vision that way. I do not remember the name of it but the lower risk appealed to me. Just to say that there are other options out there.

[plain jane]

That's a tough spot you're in. :grouphug: <-- for you and little one. :)

 

If it were me, I would want to know for sure, for SURE that 3 mos of weaning is enough to make sure your eyes go back to "normal." You're cutting it close to the end of the year and again, if it were *me*, I'd be devastated if I made my child wean and then found out that after 3 mos, my eyes needed still more time to readjust and I couldn't have the surgery in Dec. after all.

 

I'm assuming that the 3mos the doc stated has built-in cushion room, but it's something that I would want to know about. :)

 

I don't have any advice on the weaning part though. :grouphug:

[Bassoonaroo]

The reason (as PP stated) to wait is because all those hormonal things women do (babies, breastfeeding) do change eyesight. So, you want to be DONE having children and done nursing them. Give it some time after that.

 

I had LASIK done five years ago. Am I glad? Oh, I guess so. I can wake up and SEE. I don't mess with glasses (except readers for small print -- but that comes with age) and I don't have to put in contacts each morning.

 

But it wasn't without problems for me. After the surgery, I developed DLK (aka "Sands of the Sahara" -- google it), stage 3 for my left eye and 4 for my right. I heard the doctor talking in hushed tones using words like "corneal melt" which is not a term you want to hear. Thankfully, my corneas were saved. My right eye has less than perfect vision and is constantly dry. My left eye is good. The level of DLK I had is about a 1 in 5000 complication. So, it's really rare. I didn't drive for months and I had weekly eye appointments and had to wear glasses for months. I had the LASIK repeated five months after the initial surgery. A year after the operation, I felt okay.

 

My dh had it done a few years before me and for years did okay but now must wear glasses, which sort of defeats the purpose. Sigh.

 

I'm not impressed but a lot of people LOVE their Lasik results.

 

So, do your research and be sure you're done birthin' and nursin' those babies.

[jenn-]

If you are thinking that you might possibly have another child, I would hold off on the surgery. You want your vision to be stable for quite a while before you have the surgery, and a pregnancy can make it unstable again.

 

My DH had LASIK and it was a NIGHTMARE! Lots of money later, he can see using glasses.

[ma23peas]

Agree with the last poster...I had Lasik 12 years ago, LOVE LOVE it!! But, I always knew that for women you should wait until you've had ALL your children due to the eye change issues that CAN happen with pregnancy...

 

I think that needs to be your first decision....as far as breast feeding, just be busy/distracted the next 2 weeks, have a sippy cup with her favorite beverage or snack handy when she comes to you and give her something that appeals to her...be out at the park, be out at the mall, just stay busy...if she associates the same old routine, she'll expect it, but if you change up the next two weeks and stay busy, it will be easier...

 

HTH!

[nowimscrappin]

I had Lasik 14 years ago - it was still experimental when I got it.

 

I had an eye exam this summer because I was starting to have trouble focusing when I shifted distances (from book to TV, reading computer to reading TV channel guide, etc). The Dr was impressed with my eyesight - still 20/20 and the focus problem is from a slight astigmatism that isn't yet needed to be corrected. I had to wear glasses every day so it has been very freeing for me - she even had a hard time finding the scars because they were so slight.

 

I didn't wait until I was done having children. I have had 2 since then with no problems at all.

 

Good luck with your decision.

[Meriwether]

Agree with the last poster...I had Lasik 12 years ago, LOVE LOVE it!! But, I always knew that for women you should wait until you've had ALL your children due to the eye change issues that CAN happen with pregnancy...

 

I think that needs to be your first decision....as far as breast feeding, just be busy/distracted the next 2 weeks, have a sippy cup with her favorite beverage or snack handy when she comes to you and give her something that appeals to her...be out at the park, be out at the mall, just stay busy...if she associates the same old routine, she'll expect it, but if you change up the next two weeks and stay busy, it will be easier...This is good advice. She is quite good at demanding to nurse at inconvenient times and places, though. I will pick up some juice, which she likes and hardly ever gets.

 

HTH!

 

 

Dh says we are done. If I had to make plans one way or the other I would assume we were done. I would still try to talk hime into another one if I had the surgery done.

[Meriwether]

If you are thinking that you might possibly have another child, I would hold off on the surgery. You want your vision to be stable for quite a while before you have the surgery, and a pregnancy can make it unstable again.

 

My DH had LASIK and it was a NIGHTMARE! Lots of money later, he can see using glasses. This is what I don't want to hear!

 

 

I am planning on getting the surgery done this year. I'm sure, in the end, I will make that work even though it means weaning. It is interesting, and scary, to hear others' opinions.

[Meriwether]

That's the main reason I had laser eye surgery!

 

FWIW, I did not get Lasik but instead got PRK. My doctor offered both and they both use exactly the same laser. The only difference is how they open the eye. Without going into the gory details, the main differences are that Lasik offers a faster and easier recovery period, but PRK offers a result without a scar line, so it is less likely to tear open later if you would happen to get hit in the eye. (I'll stop short of making any recommendation, only that you have basically two options here.) I saw on their website that there were two options. I am getting it done near my parents so that I can take as long to recover as I need to.

 

I will make a recommendation about the laser portion of the surgery, however. I suggest avoiding the more-expensive "custom" surgery in which they measure the topography of *your* eye and correct based on that. I've known quite a few people who were quite far-sighted after getting that type of surgery. When I did my consultation, I *finally* got my doctor to admit that there is a higher probability of far-sightedness from the "custom" surgery than the standard, less-expensive version.

 

BTW, I'm very happy I got laser eye surgery about 4 years ago!

 

Best wishes for whatever you decide!

 

This is good to know. Being somewhat nervous, I would probably go with the most expensive, custom option available.

[Liza Lee]

If you are thinking that you might possibly have another child, I would hold off on the surgery. You want your vision to be stable for quite a while before you have the surgery, and a pregnancy can make it unstable again.

 

:iagree:

 

My SIL has eye surgery and then had another baby. Her vision changed and she ended up needing glasses. She was not able to wear contacts after the surgery.

[RegGuheert]

This is good to know. Being somewhat nervous, I would probably go with the most expensive, custom option available.

Yeah, I feel the marketing done for the custom surgery is a little misleading. During the consultation, I was continually having the nurses tell me that I would likely be farsighted following the surgery. Each time I would ask them "Why?" Their consistent answer was "Because you are over 40." Then I would say "But I can read fine close up with my glasses today." They would repeat "You should plan on being farsighted following the surgery." :tongue_smilie:

 

I went around and around for a while with the consultation doctor about this and finally I asked him point blank if custom surgery was more likely to make me farsighted than normal surgery. His answer was "Yes". (I really couldn't believe he admitted that to me. Of course it is possible that he said that just to shut me up! ;))

 

In the end, I believe that the overall shape of the cornea is a compromise (in an eye with normal vision) between far vision and near vision. If you then take a cornea and optimize its shape for all far vision, then you end with *outstanding* far vision, but with reduced near vision.

 

BTW, they describe the standard surgery as being similar to putting on a pair of glasses. The laser simply burns a somewhat normal prescription into your cornea.

Edited September 2, 2011 by RegGuheert

[RegGuheert]

 

She was not able to wear contacts after the surgery.

Is that a limitation of Lasik? I don't think that would be a limitation of PRK since there should be no scar remaining after the surgery.

[Lisa R.]

It is my understanding that Lasik does not mean you won't need reading glasses. Lasik corrects nearsightedness but does not stop the eyes from aging.

 

I had Lasik done about six years ago. My vision was very poor prior to surgery, and now it is 20/20. It is amazing to wake up every morning and see.

 

Having said this, I would only recommend Lasik is someone is not able to comfortably wear contacts or has a compelling reason to want to be without glasses. I had discomfort in one eye for about six months after surgery. I also had one small complication with a tear duct years later. (Eye surgeon insisted on punctal plugs for dry eyes, and one of these became infected years later.)

 

I used to wear thick glasses at night. During the day I wore toric contact lenses because of the astigmatism. These toric lenses became uncomfortable, and I really disliked wearing glasses. That is why I chose Lasik. For me it was a good decision despite some difficulties. I figured that the risk I was taking with Lasik (less than 1% chance of permanent injury to the eye) was less than the risk of wearing contact lenses every day from 9th grade until I was 70. (I also had an infection from contact lense wearing too.)

 

Also, I am glad I waited until I was done having children to have my Lasik. My vision became worse during my last pregnancy.

[Meriwether]

Well, after being up with the baby for 4 hours in the middle of the night, I asked Dh if there was anything else we could do with the money. He decided this would be a good year to get his wisdom teeth out. Lasik will have to wait. The funny thing is, Baby was so good about not nursing. I said, "No nurse." She looked sad and let me rock her. She just would. not. go. back. to. sleep. Dh is disappointed. He really wants to give me the gift of good eyesight. I am a little disappointed, too. I'm also relieved. So, we'll see what next year brings.

[jenn-]

One thing I would recommend during this next year is to really, really research the people in your area that do LASIK. We went to the cheaper guy that DH knew several coworkers had used with no problems. While trying to get his eye "fixed" we had to go to a corneal specialist who had a few choice words about that doctor. Yes his percentage of issues wasn't abnormally high, but since he was essentially a LASIK-mill he saw a ton of people to even out his errors. We both wish that we would have gone to the person that my MIL had seen, even though he was almost twice as expensive (still would have been cheaper than all the corrective surgeries DH ended up with).

[Meriwether]

One thing I would recommend during this next year is to really, really research the people in your area that do LASIK. We went to the cheaper guy that DH knew several coworkers had used with no problems. While trying to get his eye "fixed" we had to go to a corneal specialist who had a few choice words about that doctor. Yes his percentage of issues wasn't abnormally high, but since he was essentially a LASIK-mill he saw a ton of people to even out his errors. We both wish that we would have gone to the person that my MIL had seen, even though he was almost twice as expensive (still would have been cheaper than all the corrective surgeries DH ended up with).

 

How do you research it? The websites I've looked at don't have stats. I was going to go to the one my sister used since she got good results. I don't think it was a cheap mill - it would have been about $4000.

Edited September 3, 2011 by Meriwether

[jenn-]

How do you research it? The websites I've looked at don't have stats. I was going to go to the one my sister used since she got good results. I don't think it was a cheap mill - it would have been about $4000.

 

I really don't know. I seriously doubt the specialist would have said anything bad about the doctor if we weren't standing there in his office.

[lea1]

I also had it done about 12 years ago with excellent results and perfect vision. I had a friend who had it done just after me and our doctor told her that she needed to wait a certain amount of time afterward before getting pregnant but she could definitely get pregnant again without it impacting her eyesight.

[lea1]

I paid $4000 when I had it done around 12 years ago. Funny, they did not offer custom VS non-custom back then but I know they did some sort of topography of my eyes. I did not have issues with far sightedness until my early 40's though.