From Blurry Vision to 20/15: How LASIK Transformed My Outdoor Adventures

Patrick Romero | Outdoors Enthusiast, Videographer

As an avid outdoors enthusiast and videographer, I was constantly running into problems with my contacts and glasses. My eyes always felt dry with my contacts and putting them in after a night of camping was the worst! My glasses solved my contacts problem but presented new challenges.

Once when I was canyoneering through a slot in Zion, my glasses slipped off my nose and into a bottomless pool of water only halfway through the canyon. I had to hike another six hours just to get out of the canyon and the blurry vision ruined the whole trip! Also, trying to look through my camera viewfinder with glasses on just didn't work. I was constantly having to remove them and put them back on during shoots.

My biggest concern with getting LASIK was anticipating the actual surgery. I was very anxious about the procedure. I have always had sensitive eyes and the thought of using a laser to reshape them made me feel sick. After years of deliberation, I decided to take the leap. As I was in the waiting room I realized that I am not the only person to have sensitive eyes. EVERYONE has sensitive eyes and NO ONE wants to get surgery on them. It took six seconds to reshape my left eye and nine seconds to reshape my right. I think I was in the surgery room for a total of ten minutes. Dr. Hoopes was very nice and professional, but he also kept the mood light to ease my anxiety. I never felt pain or discomfort. It was like watching a movie of what the perspective of LASIK would look like. It's only been three days since the surgery and I am already seeing 20/15 and haven'ft had ANY pain or discomfort. My second concern was the financial commitment of getting LASIK. However, I now feel very strongly that the investment is absolutely worth it. Don't skimp on your eyes. You may find somewhere cheaper, but if a complication arises, you will have the rest of your life to wish you had just gotten the best. Hoopes is number one for a reason. People fly in from all over the world just to get LASIK done at Hoopes. Their cutting-edge technology and professional staff eased my concerns about the procedure and made for an incredible experience. I could not be happier with the results! Thank you, Dr. Hoopes!