6-year check-up

I still have 20/20 vision but there was *some* difference in my near-sightedness just not enough for a prescription. 

I explained to Dr. Spilken, I seem to have to focus once I look from far away to something close.  Or to read something, I take a second to focus.  Otherwise, I can still see perfectly. :)

4-year check-up

20/20 vision 4 years running!

3-year check-up

I had my appointment with Dr. Jonathan Spilkin at the University Eye Clinic today, Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 9:40 a.m. It took an hour. Next time I need to make the appointment later in the day since after my eyes are dilated I can't see the computer monitor in front of me to save my life! It subsides after a couple hours but I'm practically useless until then.

My eyes are perfect. Again, he mentioned that within the next 10 years I should start to have more blurry near-sighted vision. When he did a test where I looked at a small silver ball in front of my face with one eye and then the other eye, my vision was equally as clear but one looked slightly further away. It was odd but he said that is normal since both eyes are rarely ever the same (although they both test at 20/20 due to being able to see clearly from both).

I learned that Dr. Spilkin studied in Texas (he got his Doctor of Optometry in Houston). I inquired about that and he said he had grown up in but moved from South Africa due to the economy and political unrest. Because that situation remained, he moved to work in Canada. I asked more and he said he had gone back 3 years ago and that it was a fantastic destination to visit. How interesting!

Well, we have another year ahead of us. Happy 2010!

2-year check-up

I had a Full Ocular Exam with a new optometrist on Monday, January 5, 2009 at 8:30 a.m.. I need to get checked annually for my part of the guarantee from TLC. This new-to-me doctor was a referral from TLC. The University Eye Clinic is conveniently located 2 subway stations from where I work at 700 University Avenue, Queen's Park subway station. The office is on the concourse level in the Hydro Building. I saw Dr. Jonathan Spilkin who was a very nice man. The appointment cost me $115 but I think Manulife should reimburse me in full.

I still have perfect vision. Dr. Spilkin suggested hope to not have ANY change in vision for another 10 years but aged-related degeneration can still occur. Right now, I'm good to go!

My Right Eye: (Dist): 65.
My Left Eye: (Near): 62.

Regular Annual Eye Exams

I had to find a new optometrist as TLC doesn't take patients for regular check-ups and although Dr. Earl Winer is at the same health clinic as Brittany goes to, it's no longer convenient for me to go there. TLC recommended Dr. Jonathan Spilkin (416.977.8194) who works at the University Eye Clinic in the Hydro Building at 700 University Avenue at Queen's park subway station. Very convenient! My appointment is Monday @ 8:30 a.m., January 5, 2009.

http://universityeyeclinic.com/Spilkin.html

I'm curious how my eyes did over the past year. Lately they feel a little dry and I haven't been eating as many carrots this year so I'm just hoping they remained at 20/20 vision.

1-year follow-up appointment

I saw an optometrist at TLC for my 1-year follow-up exam on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 at 4 p.m. My eyesight is even better than 20/20. Some doctors stop testing after they see a strong 20/20 but this particular doctor tested further, I could almost read the next line (20/15); she said I was "getting it" so said my eyesight is stronger than 20/20. Awesome! I feel like the bionic woman. :)

Now my obligation is to just see a regular optometrist once annually. I was recommended to a doctor downtown Toronto which I will call next year if I don't go to see Dr. Earl Winer in Markham.

Follow-up details

After sharing my blog with someone, I came up with a few more details:

I did mention the price in the blog and that included everything, and because I used TLC (The Laser Centre) I will continue to be covered for life, as long as I go to all my follow-up appointments, i.e. the 1-day, 1-week, 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, 12-month and once a year after that. I just had my 6-month appointment and they’ve confirmed that I will not need the surgery “again”. By that, what sometimes happens is that the eyes think they are damaged and sometimes tries to repair themselves by reverting back to the original prescription, but I’m good to go now.

Also, the first few follow-up appointments can or should be done at the laser centre but the annual ones can be done at one’s own optometrist if you wish. I personally find TLC more convenient to get to for my appointments. My original optometrist though actually got his eyes done at TLC too which is a big part of the reason I chose them.

So, yeah, the price includes everything from start to finish which means they will retest your eyes like normal, they do not go by your contacts or glasses prescription. Besides, if your friend chooses to get custom surgery (the best there is), that means there are like 250 different prescriptions throughout each eye so they literally customize the laser to fix each tiny little bits of your eyes to each individual prescription. Generally, with contacts or glasses, we only have one prescription per eye but custom laser surgery may even allow you to have better than 20/20 vision. Mine was slightly better than perfect the following day but it’s settled at a strong 20/20 thereafter.