Reflecting on my laser eye surgery anniversary

One of the best (albeit also scariest) things I’ve done. Thoughts on optimization, happiness/guilt, and remembering there's still more to life than vision, anyway.

Last year a friend of a friend suggested laser vision surgery was a “last resort” only if glasses or contacts didn’t work for you. I told him I liked my glasses just fine and successfully wore contacts for more than a decade—and still considered lasik one of the best (albeit also scariest) things I’ve done.

I first got a vision prescription in the second grade. My story was cliche: I couldn’t read the whiteboard in class. Every year my eyes got worse until I struggled to see more than a few inches in front of my face without corrective help. (Lying on my side to watch a movie in bed, even if the laptop was less than a foot away, was impossible sans contacts.) My near sightedness might have even contributed to upper cross syndrome, a posture issue that caused back pain—and sent me to physical therapy at age 26—last year.

Don’t get me wrong: Life wasn’t miserable pre-surgery. I was fortunate to have access to regular eye exams, cute glasses frames, and quick contact delivery. I grew accus…