Milo 0 #1 September 2, 2001 Hey all,Does anyone have any experience jumping after LASIK eye surgery?I'm just off of student status and during my last jump a month ago I opened with a bad body position. My arm got caught between my protek helmet and my risers. Riser burn, that's ok, but I knocked one of the lenses out of my eyeglasses. Hard to flare at the right time without depth perception. I decided then, with grass still embedded in my knees, that the glasses had to go. I scheduled the sugery the next day.When I told my eye doctor I was doing this because I wanted to skydive safely he immediately launched into 'The worst eye injury I ever saw was a Skydiver who flew into a Coke Machine...'Oh well, some people will always see skydiving as too dangerous. I will make it a habit to avoid Coke Machines on landing, though.My sugery was 4 days ago and was mildly stressful, about as bad as having a tooth pulled while under Novocaine, but not as bad as a root canal. Not pleasant, but not too traumatic.The results have been fantastic!!! My vision is still fluctuating, and will for a few more months, but at its worst it is as if I am wearing dirty contact lenses. At it's best I can see better than I have been able to see since I was 6. Not only are things in focus, both near and far, but the colors are brighter! I am so damn happy I want to dance a jig! I'm looking around like a 13 year old boy in a girls locker room :) My question is two-fold:Does anyone have experience jumping after this type of surgery? Any problems related to pressure changes at altitude?How do I convince my Doc I can go skydiving again? I'm going to take my (New!) full face helmet in and set it on the table. Anything that damages my eyes through that thing will damage other parts of my body a lot worse, and he won't be the only surgeon I'll need to see.Your advice and experience is appreciated!Milo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mountainman 0 #2 September 2, 2001 QuoteI am so damn happy I want to dance a jig! I'm looking around like a 13 year old boy in a girls locker room :) Hehhehe...good analogy!! Just make sure you don't dance a jig in the locker room.--------------New skydiving pics added!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michele 1 #3 September 2, 2001 Hi, Milo.I decided to get the Lasik surgery after the 94 quake, when I couldn't evacuate my apartment building because I couldn't find my spectacles, so couldn't find my shoes, and couldn't see to move through a trashed apartment with any semblence of safety. Try picking your way through the pitch dark, glass strewn everywhere, furniture broken and moved into new pieces and places, walls cracked and plaster chunks and bricks tossed around like Lego's. Then get down a stairwell which looked like it had been picked up, twisted like a washcloth, and then set back down. Remember, if that wasn't enough, there were major aftershocks happening, so everything would start to bounce around again as I was trying to get out. Yuck. (I was 8.7 miles from the epicenter)I finally got the surgery done 2 1/2years ago. What a difference. Yes, everything is brighter, better, and more amazing. Two days after my surgery, the Hector Mine quake hit. There I am, in bed, with those covers over my eyes, laughing because if it had gotten bad, I would have been able to see my way out of the house. No need that time, thank god.I have had no problems whatsoever in my short jumping career. The only after effect I had was the night vision being doubled and unuseable for about 3 months. Then poof, that difficulty was gone, too. Actually, until this post, the only time I have thought about my vision was during the water training, when I opened my eyes under the water. I scractched my right cornea a few weeks ago, and my eye doctor (not my surgeon) checked me thoroughly. I brought skydiving up to him, and he thought it was great. Not something he'd ever want to do, but was thrilled that I was doing it. I say congratulations, and as to proving it to your doctor, I think that proving something to a whuffo just doesn't work at all, under any circumstances. And if your surgeon has worked on a patient who flew into a coke machine, ask how many times he has operated on car accident victims, or bar fights, or even other sports injuries. I suspect he will have no good answer to that one. Again, congratulations, and I would be the first in line to say if someone qualifies for this surgery, by all means, go get it. Just leave the night jumps alone for a while.Ciels-Michele"What of the dreams that never die? Turn to your left at the end of the sky". ~e e cummings~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PLFKING 4 #4 September 3, 2001 I had RK on both eyes in '95....no problems at all while jumping. Since Lasix is an even less invasive surgery, I can't see it causing you any problems. ( "I can't SEE it"...get it?)(unfortunately, now you've gotten me worried about those Coke machines in freefall....I always thought they were relatively benign towards humans....)Don Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aviatrr 0 #5 September 4, 2001 Quote Does anyone have experience jumping after this type of surgery? Any problems related to pressure changes at altitude? No problems whatsoever, here.. I had LASIK back in Nov of '00.. I was planning on jumping 2 weeks after the surgery, but due to lousy weather on the weekends I had off, I ended up wating just over 4 weeks.. I know people that have been jumping within 5 days of surgery - and even one that put in 5 jumps the very next day..Quote How do I convince my Doc I can go skydiving again? I didn't convince my surgeon - after we talked about the reasons behind not being allowed to do certain things for a while, I told him I was going to jump 2 weeks after surgery if all went well.. He told me to be sure to wear 'protective eyewear' when I jump, since foreign objects hitting the eye at high speed is the concern.. He seemed to think that we normally jump with no eye protection.. I told him to stick his head out the car window at 120mph and see if he can see that semi coming at him and avoid it..Anyways, my advice is just to use eye protection that does not come off or open easily.. If you wear a full face, make sure it has a very secure latch.. I have never used one - but I have heard that the older Oxygen helmets had a problem with the shield sometimes opening in freefall.. If you wear goggles, make sure you wear them tight.. Mike Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
weid14 0 #6 September 4, 2001 got mine done over the winter -- got the surgery on a Wed, was skiing on Saturday... A friend of mine just got his done, was jumping within 5 days. Follow doctors orders for post op care, it's great to not have to worry about contacts or glasses in freefall! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chicagoskydiver 0 #7 September 4, 2001 I had LASIK in January of this year and I have had no problems with it skydiving whatsoever. It's true that your vision will fluctuate a little for at least a couple months but it will get better over time. The important thing is to keep using those eye drops and follow your doctor's advice.Hackey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freaksister 0 #8 September 4, 2001 I am really glad someone brought this subject up again, because this has been on my mind too. Tomorrow (Wed.) I have my first appointment with the surgeon, for my consultation. I already know I am a candidate but you still have to have that first consult. Anyhow, I can't wait to have it done. I wondered about skydiving as well...I suppose it couldn't be any worse than losing your contacts in freefall...as blind as I am THAT was very scary.Good to know I won't have to wait months or anything before I can jump again!Sis (hard contacts in the trash SOON!!) I lust for the ultimate rush... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MarkM 0 #9 September 4, 2001 Was curious about this too.How long do you have to worry about those flaps they cut open on your eye membranes? I'd be concerned about the high wind velocity ripping them back open, exposing your eyes.Even with goggles you can get a pretty high airflow going through them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jfields 0 #10 September 4, 2001 Since I haven't had Lasik, I'll only respond to part of your post.QuoteHow do I convince my Doc I can go skydiving again?Don't. Last time I checked, you didn't need a doctor's permission to skydive. By all means, talk to your doctor, get all the advice you want, then do what you want to do. It is your body, not theirs, so do as you please. Just make an informed decision.Just my $.02.JustinMy Homepage Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
weid14 0 #11 September 4, 2001 wear a full face if U R concerned. The flaps actually heal up almost overnight.... FYI Dr Joel Shugar is a Lasik surgeon and he has his own laser. He's in Northern Florida I think, he is also a skydiver - he's on the four-way team Optic Nerve (guess how they got that name?) he has a web site, I'm sure he'd be happy to answer any questions (there is a link to his site at www.skyleague.com). I bet he'd even be happy to have you fly there and have the surgery. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michele 1 #12 September 4, 2001 Hi, MarkQuotethose flaps they cut open on your eye membranes? Well, I am not - NOT - an optometrist nor an opthomologist, but as I understand it.....The cells which make up the cornea, retina and sclera of the eye do not regenerate, unlike other cells in the body. Therefore, once cut (however the cut happens to be - accidentally or surgically), always cut. What keeps the flaps down is negative pressure. This negative pressure is quite strong, inasmuch as I have been hit since the surgery directly in the eye, and nothing happened (except bruising...). I have stood in very strong winds (albeit not 120+ mph, like in ff), and nothing. I have opened my eyes under water. Same result. Ridden on the back of a motorcycle w/ no eye protection, no issues. I use goggles. Even if there is a good windflow through them, I have encountered no problems. I would venture to say that if I lost my goggles in ff, I would likely pull early, because of the danger to my eyes even without having Lasik (bugs, dirt, etc.). I can't see that under canopy there would be as much of an issue. Getting your eyes cut on is scary. But, imho, this surgery is well worth it.Ciels-Michele"What of the dreams that never die? Turn to your left at the end of the sky". ~e e cummings~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freaksister 0 #13 September 4, 2001 My main concern is skydiving recently after surgery though, as in weeks or months. I have no doubts that things will heal up enough to do almost any activity within a reasonable amount of time.SisI lust for the ultimate rush... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Milo 0 #14 September 5, 2001 In reply to freaksister:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------My main concern is skydiving recently after surgery though, as in weeks or months.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------I had my 6 day follow up today. Everything is going great, my vision is 20/20 in each eye and I don't need to use the eyedrops anymore. My next check-up is in '6 or 8' weeks according to the doc. Doesn't seem too critical to him.I asked the doc if there were any special precautions I might need for skydiving, and all he said was he wanted to make sure I was protecting my eyes from the wind. He didn't seem overly concerned about it, he just didn't want me jumping without eye protection, he warned me about letting anything (i.e. bugs, raindrops) fly into my eye(s) at a high rate of speed. He asked me when I wanted to jump and I said this coming weekend or the next. He didn't comment, so I assume he's ok with that. I asked him about pressure changes from the altitude, and he said the laser surgery is much different from when they did it with a scalpel, and the only report he had heard of a possible problem concerned one mountain climber who had problems at 25,000 feet. (I think I read that article in Reader's Digest or Outdoors magazine, it sounds familiar.)I fully understand the folks who jumped a day or 2 day after surgery. I wanted to and if I were a more experienced skydiver I would have probably jumped Saturday or Sunday, just 3 days after my surgery. With proper eye protection. (and a parachute :) )I won't hesitate to jump tomorrow weather permitting.ymmv, but I am amazed at the speed of my recovery. I had severe irritation the day of the surgery, but it was minimized by one of the darvocets I was prescribed. By that evening I was driving the car and I would have been back at work the next day if I didn't have a gold plated excuse for a really long weekend.I still had more irritation than a friend at work who had the surgery a year ago. (But she recieved sleeping pills instead of Darvocet, if that makes any difference)If I had to do it again, I'd take the darvocet immediately after the surgery (they offered me juice or water, etc..), while they made me sit with my eyes closed for 30 minutes before the doc could check me one last time and release me. As it was it was 45 minutes after the surgery before I took the pill and another 2 hours before I felt better. They numbed my eyes with eyedrops before the surgery and that took care of most of the discomfort from the surgery, but when that wore off it took too long for the darvocet to kick in. As it was, I only took one of the 4 pills they prescribed me, I'm saving the other 3 in case I really screw up a landing.I had to sign my life away in waivers in order to have the surgery, and there are real risks involved. But I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. For the first time in 25 years I can see without corrective lenses on my face or in my eyes. The doc asked me if it felt 'funny' without glasses. I had to stop and think about it, because it doesn't feel funny. It just feels natural. Blue SkiesMilo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Milo 0 #15 September 5, 2001 In reply to weid14:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------The flaps actually heal up almost overnight.... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------In college I walked into a tree on my way home from a keg party (At least I wasn't driving!)I woke up the next day in severe pain. At the ER they told me I had scratched my cornea and told me the same thing about how quickly the eye heals. A days worth of Vicodin and a week of antibiotic eyedrops and I was seeing double at keggers all over campus.Blue SkiesMilo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freaksister 0 #16 September 5, 2001 Thanks, Milo! I appreciate everyone's stories...these accounts of what to expect right after the surgery and stuff are what I was looking for! I'll hopefully be finding out on my own soon...and possibly be able to pull off my 100th jump (without contacts!) before too long! (I need goals!)Blue Ones,SisI lust for the ultimate rush... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Milo 0 #17 September 6, 2001 I made my first 'Post LASIK' jump today.It was also my first jump in 31 days, my 21st jump this year, so I was a non-current, non licensed jumper. I had to take a quiz from the owner to verify my readiness. I jumped from 5500 just because I was worried about my currency. I should have jumped from 10k. My spot was easy, there was no wind or clouds, if I got out anywhere near the dz I would have made it back.I planned on just doing a 10 second freefall, and pulling at 4500, but it went so well I decided in-flight to go to 3500. (Is that bad, changing flight plan mid-flight?)I pulled at 3500. Everything went great but I flared too high and slid in on my knees. I told people it was because of my eyes, and maybe it was. I didn't really concentrate on flaring when I was 'exactly 10 feet off the ground' I just flared when it 'felt right'. Which was when I was 20'-25' off the ground. So, post LASIK I need to pay more attention to my flare. I don't know if my eyes were 100% of the problem or if the fact I haven't jumped for a month contributed, but I need to pay more attention the next time.Milo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
