Breakthrough in LASIK Therapy!

LASIK

I'm sick of patients asking me if they should go for LASIK. More often that not, I'll reply with a non-chalant, "No.".... Why not? They ask.. Well with all surgeries, come the very real risk of permanent.. (YES, IRREVERSIBLE) eye damage. LASIK complications have been well documented*.

What is LASIK?

Laser -Assisted in situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) is a type of refractive laser surgery to correct your vision to a reasonably good standard (not necessarily 6/6 aka 20/20). Patients who go in with the lowest expectations (i.e. As long as vision is better than without spects), achieve the most satisfaction.

In a Nutshell:

The procedure involves cutting a thin flap of cornea (the front most part of the eye) using a microkeratome (a small blade) or 'bladeless' (using lasers). The flap is lifted and the excimer lasers are used to obliterate a certain thickness of the central cornea. YES, you are awake the whole time! It makes your money really worth it.. you can appreciate the full experience of it... listening to the wondrous melody of the Lasers working on your eye.. while smelling wisps of your burnt cornea in the air. ..Thickness goes down, so does your ocular refractive power and viola! You can see better (I stress again not necessarily as well as with your spects /contact lenses on) now.

Potential Problems:

Having something seriously go wrong during LASIK is rare.. 1%? But Other proven problems include:

(Adapted from Wikipedia.Org: Click here to learn more)
Surgery induced dry eyes (this is bad, I have px coming in and spending $15 a week on Tear Supps - for life), probably because they've blasted away lots of corneal nerves, decreasing tears secretion.
Overcorrection or undercorrection (rare, due to minimal scarring, healing)
Halos or starbursts around light sources at night (Very common )
Light sensitivity (common)
Debris or growth under flap (rarer.. but it may happen)
Epithelium erosion (related to corneal health issues - may happen)
(Adapted from Wikipedia.Org: Click here to learn more)

Noticed that I EXCLUDED things that could go horribly wrong and damage your eyes permanently; this is to give you an idea of things you'll be living with if you do go for LASIK. Doesn't really matter though, most patients (92%-98%) surveyed are extremely pleased with LASIK results (regardles of permanently poorer vision and contrast sensitivity or haloes or dry eyes etc..)

So do I go for LASIK?... NO.

If I really REALLY wanna??? Go:

1. If your power is between +3.00D to -5.50D

2. If you're young (21-35* yr old) *Why do LASIK at 35 if you're gonna need reading glasses in 5 years time? The surgeon probably will do a compromise by giving you 'mono vision', allowing you to delay readers for another few years... giving you permanent Anisometropia (large diff in power between eyes... how are u gonna get spects for reading when that happens huh..)

3. If you're older...50 years old or older.. might as well wait a little while more before going for a Cataract Removal Op (Phacoemulsification).. the good ol' surgeon will probably insert a well corrected intra ocular lens (a 'contact lens' directly into the eye, where the remaining lens in your eye is). It's as good as LASIK! (well depends..) and it's reversible (as opposed to permanent LASIK changes).

--------For serious readers... Info on LASIK stops here--------

4... OR YOU COULD ALWAYS GET THE LATEST PRODUCT in the MARKET.

INTRODUCING THE LASIK @ HOME SET

Scal-Pal™ Scanning Adjusting Laparascopic Personal Laser

How it works: (Instructions directly from Lasik-at-Home.com)

Four Easy Steps
LASIK@Home couldn't be easier. Just follow these four easy steps and you'll be seeing clearly before you know it!

(images and text from lasikathome.com)

It's really amazing! And very affordable: only going at $99.95!!! - comparable to 1 year supply of (low oxygen) soft disposable content lenses!! Thanks to Dr. Amir Khadim, M.D., Ph.D.!!

About Dr Khadim: A pioneer in the field of LASIK surgery, Dr. Khadim performed more than two thousand LASIK procedures at the prestigious Bennett Eye Care Institute in New York City before leaving to develop LASIK @ Home.

Hehe.. Nice glasses Dr Khadim... (see his pic)

I highly recommend this radical new procedure to all patients who wish to try LASIK more cost effectively. Satisfaction guaranteed!!! (92-98% remember...with cheese)

Testimonials:

My LASIK@Home kit came in the mail just a few days after I ordered it. I was so excited that I used it that same night! My boyfriend helped me do it. It was all done in an hour and I didn’t feel a thing!
- Jennifer Douma, Attorney, Washington, DCFormerly nearsighted -3.25, -4.0 prescription (LASIKATHOME.COM)

Kyle Perry (Michigan State University) wrote at 4:01am on August 21st, 2007
I used the Do-it-yourself LASIK Scap-pal at home... twice... this morning!! It wokrked pevrcletly!!! (Facebook)

Still need convincing?? Click here to Join the Group on Facebook.

Maybe you wanna have a Coffee and Cream Soda while you're at it?

*hint: only one of the above products is a hoax (LASIKatHome vs Coffee Soda)

HIGHLIGHT THE FOLLOWING TEXT TO SEE THE ANSWER:

Yes, you guessed it.. it's the... LASIK @ HOME SET!
Yep.. the Coffee and Cream Soda is UNbelievable but it's a real and legitimate product!! I bought it from Dolphin Asian Supermarket at QV.

How do I know that it's a hoax.. Well.. at least I PRAY THAT IT's a HOAX.. Such a tacky product would definitely disgrace and cheapen the image of Opthalmology and Optometry and I sincerely hope that such a product would NEVER exist... at least in the next 15-20 years.

For those who, upon reading the above article AND truly wanted to buy the product..

DON'T Be a FOOL!!! Firstly, eye care should NEVER be treated as a Cosmetic Health Service.. This includes contact lenses and refractive eye surgery - they should also be treated as medical solutions for a given eye condition (in this case, ametropia).

How Do I know it's a Hoax?

Before I begin, let's revel in the fact that it's a hoax, not a SCAM. So no worries folks, noone is gonna lose real money over this crappy 'product'. But I must admit.. now that I know it's fake, I really begin to admire the work of the hoax-er haha. It's really brilliant, getting in a picture of a 'Dr Khadim' and making the prototype shell of a realistically looking medical device (looks like a tonometer). I hope they sell the T-shirts and Mugs for real hehe..

1. Most importantly: You cant order the set. I tried purchasing the set online but it simply doesnt work! You can't purchase it. They need you to fill in your refractive power before allowing you to buy the product (could be a hidden market survey, conducted to determine what are the most common powers interested in LASIK; so as to focus their marketing on this specific target group of potential customers.)

2. Secondly, the cartoon's really cute! (Dog and all).. LASIK is a surgical procedure and due consideration should be taken before undergoing such a major decision.

3. In the bottom left slide, the sentence *to be reviewed by FDA is a classic! Really funny one.. you don't need to conduct an FDA trial to know that it IS GONNA HURT if your eye is being burnt by excimer lasers... even that weak diazepam is gonna do you no good when your eyes are being burnt. You probably need a good local anasthetic.

4. FDA would NEVER APPROVE of allowing sucha dangerous product into the market.. what if children start running round with lasers in their hands?

5. Dr Khadim wears glasses?!? Well it's true that many ophthalmologists who do LASIK have not undergone the procedure themselves. As surgeons, its VERY important that they manage to maintain the best possible eyesight and the risk outweighs the benefits for them in this case.

6. This hoax is a good thing! It really increases awareness of LASIK..

My take home message to all:

LASIK is all about weighing the risk of eye health complications against potential cosmetic benefits. The risk is low but side effects are real. If you really want to do it, look for a reputable eye surgeon (although it's almost foolproof now, surgery is still.. well, surgeon dependent) and not some cheap over the counter / obscure internet website product.

Hong Kong 14 - 161207

Hong Kong

14 - 16/12/07

The rest of my HK trip was a blur.. Due to the innoculation of my Gram Negative friends in last night's Salmonella surprise, I wasnt feeling too well. At first, I was still feeling alright... So I thoroughly enjoyed my Dim Sum feast at this restaurant here. Cant remember the name of the restaurant or the street name. The food was VERY GOOD though, despite feeling a little queasy after that.. most probably due to the food poisoning.

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After re-charging.. Xiaoping, Marc and I decided to split from the pack (we missed Times Square @ Central) and decided to head for Lantau Peak. Which was like the last MTR stop, like our Jurong.

The train ride, coupled with the bus ride to Lantau peak too us about 1 1/2 Hrs.. The bus ride was really scary and death defying! The bus was like drifting UP the mountain.. even faster than the way Jay Chou drifted DOWN the mountain in Initial D!
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Upon reaching the Lantau Peak.. we were greeted by the magnificent sight of Buddha.. This is so cool.. comparable to the Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) Statue in Rio de Janeiro.

Now.. to complete the Pilgrim's path... The only thing between us and Buddha.. are some small pathetic steps..

*Huff Huff* Erm.. not so pathetic steps..

Buddha Voice: Can you keep up, baby boy, make you lose your breath.. with cheese.

The view from the half way mark.

Phew.. we're finally THERE! Yipee!!!

A group of Singaporean students took this shot for us:

The statue in the pic shows... some heavenly maidens kneeling in awe of Gautama Buddha's presence. Notice the hand sticking out.. As if offering something to Lord Buddha? Instead.. people misintrepreted the hand gesture and mistook the statue as begging/demanding things instead.

So, u see a great number of coins all over the floor as people try to throw stuff to see if it lands on the palm. (maybe they wanna offer Buddha their money.. which Buddha doesnt even need because he has escaped Samsara.. DUH!!) The authorities even had to erect signboards telling the public not to ruin the statues by casting coins on to them.

A beautiful tribute to Lord Buddha, the Great Teacher.

In the wise words of Siddartha Gautama:

The thought manifests as the word;

the word manifests as the deed;

the deeds develops into habit;

and habit hardens the character;

So watch the thought and its ways with care;

and let it spring from love born out of concern for all beings...

As the shadow follows the body, as we think, so we become.

Ok! Nuff ' said.. time to head back DOWN.

The journey down was much less tiring and the view was terrific. Next we headed to the temple.

After oaying our respect to the Bodhis, we had.. Fresh Soybean and BeanCurd! Supposedly made from the mountain spring water. But I still kinda like our own Rocher Beancurd more.


After our refreshments.. we were ready to head back down. Our bus almost had an accident with another bus and almost knocked it off the side of the mountain.. but apart from that, rest of the bus journey was relatively uneventful.

A sad little girl.. Not because she was about to leave the presence of Buddha but rather, because it was so damn hot!!! HK winters arent really big on the snow and low temps.. probably cause its not in fashion yet..

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Back to the MTR! We survived the horrific bus journey!!! Yipee!!! Now time for some shopping at City Gate, the factory outlet mall of HK. Everything was so cheap here! But I didnt buy anything.. due to time constraints.. A must go for all students and price savvy shoppers!!

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We also made a shocking discovery here.. there was a FOOD REPUBLIC in there... YES!! Singapore Grown FOOD REPUBLIC has established a beachhead on HK island shores hehe.. So next time you get bored of Singapore food, just head to and FOOD REPUBLIC in singapore and order the original HK DIM Sum there... be sure top it up with cheese.

After that, we met back with the rest of the gang for dinner.. By then I was feeling like zombie. I have food poisoning.. remember??

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After a simple dinner of Wan Tan Mee @ Central, we headed for Tsim Sha Tsui. I wanted to go back to the hotel but.. I didnt want to miss the opportunity to see HK Island at night.

Next thing I knew.. I was at the Arena of Stars. A very long beautiful, cold and windy stretch.. like our Clarke Quay/Esplanade.

HK looks much more beautiful at night..

Next Morning.. We gathered at a Dim Sum restaurant to meet my relatives from HK. My relatives are actually my Paternal Grandfather's Mother's sibling's (not sure bro or sis) son (my grand uncle, his Wife and his Son.

The food looked great.. but I couldn't eat due to my condition, which had deteriated rapidly over night.
Ah.. That's how I look after my 4th visit to the toilet.

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HK public toilets are really unforgiving..

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The look.. the smell.. even the FEEL.. of the toilets.. just thinking of HK public toilets make me want to *puke*. In my bro's own words, 'the toilets here are so.. I AM LEGEND' and, 'the toilet bowl looks so disgusting, I feel that my ass would get infected the moment I sit on it... Good luck, Beng'. Obviously, luck was not on my side that day..

Despite my obvious debilitation, my relatives including my FAMILY (parents) chose to ignore my pathetic pleas to return to the hotel.. Instead, they decided that I should go up to the PEAK.. by foot.

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So we walked..

and walked.. Escalators, followed by more escalators.. we trudged up the peak.

Interestingly. I chanced upon a Krispy Kreme store on .. ELGIN STREET.

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And all of a sudden, a wave of nostalgia hit me on the head like a wall of bricks! ( or rather, the food poisoning and fever could have accounted for the feelings of vertigo and unstable feet I experienced on the peak). I was back in Melbourne!! I was reminded of my student days in Melbourne where I used to.. wait.. I STILL AM A STUDENT... NOOoOOoo!!!!

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Xiaoping: Wake UP!! Why are you screaming like that!?

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Huh? Was I hallucinating..? I thought I was back in Melbourne for an instant.

After walking for over an hour.. My relatives finally took us to the cable car to go up to the Peak. By then.. I was really burning up. My parents simple refused to acknowledge my need for medical attention. So in a fit of anger, I hopped onto a cab and headed back to the hotel.

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Back @ the hotel, I took a nap. My parents returned only 2 hours later and in a sudden fit of concern, they decided to sent me to the hospital. It was only after seeing me motionless on the bed in the hotel room, were they finally convinced that I wasn't joking about my condition. My bro also had the symptoms of food poisoning.. but said that he'll rather wait till he returns to Singapore to visit our family GP.. his corpse, that is.

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Next thing, I was at the hospital, the triage nurse took my history, charged me SGD$120 for A&E charges (it was a Sunday). The GP gave me a jab, some medicine and the green light to go! They also wanted to know how many of us got the food poisoning.. my in order of severity.. Me, my Bro, Uncle Kok Tai followed by my Ah Gong.. all had the prob. But I was leaving HK for Macau so the heath authorities didnt really get the name of the problem causing restaurant from me in the end.

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Ugh.. HK.. I dont know if it was the food poisoning or what.. But truth be told, I feel that HK is a good place to have a shopping holiday but apart from that.. HK is not really a place I wanna live in. The somewhat haphazard planning (no distinction between commercial and residential buildings), overcrowding, stressful way of life, VERY BAD AIR POLLUTION and somewhat dirtier streets really puts potential migrants off. Or.. it could simply be blamed on the food poisoning holiday fiasco I had while I was there..

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No offense! My HK friends hehe..

HongKong - Macau Trip 131207 - 191207

Hi all, sorry friends, I've been M.I.A. for so long.
First excuse: I'm too busy working! (10.30 am to 9.30 pm..or 10 pm on saturdays)
2nd excuse: I need my free to time play Hell Gate: London.
Thirdly: I'm spending my free time on Heroes, Season 2 (Just trying to save the cheerleader..ok!)

So.. as you can see, I've been.. and still am... pretty busy!!!

So just wanna share with everyone.. my FIRST TIME to Macau and Hong Kong! Well, this is the first time I've gone anywhere more 'North' than Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City. Because Disneyland is one of the biggest part of my trip (one of the few fond memories I have of HK), I'm dedicating most of this post to HK Disneyland.

Day 1: Took an afternoon flight to Macau. Arrived there at night. Dinner.. followed by sleep.
Day 2: Morning. We took the ferry to HK.. Yay! This is where the journey of Magic and Adventure begins! (Lol.. Typical Disney)

The view from the ferry leaving for HK.

So weird.. a VOLCANO beside a Tang Dynasty structure.. This is Macau for you..

HONG KONG!!

Getting through the subway was terrible! I always thought Singaporeans walked too quickly.. but it turns out that HongKongers are practically jogging to work! Here's the view as I stepped out of Central MTR station...

A beautiful 3 storey shopping centre.. with a pretty run down residential block above.

The view from street level @ Central. Everyone scattering about like ants in a colony.

Who needs trees for shelter when I've got these wonderful signboards!


This was where we re-charged before heading out for Disney! Clockwise from 12o'clock : Dad, Mum, Ah Lin Gu2, Aunt Esther, Stranger in yellow, Gong2 and Uncle Kok Tai.

Yay! We're going to Disney! Me and ma' Bro..

Everyone's excited!

Finally, we're here! HK DisneyLand!



So this is where they GROW Mickeys!

(in HK, Mickey is pronounced as 'Meh-kay', Goofy is pronounced as 'Gao Fei'.. LoL)

The Disney Trademark life size replica... in full Technicolor!

Wee! Welcome to DisNeeeeyy!

The plaza was littered with quaint little shophouses, coupled by the paved cobblestone streets.. It truly brings out the retro feel.. am I in Sovereign hill (Melbourne) all over again?

This ride is a life storybook, whereby a little train ride brings you into a storybook featuring Winnie the Poo +h.

Next, we wandered into FutureLand!

Me, Posing with Buzz Light Year, from Toy Story.

Next we headed to a cafe for some refreshments...

After a shag day.. it was time to take a break.. So I stoned for a few sec.. before crashing beside my Ah Gong (who totally skipped the stone phase).

After Re-Fuelling at the Space Station, we headed to.

AdventureLand, Home of Tarzan and the Lion King!





Boeat ride to Tarzan's Tree House.



We also played with Simba's food =)

My ah Gong taking over... after Simba devoured everyone else. Bad Lion!.. with Cheese.

The beautiful Disney Castle at night.. Followed by a dazzling display of Fireworks (not featured in this blog).

After a wham-bam goodbye with a bang display.. we headed back towards the MTR.

I don't know if you noticed.. its freakin' snowing in HK!.. (fake snow lah.. Parkway Parade also)

Sadly.. all good things come to an end... Bidding a tearful good bye to my new friends, Mei-kay and Gao Fei.

After another gruelling MTR ride.. we made it back to town.. this was the start of my Nightmare..

We made our way to Temple Street to meet up with parents for dinner..

A foodstall in Temple Street... THE foodstall which I probably got food poisoning.

Smile everyone! The next dish, Salmonella Supreme coming right up!

HK DisneyLand

JJ Rating: 3.5/5

HK Disneyland is pretty small.. but that's not necessarily a bad thing. We managed to finish it in a single day! I loved the shows especially the Lion King and the 3D show feat. Donald. Golden Mickeys (similar to Golden Horse Awards) was quite nice as the characters come to life! Disneyland is really packed with Family friendly entertainment for both the young and old. Thrill seekers would be greatly disappointed though.. All in all, I totally enjoyed myself and its the single most fun experience I had in HK.