A dream came true! – Report from Sunday, November 16, 2008

A dream came true!

Since the age of six, I’ve had to wear glasses. One thing I’ll never forget: the first time I wore glasses to kindergarten, one of my classmates called me “four-eyes.” I stuck with that nickname until I switched to contact lenses, which I never really tolerated. Glasses simply aren’t suitable for my profession on stage. This was one of the reasons that led me to have laser eye surgery.

I received the recommendation to book with Swisslasik from a friend. At the beginning, I did have concerns about whether it was wise to have something as important as my eyes treated in Turkey. For this reason, I informed myself thoroughly and read a wide range of reports. The article in Facts in particular convinced me. And so I registered for the operation. The trip was planned, and we were warmly welcomed at Istanbul airport. During the drive to our hotel, we were already familiarised with the most important information about the city and its inhabitants. We were also introduced to the local eating habits. I was somewhat nervous about the clinic, and from the outside it did not look at all like it had in Facts. A queasy feeling came over me. Our companion, who by the way spoke fluent German, explained that the building is under historical preservation and therefore cannot be modernised. A weight was lifted from my shoulders when we finally entered the clinic through a futuristic-looking automatic door. Everything was modern, welcoming and clean. The team introduced themselves and welcomed us. Many of them spoke German. My eyes were examined and it was explained to me how the entire procedure would take place. I was told that it was not certain whether my entire visual impairment could be corrected. Unfortunately, my cornea was quite thin and a corneal curvature also had to be corrected. My surgeon explained that he would review the data again on the computer and then decide the next day what he would do. Very nervously, I returned to the clinic the following day. Luckily, there was another patient there to hold hands with me.

Before the operation, I was placed in a massage chair and everything was explained to me once again, and our constant companion did his best to calm us. The operation itself was quite tough. It is simply an unpleasant feeling when something is happening to your eye. I was completely tense. Fortunately, it was a short procedure. Soon afterwards, we were discharged back to our hotel. There, we first had to rest for four hours. It was quite a torment because my eyes were painful and you are not allowed to rub them. Sleep was out of the question. Afterwards, we met for a sunglasses dinner and then went to bed fairly early. The follow-up examination confirmed that the operation had been very successful and that I now see even better than I once did with contact lenses. My life without visual aids can now begin. For the time being, however, sunglasses were my constant companion. My eyes were quite sensitive. They tolerated light very poorly. Nevertheless, I did not let that stop me from exploring the city. There is a great deal of interesting sights to see. I did this on the first day with quite dilated eyes after the drops for the preliminary examination, and on the last day with slightly sensitive but completely new eyes. And now, some time later, I enjoy waking up in the morning and immediately seeing everything clearly. I can lie in bed in the evening and see the starry sky. It is an incredible gift to suddenly see everything well without the constant stress that contact lenses bring. I can only recommend it. The clinic is absolutely recommendable and my surgeon impressed me greatly. That was very important to me. From the very first moment, I placed my trust in him. I would do it again. It was a very good decision to have this operation.

Tina, Operation am September 2008