Scott Slade shared his LASIK story at InView’s
Thursday, April 27 2006 seminar
InView invited people to hear its special guest, Scott Slade, from WSB’s 750 AM, at its seminar on Thursday, April 27 at 6:00 pm. He shared his story of his experience with LASIK surgery as prospective patients learned more about vision correction surgery.

"It took me about a year to decide, but [once I had the surgery], suddenly the whole world opened to me and I was not handicapped anymore. I have a freedom I didn't know I would have this late in life," Slade shared at a recent InView seminar.

Attendees of this educational seminar were also given the opportunity to meet Scott Slade’s surgeon, Dr. Keith Thompson, tour the surgical facilities, ask questions and learn what makes InView the leader in vision correction. Click here to register for similar seminars.

When I had the LASIK surgery it was still in the experimental stage, about 6 years ago.
I had begun wearing glasses when I was in grade school, and my eyesight became worse, until the only way to see, was through rings and rings of glass. I used all my graduation money to purchase hard contact lenses to actually be able to see without the weight of glasses on my nose. When I entered my 50's, things began to change with my eyes- they were constantly red, watery and irritated. No medication seemed to be the solution, so I would wear my glasses several hours a day. And then I heard about the LASIK surgery and went for a consultation. I had one eye done, and two weeks later, the other eye. It was like a miracle! To be able to no longer have those dreams where I feared losing my contacts or glasses, and to swim and open my eyes under water, was only a part of the freedom I felt. I have a hard time not stopping people who have the "ring" glasses, and tell them what LASIK did for me. In fact, last year we paid for my daughter to also have this freedom. So now we are the family of two miracles.

At the age of nine, Scott Slade stood in front of the eye chart in the nurse's office at his elementary school in Griffin, Georgia.
Little did he know the next five minutes would change his life forever. Unable to even see the chart on the wall, Scott was forced to get his first pair of glasses.

"I had no idea I was so visually impaired; I couldn't even see the chart on the wall. I had always been the one who had to sit in the front row in class and I sat two feet from the TV, but I thought that was normal," Scott said.

For reasons uncommon for an average nine-year-old, Scott's diagnosis of poor vision broke his heart. As long as he could remember, Scott had dreamed of being a naval aviator. It was all he had ever wanted to do with his life. Unfortunately, his plans quickly changed when he realized he would never have the vision he needed to be a naval pilot. So he did what every other third grader would do; he chose another career. He decided he would work in radio and television. And he did just that.

Fast-forward 30 something years and you will find Scott in the booth doing the morning news program on WSB-AM Radio. He still holds onto his first passion and flies his own plane, but the glasses are no longer part of his life. On February 16, 1999, Scott said goodbye to his lenses and had LASIK surgery.

"It took me about a year to decide, but [once I had the surgery,] suddenly the whole world opened to me and I was not handicapped anymore. I have a freedom I didn't know I would have this late in life," Scott said.

Scott had an enhancement with InterWave ^® LASIK in October, and is still adjusting to his new vision. "It is amazing how clear and clean my vision is. I thought it was good before, but this is incredible," Scott said. "Sometimes I wonder where I would be today, if I had been born with vision like this."

We will never know where Scott Slade would be today if he had been able to see that eye chart when he was in the third grade. What we do know is that he is keeping Atlanta informed with the latest news every morning, and flying his plane as often as he can. And doing it with vision he never thought possible.

The thing I enjoyed most after my surgery is SEEING.
From a shy sixth grader afraid to be called upon to read from the blackboard because I couldn't see what was there, to a basketball player in High School called four eyes, to working to make money to buy contacts, thirty nine years in contacts, to back to glasses, because of allergies and by now far-sighted, so ahead was bi-focals. Then I heard about LASIK.
June 2001 was my day. When I sat up after LASIK and looked to the right I could see my husband. I wanted to shout, "It's a miracle! I can see!" but I kept controlled.
Since I did mono-vision, I am really glasses free. I love seeing.

I first started thinking about LASIK surgery about 3 years ago.
A relative had it done and just loved it. Having worn glasses and contacts since the 3rd grade, the thought of not wearing glasses was dream I thought I would never experience. I tried to imagine what it would be like to see underwater while snorkeling, to see the alarm clock as everyone does, and to get dressed up to go out and not have to put on my glasses. Or not to wear my glasses and not see. For years, when my picture was taken, I'd remove my glasses, just to look better. Oh, what a dream·

I finally decided last year to have LASIK and started doing my research. Working in the IT industry, I wanted to make sure I would get the results I needed for my work. I was a candidate, even with my astigmatism and bifocals. So I checked out a couple of places in the Dallas area. Still I was skeptical. A friend of mine in Atlanta suggested I have my surgery done at your center. They offered LASIK with the Interwave technology. I checked out their website. I liked what I saw. How, I wondered, could I coordinate all the arrangements? Make the appointments, flight arrangements, and get a place to stay with someone to drive me.

So I started calling. It was simple really. My patient counselor, Lindsey Stanford, was kind and understanding. She said people fly in all the time from out of town to have LASIK. So I made my two appointments, one day for the exam and the next day for the surgery for January. Next stop, the Internet and airline tickets. Got a great deal there too. Called my sister in Atlanta for a place to stay, and between my sister and a friend, I had my rides to and from. Lindsey said my follow-up care could be done locally in Dallas, but my enhancements, if needed would be done in Atlanta. That would be great.

Well, I had my surgery in January, and had the follow-ups in Dallas. Let's just say I was glad I chose the center I did. The staff, the surroundings, and the service are all 5 star. I needed an enhancement in March and I was able to make those arrangements in 2 weeks. I love my new vision and not wearing glasses. I got the results I wanted. I went for the monovision surgery, after Dr. Thompson explained I could try it and if I didn't like it, I could have both eyes corrected for nearsightedness and wear reading glasses. Well, you can't go wrong with that. I had tried monovision contacts and hated them, but I'd give it a try. Well, I still have monovision and love it.
My advice to anyone thinking of having LASIK, have it done here·its well worth the time and travel. You only have one set of eyes and you want the best. After all, I'm worth it.

It has been a little over a year since I had the surgery...
...and I sometimes forget that I had the procedure done because I feel my new eyesight is so natural, as if it has always been this way.

I am sometimes overcome by a feeling of grace to have such wonderful vision. I feel that I have been blessed to have been able to undergo a procedure to correct my vision and to have had it done by Dr. Weiner. I take pleasure in the little things, such as being able to see an exit ramp sign from a distance, seeing the leaves on the top of a tree, seeing my golf ball fly down the center of the fairway (every golfer's dream!), and to see the faces of the ones I love and care about so clearly.
When I was I high school, baseball was my dream. Unfortunately, it was not in my destiny to become a major league player mainly due to my inability to hit. Several people missed the fact of my poor vision, myself, my parents, my coach, my teachers, and my optometrist. I am now on a men's baseball team with a decent batting average. My new vision has enabled me to play the game I love the way I have always wanted to be able to play. I can see the ball!
My new vision has enhanced every aspect of my life. Although I sometimes forget that I once did not have such good vision, I am regularly reminded of how lucky I am to have had the surgery and how blessed I am to be able to see all the wonderful glories that God has placed on this earth, at least clearer than before. Thank you all again for giving me the gift of better vision!

What I have enjoyed the most with LASIK, is being able to go under water with open eyes ...
Such as snorkeling in Maui last spring, swimming and lastly here recently riding the waves in the gulf and not being so fearful of being taken with the tide. For 28 years, I have never been a water person for either I was blind without glasses and they were not the most beautiful things to wear on the beach, or with soft contacts, fear of losing them or being irritated by the salt water. I have thoroughly enjoyed the ocean more with eye surgery, thus I feel like a youth again riding the waves.