[Skunkabilly]

Hi folks,

My vision is about 20/800. Talked to a recruiter on the phone and said that (nor my 110 lb frame--underweight by 5 lbs) shouldn't be a problem. My optometerist (sp?) also says I'm a good candidate for laser eye surgery.

I'll talk to the recruiter more when I have a day off work in a few weeks, but wondering if anyone here has enlisted and has vision as bad as mine? Was it a problem? Will it close any doors (other than the obvious aviation) if I have lousy vision? And they let you purchase a spare pair of glasses to carry in case yours break, correct?

All things considered I rather wear glasses than do surgery.

TIA, folks :)

[Wiley]

When I went in the Navy in '68, as long as vision was correctable with glasses you were good to go.

About four years ago I had LASIC. Best thing I ever did for myself! With the advances since then I'm thinking of having a 'tune-up'. It is surgery and some people have problems (they look like this: :what: ) but they're only 1-2 percent. Do check into it.

As for the weight, just tell 'em you're too tall for your weight.

[usmcmonty]

They issue two sets of glasses in Boot Camp I believe.

Once in the Fleet you can order more (no one likes the Boot Camp Glasses A.K.A. BCG)

If you have the surgery and fall within the requirements then you should be Good to Go.

What jobs (we call them MOS) were you looking at. We could always use more Grunts!

[MrAcheson]

Yeah with the boot camp glasses Skunky could be the asian Drew Carey. :)

[fix]

Skunk,

I enlisted with 20/600 left, 20/400 right (IIRC). However, I am corrected to better than 20/20 in both eyes. Needed waiver for flight status, but that was just a matter of filling out the right paperwork and getting a letter of rec from my CO. Issued 2 pairs of aviator type glasses and 1 pair of prescription sunglasses. Later issued disposable contacts, though I didn't wear them much. So aviation is not necessarily out of the question if you prove yourself.

[Balog]

I've got pretty bad eyes, and they let me in. Not sure what my actual prescription is. If it's correctable you should be able to get a waiver.

[DJJ]

Regarding your build: I have a very lightly built second cousin who got not one, but two stress fractures in his hip from running with a loaded backpack in USMC boot camp. I don't know the full story, but I think he finally got through the third time. Just something to think about.

[nomadboi]

I'd had similar questions about Lasik, since I do stuntwork and have considered signing on with the Seattle Police Department. I know a number of cops with glasses, but also know some of them are signing up for Lasik.

[tmix]

I'm a optician, who has refered quite a few people for LASIK.
How old are you?
Do you have a written prescription you could read me the numbers from?
With this info, I can tell you if you are a candidate for LASIK or not.
Lemme know

[nomadboi]

I just turned 28... can't remember my prescription off the top of my head, but it's not all that bad- I can function without them, just can't read things at any distance, and squint a lot. I do have some astigmatism- does Lasik fix that? Does the astigmatism still change from year to year, requiring constant re-adjustments?

Thanks.
-Kevin

[Skunkabilly]

Oops. forgot to mention AFAIK I am correctable 20/20. No color blindness.

Edited to add: I hope y'all aren't thinking I'm considering joining just so I can have an M-16 pattern rifle :rolleyes:

[Kodiak AK]

For what it is worth my ex had preaty bad eyes . She looked into corective surgury , and her command shut her down .Aparently the surgury she was going to have would impare her night vision and USCG did not want that . When we split she still had her BCG's

[Sean Smith]

Oops. forgot to mention AFAIK I am correctable 20/20. No color blindness.

IIRC, the Army doesn't care how bad your eyesight is if it is correctable, can't speak for the USMC but service requirements for that sort of thing usually aren't radically different. So even without eye surgery you could probably get a waiver for your eyesight if you needed it easily enough. It used to be that some corrective operations for your eyesight were hard disqualifiers, but that was back in 1991.

[SemperFi83]

Skunk: Trust me, the smaller, more slightly built guys were better suited to get through boot camp. They could do pull-ups all day long and ran circles around the bigger guys. Low drag, high speed.

Wear the BCGs in boot camp and then you can go back to your own prescription glasses after you graduate.

Uncle Sam's Misguided Children loves all kinds, sizes, colors and shapes, as long as you can hack it.

Semper Fi!

[QuarterBoreGunner]

nor my 110 lb frame--underweight by 5 lbs
110 lbs! Good Grief Man! What? Are you made out of balsa wood and vaporware?

HAVE A SAMICH FER GOD'S SAKE!

Edited to add: I hope y'all aren't thinking I'm considering joining just so I can have an M-16 pattern rifle So why are you considering joining? Just curious. I was all set to join the Big Green Machine myself, when I found to my dismay that flat feet and an allergy to sulfa drugs AND penicillin sort of put the kibosh on that plan.

Oh well, I probably wouldn't have gotten helos anyway.

[Patent Works]

Of course, there can always be complications in a minority of cases, but here is one that hits many people, though it doesn't bother many.

I was moderately nearsighted, and opted to go for Lasik. I had (with glasses) superlative, sharp, fighter pilot vision, day and night. After, my vision at night and in dim indoor light (watching TV, movies) was blurry, with haloes and fuzz surrouding the images. Not out of focus, but like a cheezy romantic greeting card. Night driving is less safe, since the light are each surrounded by splashes of stars. It was like taking a custom-painted concous car through the gas station car wash machine. It might be fine for most folks who never had better than Chevy-quality vision, but it certainly made mine worse. People who are used to contact lenses are accustomed to these vision problems, and don't find them objectionable.

The problem is that the corrected area is smaller than my enlarged pupil. Now, there are systems (probably not the cheapest) that correct a larger area, avoiding this problem.

The benefits certainly are super, however, so I am not entirely regretful.

One silver lining was that formerly when pistol shooting, especially indoors, my perfectly corrected eyes gave a perfectly blurry target image when focused on the front sight, making bullseyes difficult. Now, the imperfections from Lasik give me a sharp ghost of the target while I am focused on the front sight.

As it happens, the surgeon got one eye prescription wrong, and I insisted that it be re-done. I suggest asking the surgeon what prescription he concluded, then spending a few bucks to have glasses made to verify (donate them to the lions when done.) Then, it did not heal right and needed to be re-opened for proper healing.

Price should not be the slightest concern. Go for the very best you can find.

[Patent Works]

I should also add that the night blur can be temporarily addressed (such as for night driving) with expensive eye drops that are intended for glaucoma treatment.

The night effect of Lasik was a great disappointment to this amateur astronomer.

[Skunkabilly]

110 lbs! Good Grief Man! What? Are you made out of balsa wood and vaporware?


Carbon fiber. Duh... :evil:

High carbs. High protien. Low exercise. Frequent breaks on the porcelain pot.

You too can lose 30 lbs in 30 days!

[Kodiak AK]

Uncle Sam's Misguided Children loves all kinds, sizes, colors and shapes, as long as you can hack it.

As long as you graduated High School or have 13 or more colledge level credits if you didn't.

Ditto on no gang related or race related tats . They decide what is and isn't not you .Or heck even to many tats in general . My Uncle had a conpition on that one . He told me about the Jar heads he saw sporting massive ink when he was Navy .

[TechBrute]

Good god, Skunk, you're half the man I am (based solely on weight.) :D I'm 220 lbs.

[Hkmp5sd]

Edited to add: I hope y'all aren't thinking I'm considering joining just so I can have an M-16 pattern rifle
Ever consider simply moving to a state where they are legal? Being able to play with a M16 doesn't offset some of the negative aspects of military life.

[Skunkabilly]

Techbrute, yes you may be, but as far as tactical density (tactical units per kilogram), I got you cornered :neener:

No race related tats except the Crew Crux Cran (Asian hate group) yellow happy faces on my little arms.

Seriously I'm not sure which MOS I want. I don't know much about what they have to offer. Probably something the Federales will have favor upon if I decide to be an ATF agent when I get out? :evil: I'll have to talk to the recruiter more.

[QuarterBoreGunner]

ATF Agent Skunkabilly!?!?!

We're doomed.

Time to sing the doom song.

[tcdrennen]

Skunk, if you decide on LASIK, go to Dr. Manger at Saddleback Eye Center in Laguna Hills - a little pricier, but an excellent (99%) success rate (success being 20/25 or better.)

I went in with 20/400 each eye, some astigmatism, came out 20/15 each eye, no astig, still good after 3 1/2 years.

[jsalcedo]

My best friend joined the army reserves with 20/700 they assured him it would be no problem.

Once he decided to go active duty there were serious restrictions on his MOS (due to his eyesight) to the point where he was going to be relegated to support roles.

This was back when surgery wasn't as available as it is now.

[RKCheung]

Skunk,

I've got about the same eyesight and build as you and I made it through USMC boot just fine, so I'm sure you could too.

BC's suck, but it's not like you have any females to impress at MCRD you know? :D

[Maxinquaye]

Hi Skunk,

I haven't posted here in quite a bit, but here's the answer you may be looking for.

I joined the USMC in '95, got out in '99. My vision when I joined was bad. I mean BAD. Not sure on the 20 scale, but both eyes had 8.5 diopters plus astigmatism on contact lenses. Legally blind w/o correction, 20/20 with.

Anyway, I had to write a letter requesting a waiver. Of course some MOS's were out for me like MP and a few others. No way to be a pilot (do you have a degree? Go to OCS then!). I believe I also had to go to another doctor for a second opinion.

My letter basically stated that I lived a very active lifestyle and that my glasses had never slowed me down, so no reason to believe they would in the USMC.

When I got to bootcamp, they had to special order my BCG's, so I wore my "civilian" glasses through most of bootcamp. Apparently they special ordered them from the other side of nowhere. I got lots of crap for standing out so much, and my civvies weren't very sturdy, so make sure you have a good solid pair when you enlist.

As for lasik, I can't say since I only just got it about a year ago. I can say my Dr. got me to 20/30 both eyes in one shot! Definitely go with the best, make money no object. Cheaper in the long run. Best thing I've done for my body ever. Including the rigors of boot camp.

Semper Fi!

[JamisJockey]

Skunk,
Semper Fi, You'll love it! If I didn't make so damn much money out (Debt free next year!), I'd have stayed in.
Don't let them talk you into an MOS until you've had time to think about it. Check your ASVAB scores, see whats available, see what has enlistment bonuses (yes, they will pay you for certain MOS's), and see what you'd like to do.
You could consider MPs, and then look into Embassy duty or something similar down the road for pure entertainment purposes.

Good luck, man! Start practicing those pullups, situps, pushups, and running right now!!!!!
:neener:

[TechBrute]

BCGs = Birth Control Glasses. They're so ugly that noone would want to... uh... nevermind.

[Strange1]

My son's signed on to the MARINES, he's on the light side too. He's doing his PT'ng now getting ready to go to boot. They told him not to worry too much about the weight. Like another said on this thread, it'll prove to be advantageous during the "crucible".

I went into the NAVY at 110 pounds, I was 107 just before weigh in, but had a bunch of bannanas and a shake.:barf:

Now after 24 years of NAVY chow I'm at 190. I watched what i ate, now I can see exactly where it all went. :D




Good luck to you.

SEMPER FI

[tetleyb]

Skunk: Trust me, the smaller, more slightly built guys were better suited to get through boot camp. They could do pull-ups all day long and ran circles around the bigger guys. Low drag, high speed.

I would have to disagree with this statement. While true, a thinner person maybe able to run "circles" around other people, that isn't all that matters in combat or in combat training.

I joined the Marine Corps in 1981, went to boot camp, then ITS (Infantry Training School). After which, became a machine gunner on an M60. My standard combat load was much more the Skunkabilly weighs now. An M60 alone, no ammo, was 28 lbs. Now add 1,500 rounds of .308 ammo, your 782 gear, your ALICE pack, etc and I was pushing 150-175 lbs on my back.

Now, hump 20-30 clicks a day, set up OP's, LP's, factor in a 50% alert on guard duty,etc for 30-40 days, when your only sleeping 2-4 hours a night.

I spent many operations carrying the "slightly built" guys and their equipment, because they just could not hack it.

Being able to run 20 miles looks great. On paper and that is about it. However, you need a good combination of both, being able to run and being able to handle your own load, to be an effective combat marine. Not some REMF/pogue.

And if your not joining the Marine Corps looking for a combat role or even not considering a combat role, don't join. Look elsewhere. The Army, Navy, and the Airforce, I am sure will be happy to take you. If you want to get dirty, climb through the mud, live in hell, and be proud of your accomplishments for the rest of your life: The United States Marines Corps is the place to go.

[JamisJockey]

Oh yea, some advice for Skunk and any other young man on his way to the Marines:
when you go to boot, only take the clothes on your back, your ID, and anything else the recruiter tells you to.
When you get out of boot:
Cut down on your personal belongings. Figure out what you're going to really, really want when you get out of boot camp. Get rid of whatever you can. Your loved ones will probably get tired of storing those personal belongings if they take up too much room.
You can't keep guns in the Barracks, so if you have firearms you'll have to check them into the Armory. This means someone else might fondle them at will. Leave 'em home, unless you want to have something to plink with.
Have fun.
:D

[MarineTech]

Skunk, as much as I'd like to see you join my old alma-mater, you need to keep one very important fact firmly planted in your brain housing group.

You are not going to be able to shoot nearly as much as you do now.

As an enlisted Marine living in the barracks, you are not allowed to keep personal firearms in your barracks. Some units will allow Marines to keep personal firearms in the unit armory, but that leaves them at the tender mercies of armorers who may like to play with things. It also means that you're going to have a tough time finding an armorer with keys to the armory to check your firearm in and out on the weekend. Your other option is to find and make friends with somebody that lives off base. Once again, your firearms are left to their tender mercies, and if they get PCS orders for another base, or EAS out of the Marines, you're left hunting for another storage spot. I got very lucky in that MCAGCC 29 Palms, CA had a SEVERE shortage of barracks space when I was out there in the early 90's. E-4s and above in my unit were given the option of drawing BAQ and COMRATS and living off base. I jumped on it and had my own apartment, and thusly, a place to keep my guns. Don't expect to see a situation like this anytime soon though.

Also even as an 03-humpalot, unless you get sent to one of the hot spots, you're only going to see actual live fire training a very few times a year. If you're not an 0300 MOS or an MP, you're probably only going to pull a trigger for your yearly trip to the rifle range.

Having been on the board since the TFL days, I know how much you like to shoot. I just don't want you to get disillusioned and think that the Corps is "a shooters paradise".

[jrhead75]

Back in my day (1975) it was as has been mentioned earlier, correctable to 20/40 (IIRC), and you were good to go.

Boot Camp Glasses A.K.A. BCG That must've been in more PC times, bro...we called 'em "Birth Control Glasses", because you were guaranteed not to get any while wearing them. :D

As for aviation, you can't be a pilot, but you can be aircrew.

[PromptCritical]

You could wait until you get in and have it done on the military's dime. AFAIK the waiting list is something like a year long and we all know about the quality of Navy medical. I know, my best friend is a Corpsman.

[jrhead75]

E-4s and above in my unit were given the option of drawing BAQ and COMRATS and living off base. I was on I&I duty up at NAS Whidbey during the late 70's and got the same deal. As there were lots of good ranges around, and one outstanding gravel pit, I got in a bunch of shooting.

But Marinetech is right. Generally speaking, you'll have to be creative, lucky, or married to keep firearms at hand in the service

[JamisJockey]

Generally speaking, you'll have to be creative, lucky, or married to keep firearms at hand in the service

That reminds me. We shared our barracks with the other Station shift work types (crash crew, ops, fuel)....one of the crispy critters had been keeping a gun in his room...it was found during a barracks inspection....he recieved a Court Maritial for that one and we never saw him again.

[Tall Man]

My vision is about 20/800. Talked to a recruiter on the phone and said that...shouldn't be a problem. My optometerist (sp?) also says I'm a good candidate for laser eye surgery.
Skunk, I can offer a few comments here. This is a road already travelled by the Tall Man.

I enlisted in the USAF with moderate myopia. At the point of my Honorable Discharge four years later, said myopia had increased modestly. The change in my prescription was proportinate, which is to say my lens strength got stronger every year since I received the diagnosis of myopia at age seven.

Several years after my discharge, I elected to invest in LASIK corrective eye surgery. At the time, my myopia had advanced to the point that my prescription was about to exceed the corrective abilities of contact lenses, which I had been wearing for several years. There was no persuasion available to convince this Caucasian to return to glasses!

During the LASIK pre-operative screening appointment, my uncorrected vision was as follows:

Left Eye: -10.5 diopters
Right Eye: -9.5 diopters, with astigmatism

After the procedure, my vision was corrected to 20/20, and the effects of my asigmatism were no longer apparant. During every post-operative check-up (~7 appointments over 12 months), every doctor who examined me commented on the extreme degree of oblation (surgical correction) that I underwent, and the positive outcome of my procedure. Certainly, I was well satisfied with the results.

(Tmix - feel free to chime in and explain in layman's terms just how steep my correction was here....)

Having uncorrected 20/20 vision when in uniform will open a lot of doors for you, Skunk. Contrary to what has been stated, it is not possible to have "fighter pilot vision" when you have corrective lenses perched on your nose. Don't argue here -- I am ex-USAF, after all. :p

PM me if you want more information here. I could go on all day....

Good luck in your endeavor.

TM

[444]

You are going to be humping close to your body weight. That doesn't sound good to me, but I hope you are tougher than me.

[usmcmonty]

jrhead75 : Naw we called them that too...but my momma taught me to watch my mouth in mixed company.


If you go 03 (Infantry) you WILL get more trigger time than once a year, more like once every other month or so. More if you are spinning up for deployment.

When my lease is up its 90% chance I'm re-enlisting for Grunt. The Police Departments arnt hiring and the Corps is less PC then any civilian job.

Hope to see ya out there Skunk. Shoot me a PM if you want some more info.

Just don't ask me what happens on Oki. (What happens on the Rock, Stays on the Rock);)

[duckfoot]

I can second the trigger time misconception. Only because I got into High Power was I able to keep my rifle in our unit armory. Getting at it was sort of a pain too.

If you go in then I would "suggest" something NON combat arms and NON infantry. I was a 0861 (arty scout/ naval gunfire spotter), and carried about 65 to 100 pound of radio gear in the field (two to three radios and batteries). The infantry (or 03 grunt a lot) combat load out is about as heavy or more. Flack, pot, LBV, butt pack, water, chow, pack, e-tool, sack, pad, poncho, two MG belts, 4 60mm mortar rounds, claymore, shave kit, NVG's, grenades, weapon/ ammo (ranging from m9, m16a2, m16/203, m249 saw, m240G and now a DM M14 ) then some sort of team tool (ranging from wire cutters to a filled 5 gallon water can.)

In Egypt, a royal commando once commented "Ach, ye carry enough crap to kill a donkey" as we were about to move out on a 15k movement.

And stay away from the 25 field that is a radioman. (See radio comment above)

[Bruddah_Al]

Skunk,

If you elect to take the surgery there is a new technique used. It's called "Wavefront". It uses a laser to scan the eye, find defects, and then creat a customized correction. Appearently the results can get you 20/15 and for a few 20/10. The Navy had done a trial using the technology and are now big fans of it.

If you go combat arms having glasses can sometimes suck. I've helo-casted and nearly lost my glasses if it weren't dummy-corded to me. Also having them fog-up when you're in the field is irritating.

Anyways best of luck in whatever decision you make.

Al

[wingnutx]

LASIK worked like a charm for me. I'm now better than 20/20.

I'm not telling the navy how I got my miracle cure, either.

[RKCheung]

Hey duckfoot,

And stay away from the 25 field that is a radioman.

It's the 06 field now, and it ain't so bad if you got a vehicle to put all those radios in. ;)

[another48hrs]

ATF Agent Skunkabilly!?!?!

We're doomed.

Time to sing the doom song.

Doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom... :D

[fjolnirsson]

Skunkabilly,

Howdy!
I tried joining up right out of High school. Back in 94, that was. At the time, I had severe myopia and astigmatism in both eyes. 20/800 was my eyesight exactly. I had to submit a waiver, and got turned down.
On Feb 21 of 2000 (believe it or not), I had Lasik surgery performed on both eyes by DR. TURNER, of the TURNER EYE INSTITUTE, in San Leandro.
Do it! I know what you are going through, living day to day like that. Dr. Turner was one of the pioneers of the surgery, and I have no night vision problems, halos, etc. You will have to use special eye drops for 6 months to a year. But they are available over the counter. Lasik was the best thing I ever did for myself.
My initial correction was to 20/35. Not bad for five minutes between prep and getting off the table. Over the next several months, my vision slowly improved and stabilized to 20/15. I still have the stigmatism, but without the myopia, it doesn't bother me. I do have glasses I wear if driving in an unfamiliar area, but that is because they bring my vision to 20/10, which makes for an advantage finding my exit in time.
Another thing to keep in mind is my main reason for surgery. I was turned down by three LE agencies, and told it was impossible for me to be hired, ever. Even though my vision was 20/20 correctable. It was just too bad. They said it was an officer liability they could not afford.
The only thing I would change about my surgery is, I would have found a way to do it sooner.
Good luck, either way!

[Reloader]

I must be one of the few refusedue to bad eyesight....20/2700 correctable to 20/30, yes , 30. I was refused a waiver even for that............and my mother was my draft board (really) could not get a waiver even though up for scholarship. With glasses qualifid on rnage as expert. still no go.

[Iain]

As far as I know the major issue with the armed forces and laser eye surgery is the night vision issue. I had a friend who was sponsored throughout university by the army and was strongly discouraged from getting laser eye surgery. Others have said that it can be corrected by only using a red light in your room at night for several months afterwards. Who to believe?

Skunk - 110lbs is light, no offense. In how much of a hurry are you to join up? Because in a year with some serious effort you could be 140-150lbs and all that extra be useful muscle mass. It would be some serious effort, but then telling the recruitment officer what you have done might win some brownie points for self-motivation and dedication.

[ID_shooting]

I had a friend who encountered the same thing, he too was limited to support intel roles. Funny thing happened though. I went into tanks and he went into Army Intel. A couple of years later, I was in the mess hall and he was standing right next to me. Wouldn't you know it, he had a SF patch on his RIGHT shoulder as well as jump wings and air assult wings on his chest. and here I was just in my nomax suit! :cuss: well, can't win em all, LOL, the moral of the story, even some support rolls can get you some adventure if you plan right.

Now, for being 110 lbs, unless you are 4.5 feet tall i hope you like to eat. I think I see double portions in the mess hall in your future :D

[JimP]

Skunk - there is a new procedure that the Services are actually performing for their guys. Nor sure what it is called but everyone I talk to where I am that has had it done has 20/15 vision. Newer than LASIK. Shoot me a PM and I'll find the procedure.

If you want trigger time against the bad guys - go to Ranger Bat. You'll get more shooting than anywhere else.

[SemperFi83]

Read the reply again... I wasn't talking about AIT or any other advanced training. Skunk asked about boot camp. I was 6'3" and 165lbs when I went to boot camp. The physical part was not easy, but I did not struggle with a lot of the training like the muscle-heads did. After a year or so and some serious wieght training I was up to 195lbs, and able to hump the load with the rest of 'em. I still say, for making it through boot camp, I would rather be slighter built than to be 5'10" and 220lbs, even if its all muscle.

[Traveler]

As a 20+ year service member I was advised that I might want to consider having Lasik for my 20/400 eyes. The Army does this either at Walter Read, or contracted through civilians.

A COL I know had this two years ago, and is very happy with the results.

[MicroBalrog]

110 lbs! Good Grief Man! What? Are you made out of balsa wood and vaporware?

Hey, I'm 100!

[JamisJockey]

I would rather be slighter built than to be 5'10" and 220lbs, even if its all muscle

I'd have to agree. I've sorta stayed outa this one....but I'll sound off now....
I was 5'3" and 118lbs. I was, however, a triathlete and star track runner. My 3 mile times in boot camp were between 15:32 and 16:00. I routinely got sent back as 'motivation' for the big guys that were struggling to make the cutoff. I did struggle with the pullups a little bit, but it didn't take long for me to 300 PFT without trouble.
Oh, and any urbanites who aren't much on swimming had better go learn to swim. We lost a good portion of people who failed the swim testing. Another area where I excelled :neener:

[tetleyb]

I don't want to hijack the thread and go off on a tangent. However, I was 5'11" and weighed 213 lbs when I went to boot camp. I never had a problem in any of the physical components. Neither did any of the guys I went to boot camp with.

Everyone's physical build, motivation, etc is different. For me, I would rather have a good mix of aerobic and physical strength. Even for boot camp. However, that is just my personal opinion. As you have seen, there are alot of opinions differing from mine.

[JamisJockey]

I forgot to add..I suffered like a dog on our forced marches. My stubby little legs just couldn't make good strides without running, and the pack was about 1/3 of my body weight....
:(

[Kaxter]

I thought about joining the Marines for a while too. I am 150lbs and 6'2, rail thin. I have 20/400 in each eye.

I was told that the vision wouldnt be a problem at all with glasses and wouldnt hinder me except for flight. He did tell me that I would most likely get stuck with double rats until I got to 175 though. I can eat all day long and not gain a pound...

I ended up not joining and now work in data integrity at an office supply store...I wish I would have joined then and I may still join.

[44Brent]

http://consumers.lasikfraud.com

[tyme]

Lasik/wavefront/etc. works by ablating (destroying) layers of the cornea. The cornea is only so thick. Long-term effects of a thinner, weaker cornea are relatively unknown. Since the surgery isn't brand new, there don't appear to be serious medium-term complications. But particularly with repeated "corrections", this is an issue. At some point, the cornea may get thin enough that doctors won't be willing do any more corrections.

Most complications occur due to insufficient diameter capability of the laser system. The surgery will create two curve types on the retina. The area ablated will have the proper curve to focus light accurately on the retina (back of the eye). The surrounding area will have the original curvature. Imagine a sphere. now imagine drawing a small circle on the surface and flattening it so that it has the curvature of a larger sphere. Note that there will be a non-continuous curvature change between the ablated portion and the surrounding portion.

Now, if you've ever even looked through glasses, you know that, if you're nearsighted, there's some duplicated sight area... if you can see something through the top or bottom edge of the glasses, you can probably also see it right above or below the glasses. Same effect with the sudden curvature change of the cornea, except the cornea modification results in circular effects like that. They show up, obviously, when the pupil dialates beyond the ablated area. The two curvatures focus the same images differently on the cornea, resulting in radial ghosting.

Bottom line: make sure, if you value low-light vision at all, that you know how much your eyes dialate (in mm/cm). Make sure the surgery ablates at least that much.

The other issues are primarily the result of infections, or improper replacement of the corneal epithelium after it's sliced away to do the laser ablation. If _anything_ feels out of the ordinary right after it's placed back, notify the doctor and don't go anywhere until they check it. If you wait a day or two, healing/scaring/ridges can occur, and this is very difficult to fix, pretty much beyond today's standard LASIK doctor's capabilities.

Read up on it as much as possible. If you have relatively thick corneas and you know the ablation area will cover your dilated pupil, the most important thing is to be able to recognize bad flap replacement and bring it to the attention of the doctor in a way that will get his/her attention.

What will be really interesting is when doctors manage to grow corneal cells and transplant them onto existing corneas. Then thickness will not be an issue, nor will most of the other problems. If they screwed up too badly, they could transplant a thick corneal layer and do wavefront, provided they could avoid internal optic problems between the layers, or fill in problem areas (pits/grooves/whatever) with externally-grown corneal cells before adding the new layers.

[SIGarmed]

The USMC, Crappy Vision, Glasses & Laser Eye Surgery?
If you have a degree you may want to try and become an Officer. You get to go to OCS.

Are you pursuing this option? You probably should.

[Destructo6]

I'm in a similar position, except the service is the Border Patrol. I received a letter yesterday saying that my uncorrected vision constituted a hazard and that my tenative selection would be tenatively canceled unless I have my eyes fixed within the next 35 days.

I have a consult with a highly respected surgeon on Monday to do so.

I'm torn. While I would like the job, partly because it would get me out of CA, I'm a bit concerned about anybody, regardless of their expertise, messing with my eyes.

That's not to mention the other medical problem, that of two screws in my left ankle, that would also have to be cleared before I'm acceptable to the BP.

It's frustrating.

[EricO]

Skunk, how about some other possiblities? What about looking into other LE jobs such as local/city law enforcement, regional park police (if they have in your area), US Custom agent, US Marshall, Postal Police (uniformed division), Treasury protective force, DOE site protective force, or even possibly some form of Corporate Security position. You may be able to get into some or all of these occupations. Some pay well, some not as well.

Good luck by the way,
EricO
-about 6'1" & 165 lbs-

[Guntalk]

Before anyone gets LASIK surgery, he or she should spend a LOT of time on this web site:

www.surgicaleyes.com

I had LASIK last year. Worst decision of my life. Still working out the complications. Of course, the problem has been in my shooting eye.

The complication rate is much too high for elective surgery, in my opinion.

Yes, I know that most people have no problems. It's all about risk/reward. The reward is that you don't have to wear glasses.

The risk is that you are blind, or nearly so, you can't drive, you can't shoot, you can't READ, you are in constant pain, and there is nothing anyone can do to help.

Glasses sound pretty good at this time. Again, read the actual reports by people who have had it (see the web site listed above).

If you decide to have it done, find the best surgeon in the country, and fly or drive there.

Better yet, stay with the contacts or glasses.

[tcdrennen]

There can be complications, of course - and it's become so popular, of course there are less-than-experts who are doing it badly.

I had mine done by Dr. Manger at Saddleback Eye Center in Laguna Hills, CA, no complications, vision has been 20/15 since the day he did it (3 /12 years ago) and I've no regrets at all. The price was twice what some of the other places were advertising, but worth every penny for the results.

My partner went to a doctor in Long Beach who had a good reputation, but was cheaper - she had to go back six months later for a second surgery, but is fine now, 20/20 both eyes. Her vision was worse than mine to start (20/800 one eye, 20/1000 in the other, bad astigmatism vs. my 20/400 both eyes, mild astg), so maybe that was part of it.

My brother went to one of the many LASIK "chain stores" a couple of years ago, rock bottom prices, and had to wear glasses after for a year and have several "follow up" treatments before he was finished.

You do get what you pay for, and it pays to shop around. One thing I did was ask my then optometrist about it - if you have a good one and he is willing to recommend it (knowing he'll lose you as an eyeglass customer if it works!) Mine recommended Dr. Manger if I was going to get it done.

[G1FAL]

As long as it is correctable to something like 20/50 or some such, the Corps will take you.

One other thing you might want to consider: I have a friend that re-enlisted back in '01 (his first re-up), and part of the contract he got was that the Corps would pay for laser eye surgery for him.

So thats another thing to consider.

[Don Gwinn]

ArmySon and Spectre (uh. . . . JShirley) are pocket-sized, too, but they're two of the most dangerous men I know. You'll definitely get a lot farther than I would. If they made us squat and deadlift for maximum weight, I could keep up. Pullups and pushups are for little guys.

And, hey, Spectre, I was just kidding about that pocket thing. :uhoh:
I think it's awesome that you and Son are so easy to fit into overhead luggage compartments. :neener:

[obiwan1]

I had no problems functioning with my glasses during my hitch with the "Uncle Sam's Misguided Children". Yeah they got dusty, sweaty and were generally inconvenient. The only thing it restricted me from was flight school. (It didn't make a difference, I wasn't an officer)

Of course this was in the late 60s and they needed bodies for WESTPAC.

Good luck if you decide to do it. Great bunch of guys!


Semper Fi:D

[Andrew Wyatt]

well, considering that eye protection is the best thing since sliced bread when you're shooting at people and/or getting shot at, i don't think that having to wear eyeglasses is a detriment at all. dad's an eyeglass wearer, and it's saved him from projectile related eye problems because he wears his all the time, some of the ther guys in the shop don't.

[J Jones]

Since we're talking about corrective vision surgery, does anyone know much about the implantable rings that go under the cornea to correct vision?

I've heard about this, but not enough; it seems it is reversible, which is a big consideration if it is done incorrectly.

Another question, related to Tyme's post - I've heard that RK had problems with weakening the cornea too, so I'd like to know about changes in altitude/pressure affecting a surgically corrected eye.

[Skunkabilly]

Going in for eye surgery tomorrow :eek:

Wish me ruck :uhoh:

[I'm skeeered :( ]

[JohnBT]

Okay...


GOOD LUCK


I'm going to discuss it with my eye doc tomorrow at 5:30. He just had it done and his vision and his age(53) were the nearly the same as mine - 20/1200+.

I expect to need reading glasses afterward, but maybe not. I'm wearing Varilux progressive lenses now because when I wear my contacts I need to carry reading glasses with me anyway.

John

[twoblink]

At 110lbs..

I swear my gf would kick your behind from here to Hong Kong without a problem..

If being tactical means being 110lbs, I'll have to reconsider that offer...

Let us know how it goes man!! Don't go blind! Then you won't be able to read THR!!

[fjolnirsson]

Skunk,

Good Luck! Let us know how it goes. Who'd you end up with for the surgery?

[Destructo6]

Where you going, Skunk? I had Wavefront LASIK done on Thursday. I think I'll reserve my opinion until the one month check up. After years of contacts and whatnot, it's hard to be so hands off with my eyes now.

The worst part was when they suctioned my eyes flat for the cut.

Don't you have to wait 6 months post-op with no complications to enter the military? That's what the Army told me, anyway.

[Skunkabilly]

One Dr Gregg Feinerman in Newport Beach, CA. I'll report my results.

Frankly I'm more worried about my irritible stomach (seems I got an expansion pack for my irritible bowel :banghead: ever since that Sizzler dinner :banghead: ) making me nervous and convulse on the table than the surgery itself.

Time to turn in my carbon fiber trimmed Oakleys. :(

http://www.skunkabilly.com/images/ninjavanish.gif

[obiwan1]

I hope it works out. I've been considering doing it myself.

Semper Fi

[Detachment Charlie]

Skunk:
Don't believe `em. BCG does NOT stand for boot camp glasses.
BCG is short for Birth Control Glasses.
Wear those goggles off base and you'll never get .....:neener:

[Skunkabilly]

Glasses in the Corps = 0 CDI. Check :D

[444]

"Time to turn in my carbon fiber trimmed Oakleys. "

Skunk, do you know of a place that sells Oakley frames and will install real Oakley lenses ground to your perscription ?
I decided to buy a set of Oakley perscription sunglasses after hearing some stuff from Pat Rogers about them. I was looking at their website and also decided that I liked some of their frames for clear lenses also. However, I don't know where to get them. I called Oakley and they told me to go to their local retail store. I called the local retail store and asked them about it. They told me they would sell me the frames and I could then take them to my eye doctor to have the perscription lenses made. I called my eye doctor and was told that they would not have real Oakley lenses in them since they were not an Oakley dealer.
I am not really certain that this matters, but one of the main reasons I wanted to buy these was for the "safety" properties of their lenses. I work as a fireman and appreciate the eye protection without having to wear goggles and when I am not wearing my helmet that has a flip down face shield. I also wear both clear and tinted lenses to shoot.
I spend a little time on an internet search engine trying to do this on-line. It seems that this service is readily available from Oakley dealers in England but I have yet to see anyone offer this in the US. The websites from England specifically mention that they can not ship to the US because of their Oakley licensiing agreement or something to that effect.

[IrvJr]

Good luck Skunk!

[Schuey2002]

Yeah, Good Ruck, Skunk.. ;)

[Skunkabilly]

444, a while ago I was under the impression Oakley wouldn't do it. I called about having them do another pair of glasses and it seemed like they would but didn't pursue it as I was going to do my LASIK and my frames are discontinued (damn them and their lack of carbon fiber in their 2004 line!). if you called a while ago, I'd give them another call as it seems something changed and they're willing to do it now? They are about 4 freeway exits from me...kind of a cool facility.

*sniff*

I'm skeered.

:(

Um. I mean. Highspeed Lowdr~choke~ *gulp* :uhoh:

[444]

Relax. Don't worry. Everything will be OK.
I know probably 50 people that have had this done and everyone of them said it was no big deal. They said it only takes a few minutes. That night you will be on this board telling us how happy you were that you had it done.

I called Oakley about this just a couple weeks ago. I guess I need to get more aggressive on this. My current glasses have a big abrasion right over my left eye. My sunglasses are OK but I would like to replace them both.

[fjolnirsson]

Skunk,

No worries, man. By the time you start getting REALLY nervous, it'll be over....:neener:

Seriously, it's a freaky view while it's being done, and a little frightening.
But over quickly, and well worth it.

[strambo]

Good luck Skunk!

I'm still dyin' over your "Cru Crux Cran" comment, my side hurts :D I had LASIK about 31/2 years ago, flew to Portland from Alaska to have it done by one of the best, or at least way better than anyone in AK. (Dr. Mathers, Casey Eye Institute.) I think if one were to sort out the bad war stories by quality of Doctor/ clinic / quality of laser, and even price the incidents of complications at the quality joints would be extremely low.

Now you can buy any carbon fiber oakleys without a precription...just like "normal" people. I now forget that I ever wore glasses (including my share of BCGs!)

[Frohickey]

Woah. USMC, eh? You are going to get ribbed at Basic about not eating enough. ;)

As long as its correctable with glasses, you should be good to go.
When I went through Basic, they issued you two birth control glasses. You should get those eyeglass bands just so your glasses do not pop out of your ears when you do the various running, jumping, hitting the dirt with a full combat pack, etc.
I was also issued a set of corrective lens inserts for use inside of the M17 Gas mask. This one you have to make sure you keep, as they are hard to come by. I still wish that I had mine, but I left it inside of the M17 Gas mask, and turned it in to the quartermaster. Big mistake.

Or, you can just get laser eye surgery. Eyeglasses do fog up when you wear the kevlar, and it sucks having to rifle qual with glasses that fog up.

[The_Antibubba]

Skunkabilly,

I thought you might want to hear from one of the 1% who heals differently.

First had the LASIK last July. I found the top of the line place (Pacific Laser Eye Care)
in Sacramento. The newest upgrade is called Wavefront. It doesn't just correct to your prescription, it makes a LADAR map of the surface of the cornea, like mapping the surface of Venus, so astigmatism can be corrected as well. Some lucky ducks are coming out with 20/10 and 20/8 vision! <---(future Marine Sniper?) The total cost me $2495, for ONE eye (left eye is near-perfect, right eye was 20/500; most glasses and all contacts were out of the picture for me, since the greater the correction, the smaller the image projected onto the retina. The brain tries to reconcile what appears to be two different images. MIGRAINE CITY. :barf: ) All followup work and corrections, etc. are covered in that.

So, within 2 weeks, my epithelial (the protective layer over the cornea) develops striae (folds and wrinkles) which cause distortions in my vision, similar to astigmatisms. I go back in for a refloat-the surgeons lift up the epithelial again, swell it with saline to remove the striae, clean out from underneath, and lay it back down.

This time, it goes a lot better. I end up with a very small striae, but my vision is not too bad. However, it takes me a long time to heal from this. Reading and driving are very tiring, because my right eye, which, up to now couldn't focus on anything farther away than 2 feet, now is "learning" to focus like the other eye. And I've got a lot of starburst-type light smearing at night.

But I'm not done yet. The experts say to expect full healing to take as long as six months. My time goes by, the swelling disappears, and my right eye begins to coordinate with the left. But I have an unexpected problem. It seems I was overcorrected, and I am slightly farsighted in my right eye! I can live with it, or try it again.

Well jeez, it's paid for, why settle now, right? :D So, last month I go back to the clinic and get LASIKed again. Not a common happening, but certainly not unheard of. I'm back the week after, with-YOU GUESSED IT!-striae!! Just-released research suggests that striae formation might be avoided by sleeping on one's back (I'm a side sleeper), so I try that when I get home, fresh from another lift and refloat (I'd been on that table so many times now I didn't get sedated-no Valiums-so I could drive myself home. Trust me-Get the Valiums! :eek: )

I'm now three weeks out from refloat, and things are finally healing nicely. My vision is now a "dirty" 20/20. the swelling and pain are much less. I still have dry eye and irritation, and the light source starbursts are still with me. In five months I'll know if it's a keeper.
----------------------------

All of that probably sounds awful, but if I knew what I know now before I started all this, I still would have done it. Here's why.

1. I DON"T NEED GLASSES TO SEE!!!!! Speaks for itself.

2. I have peripheral vision, in focus. All glasses wearers know, if you don't see it through the lens, you can't see it. This may be an even better gain than the clear vision. I have a better awareness of my surroundings.

3. I can finally wear sunglasses that aren't prescription-cuz the right shades can make you look really cool. :cool:


Some downsides to consider.

1. Being really nearsighted, I could see great detail in things I pulled right up to my eye. Tiny parts, splinters, diamond grading ;)-it was like having a built-in loupe. it was great when dealing with gun parts. That's gone now. I'll have to get a magnifying lens like everyone else.

2. The light-source distortion may never completely go away, no matter how many times I can have this done. I miss seeing the stars as clear points :( .

If you have any questions, post them, or PM me. I'll be glad to help you. As I'm almost 40, and you're a young pup, your ability to heal is probably a LOT better than mine. Chances are, your LASIK will be uneventful. It is incredible to get off the operating table and walk out the door, five minutes later, with the world in focus.

Just don't cheap it out! You're not buying underwear at Wal-mart. Get the very best you can-most of them have financing available, if you need it.

[Schuey2002]

*bump*

Are we gonna get an update??

:o :uhoh: :o

[The_Antibubba]

Don't know if you were talking to me, but...

I saw the surgeon today. He wants to take a conservative approach, and not relift the flap if he doesn't have to (*WHEW*). The healing continues to go well. The problem with the glare is not resolved. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell exactly which part of the eye is the source of the distortion. It could be the cornea, which another laser zap [i]might[/] correct. It could be the epithelial flap, which is not itself fixable. the flap is healing well with no striae within the field of vision, but, if it is lifted to correct the cornea, then all that could change. Think "Schoedinger's Eyeball" :eek:

I'll see him again in a month. I'll tell you more then.

[Skunkabilly]

Revelation. My shower is really dirty :o

I'm at 20/20. Life is good :)

[Logan5]

Congratulations!

I was at my mother's house tonight and she'd found my giant coke bottle glasses fixed with the paper clip from when I was twelve, and after that I really need to believe in the laser. Glad to hear you're happy with it!

[entropy]

Good to hear the lasik went well, Skunk!;) Now about your carbon fiber build....DROP AND GIVE ME TWENTY .... start on them now, it'll put some meat on your bones and give you one less thing to worry about during a time when you'll have plenty to worry about!:D
I'm not sure how Uncle Sam's Monkey Club handles it, but ...[R. Lee Ermey mode ON] if you survive boot camp, you will be a minister of death, praying for war... ..[/R. Lee Ermey mode OFF] , I kinda see you going Infantry right off, and pushing for (what else but) Force Recon until you get it. I got a chance to train with some Force Recon guys at the MOUT (Military Operations on Urban Terrain) course at Ft. (planet) Ord, where I was stationed. (Yes, I was Army http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?s=&postid=870615 ) They get plenty of trigger time, with all the best toys! (MP5SD's in this case.:evil: !) They are hard core!
Don't worry about the loss of night vision that much.....that's why they issue PVS7's/14's!:D And hey, keep the stalking wild game abilities sharp...duck tastes alot better than MRE's!:p Carry on, my wayward son...and good luck in The Corps! (Ya better keep posting, we'll understand if you take a break for basic!)
In Tacticalness,
Entropy
US Army, 7th ID(L)

86-89



;)http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?s=&postid=879972

[Obiwan]

So now you have to be able to SEE to be a MARINE???

My uncle was blind in one eye and got in.....

Ok...he didn't actually TELL anyone he was blind in one eye....

Since he passed the eye exam it is possible they did not notice.

And he was a hell of a football player....

Ah...the good old days!