Before last summer, when I met Dr. Wallace, my vision was 20/200 in both eyes with astigmatism. My astigmatism was severe enough to prevent me from wearing prescription contacts comfortably. When I visited Dr Wallace at his office I was ready for a change in my life and hoping for some good news.
For over twenty years, I’ve struggled with not having clear vision. In fourth grade I was diagnosed with less than 20/20 vision. At that time eyeglasses were the only cure to perfect vision. I was a shy, quiet child to begin with,(you can imagine what needing to wear corrective lenses did for my self esteem). I grew more introverted and withdrawn. I was afraid to play roughly with my glasses on. I feared they would break, and knowing how much my father struggled to pay for them, I would be left with nothing.
In high school, soft lens contacts were popular and I ordered a pair. I was excited at the idea of not having to wear eyeglasses. I wore them for two years until the clarity of vision was less than desirable. My astigmatism had gotten worse over the years, preventing that perfect fit in contacts for 20/20 vision. The years that followed were a constant flow of coke-bottle style glasses and a feeling of disappointment with who I was.
It has now been a year since my laser eye surgery. (The answer to my prayers to not have to depend on corrective lenses for 20/20 vision.) My confidence and esteem in myself have grown. I now feel that I can accomplish what I set my mind to do. I now hold my head up high and look at everyone straight in the eye.
I’ve had people tell me how courageous and brave I am to have had the surgery done to me. Courage I didn’t need once I meet Dr. Wallace. He is so warm and friendly from the first moment that I met him. He demonstrates genuine concern for all his patients and a willingness to share as much information as he can. He and Ruth made me feel extremely comfortably about the procedure from the initial consultation.
My tremendous thanks for the wonderful gift of vision that you have given me.
Leticia C.
July 24, 2000
Doctor Wallace says:
Leticia received care in July, 1999. It is clear from the thoughts she has expressed so nicely above that we do not simply treat optical prescriptions with LASIK. For most people who wear prescriptive correction, there is a profound psychological component that includes a sense of dependence, vulnerability, and often social insecurity. Correcting vision with laser treatment eliminates these attendant issues as well, which is why for many the process is so liberating.
