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Life After Lasik Pt. 2

Posted on May 20, 2012 by aaron

Last week I wrote about deciding to get Lasik and how I picked a surgeon. This post will discuss the procedure, immediate care, and results.

Before The Procedure I scheduled my surgery with Dr. Straub and was stoked. I watched him perform 2 surgeries the day I received my initial exam. It was great being able to watch the Dr. do the actually surgery I was going to get. I also talked to a number of patients who had be operated on the previous day. I felt calm and confident after experiencing this. My surgery was 6 days after my exam. The wait wasn’t bad, I had already lived with glasses/contacts 20+ years. It wasn’t all roses and giddiness though. The day of my surgery I was pretty apprehensive. It wasn’t overwhelming, but I was nervous. I talked to a person who had the surgery a few years before and she calmed me down.

At The Office I showed up at the surgery center a few minutes early feeling good about the whole process. (I was calm by the time I got there) My wife drove me there because you can’t drive immediately after surgery. That’s what they say anyway. I’m sure you could but I wouldn’t want to. Anyway, I filled out some surgical paperwork and some financing paperwork. (Remember, I’m paying for this with a pastor’s salary!) The nurse gave me some post-op care instructions, some eye protecting goggles for sleeping, a couple of different eye drops, and an appointment card for the next day. Then, I went back to the waiting room. They made me put on a hair covering and some booties over my shoes. I watched him do a surgery before mine and then it was my time.

The Surgery I sat down with the Dr. one last time and he explained what was about to happen. He told my wife what to expect when I took my first Valium. I am pretty funny on that stuff. We all went back to the surgery room. My eyes were examined one last time and some final measurements were taken to verify which eye was going to receive which prescription. Then, he had me lay down in a very comfy chair so he could make “the flap” with a laser. He numbed my eyes and then put a contact on them. It wasn’t a regular contact, it was able to pull a vacuum on my eyeball. It wasn’t painful, it just felt a little uncomfortable for about 20 seconds. During that 20 seconds my eye was subjected to a laser that created a series of bubbles under the surface. I’m not sure how it works but if you want to know then click that previous link.

After the surgeon does that to both eyes everything looks hazy. Nothing hurts, or even feels weird, it just looks like a bowling alley in the daylight. Then, the assistant stood me up and I walked over to the next machine. At that time the Dr. pulled the flap and used the next laser on the uncovered area. This one didn’t hurt either. I stared into a green light and heard the laser and tracking machine do its thing. I did smell something that resembled burnt hair. I assumed that was part of my eye being lasered off and wished it good riddance. This was done to both eyes. The flaps were closed back up which looked weird watching it, but I’m sure everything was normal. I was stood back up and I walked over to an exam tool and he looked at my eyes to verify everything was good. He said it was great and was given a pair of sunglasses a was told to go home and sleep for few hours. I was amazed, I had been in the office for less than 45 minutes! I’ve attached a video of the process at the bottom of this post if you are interested. If you are squeamish I wouldn’t watch it.

Driving home everything still looked hazy. I was still feeling the effects of the Valium so I had no problem going to sleep for a couple of hours. I put on my stylish eye protectors and went to sleep around 5:30 pm. I woke up around 9:00 and felt fine. The haziness had greatly diminished but was still present. I put in my eye drops, talked to my family for a few minutes and went back to bed still wearing my sweet sleeping goggles. It was done. I was pretty excited to see how this was going to turn out.

Next I will tell you about my first two post-op visits and how this whole change has been.

Below is the video of the eye surgery.

There is no blood but it can be hard to watch.

You have been warned.

Posted in Personal | Tagged Dr. Straub, Lasik, Lasik Plus, Surgery | Leave a comment

Camp Friends

Posted on May 15, 2012 by aaron

I originally wrote this for my MySpace blog (does that even still exist?) and ran across it the other day. I had attended two camps that year. One Youth camp, one Kids camp. I still do this sort of thing and am gone a good portion of my summer with activities like camp. My feelings still hold true. Hope you enjoy.

Aaahhhh camp. I have a weird Love/Hate relationship with camp. For starters, I AM NOT a morning person, so waking up at the buttcrack of dawn is not my idea of fun. Nor is sleeping on a matress made for someone at least half my size and weight. Putting up with weird folks ALL the time and not getting to see my kids (and my wonderful wifey at the second one) is not great either. But most of all I dislike camp b/c it is such a let down. The reason I find it so discontenting is because it is not reality.
It is not even close to reality. The fact that it is so far removed from reality coupled with the fact that I strive to be very real causes my adamint dislike of camp. I think that is b/c I spent so much time trying to be someone else when I was younger. I was not myself, but rather I attempted to be someone I thought other people would give approval. I was not real or authentic. I was living a lie. Sure, there were places where the real me would sneak out from time to time, but most of the time I was fake. Living that way made me miserable, as it does for everyone who lives their life that way. Therefore, the thought of going back to that is not a pleasant one. And a thought that brings me back to the subject of camp.
In a way, camp promotes that lifestyle I so despise. It’s like a week where I can come and not be me. Or if I have to be me, I can be a WAY better version of me. The awesome Aaron 2.0.2 (still some flaws in the programming) goes to camp. The worst part about this sad realization is that I am not alone in feeling this way about camp. Maybe you haven’t thought about it this way or vocalized it in such terms, but I have a strong feeling you know what I’m talking about. (Unless you are truly gifted and are exactly the same all the time… if so message me and let me know how) Besides leaving your camp gf/bf (which you know deep down it probably won’t work out…) that is why leaving camp is so hard. I know we talked about it in group, that real life is MUCH harder than life at camp.
All of that makes camp something I don’t appreciate.

Lest you all think I completely despise camp, let me tell you about the other side of that coin we call summer camp. First of all, I love the fact that I can take time out of my schedule, clear my daily agenda of the mess of life and draw near to God. That provides the perfect opportunity to renew my relationship with Him as life tends to deplete it. Much like date night with my wife, or family night with the whole family, I need, as we all do, that time to enhance that relationship with our Heavenly Father. I get to spend my time with a great community of believers and grow together in God’s grace in worship, prayer, Scripture, service, and fellowship.
Next, I love getting to pour into others. I don’t know much, haven’t experienced much, nor do I have much to offer, but I love sharing what I do know with others. Family groups, church groups, or whatever, I love the fact that I can share my love and longing for the Saviour (as pathetic as it may be) and point others in that direction. I know I don’t connect with everyone, and for that I am truly sad. But for those few that do get it, I praise God.
Lastly, I love the people! For one I am an extrovert (which means being around people charges me up) and I also just love being around all kinds of folks. Secondly, I have a great time being around other Christians. I love telling stories, hearing stories, sharing laughter and seriousness with people. And Camp is the perfect place to do that.
Consequently, in my final estimation, I do enjoy camp. I believe it is a worthwhile experience. True, it is not really that close to real life, it can have a huge impact on the other 51 weeks of your life if you let it. It has been a good summer.

So to all of my camp friends I say thanks. You helped make camp great this year. That is why I put you on my top friends and that is why I wrote this blog.

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Daddy’s Needs a New Pair of Shoes!

Posted on May 14, 2012 by aaron

A few weeks ago I wanted to get some new running shoes. I’m pretty picky when it comes to shoes, especially running shoes. A few years back I started looking into minimalist and barefoot running. The first shoes I bought were my NB MT100′s. Those shoes hooked me into minimalist footwear. I loved them. I still do. I bought another pair. But, they are not the best for urban running. I went to a local running store and tried on several pairs. I knew I had a winner on my feet when I tried on my Brooks PureFlow Mens.

Here is what I love about them. They are almost neutral. (meaning the height difference from the forefoot to the heel is almost the same) There is only a 4mm difference. It is perfect for people with a neutral gate (meaning my feet land flat on the ground when I run) and who strike midfoot (rather than heel or toe first). There is a lot of stability with the shoe because the base is wide. The shoe only weighs 8.8 ounces. It is super light and you barely notice you have it on your feet. It seems durable too. I wear during a variety of activities including working out and football practice and they have held up very well.

There are some other neat things about the shoe that make it better, but don’t necessarily make or break it. The arch support. There is a little band that wraps around the shoe that supports your arch. It is nice. I could live without, but as an extra bonus it’s cool. The PureFlow has a biodegradable midsole. So, there you go hippies, I’m doing my part.

This shoe is great but not perfect. It’s a little loose on my narrow feet. I’m not the only one to notice this. It’s acceptable because it is meant to be a running shoe and not a cross-trainer. I don’t notice it as much when running in a straight line, but if I have to cut it really slips around. The eyelets are in weird places for me. I might just have oddly shaped feet, but the eyelets don’t line up the way I wished they would. It is a minor annoyance, but an annoyance nonetheless.

All in all, I would give this shoe an -A. When you factor in all the great things about it and the nice price tag, it is a solid shoe purchase with very little downsides. I suggest you get some if you need a quality pair of running shoes.

Posted in Fitness Equipment, Personal | Tagged Brooks, PureFlow, Review, shoes | Leave a comment

Life After Lasik Pt. 1

Posted on May 11, 2012 by aaron

I had LASIK about a month ago. For those of you who don’t know what that is you can find out here. I want to tell you about the process, my experience, and how it’s been one month out. (I am not getting any compensation for my recommendation, just sharing my experience with you)

Deciding to do it. This entire process has been in the works for about two years. We’ve all seen the ads for Lasik, but I rarely pay attention to those. We live down the street from an ophthalmologist who does Lasik eye surgery and after an eye exam I decided to see what Lasik involves. I scheduled the appointment and I checked out intial cost/financing and the actual procedure. After asking lots of questions I thought it seemed like something I would like to do. Thus began my journey.

Determining if you are a good candidate. Lasik is not for everyone. Each eye is different and some eyes are not suitable for Lasik. Every Lasik surgeon who is worth his salt will give you a free evaluation. Take advantage of those. I went to three such appointments and another less-involved appointment for a total of four. The whole process was more of less the same for all three full exams. (I had a weird feeling about the other one so I won’t mention it again) It took about an hour and I left with my eyes fully dilated and slightly irritated from the drops and measurements. It was sort of a hassle having that done three times but I believe it was worth it. I wasn’t choosing a plumber to unstop my toilet. I was trying to pick a surgeon who was going to cut my eyes open and use a laser to reshape them. Every office measured my eyes in a number of ways and each measurement was done with precision. Cornea thickness, eye shape, interocular pressure, eye structure, and the list goes on. All of the offices had different versions of the same very high-tech machinery to help with those measurements. I felt very confident that each office did everything they could to ensure I was a good candidate. They were also honest with me. If not, they all three told the exact same lie convincingly. I didn’t have really bad eyesight before, but it wasn’t 20/20. I was more around 20/50 and 20/70 before. My contact prescription was -1.25/-1.5 to give you a frame of reference. After determining if I was a good candidate the most important decision had to be made.

Picking the right surgeon. Like I said before, I wasn’t finding a electrician (as important as that is) I was determining who would cut on my only two eyes. Finding a surgeon involves two aspects. The first is a quality track record and the second is personal comfort. Determining track record is a matter of online research and asking around. I also judge the TV/Radio commercials. If they sound like a sleazy used car lot commercial I stay away. If possible, talk to patients. This is a good indicator of how the surgeon behaves with paying customers who are not celebrities or going to appear on a TV commercial. As odd as it sounds I also didn’t trust a surgeon that was way cheaper than the others. I found a few with good track records and went in for a visit.

What made the most difference to me was talking with the surgeon. I like my surgeons to have a little attitude. (said like I get surgery so much I have a certain type of surgeon I prefer) Out of all three I had ~twenty minute conversations with, one stood far above the rest. Here are two things that helped me determine comfort level.

Asking LOTS of questions. I didn’t feel bad for one second asking every surgeon every question I could think of concerning the surgery and outcomes. I had looked at all of the Lasik surgery disaster websites and asked about how many of his own patients have had similar complications. How he answered each question helped me feel better about him as a surgeon. To their credit, they all handled my questions with great expertise and went as deep as I cared for them to go.
Made small talk. I didn’t make much small talk but enough to get a feel for them personally. Feeling comfortable with your surgeon is a huge thing for me.

Finally, I chose Dr. Straub at Lasik Plus here in Albuquerque. He has been doing eye surgery for a while and I really liked him. He seems like a perfectionist, which is what I want in a surgeon, but is also very personable and made me feel comfortable when I talked to him about the surgery and after the surgery. The other two surgeons were nice guys and I’m sure they would have been fine, but I wasn’t as comfortable with them.

I was at the crossroads. It had been determined that I would be a good candidate and I found a surgeon I really liked. So, I scheduled my surgery date and mentally prepared myself for the procedure.

In my next post I’ll tell you about the surgery…

Posted in Personal | Tagged Dr. Straub, Lasik, Lasik Plus, Review, Surgeon, Surgery | Leave a comment

The Lord’s Prayer Luke 11:1-13

Posted on May 10, 2012 by aaron

Pastor Edwin is teaching through Luke over the course of the next few years… He was doing a wedding and asked me to preach his sermon on Saturday night. It was fun!

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Rest in the Savior Matthew 11:28-30

Posted on May 8, 2012 by aaron

Preston teaches on resting in the Savior from Matthew 11:28-30

11:28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 11:29 Takemy yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 11:30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.”

from Bible.org

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4 Things Playing Sports Taught Me

Posted on May 1, 2012 by aaron

I have played sports my whole life. I have had some success, but overall I’m a mediocre athlete (now out of shape) who tries hard. Here are some things I’ve learned that are applicable to my life.

Showing up is not enough. Real sports, not t-ball and pre-k soccer, involve winning and losing. Not everyone who shows up wins. In fact, sometimes simply showing up means getting embarrassed, hurt, and destroyed by the other team. That same sentiment is true in life. Being good at anything requires effort. Whether it is your job, being a parent, a spouse, or even a friend, effort is key to being good. Showing up is a good start to being good, but if all you do is show up, most likely you will fail. The good thing about life skills is that multiple winners can exist simultaneously. Being a good dad doesn’t mean you have be a better dad than your neighbor, you can both be good. Conversely, you can end up with a whole group of losers on your hands. So, show up and try.
There is always someone better than you. I don’t care what it is, someone will always be better at you in a specific area. I worked hard in the weight room. I have had two instances in my life where I put on 30+ lbs (mostly muscle) in a few months by working my tail off. Boy did I have to work compared to some guys. Getting my bench press over 325 was monumental. But there were guys I played football with in college who surpassed that feat before their senior year in high school. But, I was better than them at other things. (applied mathematics being one noticeable area) This holds true in every aspect of life. In everything I’ve ever done someone has been better than me at it. You might say, “what about guys who are the BEST?” The very few elite people who are blessed by being the absolute best at something (Take Usain Bolt running the 100m for example) will eventually not be the best. Time is the great equalizer. A dead man stinks at everything… literally. Even if you hold the record for being the best, that only means you were the best in the world at one time. So, don’t worry if you aren’t the best, very few are for a very short time. Make the best out of what you have.
People are out to get you. I’m not paranoid, not everyone is out to get me, but there are some. In sports you try to best your opponent. Sometimes this gets lost while watching team sports. In every team sport you have multiple little games going on within the game. The center and the nose tackle engage in war at every snap of the ball. Both trying to best the other. Much of the time it’s “fair.” By fair I mean both parties abiding by the rules and competing out of mutual respect for one another. Sometimes its not fair. People without character try to get you by any means necessary. People freaked out because of the New Orleans Bounty Scandal. That’s not the first time that’s ever happened. In fact, I know a number of players that had that attitude starting in peewee. I don’t care what that coach said, the players with character played fairly, the ones without would have played no differently. In life, some people are out to get you. This is especially true if you are doing something of value and is worthwhile. It may be a boss who is threatened by you, or a colleague who wants your position. These people are all the same. They will do whatever it takes to get what they want, WHATEVER it takes. You can’t stoop to their level. A person of character acts that way even when it’s hard. Just watch out and act wisely.
Taking responsibility is key. In sports taking responsibility is not simply admitting fault. Responsibility also involves working to fix the problem. Watching game film can be difficult. Having someone critique your every move in super slow motion is a tough pill to swallow. Things that you never realize come out. I didn’t realize I was stepping with the wrong foot… or I could have sworn I blocked that middle backer. Admitting you messed up isn’t good enough. Everyone knows you messed up, it was on the big screen, they just watched it. What are you going to do to fix it? That is the key. Life is the same way. You are judged on the way you raise your kids, do your job, talk to your friends, what you eat (oh dear), etc… When your failures are in plain sight, it is not enough to admit to them. That is a good start, but not enough. Making it right is taking responsibility.

There you go. 4 things I learned from sports. There are 1000′s more but these have been on my mind lately. Hope you enjoyed it…

Posted in Personal | Tagged Career, effort, football, responsibility, sports, work | 4 Comments

Who’s in Charge of Your Ministry? Matthew 11:25-27

Posted on April 23, 2012 by aaron

Sometimes ministry gets really hard… Rejection can take a toll on you. Jesus had just experienced massive rejection in region of Galilee. He deals with it the best way anyone can… he confirms his perspective. Jesus knows that all things are in the Father’s control. Likewise, it is not up to us how to people respond to our glorification of the Savior. Instead, we need to realize our Father is in control.

Matthew 11:25-27

25 At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that jyou have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

Via Biblia

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Responsibility and Condemnation – Matthew 11 & Luke 10

Posted on April 23, 2012 by aaron

Jesus talks about how people who don’t want to believe will find any reason to dismiss God…

Matthew 11:16-24:

¹⁶ “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:

¹⁷ “‘We played the pipe for you,
and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
and you did not mourn.’

¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”

²⁰ Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. ²¹ “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. ²² But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. ²³ And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. ²⁴But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

From: Biblegateway.com

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The Resurrection

Posted on April 15, 2012 by aaron

Last week we didn’t cover the life of Jesus in order. Instead, we celebrated the Resurrection and watched 10 very well-done, short videos concerning popular myths of Jesus’ Resurrection. They are developed by Credo House Ministries. These videos are teasers for a larger video curriculum called The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus. It can be found by clicking on the title. The following is the what that website says about the DVD series…

The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus is exactly what you want, if your desire is either to gain an appreciation for the historical foundation for the Christian faith or learn some of the strong historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. Dr. Michael Licona is one of the world’s foremost experts on what one scholar has called “the prize puzzle of New Testament research.”

In this DVD series, you’re getting 101 minutes of some of the latest results of research from Dr. Licona’s 718 page book “The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach,” distilled in a friendly and easy to follow interview format with the most highly respected Christian blogger and founder of The Credo House, Michael Patton.

So, if you’re looking for answers to questions about the most profound historical event in human history, your search has ended.

I don’t get any royalties for the video but really think what Credo House Ministries does is worth supporting. Here are all of the teasers we watched. They are under two minutes each and sum up each point nicely.