After 13 years of being confined to contact lenses and glasses, I finally took the dive and decided to get LASIK eye surgery. Anyone who’s had it will tell you it’s the best decision they’ve ever made… And I couldn’t agree more! For those of us who have had to wake up and feel around for our glasses, knocking shit down and squinting to find them, it’s a whole new world after LASIK. This morning I woke up (with my protective shields on) and the first thing I clearly saw was the little piece of paper across the room taped to my flat screen that reads “Remember… You are destined for greatness” in 16 pt font. I smiled, still half asleep…

The procedure was quick and easy, but I tend to be a great big ball of anxiety no matter what the situation, so I had a bit of difficulty getting through it without feeling like I was going to die. I learned a few things: One, Valium does nothing for me. Nothing. Two, you go completely blind for about 30 seconds in each eye during the procedure. Gnarly. But I have to say that Dr. Berg could not have been more wonderful; he talked me through the whole thing, coaching me and telling me I was doing great every step of the way. Take a look at the video to get a feel for what the procedure entails: In the beginning, I’m clearly very nervous so my brother tries to lighten the mood by telling me I should have used—ahem—alternative methods of relaxation; at 0:31, you’ll see sparks of light to my left, which is the laser calibrating; at 1:03 you’ll see the doctor lifting the layer of my cornea that’s been sliced open (not for the squeamish); and at 1:21 you can see the laser zapping the shit out of my pupil. I don’t look too happy in the “after” picture because my eyes were burning a little (this will happen to everyone for the first 4-5 hours after the procedure, which is why they tell you to go straight home and right to bed so you can sleep through it). I woke up at 8 p.m. feeling like a champ!

Ladies, you won’t be able to wear eye makeup for about 2 weeks after the procedure, so make sure you don’t schedule it right before an important event. You might also have some hemorrhaging (aka bloody spots in the whites of your eyes), which I definitely did. I showed up to an audition today with my bloody eyes and had to explain that it would go away by the end of the week. If it had been an audition for an anti-marijuana PSA, I would have been a shoo-in.

.

If you’re considering having the LASIK procedure done, I would highly recommend Dr. Berg and his staff! They were all wonderful and attentive, and I couldn’t imagine a better experience. Dr. Berg works out of Sherman Oaks, Burbank, San Marino, and Beverly Hills (I had mine done in Sherman Oaks, and the staff was awesome!!).

.