The Road to Better Vision with Athlete Karen Darke
A few ears ago, Karen Darke MBE FRSGS was a full-time athlete with the British Para-cycling team, devoting her life to training, competing, and pushing herself to her physical and mental limits. In 2012, Karen won a silver medal at the London Paralympics, followed up four years later with a Gold in hand-cycling in Rio 2016.
But that wasn’t the extent of Karen’s physical accomplishments. She also embarked on several high-intensity adventures, including scaling a the 372-mile ice cap in Greenland whilst sitting on skis and using her poles traverse the ground, and climbing Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, and El Capitan! As you can probably tell, Karen isn’t one to do things in half measures.
Karen had been happy with her vision for most of her life, an important consideration when you’re performing in demanding race circuits. However, having begun to notice a gradual deterioration in her vision and struggling with ill-fitting contact lenses for a number of years (glasses are simply out of the question for her), she decided it was time to enquire about Laser Eye Surgery, which is when she got in touch with the team at London Vision Clinic.
Deciding to Go Ahead with Laser Eye Surgery
Below, Karen tells us more about the deterioration in her vision before her Laser Eye Surgery treatment.
“I have always had a rose-tinted view of the world, but gradually things are turning into a colourful blur. I have managed to progress to a ‘minus three’ short-sighted fog without wearing glasses (except for driving).
“Distant faces are beyond expressionless, more like featureless. Signposts are helpless, and flight information boards no longer call on squinting but on physically pulling my eyes into slits to decipher them. I have read books on ‘better eyesight without glasses’ and tried the ‘Bates’ method for weeks in a row, but certainly never long enough to see a difference.”
Despite the obvious deterioration in her visual acuity, Karen resisted the pull to do anything about it at first. After all, she had come to enjoy her world of wrinkle-free faces, eternal youth and soft-focus landscapes. But eventually, she realised that it was time to take action.
“I am finally accepting that not being able to read distant signs is more than inconvenient (on Sunday I went to the wrong gate as I read the airport information board wrong and nearly missed my flight!), and reason that riding my bike, and certainly racing at speed, is probably starting to become hazardous. I have found no magic curative powers and glasses and contact lenses seem to both cause me problems.”
Ultimately, it took about three years before Karen made her way to our Harley Street clinic to address her worsening vision:
“Change can be dramatic – a sudden trauma or event – but can also be so gradual that we barely notice. Maybe its that extra kilo or two that sneak on each year until suddenly you look back at photos of you ten years ago, significantly healthier looking. Or like me, maybe it’s your eyesight – once so crisp and clear – but slowly deteriorated to the point of being unsafe and difficult to function.
“I didn’t want to acknowledge the change. I think I was in denial about my need for glasses, an annoying inconvenience to remember to pack, that I could scratch or lose; a barrier between me and the world that would get wet, dirty and interfere with a busy life.”
Eventually, it was time to admit that enough was enough. But that didn’t mean that Karen was wholly comfortable with the prospect of going under the laser…
“I confess to having felt very nervous about the process, and whilst having had the idea about 3 years ago, had done nothing about it due to FEAR. But a good acronym for ‘Fear’ is ‘False Expectations Appearing Real’ and I decided that if I found out more information rather than going by ‘rumour’ then I could make an informed decision.
That led me to a series of preliminary tests at the clinic and acquiring a lot of information. The process has removed my concerns.”
Shortly after her treatment, Karen shared her experience with us, explaining more about her decision to go ahead with treatment, and her life afterwards.
“PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision has truly changed the way I view the world. Now I am wondering why I denied my problem for so long… I guess it’s okay to fear someone messing with our valuable asset of vision! I am amazed though at what medicine and technology have enabled.”
Six weeks following her treatment, Karen explained that the initial “fog” she noticed in her vision immediately following the procedure had cleared.
“Everyday when I open my curtains or head out on my bike, I wonder at the crispness and clarity of my view. The world seems to be in 3D, high definition, more colourful, everything more beautiful to look at (except maybe my own reflection in the mirror which seems to have a few more wrinkles than I thought!).”
So, is she glad that she finally took the plunge and went ahead with Laser Eye Surgery?
“I had made all sorts of ‘excuses’: the time, the expense, the risk, the fact that I quite liked my ‘rose-tinted’ world where things looked ‘soft’. I realise now that they were excuses for my fear. And I am so glad that I overcame it. I feel to be much more ‘in’ the world again, safer when I ride my bike, and grateful for the bright new world I see everyday.”
In the video below, you can follow Karen’s Laser Eye Surgery journey, from her last bike ride pre-surgery, right up to her first post-treatment excursion!
If you, too, have been considering the prospect of Laser Eye Surgery but still have reservations or fears about the procedure, our friendly and knowledgeable patient care coordinators are always on hand to offer support and advice. To learn more about our treatments, get in touch or Book a Consultation today.
