LASIK: One Month Followup

So it has been 1 month since I had the life altering procedure called LASIK.  One thing I want to note is that results very from person to person so my experiences may not be the same experiences you will have.  For the past month I have been ritualistic in my medications and eye protection.  I used the antibiotic drops for 1 week following the surgery and the steroids for two weeks following the surgery, as prescribed.  The lubricating drops continued 4 times a day both eyes for until my 1 month check up on Friday.  I also continued to wear the eye protection at night and avoided rubbing my eyes although at my follow up I guess I could have stopped that two weeks ago.  During the month I also continued to be cautious when washing my face as to avoid direct water in my eyes. I want to make sure it is very important for you to follow these directions as closely as possible as it will help you heal as well as increase your chances of limiting side effects like halos and blurred vision.  So now that 1 month is over here are my results.

First I no longer need to use any drops or protection during the day, unless I feel it is needed.  I also can not rub my eyes and wash my face regularly.  At the appointment the doctor said the healing went fantastic and I am ready to go.  At this point these is a very minimal chance that I could damage my eyes unless I was completely careless and even then I would have more worries than damaging my LASIK.  My vision is 20/15 in both eye and almost 20/10 together.  That means I can read one bar lower at 40 feet than a person with perfect vision.  Depending on the light I can ready 2 bars lower than perfect vision at 40 feet.  My vision is clear and I have very minimal side effects.  Night driving is fine except for the occasional headlights that star.  My light sensitivity is good, but wearing sun glasses outside is preferred. Other than that I have no issues

I have many people ask me about the experience and all I can tell them is that it life altering.  For decades I was limited with glasses.  I had to constantly keep them clean, switch when in sun, and worry about breaking them.  If I counted up all of the money I spend on glasses, contacts, and sun glasses over the years it would go over if not double the amount LASIK costs.  As for Dr. Balin and her staff, simply amazing.  I owe my success to them.  I now see the world better than I ever have and it is because of their attention to detail, counseling, and follow through.  Thank You Dr. Balin.

Di Fazio Picoso Torpedo

The Di Fazio Picoso Torpedo arrived about 4 weeks ago and it has been resting nicely in my humidor.  As many of you know I like to rest my cigars at least 3 - 4 weeks before performing a review.  This allows the cigar to get properly condition and provide the best flavors possible.

Measurements:
Gauge: 52
Length: 6 1/8"
Strength:  Medium

Construction:
The cigar is constructed very well and was slightly spongy, which I feel provides a nice burn.  The cap was solid and cut very evenly.  The cigar has nice notes.  I saw no noticeable wrapper issues.  The wrapper was tight and had solid vanes running around the body.  

Lighting:
The cigar was easy to light and did not take much to get it started.  The light was even and it not create any bitterness in the first few puffs.  The smoke was thick and white directly after the burn.  Surprisingly it was not has heavy I thought it was going to be.

First 1/3:
The burn was smooth and even.  The first few puffs had a heavier pepper and spice note that soothed into a nice a Cinnamon and cedar overtone.  The cedar was more prominent when exhaling through the nose.  The Cinnamon was the perfect amount of sweet and spicy.  Much like the taste you get when you first open a Cinnamon jar.  The ash was white then grey and finally brown as the cigar reached the 2/3's mark.

 The 2/3:
The Cinnamon continued through the second third of the cigar. The sweetness of the cigar showed itself mellowing out the spice.  The cigar continued to be medium bodied.  Some cigars have a tendency to leave your mouth dry, but the Cinnamon notes helped keep my mouth moist as excitement ran from my teeth to my pallet.  The smoke was still thick and smooth.

The last 1/3:
I am one of those smokers whose weighs heavily on the number of times my cigar ashes.  I never force my cigar to ash as I believe it will do so when it needs too.  This also is a demonstration of the construction.  This cigar ashed once twice.  The first was slightly after the 2/3 mark.  The smoke at this point was very thick and luscious.   The Cinnamon still was discernible and the cedar started to come more to life.  The cigar still continued to be medium body.  The cigar ended after about an hour of smoking and left a nice smile on my face.

Conclusion:
This is must have in your humidor.  Personally I look forward to having my next Di Fazio Torpedo.  It is well constructed and not over powering even with what you may thing are strong flavors like Cinnamon and cedar.  I enjoyed this cigar with a nice IPA beer.  If you are interested in trying one you can click on "Mike's Cigars" at the end of the review for purchasing information.

Pairings:
Wine:  Red Zinfandel or Cabernet
Whiskey/Scotch:  Any woody scotch or whiskey, Woodford Reserve or Highland Park 18
Beer:  Oktoberfest Beers or IPA's

**Photographs - Kenneth Peters Photography ©