April 26, 2023

This paid piece is sponsored by Vance Thompson Vision.

Mel Murray is a lot of things for a lot of people. But best of all, the former nurse is a wife to Tim and a mom to their five kids.

It’s a busy, abundant life she wouldn’t dream of trading – even when the nights can be sleepless and the toddlers opinionated. “We are on the go from sunup to sundown – and often before and after that! There’s very little downtime and very little space for fussing over myself,” said Murray, who’s also an accomplished artist.

Murray, who isn’t prone to a lot of fussing anyway, credits the LASIK she had at Vance Thompson Vision nearly six years ago with making her self-care even easier. Before her surgery, she was dependent on glasses or contacts for clear vision. Today, she still claims it was one of the wisest decisions she has ever made.

“I would absolutely do it again! I see as well today as I did in the weeks and months right after the procedure. I could tell it was better almost immediately, and I told myself I would never take this vision for granted, but truthfully, I do anyway because now I’m so used to it being clear,” she said.

Her gratitude returns quickly when the Sioux Falls mom is with her twin sister, who wears corrective lenses. Watching her twin search for her glasses or listening to her describe a troublesome contact lens are reminders of the long-term freedom LASIK has afforded Murray. She also experiences lashes of gratitude doing her favorite pastimes: gardening and swimming.

Earlier this year, in support of the Spanish immersion education their children receive, the Murrays took their family to Barcelona, Spain.

“It was awesome not to have to pack anything extra like glasses or contacts – or even to have to make sure I had all of those things beforehand,” she said. “I tell a lot of people to get LASIK! It’s an amazing thing to be able to see without having to think about it or plan for it.”

Three of the Murrays’ five children wear glasses, and their mom is already considering how LASIK could benefit their lives one day. The minimum age for LASIK eligibility is 18, a short four years for their oldest.

“When I was in college, a friend’s parents gifted him LASIK for his graduation. That was in the early 2000s; it was so new that it seemed odd then, but now I’m already wondering if we shouldn’t try to do the same for our kids when the time comes,” Murray said.

Even though her procedure was several years ago, Murray does recall the mild anxiety she had leading up to it – anxiety that Dr. Vance Thompson, her surgeon, quickly put to rest as he carefully explained each step as he performed it. His demeanor also was encouraging. “I had a lot of questions, and I asked each one. No one was put out by my need to know all the details. In fact, it was Dr. Thompson’s confidence and his relaxed manner that put me the most at ease.”

It also helped that her husband had gone before her. His surgery was just a few months prior, and he had shared his experience with her. His effort paid off the day she scheduled her own consultation.

“Tim kept telling me ‘you have to do this; it’s so worth it!’” Murray said. “He was right. It really was, and I’m grateful I did it.”

Ready to schedule your free LASIK consultation? Call Vance Thompson Vision at 605-361-EYES (3937). Vance Thompson Vision has performed more than 100,000 eye procedures and includes locations across the Mid- and Mountain West.