June 9, 2025

This piece is sponsored by Vance Thompson Vision.

Avid traveler Kristen Merrick always looks forward to her next adventure.

“I love to travel and discover new places or trails that I can hike,” she said.

Before every trip, she made sure to pack the essentials.

“I was not able to go anywhere without glasses or contact lenses,” Merrick recalls. “When I traveled, I had to make sure I brought a backup pair of contacts as well as my glasses.”

Beyond her outdoor exploits, glasses and contacts also made home life feel like a difficult trek.

“I remember waking up at night when my children were infants, and it was really frustrating because I would need to find my glasses before I could get to them,” she said.

The issue followed her to work too.

“When I worked night shifts at the hospital, my contacts would dry out, and my eyes would be very irritated,” she said. “I would go home with red, scratchy eyes.”

In her early 20s, Merrick discovered a new path through Vance Thompson Vision — one that would change her life.

“I told my local optometrist I was interested in LASIK,” she said. “He kindly told me I would likely not be a candidate, but there were other options he could refer me to — ICL.”

ICL, or implantable collamer lens, is a small, flexible lens implanted into the eye to correct vision problems, primarily nearsightedness and astigmatism, without removing any corneal tissue.

“The testing was quick and simple,” Merrick recalls.

At Vance Thompson Vision, doctors performed thorough eye measurements to help give her the best possible visual outcome.

When it came to the operation, Merrick said it was just as breezy as the testing.

“It’s done in the surgery center, and the nurses were all fantastic,” she said. “They gave me an oral sedative, and I don’t remember much from my surgery. The recovery was also easy — I took drops for four weeks.”

Because of her high prescription, Merrick eventually became a candidate for LASIK after her ICL surgery. Luckily, LASIK was included in her package, so she was able to get it at no extra cost.

“Now I have 20/15 vision, which is better than I was ever able to see with contacts or glasses,” she said.

These days, whether she’s hiking a trail or walking through her living room, the only thing she carries with her is clear vision — and a clearer outlook on the journey ahead.

“I can go on vacation and not worry about bringing contacts, glasses or any backups,” she said. “It’s amazing to be able to wake up in the morning and see everything clearly.”

“Vance Thompson Vision is the best,” Merrick added. “They have a beautiful facility, kind, caring and fun staff, and the best doctors. Dr. Thompson is a great surgeon to work with. He is thorough and wants to make sure the plan for surgery is the best for the patient with the best possible outcome.”

If you’re wondering whether your vision could be better or want to find out if you are a candidate for laser or implant correction surgery, call your eye doctor or learn more through a consultation at Vance Thompson Vision.

To schedule an appointment, call 605-361-EYES (3937) or visit vancethompsonvision.com.