Nicholas Mencer
Knoxville, TN
Ever since he was a child, Nicholas Mencer wore glasses or contacts. “Mostly, I wore contacts and they were a hassle, dealing with all the little things,” he explains, “And I didn’t wear glasses much unless it was at the last minute or I my eyes were dry or I couldn’t get my contacts in. The constant maintenance was getting old.”
As he grew older, the issues became even more of a hassle for the 4thyear medical student. The Knoxville native would sometimes work crazy hours that involved him being on call at all hours of the night. Nicholas states, “When I am on call, I always have to be ready and messing around with contacts took up precious time. It finally got to the point where I knew that getting LASIK was necessary.”
Being able to enjoy his favorite hobbies to their fullest was also becoming difficult. He says, “I’m really into cross-fit and I love mountain biking. So, wearing contacts or glasses just didn’t go well with either of those activities. There’s the sweating with cross fit and the dirt and bouncing up and down while biking. Having to deal with my contacts was annoying.”
When he finally made the decision to get LASIK, it was an easy choice of where he would get the procedure done. Nicholas explains, “My step-mom is a local DJ and it seemed that she was always promoting Campbell Cunningham Laser Center, so I already knew where I needed to go to have the best experience and results possible. These are my eyes and as a future doctor, I wanted the best available.”
Once he made the decision to have the procedure, it didn’t take long to get the ball rolling. “I called them on a Monday, went in for my consultation that day. I told them I got a week off from school, let’s get this done. That Thursday I had the LASIK done,” Nicholas says, “They took care of everything. They knew I was a medical student and I would probably need financing which they took care of for me. It was very easy.”
On the day of the procedure, Nicholas was a tiny bit nervous but knew he was in good hands at Campbell Cunningham Laser Center. He confesses, “I’m used to medical procedures, obviously but hey, these are my eyes so maybe I was a little nervous but the staff was so laid back and they made me feel relaxed and calm.”
Nicholas states that everyone involved, from the receptionist, all the way to Drs. Campbell and Cunningham, everyone treated him with respect and kindness. “They did everything in their power to make my experience great. It was a low stress atmosphere. It was so great I even thought about going into Ophthalmology for a short time,” Nicholas admits.
When describing his experience to friends and family, he tells them, “Hands down. the best money I’ve ever spent. I couldn’t have asked for a better result.”
Nicholas claims that best thing is that he doesn’t have to worry about forgetting his glasses or re-ordering more contacts, or running out late at night because he is out of saline solution. He says, “It used to be when I went anywhere, I made sure I had my phone, wallet, contacts, contacts case, saline solution, glasses and now it’s just my wallet and phone and I am out the door.”