Hi Sukigirl
Sounds more like the "oc health" didn't really know, so just recommended "not" to be on the safe side; rather than do some work and get a definitive answer for your friend.
Plenty of pilots and CC get their eyes lasered. I got my eyes done in 1997 and have never regretted it.
It's hard to describe to someone who's never relied on glasses for normal vision what it is like to wake up, open your eyes, and SEE, without having to fumble for glasses, contacts, etc!
The recovery times for people generally vary depending on the laser procedure. LASIK has a very short recovery time (around 24 hours), where other procedures may have a recovery time of a week or two.
There is plenty of info on the net about laser eye surgery.
Cheers
DIVOSH!