Found out yesterday I have cataracts in both eyes
 

That was a shock. I knew my eyes were getting worse and needed new glasses, but that happens almost every year for me. I didn't know the reason this year was partly due to cataracts in both eyes, dead center. Holy shit, I'm only 44, normally people are a lot older before forming them. She could get my eyes corrected to about 20/25, I had to really squint to see that, so no surgery yet, but that will happen some time in the future.

Fortunately, it is a pretty easy procedure, and sounds like it will even correct my vision when they do it, and has very low risk of complications, so that is a big positive. |thumb

The lady at Costco where I went and got my new perscriptions filled told me pray for the fast growing. Some people their vision gets worse very slowly, and they have to live with blurry vision for a long time before their insurance will cover the surgery. Being in the industry that we are in, that sounds horrible. My eye Dr. told me she had a feeling though I might have the fast growing, since they developed so much in just the last year.

I'm getting this time special computer glasses that correct mid distance and reading to help with reading the computer. The eye Dr. said that would make a huge difference since and I can't wait to get them.

Guess this is what 18 years of living in Hawaii being blue eyed and not always wearing sunglasses gets ya. All I can say is take my advice, always wear sunglasses outdoors.

Sorry to hear that about your eyes. At least it's not that alarming... and thanks as well for the advice :)

You don't think about it when you are young. I fished, dove, and swam a LOT when I lived in HI, and sun reflecting off water is about the worst. Many times you couldn't really wear sunglasses, or the sun didn't seem "that bright". My son is 25, I'm making sure I tell him, so that when he moves here he wears sunglasses outdoors. Eye dr said it is really common here too because the sun is so bright.

Wow Virginia that is shocking news to just think you are going in for a routine exam and then find out you will eventually have someone working on your eyes.

Sounds as if you are taking some good corrective and protective measures.. and just gives me one more reason to run from the desert as soon as possible.

Ouch...that sucks V :(

I didn't have that much exposure to sun when I was younger, but did have tons of hours looking at numbers on spreadsheets. Seems like my near vision gets worse every damn year. Oh, and I am getting lots of sun NOW...whoops :D

Hope the corrective actions you're taking help to stave off the surgery |thumb

The surgery bit
 

Hi Cherry,

I'm the same age and going through the same thing. With me it was the sun on the snow that hurt me the worst when I worked outdoors. Working later in life with puters all the time likely didn't help either. Never bothered with sunglasses, never thought about it.
An older friend had the surgery though, said it didn't take long and they just do one eye at a time. In and out, no sweat. Says he sees better now than he ever has.
Hope it works out that well for you!

Oh dear... so sorry to hear that, I wish you the best and am hopeful they can correct it for you asap.

Jesus, that does seem young to have cataracts. Well, good luck to you.

That's the kind of shocks we can do without. Sorry to hear you'll have to deal with that. I looked into the surgery for my ex and we heard many stories of people seeing better than they ever did afterwards.

That reminded me of Larry the Cable Guy's bit... "I believe that some times you have to crash the truck to get the insurance money to make the truck payment."


Personally, I believe if healthcare was a person, we'd all take turns beating the crap out of him.

Wishing you much good fortune.

:)

Getting old is a bitch isn't it Red Cherry :D
My Dad just went through cataract surgery the operation was a piece of cake.
His biggest bitch about the whole thing was they did one eye at a time two weeks apart and made him wait 2 weeks after the second operation to get new glasses, so he went a month wearing glasses with the wrong perscription

That's damn funny Simon...and also TRUE!

That's a bit of a shock. I hope it turns out OK.

Holy fuck, going 1 month wearing glasses with the wrong perscription, I'd be puking from my eyes seeing such different images. I'll have to get my right (lazy) eye done first, that won't bother me so much. Maybe I could just remove my glasses lense for that side while waiting, won't that be a sight

Thanks everyone for the kind wishes. It is still a bit of a shock. Most of the time I don't think about it until I have to get 2 feet from my monitor to read something. Hurry with those new glasses, they will help some.

The more I read about the surgery, the less afraid I am of it. It sounds like it is pretty simple, very low chance of complications too. I'm more worried about it progressing very slowly, and walking around with fuzzy vision for years. I think though if it interfers with my job, the health insurance company will ok it even if I'm not at their 20/40 threshhold.

I am planning on calling my health insurance, which does not know about this yet, and seeing if I could get my deductible knocked down to 1500 from 3000 and what the difference in the monthly premium would be. that would make it a lot cheaper. Also going to see what adding vision coverage would cost, since I'm probably going to be getting glassess a little more often now. :(

At least this is a medical issue, so even if I don't get vision coverage, my health insurance covers it. And I've had the policy for a year now, and it just got diagnosed, so they can't bitch pre-exisiting condition thank GOD.

SheepGuy, are they talking surgery yet, or are they waiting for it to progress more? I'm sad you are going through it, but glad I'm not alone in being young with it. Geeze, could be snow for me too, I grew up 18 yrs in MI out in the snow alot. Guess I just had the worst of both worlds.

DocHolly, not running from the desert, I LOVE it here despite. Best place I've ever lived. |thumb

I agree, isn't that the truth? I hate being self insured. They tried to yell pre-existing condition on something and I got to point out I had been to a Dr. once for a cold in the 3 or so years before I got the insurance, so they shut up about it. Luck of the draw I wasn't on any meds when I signed up. I still have nighmares about getting diagnosed with something (like this for instance) and they up and cancel on me. Makes me want to |catfight| . I was sooooo spoiled in Hawaii, they have the best damn health care I've ever seen. Too bad the rest of the US isn't like that.

Had a relative that had to get her eyes done when she was 15. You should have seen the look on the nurse at the hospital when they called her name to get ready for surgery.|shocking|

Best of luck RC, and they may be able to correct some of your vision problems while they are at it.

Sorry to hear that Red Cherry, I am wondering what cataracts is though, I have no idea!

I would really appreciate a discription of what it is since I have always had 20/20 eye site but within the last couple of years my eyesite has been steadily declining to the subtitles on the TV being a bit blurred now, I have a pair of reading glasses now, but my problem isn't with reading, it is in seeing things from afar, and the people who do the testing at the place where I get my glasses keep telling me I need reading glasses, I don't really get why I need reading glasses when I cant see the white board from the backrow of a classroom (I could see the very same white board from the same distance a few years ago)

Thanks

Xallow

That sucks to hear Virginia... I hope it all works out fine.

Xallow -> http://www.stlukeseye.com/Conditions/Cataracts.asp

Thanks Fonz

Now I know what Cataracts is... You learn something new every day don't You

My father is going to have this surgery in the next couple of months. He gave me a forewarning I think I should share.

His doctor stated that any cuts or damage to the eye increase your chances of cataracts. My father years ago had a surgery to correct his vision called RK, I believe. This was before LASIK became so standard around here. His doctor said because of these type of procedures, the cuts to the eye to correct vision, there will be far more cataract surgeries in the future.

I had thought about lasik surgery but had already ruled it out because of the horror stories when it goes wrong. A very very low percentage but I am not willing to gamble my eyesight. I gave this piece of info to a friend before his consult and when he asked them about this. He said they gave that strange deer in the headlight look before giving what he called a scripted response.

Thought I would share for those considering corrective eye surgery :)

I've known many people to have cataracts removed and even 30 years ago when my father had it done one eye at a time the recovery was pretty fast.

Even so, it still sucks and I wish you the best.