Wellness

[SeaMaiden]

I went in for my eye exam as I do every two years for my gas permeable hard  contact lenses and  my glasses. I  was diagnosed with cataracts!  ☹️  Just two years ago  during my last exam I had none. So these are fast growing.

 I  have noticed little things lately with my vision....dimness,  bright light bothered me.....sometimes one eye would seem fuzzy and  blurry....it would go away....I just attributed it to my eyes being dry or tired.  Nothing real dramatic, just little things

So, I am having  the cataract surgery in September.  I have worn hard contact lenses for over 45 years, since 10th grade. Never wore the soft. Very few people now wear the hard lenses...I am from the old school.    They have been wonderful.  Never had a problem ever.  Now I have to stop wearing  the hard lenses  So in 4 weeks or so ,when I have surgery, my eyes are in their natural state.  The HARD contacts  actually change the shape of your eyes.  Your eye conforms to the hard lense, where with soft lenses the soft lense confirms to your eye.    It will be interesting to see as my eyes adjust to not having the hard lense and how my vision REALLY is without correction. I am VERY nearsighted.  My eye doctor said after a couple weeks he will fit me with free temporary soft lenses to get me by until my surgery.  My eyeglasses will have to do for now....and within a week I am sure they will not work well either. 

So so all of this was a bit overwhelming.  Just did not expect it.  I could put the surgery off, but, I figure why put it off? With surgery I will have 20 20 vision without contacts!  To wake up and see the world in the morning with clear vision and not have to contacts in my eyes EVERYDAY.. sounds wonderful to me.  I do not mind having reading glasses as I am use to them anyway with the contacts.  

So, just sharing. I am sure many of you have had the surgery. Share if you wish. If anyone has had the hard contact lenses like me and had to ween off of them  before surgery you could tell me your story. 

Thanks for listening!🙂

[hoosieroriginal]

Last time I went to eye dr (quite a while ago I'm afraid to say) I had the start of cataracts.  I make sure I wear sunglasses everytime I'm outside.  My sister always wore sunglasses and warned me - I never listened - wish I had. 

[2blonde]

@SeaMaiden  Hey, welcome to the club!  I was diagnosed with the start of cataracts 4-1/2 years ago when I was 64.  I just had the surgery this last June, and I feel like a new woman!  No reading glasses, no distance glasses......nothing needed except for really tiny stuff.  I did pay the extra big bucks to get the multi-focal premium lenses (Symfony).  My medical ins. paid 90% for the actual surgeries, but they don't cover the premium lenses, only the standard junky ones.  That part cost me $3,000 per eye, but I don't regret it.

After the first eye was done, I could see 20/20 the very next day when he checked me.  I now see such bright whites and bright colors........I had no idea what I had lost.  Like you, the bright sun was blinding me, and I always felt like the lights in my house were getting dimmer.  After the first eye, I literally couldn't wait for the second one to be done two weeks later.

I was totally awake through the whole thing, which I highly recommend, as there was no drug hangover.  I just got up and walked out to my sister waiting in the car.  I wore dark glasses that day because the sun was too bright at first, but I took a ride on my bike only a couple hours after the surgery.   Enjoy your new eyes!

[granddi]

The longer you can leave your hard (gas perm) lenses off the more predictable your outcome Rx will be. Even soft lens wearers should leave off lenses for the prescribed amout of time. 

If you can get ORIGINAL eye reading from years ago this will help to get your post-op Rx accurate. 

[SeaMaiden]

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@hoosieroriginal wrote:

Last time I went to eye dr (quite a while ago I'm afraid to say) I had the start of cataracts.  I make sure I wear sunglasses everytime I'm outside.  My sister always wore sunglasses and warned me - I never listened - wish I had. 

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@hoosieroriginal  I have worn sunglasses  all the time...even cloudy days.  For years and years.   That makes little difference. My eye doctor said it is just a part of aging, like when your closeup vision goes in your 40's.

[SeaMaiden]

@2blonde  ThankYou for sharing! I understand that the insurance will not cover the lense that lets you see close up with out readers. THE BETTER LENSE.  Good for you getting that one! I will have . to decide if I can afford it.  I am so use to readers now, I do not think needing them after surgery will get  big deal.....but I need to think about that more.

[SeaMaiden]

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@granddi wrote:

The longer you can leave your hard (gas perm) lenses off the more predictable your outcome Rx will be. Even soft lens wearers should leave off lenses for the prescribed amout of time. 

If you can get ORIGINAL eye reading from years ago this will help to get your post-op Rx accurate. 

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@granddiI am hoping a month and a half will be enough time.   Thanks for sharing the info!

[Kachina624]

Ive had cataract surgery on both eyes and didn't come out of it with 20/20 vision.  In fact I need to make an appointment for an exam as my vision has gone downhill the past couple of years. 

The surgery itself is a piece of cake.  The worst part is having to use drops afterwards for a couple of weeks.  I had surgery in the morning and kept a dentist appointment in the afternoon.  Figured I might as well ruin the WHOLE day. 

[I am still oxox]

I had some sort of an anaomoly with my eyes I had my first cataract surgery at 38 and the second at 43.

[chlema]

@SeaMaiden Wow.  I will be having the surgery in November and sadly am not in a position to afford the big bucks lenses and will have to suffer with the standard junky ones.  Never heard them called junky before :-(.  My friend had the standard ones implanted last year and she can see just fine, no glasses needed - and she is 91 years old.  Guess I have to choose between the junk or blindness.