The greatest thing that ever happened to me was a bad case of cataracts in my late 50's. I was down to 20-400 vision. I didn't have a lot of choice, I had to have something done or remain legally blind for the rest of my days. I had micro surgery (where they cut out the old natural lens and replace it with plastic.) I had the first eye done, took about an hour, wore a bandage over it for about 24 hours, removed the bandage and had close to 20/20 vision in that one eye. No pain, no strain. They normally want you to wait 3 or 4 months before they do the other eye. I insisted that they go ahead and do the second eye, they still made me wait a month but I now after over 12 years I have 20/20 vision and bird with the best of them.
Jaeger near Chicago
The Optimist's Constant: Birds have wings, and no one has told them when or where they should be.
The Pessimist's Corollary: When birds use their wings, your timing or location will be wrong.
Hi Jaeger
I have got to admit I have had to have the same treatment as you have had here. It had to be done as a necessity (laser treatment is done through choice and lifestyle)
I have been shortsighted (since 10 years old), and now in the last year have near sightnesses too (aging process her at play) on top of having cataracts now :-C
I have been unlucky to have been told I have cataracts in both my eyes seven years ago (it was genetics more than anything) It was not through diabetes either. I am now 49 years old.
What I have been told of you have cataracts in one eye, you will have it in the other eye too.
The cataracts that I have are unusual, as they are growing from the outside of the lens towards the middle of the lens in my eye (not the central point of the eye, so that makes then slower to ripen)
Anyway, the vision in my left eye took a nose dive for the worst. So, in a short amount of time my sight became bad in this eye to the point that it started to affect my employment (I never confided to anyone at work, I had this problem as I felt it would put me in bad stead).
Having said all of this, I had my cataract removed (NHS) in my left eye last June, and the operation was a success. Now my vision in this eye is better than it ever has been. The hospital decided to lessen my shortsightness in my left eye, and now my line of vision is great from this eye.
The operation took 20 mins, I was told to go home and it meant some discomfort for the first night at home. I had to use eye drops for a month then all was fine again.
If you have an operation like this you cannot wear contact lenses for 3 months, as your eye needs time to recover. I wear contact lenses a lot.
The only thing that all of this procedure (in my case) will be repeated in the near future in my right eye (at least I know what to expect)
Another thing I have noticed with cataracts that if you use bins or a telescope there is always a solid black dot in the middle of the lens you are looking from. Can anyone explain why this is?
It is a bit of a hindrance if you are trying to look at a bird to have a black dot in front of your vision as an added bonus? It cramps your style and enjoyment of seeing animals close up.
Anyway I am pleased with the result that is the main thing.
Laser Treatment - I am all for that too, and feel if it helps the situation with inconvience with glasses, and contact lenses so much the better
Peewit
