Comments on: Stumbling Toward…

By: Craig Hill

Craig Hill — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 00:56:37 +0000

I think I lost an argument with my 86 year old father and I’m upset about it…I was 50 when I had a cataract operation 2 years ago and wasn’t informed that there are both monofocal and multifocal interocular lens’ available, so given no option, I was implanted with a distance only IOl in left eye. I told father that he would need to wear reading glasses like me because there is no such thing as both near and far range implants. But, now today, after spending some time researching on the web, I find out that my memory impaired father has more smarts than me! Bottom line though, besides being upset that I wasn’t given the opportunity to choose for myself, am I at least right that if one is over 80 —especially well over 80, at 86 that they are inelligible for an IOL as a result of a cataract operation and would be required to wear cataract glasses due to age?

Craig

By: Pete

Pete — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 16:52:07 +0000

Have you tried the following?

Wear a contact in one eye for long distance vision(usually works best in the dominant eye) and no contact in the other eye, which should work pretty well for reading. I started this about 10 years ago at the suggestion of my opthalmologist and it has enabled me to avoid bifocals so far.

It might feel strange at first, but I think you will be surprised at how quickly you get used to it.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 02:35:33 +0000

La Shawn,
I’m also presbyopic: my problem was that very often I did not have my reading glasses when I need them. Because of that, I invented i4ulenses, credit card size reading glasses you keep in your wallet like a credit card. These are pinch nose lenses you perch in front of your nose and not the magnifiers you hold in one hand. Please check http://www.i4ulenses.com for more information about presbyopia.
Regards, Patrick

By: Kim

Kim — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 03:27:29 +0000

Hey La Shawn,
I turn 40 this month. Last year I was reading a book and realized that suddenly, it was out of focus. I could have sworn a few days prior I could read it just fine. I held the book closer, it was fine, further away, better but too far away to see the print. I went to the Doc and he told me it happens with age and typically because of sun damage. So I too, have joined in with the oldies crowd and now sport bi-focals. My hair is turning gray and I am starting to feel like an old lady. My kids make fun of me. sigh.

By: baldilocks

baldilocks — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 01:01:25 +0000

oops. forgot to close a tag

I think I closed the right one for you. Well, I’m getting used to my progressives, but it’s still a bit jarring to need them. – Admin

By: baldilocks

baldilocks — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 01:00:29 +0000

La Shawn,

In case you’re still…ahem…reading this, I’m near-sighted in one eye also, but didn’t get that way until a couple of years ago (when I was 43). I blame my mom (heh), who has worn coke-bottles since she was four years old.

Funny story…

When I found out that I needed bifocals, I called my mom up to whine about it, momentarily forgetting her vision history. “Oh, you poor baby” she said with exaggerated empathy. “Oh I’m so sorry.” Her tone jogged my memory.

“Mom, are you mocking me?”

Putting on her best June Cleaver voice, she said, “Why yes, Honey. Yes I am.” LOL.

Nothing like good parents to shake one out of one’s self-pity.

By: Andi

Andi — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 19:44:07 +0000

I’ve had bifocals for about four years now. Age wasn’t a factor, my eyes are just going bad! I too wear the progressive lenses, which are far more attractive than the ones with that prominent line. Not the end of the world. Darn computer screens are doing all of us in….

By: PhoebeMoses

PhoebeMoses — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 17:18:01 +0000

Lasik is nothing to fear. Very simple procedure. Mine took a total of about 15 minutes and was painless. Go to a reputable Lasik surgeon who has performed the procedure many times and has a proven track record. Pre-screening is very thorough. Some can’t have Lasik and I suspect that those who have had problems with their surgery were not screened properly. My myopia was very severe. I was considered legally blind 20/400 in left eye and 20/300 in the other since age 7. I was 47 when I had my surgery. I am now 53 and it was the best $$ I ever spent. I do have to wear readers which I buy off the rack for small print, but for me…someone who had to wear heavy glasses (contacts always created corneal abrasions)almost 24-7, light-weight readers are a welcome compromise. Go for it LaShawn!
As for getting older….well, who can fight it? I will go into that stage with as much gusto and grace that the very good Lord has given me.

By: GM Roper

GM Roper — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 13:18:01 +0000

La Shawn, I had Lasik on both eyes about 7 years ago. I was legally blind in my left eye and couldn’t see well out of the right

Needless to say, the operation was a smashing success, I went home that same day, took a 4 hour nap and haven’t needed glasses since and now I’m about (heh!) 60 and still don’t need anything. I used to be glasses for most everything, another pair for the ‘puter, and a third pair for distance. Like my fanny, all that is behind me now. Get the surgery, it is life changing.

By: RepJ

RepJ — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 05:54:01 +0000

I’ve needed corrective lenses since the 3rd grade. I just hope that my 2 week old daughter has her daddy’s eyesight which is 20/20.

The only advice I can give you, La Shawn, is that when you get the glasses it will take a day or so to get used to them. When I went from bi-focals to the progressives, some things looked magnified. The sensation goes away eventually.

By: Trish

Trish — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 02:01:58 +0000

It was my understanding that Lasik won’t work if you have severe myopia even if your prescription is very simple. Is this not correct?

By: Shannon McCoy

Shannon McCoy — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 19:41:46 +0000

Dont fear, Lasik surgery is safer these days!

Shannon

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 14:41:06 +0000

Progressives were no problem — just had to learn to move my head to find the sweet spot to focus on things at varied distances. However, after cataract surgery I had to go to traditional bifocals and they were very difficult to adjust to. I miss the progressives…

By: Pat

Pat — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 05:27:05 +0000

I’m nearing 40 and it’s nice to see I’m just having the usual problems. Bifocals, check; hair coloring, check; achy knees, check. I couldn’t do the bifocals though, I didn’t feel like I could focus properly when driving.

On the leg cramps – try eating a banana every day – worked for me. Your potassium may be a little low and this is a nice low-tech solution.

By: mamapajamas

mamapajamas — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 22:54:23 +0000

One of the main reasons I’m considering Lasik is because the vision in my right eye is radically worse than that in my left eye. I have astigmatism, and the curve that defines the problem called “astigmatism” is much worse in the right. That is the main reason my prescriptions are so expensive… the one really bad curve.

Lasik is exactly the sort of thing needed to correct astigmatism. The problem of needing reading glasses correction beyond Lasik goes with age, and I’m pushing 60. As of right now, however, if I want a pair of reading glasses to wear when I’m on the computer and not likely to drive anywhere, those, too, would be expensive because they have to be corrected from the base point of the astigmatism prescription. So WalMart reading glasses don’t work for me… I STILL have the problem of the two eyes being different.

Interesting comments, people .