Cataracts anyone?

[wasanah2]

One thing I am facing pretty soon is the fact that I'm legally blind in one eye and going that way in the other.  Not to worry.  The eye doc can fix it.  All I need to do is get the cataracts removed and I should see about the same as I did before I grew them.  Anyway so I have to move in with relatives for a few days after the surgery for convalescing.   They do one eye at a time, so they are starting with the blind one.

So when I went to see the doc, all I knew was I couldn't see well at all with one eye, and I thought surely I was going to die...I must have an eye tumor or worse yet, a brain tumor or some kind of deadly eye disease.  I kept reading these horror stories of eye eating parasites that live in and feast on the eye.  I was pretty worked up, then that same day I saw the doc, I saw an article about all the people who die in Walmart parking lots in a calendar year.  I had planned to live a long life, but when the time comes, I sure as hell don't want to die in a Walmart parking lot.  Jeez, I'd like to go out more upscale than that when I do go....

But as I was voicing my concerns and my final wishes to the doc, he started laughing at me.  He told me I had common, although aggressive, cataracts.  I told him I was too young for cataracts, it had to be something else, maybe he should look again.  Then he said even BABIES can have cataracts.   By this time he was REALLY laughing about my internet research on eye eating parasites because I was half trying to tell him WHY it had to be parasites.

So he said the surgery wasn't a big deal.  They don't even put you all the way out when they do it.   I asked him, what if you WANT to be all the way out?  Evidently, even though he was laughing at me, he was pretty serious I wasn't going to die from cataract surgery, but that I would indeed soon be legally blind in both eyes if I didn't do it.  That's so unfair.  I don't even get a choice.  I thought what if I don't show up, but they already arranged to pick me up at my aunt's house.  So it looks like I have to go through with it.  And of course, I know it's the right thing to do.

That's why I quit driving after dark.  It was too dangerous.  So until after the first surgery, I'm hooked up to shore power in a campground, and then I'll stay with my aunt for a couple days when I go in later this month for the surgery.   I'm lucky to have relatives nearby. 

All of this to say that it's pretty scary when you're an armchair eye doc and you read all the obscure diseases and try to diagnose yourself.   The doc had a good laugh, and I grew a few new gray hairs over it. 

Have any of you ever had cataract surgery?  Is it really not a big deal?  I think I'll feel better if others have gone through it and it was as easy as the doc made it sound.

 

[Moxadox]

Jeez, I'm sorry you've been going through this scary time. And I'm really, really sorry your doc laughed at you. I mean, yeah, when you have something scary like losing your vision....even if you've been doing the Google thing, and maybe found some way weird reasons for people losing their vision, hell, it's not a laughing matter.

Both of my parents had cataract surgery in their 50s. It actually improved their vision so much, so dramatically, that each of them said they wished they had done it sooner and not been scared. So that's my sample size of two!

I'm glad you have someone to stay with while you recover. Will your aunt be taking you to your surgery appt?

--Dr. Laura

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[B and C]

I had it done on one eye. My opthamologist said it was time as the lens was getting really yellow. I hadn't realized how much I couldn't see until afterwards, the colors! I have a little yellowing in the other eye also but not bad enough to have it changed.

Surgery is nothing to be afraid of, you don't need to be knocked unconscious. It is a little erie seeing the old lens getting broken and taken out. You will only see white for a short time until the new lens is slid inplace. They put a patch on your eye and you recover in a comfortable room. When you are fully awake, you are released to someone that will drive you home. They will let you know how long to leave the patch inplace.

The first time I removed the patch and saw, behold colors! For the first day only I could see the little dots in a grid on the lens. Thought I was gong to see them from there on out but were gone the next day.

Be calm, nothing to worry about and easy peasy. Don't get yourself worked up over it.

 

[RowanFae]

I had cataract surgery in my my right eye when I was in my 40's. Steroid medicines I had to take were the culprit.

You can request, or in my case insist, that you be put under a slightly heavier sedation if you are very anxious about the surgery. I knew there was no way in hell I could sit there calmly while objects were mucking about in my eye.

I still need to get my left eye done, but I see so much better out of my right eye. Basically, I use my right eye to drive-see at a distance and my left eye to read.

 

[ratfink56]

Had both of mine done this spring. I too was legally blind in one eye. And couldn't see out of the other. The surgeries were a breeze.

The bad part was keeping track of the drops. Normally there are three. I had five due to pressure problems. Which drops how many times a day and for how long. Some of the drops went on for four weeks. My surgeries were four weeks apart so I was using drops for two months. My wife printed a calendar page and color coded the drops. That way I knew which drops and how many times a day since that varied. But we made it.

I no longer wear glasses except to read. Unfortunately my vision is only 20-50 due to macular degeneration which cannot be stopped or repaired. Only slowed down with otc meds. I'm 62 and have the vision of an 80 yo person.

I urge anyone reading this who has not had an eye exam in the recent past to get one. You may think you see fine but md can sneak up on you. Best to find out early and take measures to protect yourself.

 

[wasanah2]

Thanks for the info!  I don't feel so bad with your sample size of 2.  Yes, I'm really lucky to have my aunt to stay with.  I'm not sure what I would have done without a family member nearby.  The surgical center picks up the local people going in (due I think to little parking space at the center) and so I have to be ready at 5:30 in the morning of the 24th at my aunt's house.  The doc sounds like it's really routine.  It's so weird when it's your eyes, and I've been really healthy my whole life.  I often go years without using my health insurance, but it's getting a work out this year.

 

[wasanah2]

I had it done on one eye.  My opthamologist said it was time as the lens was getting really yellow. I hadn't realized how much I couldn't see until afterwards, the colors!  I have a little yellowing in the other eye also but not bad enough to have it changed.

Surgery is nothing to be afraid of, you don't need to be knocked unconscious.  It is a little erie seeing the old lens getting broken and taken out.  You will only see white for a short time until the new lens is slid inplace.  They put a patch on your eye and you recover in a comfortable room.  When you are fully awake, you are released to someone that will drive you home.  They will let you know how long to leave the patch inplace.  

The first time I removed the patch and saw, behold colors!  For the first day only I could see the little dots in a grid on the lens.  Thought I was gong to see them from there on out but were gone the next day.

Be calm, nothing to worry about and easy peasy.  Don't get yourself worked up over it.

Thanks so much for this detail.  This helps a lot.  I would freak out if I could see the lens getting broken.  And seeing white for a short time would be extremely weird and scary.  I read seeing white would mean you're getting a detached retina.  That would be really bad.  I have read up a lot about this but not anyone who spelled out what I would see.  This is helpful.  Thank you!

 

[wasanah2]

I had cataract surgery in my my right eye when I was in my 40's. Steroid medicines I had to take were the culprit.

You can request, or in my case insist, that you be put under a slightly heavier sedation if you are very anxious about the surgery. I knew there was no way in hell I could sit there calmly while objects were mucking about in my eye.

I still need to get my left eye done, but I see so much better out of my right eye. Basically, I use my right eye to drive-see at a distance and my left eye to read.

I think I need to do the same and tell them that I'm nervous.  I think they will see it without me saying it though.  I was shaking so bad when I went to the eye doc.  I HATE DOCTORS.  I only go if I'm really bad off and I waited till I was blind to get an eye check and they asked me how long it had been since the last one and I said 20+ years.  I hate doctors of all kinds and it's a blessing to me that I don't take medications and I'm healthy and well.

 

[wasanah2]

Had both of mine done this spring. I too was legally blind in one eye. And couldn't see out of the other. The surgeries were a breeze.

The bad part was keeping track of the drops. Normally there are three. I had five due to pressure problems. Which drops how many times a day and for how long. Some of the drops went on for four weeks. My surgeries were four weeks apart so I was using drops for two months. My wife printed a calendar page and color coded the drops. That way I knew which drops and how many times a day since that varied. But we made it.

I no longer wear glasses except to read. Unfortunately my vision is only 20-50 due to macular degeneration which cannot be stopped or repaired. Only slowed down with otc meds. I'm 62 and have the vision of an 80 yo person.

I urge anyone reading this who has not had an eye exam in the recent past to get one. You may think you see fine but md can sneak up on you. Best to find out early and take measures to protect yourself.

Hey Ratfink, I feel for you with MD.  That's awful.  I hope it's really slow acting and that your OTC meds work for you.  In searching my own problem I ran into reading about AMD and it's not a picnic, but those AREDS are really helpful and have shown to halt progress.  I think the eye eating parasite was worse, but not much.  I hope for the best for your eyes.  And I agree with you, everyone should get an eye exam.  I even had insurance to pay for it but I hated doctors so much I wouldn't go until I was legally blind in one eye.

I was given an Rx for 3 different drops and you're right, it's confusing what I need to do and for how long and such.  I think it's a great idea to make an eyedrop chart.  Even with only 3, it can get confusing.  I'll make that chart before I start the drops. 

Such helpful info.  THANK YOU so very much!

 

[mpruet]

I had cataract surgery this year.  The bad eye (left) was done in late May and the right one was done mid-June.  No they don't fully put you under, but I still had an anthologist present who gave me a drug which made me very relaxed.  The whole procedure only lasted maybe 6 minutes and I had no pain.  They apply a numbing solution on the eye and that will make it difficult to see anything during the procedure so you don't see any knife coming at you - etc. 

The after results have been wonderful.  I now have 20/20 vision for distance.  I have to wear reading glasses, but I can just get over-the-counter readers from Walmart.  I'm not having to use glasses for driving etc. 

I wouldn't worry too much about the procedure.  Just be aware that you're not going to be able to drive for a while until both eyes have been done and healed. 

The most difficult thing about the whole procedure is having to wear an eye-patch while the eye is healing.

 

[wasanah2]

I had cataract surgery this year.  The bad eye (left) was done in late May and the right one was done mid-June.  No they don't fully put you under, but I still had an anthologist present who gave me a drug which made me very relaxed.  The whole procedure only lasted maybe 6 minutes and I had no pain.  They apply a numbing solution on the eye and that will make it difficult to see anything during the procedure so you don't see any knife coming at you - etc. 

The after results have been wonderful.  I now have 20/20 vision for distance.  I have to wear reading glasses, but I can just get over-the-counter readers from Walmart.  I'm not having to use glasses for driving etc. 

I wouldn't worry too much about the procedure.  Just be aware that you're not going to be able to drive for a while until both eyes have been done and healed. 

The most difficult thing about the whole procedure is having to wear an eye-patch while the eye is healing.

That is good.  I don't want to see anything.  I didn't know I would have an eye patch.  It makes sense now that you mention it.  Nobody mentioned that.  How long did you have to wear it?

 

[mpruet]

I had to wear my patch at night for three nights.  And I had to wear it all day after the surgery.  The purpose of the patch is to stop you from rubbing your eye until the eye has had time to heal.

 

[wasanah2]

Oh okay.  Yeah that makes sense.   I suppose it feels a bit itchy after all the numbness wears off.  I have 3 bottles of different drops to deal with too.   Thanks for the info.

 

[JohnHarrelson]

About 18 yrs ago While taking my morning shower I noticed that I had trouble seeing with my right eye.

I immediately made an appointment with the VA eye clinic and was diagnosed with "Right-Angle" Glaucoma. 
It was too late to save the right eye even with the operation that cut a "Flap" in the eyeball to relieve the pressure. 

I still have 20-20 in my left eye so I can still legally drive. However I have cataracts on both eyes but the doctor said she did not want to take the chance of a cataract operation on the good eye until it became absolutely necessary.

I take 2 different eye drops twice a day to keep the pressure from building up in my eyeballs. 

For you folks who may not know what causes Glaucoma, it is caused by a pressure build up inside the eyeball that destroys the optic nerve at the back of the eye that collects the image from the lens and transmits it to the brain.  

Best Wishes,
John

 

[wasanah2]

Wow John, that must have been so scary when it happened!   Did you have to wait long to get into the VA?   I know wait times are bad at VA facilities and you had a time sensitive issue!   I hope the drops help you with the pressure. 

You know I saw a statistic on TV recently that said that something like 90 percent of people worry that they will go blind by the time they reach old age.  YET, they asked the same people when the last time they had an eye exam...and the numbers that had had one recently, like in the last year, were dismal. 

I know it was more than 20 years for me.  I was using Dollar Tree readers for my reading glasses which is fine, but the cataracts I had were like an overnight thing that I noticed in one eye.  Doc said I noticed it because it was an aggressive PSC type that grows fast.  AND the fact that it was right in the center of my eye meant that it had my attention.  It smudged out everything straight ahead.

John, I read somewhere that chances of a cataract removal complication are higher with people who already have another eye affliction.  It could be your doc is trying to wait as long as possible to do the removal on the good eye for that purpose.    I wish you the best on your eyes, and also thanks for your service!
-W

 

[mpruet]

My son is an ophthalmologist who specializes in Glaucoma.  There is a new procedure that can be used in Glaucoma treatment that involves using a shunt as part of a normal cataract surgery.  It has far fewer complications that the traditional hole that is drilled into the eye to reduce pressure. 

For folks that don't know about Glaucoma - as John mentioned it causes an increase in the interior fluid pressure and will damage the optic nerve resulting in permanent blindness.  Generally there are no symptoms until it is too late. Diabetics are especially prone to Glaucoma.  The most common way to diagnose glaucoma is the air pressure 'puff' test.  Even if you currently have 20/20 vision, you should still see an eye doctor annually if for no other reason than to check for other eye diseases that can occur as you age.

 

[mpruet]

I know it was more than 20 years for me.  I was using Dollar Tree readers for my reading glasses which is fine, but the cataracts I had were like an overnight thing that I noticed in one eye.  Doc said I noticed it because it was an aggressive PSC type that grows fast.  AND the fact that it was right in the center of my eye meant that it had my attention.  It smudged out everything straight ahead.

-W

PSC  (posterior subcapsular cataracts)  are cataracts which form at the back of the lens.  They tend to form more quickly and affect vision much more dramatically than the 'aging' cataracts that most folks have.  Typical cataracts are called nuclear cataracts and tend to grow rather slowly so the visual impact is much slower.  However even the early impact of a cataract can cause a gradual loss of visual sharpness because the cataract will tend to diffuse the light rays entering the eye.  This will  make it hard to have a focus point on the retina making it nearly impossible to get a sharp vision even with corrective glasses or contacts.   This is such a gradual process that the person is usually not even aware of a weakening of their vision until they try to pass their next eye exam during a license renewal.

 

[JohnHarrelson]

Wow John, that must have been so scary when it happened!   Did you have to wait long to get into the VA?   I know wait times are bad at VA facilities and you had a time sensitive issue!   I hope the drops help you with the pressure. 

You know I saw a statistic on TV recently that said that something like 90 percent of people worry that they will go blind by the time they reach old age.  YET, they asked the same people when the last time they had an eye exam...and the numbers that had had one recently, like in the last year, were dismal. 

I know it was more than 20 years for me.  I was using Dollar Tree readers for my reading glasses which is fine, but the cataracts I had were like an overnight thing that I noticed in one eye.  Doc said I noticed it because it was an aggressive PSC type that grows fast.  AND the fact that it was right in the center of my eye meant that it had my attention.  It smudged out everything straight ahead.

John, I read somewhere that chances of a cataract removal complication are higher with people who already have another eye affliction.  It could be your doc is trying to wait as long as possible to do the removal on the good eye for that purpose.    I wish you the best on your eyes, and also thanks for your service!
-W

Thanks W
I got an appointment the next day after calling the Reno VA hospital.
Up until the veterans started coming back from the Gulf war and all the other "Arab" wars the wait time for a VA appointment was within 24 to 48 hours of asking for it. The sudden influx of new veterans overwhelmed the system and things got pretty bad for a while.

The Reno VA Hospital was and still is the best on the west coast.. Iv'e talked to people who traveled all the way from Oregon and California, bypassing other VA centers near their home just because of the good rating given the Reno VA by other veterans .

Another fact that plays a big part in how quick a veteran gets in is their rating.. there are 8 different tiers and I am in tier #3 as a disabled veteran with a plate in my head so I normally get in pretty quick. and of course if it's an emergency every veteran is seen right away.

And yes it was a very scary time, for about a year. I had to drive "over the hill" to Mather Field VA hospital near Sacramento once a week, first for the operation and then for follow up appointments. 

At the time there was no facility in Reno for anything more than an eye exam for glasses. The following year the Reno center opened a complete eye care center for everything having to do with the eye.. 

The normal pressure in the eye should be around 14 or 15, mine was 20 + before the eye drops brought it back down to 18 or 19 which is still high, but now under control. I have an automatic recurring eye appointment every 90 days with the ophthalmologist.

 

[wasanah2]

PSC  (posterior subcapsular cataracts)  are cataracts which form at the back of the lens.  They tend to form more quickly and affect vision much more dramatically than the 'aging' cataracts that most folks have.  Typical cataracts are called nuclear cataracts and tend to grow rather slowly so the visual impact is much slower.  However even the early impact of a cataract can cause a gradual loss of visual sharpness because the cataract will tend to diffuse the light rays entering the eye.  This will  make it hard to have a focus point on the retina making it nearly impossible to get a sharp vision even with corrective glasses or contacts.   This is such a gradual process that the person is usually not even aware of a weakening of their vision until they try to pass their next eye exam during a license renewal.

That must be what it was.  I just remember PSC and he remarked that the cataract was aggressive as it seemingly appeared overnight.  I don't know about diffusion of light but I just can't see.  It's like someone took Vaseline and smeared it over my lens.  I also saw multiples if I could figure out a letter on the chart.  I could see the initial E but after that the next line was something like a P or F and there were 3 of them.  Evidently the bubbling (that was the word he used) of the cataract on the lens was making for such distortions.  Do you have any idea what caused the PSCs (as both eyes have them, but the other eye isn't affected as badly--yet)?  Did I eat too little vitamin A or something?

 

[wasanah2]

Thanks W
I got an appointment the next day after calling the Reno VA hospital.
Up until the veterans started coming back from the Gulf war and all the other "Arab" wars the wait time for a VA appointment was within 24 to 48 hours of asking for it. The sudden influx of new veterans overwhelmed the system and things got pretty bad for a while.

The Reno VA Hospital was and still is the best on the west coast.. Iv'e talked to people who traveled all the way from Oregon and California, bypassing other VA centers near their home just because of the good rating given the Reno VA by other veterans .

Another fact that plays a big part in how quick a veteran gets in is their rating.. there are 8 different tiers and I am in tier #3 as a disabled veteran with a plate in my head so I normally get in pretty quick. and of course if it's an emergency every veteran is seen right away.

And yes it was a very scary time, for about a year. I had to drive "over the hill" to Mather Field VA hospital near Sacramento once a week, first for the operation and then for follow up appointments. 

At the time there was no facility in Reno for anything more than an eye exam for glasses. The following year the Reno center opened a complete eye care center for everything having to do with the eye.. 

The normal pressure in the eye should be around 14 or 15, mine was 20 + before the eye drops brought it back down to 18 or 19 which is still high, but now under control. I have an automatic recurring eye appointment every 90 days with the ophthalmologist.

I'm so glad you were seen quickly at the VA.  So many sad stories about waiting and with your condition, waiting wasn't a good option.  I'm happy you are a tier that's up there, but I wonder at the guy at the bottom of the tiers with the same condition who might not get seen so quickly since it's time sensitive.  I heard talk they were going to make sure veterans got served faster, but I tend to miss a lot of news (which is okay because most of it is unbelievable) as a nomad.  I hope all the vets are getting served now much faster than before.  What you have is something that should never have to wait, no matter the tier.