Got cataracts!

[druryj]

No wonder that whole "focus on the front sight" thing ain't workin' out too good for me....my shooting has gone to hell; I can't hardly drive at night; I can't see crap beyond arm's length. Went to the eye Doc the other day and he said they gotta come out. Doc is gonna remove them here pretty soon. I sure hope this works! Going shooting this morning but I'll be lucky to hit paper...but at least I'll get my gunpowder fix. it's gotten progressively worse and ya know what? It sucks.

 

[jrusling]

Get it done ASAP. I could not believe just how bad my vision had gotten until I had mine fixed. Just make sure that you have a good doc. My wife has also had hers fixed.

 

[criticalbass]

Be sure to discuss exactly how you want to be able to see when it's done. There are several alternatives.

I'll bet you have had some steroids. Doc told me "steroids plus cataracts = fertilizer + weeds."

You can actually see your cataracts if you will put a tiny pin hole in a piece of foil, hold it up close to your eye and look at a fairly bright featureless area such as the sky. My right one looked like a cornflake made of crystal, and the left one looked like tree roots. Nobody believes me, but it works.

When you are done, you will see colors better than you have In a long time.

This is the doc who did mine nearly three years ago: http://www.mercy.net/doctor/jay-carter-johnston-md

I see very well now.

 

[Chief Sapulpa]

Had mine removed in 2011, lens replaced with intraocular implants...no more prescription glasses. I knew I was looking through waxed paper but not yellow/brown waxed paper...discovered after first eye surgery.
Downside is the side effect of floaters and Weiss ring (internet search it).
Its a pretty common procedure and like jrusling said "find a good doc".
I'm glad that I had it done.

 

[TerryMiller]

I can highly recommend getting the procedure done. I had my surgery back in May of 2013 by Dr. David Mallory on the recommendation of my optometrist. He is an exceptional surgeon and his staff is as well. Read about him at this link: Dr David Mallory - Southwest Eye Clinic

In reading about him, you will find that he is something of a pioneer in the industry of cataract surgery.

While my blog posting was more about God's "design" of humans, I did write a bit about my scheduled surgery back in April of 2013.

My vision prior to surgery had been something like 20-400, which is technically being legally blind, but in my last visit to my optometrist, he told me that the best he could do was correct my vision to 20-25 with glasses. He also told me that I would certainly need the surgery within a year, so with the knowledge that we might be retiring close to that year, we decided to go ahead that year with the surgery.

Now, without glasses, my vision has been corrected to 20-25. I went with some special lenses because of astigmatism in one eye. My right eye focuses at roughly 2 feet to 5 feet and my left eye focuses for long distances. I did have a set of prescription glasses done that gives me the ability to still shoot my rifles, even though my dominant eye (right one) is close focus.

By all means, get it done.

 

[UnSafe]

IIRC, Claude Monet, the turn of the century/ early 1900's artist, had his cataracts removed (way primitive, compared to today's methods) but could see colors so much better afterward that it's reflected in his paintings.

It's a very common procedure, done thousands of times daily in the US. As mentioned above, discuss your vision goals with your Ophthamologist. The implanted lenses may get you close to 20/20 at a distance, but some want better close vision. Don't forget to ensure that your insurance will cover new eyeglasses/ readers.

I'm about 5 yrs or less from having both eyes done, after progression of blast injury induced mild traumatic cataracts a long time ago (Tip-Stay around the corner of the concrete wall when detonating door breaching charges). I won't be using the OKC VA Med Ctr, their complication rate sucks.

The majority of folks are incredibly happy afterward. Wish you a great outcome as well.

 

[Lone Wolf '49]

What's going to be your excuse for not hitting paper after that? Seriously, good luck, rug rat.

 

[Mack45]

Google rezoom multifocal IOL.

 

[subprep]

I don't have cataracts but I do have a mild case of bells palsy and it causes my left eye to focus just a little bit slower than my right eye, my groups were just terrible, then finally when my eye doc figured out what was going on they put a prism on my lenses and my groups improved immediately. Good luck to you!

 

[aviator41]

Good luck man! Prayers that the procedure goes well and the results are stunning.

Let us know how well your vision improves. We live in an incredible time where stuff like this can be fixed. incredible!