Yesterday we leveled the floor in Jane’s bedroom. Two 50 lb bags of Quikrete leveling underlayment, and an ordinary power drill. Because we couldn’t use a 5 gallon bucket-type mixer, we divvied it into 5 pound lots with a kitchen scales, added 2 cups water, and mixed in a little bucket with a paint stirrer and our little regular drill. We got ‘er done.
I’m going to have the first cataract surgery on the 14th, so I have to do all the heavy lifting and exertion before then. Trying to get the house back in order. It’s getting to where I can’t distinguish pastel colors as well, and it’s like looking through a fog on the right eye–you know how it looks if you get oil in your eye, just kind of filmy. Real annoying. I can’t drive after dark because of the multiple refractions. The right eye is the worst. Really worst. And it was getting markedly worse last year. By this summer, when we found out about the shortened deadline for Convergence, it was profoundly worse and getting worser… By early November, I realized I should NOT drive after sundown. I can use the computer, I can see far off, but the reason I got the smart phone was that it was the only number pad I could cope with, something I could read. If this works, maybe I can go to a cheaper phone—though having it during the recent emergency was really helpful.
Two weeks!
my first cataract surgery was interesting…when the ophthalmologist used his little sonic pen to measure the length of my eyeball, the cataract was so thick he couldn’t get a good reading until several tries…glad they’d numbed my eyeball…not comfortable. If I closed my left eye, it was like looking through an old horn window, all yellow, and smack dab in the center of the focal axis.
The second cataract was a little more pernicious, and the ophthalmologist insisted that it wasn’t causing my multiple refractions. So, he ordered a contrast MRI on my brain, because he thought the cause might be neurological, not physical. Back and forth between the ophthalmologist and neurologist, and one chance remark I made to the neurologist nailed the cause. (I wasn’t supposed to be driving after dark, and I got caught late as I was driving home just after sunset. When I arrived at the 4-way stop intersection just before my home, I noticed that the image of the stop sign converged from 3 blurred images to a single image. That was a key discovery.) So, back to the ophthalmologist who finally decided that, yes, the cataract was the cause, and they got me set up for surgery, and afterward, I had 20/20 vision. I’ve been fortunate, no more contact lenses, no more super prescription glasses – I’d lost a pair during a kayak lesson, even though I had on the retaining strap – I still need reading glasses, though, for close-up, computer, etc., work.
I hope everything goes well for you. As I approach my own senility my eye doctor says that I have a very mild cataract which she is looking at.
Having no power can be a lot of fun. But you were not having below freezing nights.
Rained a lot up here in NH.
My eye condition changed around 2004, requiring some in-office laser surgery. (Not LASIK, which won’t help me.)
I need to go in for a new exam and glasses prescription, by the way.
Since the surgery and follow-up, my color perception changed gradually, but significantly, and this really still bothers me. It’s very strange. I used to have very, very fine color perception, despite that my visual acuity (etc.) was so poor. But without really noticing the change, my color perception shifted. I’m male, but not colorblind, and this is unrelated to genetic colorblindness. I wonder, though, if it’s related to color perception differences that show up in various languages.
Now, I have trouble in the orange-to-magenta range, which in dark colors, equatest to brown-to-(reddish)-purple range. I also have some trouble in the mid-blue (azure) to cyan-to-green range. This can be *very* annoying, because I am not likely to see it, and then I’ll notice it by contrast and…it’s like my eyes are lying to me. Very, very disconcerting, to know something you used to have is more difficult or not there. — And when I’d asked about it, I couldn’t get any clear answer as to what causes it or if it could be fixed. Meaning, apparently not. It seems to be so esoteric that they aren’t sure about color perception to begin with, much less how to correct any trouble with it.
So…I deal with it as best I can. But I really don’t like it. I want good color vision again. :-/ So I put up with it. But it’s very strange.
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The topic of vision led to thinking about my vision problems due to being born preemie. (Prematurely.) — This led to wondering about clones such as azi, so I’ll have a question in the Alliance/Union section of the blog.
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My grandmother had excellent results from her cataract surgeries. She was very pleased. She said she noticed a difference in her color perception, but that it helped clarity and acuity a lot. It didn’t resolve her own vision acuity too much, but she said she noticed a difference.
Here’s hoping you’ll have great results. Cataract surgery is a relatively trouble-free procedure, these days, a lot of advances have been made. Getting one eye done and then the other is smart. I’m sure they’ll caution you about sunglasses when you’re outside until you’re healed up, and have Jane or someone drive you home after the surgery. Best Wishes! Dec. 14th? Well, you should be able to enjoy Christmas fully by then!
Are you certain the color change isn’t the usual age-related change due to the lenses discoloring? Those who dye their hair can end up with blue hair because they mis-perceive the color. Your brain will subtract off any constant input from your perceptions. For example, I had a plugged ear for so long my brain stopped subtracting off the scritch, scritch, scritch of my shirt collar as I walked; once my ear was cleared, it took a while for my brain to put the filter back in.
As an FYI to those reading here. I was having triple vision in oncoming headlights. Not cataracts, high blood sugar. I am beginning to notice a bit of color perception problems. I didn’t realize it, till I got scratched by Pascal accidentally and had an emergency eye doctor appointment where they did a color test. (I didn’t lift the cat high enough while lying on the bed. It was not his fault.) I do have the beginnings of cataracts. The information I am reading is very interesting. I have recently learned that early onset cataracts is common for diabetics.
Have had both eyes done, 10 years apart, as it turns out, the technology in the lenses has changed tremendously. The aspheric is noticeably sharper than the older lens. No issues at all. Same with my Mom who is 10 years older than you are, and Mother-in-law who is you age.
You will notice the difference as soon as you leave the office, and wonder why you waited so long.
Are you correcting your normal vision to 20-20? I still wear my glasses because I have worn them for over 50 years, but just have reading correction.
I am sure you will have a great result
I’m getting the standard lenses. I only notice the astigmatism with close vision, and I’m having the far vision lenses. This lets me use drugstore glasses for reading or at most a very simple astigmatism correction with reading power—which Medicare and my insurance will stand good for. I’m just happy they can do it!
I am sure it will go well.
The technology is changing rapidly. 10 years from now, the lens will be adaptive, and will give you back the eyes of a 20 year old.
They are moving to robotic surgery which will make the cut into the eye even smaller.
I did a lot of research before my 2ed, and it’s amazing what is happening.
No cataracts so far, although the astigmatism is becoming annoying, and I think I have to give up on the idea of bifocals. They just don’t work well for me, and I gave them a month to accustom my eyes. I truly only need driving glasses, for anything more than around 10 feet out; the nearby stuff is ignorable for the time being, and I have reading/computer glasses if necessary.
Best wishes on your own surgery, and getting the floor done to your satisfaction!
I empathize about the cataracts. I just had cataract surgery last month (one eye one day, the other the next day) with the astigmatism-correcting lens implants. The results are astounding, I see more and brighter colors than I remember and my vision is better than I ever remember it with glasses that I’ve been wearing since I was eight, which was way way long ago. The only problem was dry eyes which is almost gone now at about six weeks post-op. Hoping you have as smooth a process and as good an outcome as I have had. Four weeks after the procedure I was snorkeling in the Caribbean without glasses for the first time in my life. And I could see detail I never saw before.
Thanks much! I’m really hoping for a good result!
My mother had cataract surgery a few years ago (in her early 80s), and has been very pleased with her vision every since. She no longer needs distance glasses, but does need reading glasses.
Best wishes to you for an entirely uncomplicated procedure and recovery!