Cataracts

[PiratePast40]

Just found out from the optometrist that I have cataracts. Left eye is now at 20/400 and right is 20/50. Set an appointment for an opthamologist in 2 weeks. Showed me the pictures of my eyes and was surprised how cloudy they were. He says they are most likely a side effect of the methotrexate that I've been taking for the last 4 or 5 years. Hate having my eyes messed with and wonder what the surgery is like. Will I still need glasses afterwards? Is it painful or annoying? How soon after can I go shooting?

At least I now have an excuse for how bad I've been shooting the last year or so!

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[GUNARCHER]

I have had more discomfort at the dentist than when I had cataract surgery.

 

[ron]

Educate me please. What is Methotrexate? What do you take it for?
Sorry to hear of your eye problems. Best wishes.

 

[PiratePast40]

For my use, methotrexate is for treating a type of rheumatoid/psoriatic arthritis. It reduces inflammation and reduces the advance of RA. It's used in other immune system disorders as well. I had no idea that cataracts were a possibility.

 

[Vendor Hidden]

Sorry to hear about the cataracts. I've been told I have one beginning in my left eye. I visit the optometrist every year (my family has a history of glaucoma), and they told me it will be a while before it'll be problem and need to be removed. For the time being I'm not noticing any problems.

I've been told the cataract surgery is simple and hardly noticeable. I don't know about recovery time, but I assume it's brief.

 

[edslhead]

The operation is more intimidating than painful. Heck your looking right at them doing it while fully awake. Try not to be squeamish and you'll be fine. You'll notice a difference immediately after but getting use to it will take a few days. I went on a ski trip the week after having my first eye done ( not recommend by the doctor ) and had no problems. I had both eyes done the same ( far sighted) and have to wear reading glasses now. Mine came out pretty close to 20/20 so I don't need any glasses for correction. I'd rather wear glasses to read then to hunt and drive etc. Good luck, it's really no big deal. All over in a matter of days.

 

[jbett98]

Make sure you take all of the eye drops at the right time after the surgery.
They'll do one eye first, then the other a couple of weeks later.

 

[308]

I hope you have great success with the surgery. Sure sucks when things of the world are all blurry, but then again, my wife's bad eyesight is probably the reason she thinks I'm so handsome.

 

[DirectDrive]

My MIL had it done at Pacific Cataract and Laser Institute in Vancouver.
It's amazing how routine that surgery is.
Everything worked out fine.

 

[bearingman]

Had both of mine done last year, and I went for the long vision--big mistake.. have to have glasses to see anything up close, even to look in the mirror. 20/20 distance, but need bifocals so I can walk down the grocery isle and read the labels without putting them on then taking them off to continue - PITA! Also need them so I can read the dash while driving. Even with the bifocals I can't focus on the rear peep sight on my lever gun, I can see the front sight without(sort of) but the rear just disappears. Think long and hard about what you want before answering the doctor question about which you want. I was offered both, but it would have cost me $1000 per eye outside of insurance. Be sure to ask about doing one eye each way, and let your brain sort it out.
Good luck on the surgery, it is the easiest I'v ever had.

 

[Jamie6.5]

Well, as we used to say back in the '70s,...
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

Best of luck with your surgery. Vision is so critical.

 

[edslhead]

Have em tell ya about floaters . There an interesting thing to get used to

 

[PiratePast40]

Had both of mine done last year, and I went for the long vision--big mistake.. have to have glasses to see anything up close, even to look in the mirror. 20/20 distance, but need bifocals so I can walk down the grocery isle and read the labels without putting them on then taking them off to continue - PITA! Also need them so I can read the dash while driving. Even with the bifocals I can't focus on the rear peep sight on my lever gun, I can see the front sight without(sort of) but the rear just disappears. Think long and hard about what you want before answering the doctor question about which you want. I was offered both, but it would have cost me $1000 per eye outside of insurance. Be sure to ask about doing one eye each way, and let your brain sort it out.
Good luck on the surgery, it is the easiest I'v ever had.

Interesting. Didn't have a clue about options. Thanks for the heads up. At least now I have time to look things up and make an informed decision. Can't even get in to see an optomologist / eye surgeon for 2 weeks.

 

[PiratePast40]

Have em tell ya about floaters . There an interesting thing to get used to

The wife is going through that right now. We had the discussion with the eye doc about jello coming loose!

 

[Rick4070]

Had my right eye done about ten months ago, I'm really pleased about the result, still needed a little correction with glasses, but when I went to the DMV to renew my license, I passed the vision test without wearing my glasses. I asked a surgeon about shooting high recoiling rifles, and if the new lens would pop out, and he said that that wouldn't happen, he also said to not let the scope hit me in the eyebrow.... hardly any pain, took one Ibuprofen the first night. Keep a chart of the eyedrops. the first few nights you will probably have to wear a covering over your eye so you don't rub it during sleep.

 

[WAYNO]

I've got both cataracts and astigmatism. Quite a combination for a shooter.

My eye doctor (physician) is not a production line facility, so he's more conservative in treating cataracts. In fact, he wont touch them until I'm at the point that if the surgery doesn't go well, I'll be no worse off.

When I did talk to a production line eye-surgery center, they offered me the choice of distance vision with glasses for closer work, or one eye focused for distance, and one eye focused for reading. Seemed kind've weird to me, but apparently it's a common approach, and people get used to it. I turned them down. I'll stick with my tri-focals.

I also looked into contacts, and they made the same offer, one eye corrected for distance, the other eye corrected for reading. Otherwise I'd still be wearing glasses. Seemed senseless to have contacts but still have to wear glasses for close work.

WAYNO.

 

[fxdc]

Just found out from the optometrist that I have cataracts. Left eye is now at 20/400 and right is 20/50. Set an appointment for an opthamologist in 2 weeks. Showed me the pictures of my eyes and was surprised how cloudy they were. He says they are most likely a side effect of the methotrexate that I've been taking for the last 4 or 5 years. Hate having my eyes messed with and wonder what the surgery is like. Will I still need glasses afterwards? Is it painful or annoying? How soon after can I go shooting?

At least I now have an excuse for how bad I've been shooting the last year or so!

So after surgery ya gonna make GM?
LOL

Take care buddy and good luck!

 

[Caveman Jim]

The wife is going through that right now. We had the discussion with the eye doc about jello coming loose!

Floaters are the result of the macular tissue layer in your eyeball that have come loose. I have them and I also have the beginning stages of macular degeneration due to hereditary issues in my family. By the time my Dad was 60, he had macular degeneration and it got worse as it progressed until he was almost totally blind by 70.
DO NOT take your eyesight for granted!!!!

 

[41Slinger]

PP40, are your cataracts on the outer len in front of your pupil or on the lens behind the pupil. Mine were behind, both eyes, the doc removed the lens and put in plastic lenses with corection to 20/20. I have to wear glasses for close vision but I've wore glasses all my life so It's a non-issue for me, plus the long vision lens of the progressive lens makes my vision at 20/15. The surgery took about 8 mins, but I was at the doctors office about 2 hours each time, a lot of dilation and about two weeks between each eye. Very happy with mine. Good luck with yours.

 

[PiratePast40]

Mine are behind the pupil. Optometrist says that once started, those grow quite rapidly. He even went out to tell the receptionist to get the eye doc/surgeon appointment ASAP.