OT Cataracts ??!!??

Tim J. wrote:
Ken Fortenberry typed:
I can't believe it, but I have to have cataract surgery
on my right eye. ...

This is probably due to consumption of cows **** for many years. Maybe
post-surgery you should switch brands.

Good luck, Ken. When is the surgery scheduled?

Thanks Tim. I have to pick a surgeon first, I'm soliciting
opinions from friends whose parents have had cataract
surgery as none of my friends are old enough to have had
it themselves. I also need to choose an IOL (intraocular
lens) to replace the original equipment. I'm just getting
into this but there are a lot of fancy new replacement
lenses available. I'm lookin for one that has the Xray
trout seeking feature. ;-)

--
Ken Fortenberry

"I'm lookin for one that has the Xray
trout seeking feature"

Now, wouldn't THAT be a gas if they could put in a Polarized lens!

Good luck. By the way, what were the symptoms? I'm not usually a
hypochondriac, but I've had this nagging 'floater' for a couple of
years that keeps blurring my left eye for hours and hours on end and I
can't seem to get it out of the way. I had an opthomologist look at it
in South Africa last year, and he didn't see anything. But, of course,
the next day it came back. Even now, I can only focus out of one eye,
and the left one has this damn blurry spot dead center.

--riverman

On 14 Dec 2005 17:37:24 -0800, "riverman" wrote:

By the way, what were the symptoms?

A cataract clouds the eye. It's like looking through a dirty window.
The dirtier it gets the worse the eye is. When they crack up the
cataract with a laser and implant a new lens, the eye returns to
almost perfect. My right eye was done two years ago and if I look at
something white with my left eye closed and then switch using my left
eye, the difference is amazing - from pure white to a dingy
white/almost gray. The change in colors is most amazing. I found
myself in the car coming home and closing my left eye just to see how
beautiful the colors where. I had a shield on the eye for a day, but
could see through the mesh. Pretty amazing procedure.

Dave

riverman wrote:

Now, wouldn't THAT be a gas if they could put in a Polarized lens!

Hah ! Polarized, Shmolarized, my new eyeball is gonna be a
HDTV, stop-action TIVO, crystal ball, time machine eyeball.
Not to mention being equipped with a trout sensor. ;-)

Good luck. By the way, what were the symptoms? ...

Thanks. I can only relate symptoms in retrospect, when he
told me I had cataracts I was flabbergasted. But in retrospect
I first noticed something weird back in August when I was
driving to St. Louis to catch a Cardinals game. It was an
afternoon game so I left Chambana early in the morning. I
remember thinking that this morning fog will lift as soon
as the sun gets good and up. It didn't, it was "foggy" all
the way to St. Louis. That weekend at the Farmer's Market
I couldn't seem to wipe the smudges off my glasses, I kept
taking them off and cleaning them to no avail.

My left eye did a great job of compensating, I didn't
notice anything much amiss except I needed to wear a ball
cap while working at the computer to cut down on the glare.

Then we drove to Birmingham to pick up my daughter. I was
astounded at how much Kristine could see that I could not.
The white lettering on the green background of the highway
signs melted into gray and I couldn't read them until I
was right on top of them. When we drove through a rain
storm on the interstate a big semi with a white trailer
just flat ass disappeared into a gray glob.

Like I said, that's all retrospect. Kristine made the eye
doctor appointment, I really had no idea just how blind
I was until the eye doctor issued the reality check. It
was obvious enough to him, he saw it immediately, so if
you're at all worried about it your eye doctor should be
able to let you know one way or the other. For what it's
worth I saw the same eye doctor last December, exactly
one year ago, and at that time there were no cataracts.
Apparently subcapsular cataracts can form very quickly.

--
Ken Fortenberry

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
. net...

able to let you know one way or the other. For what it's
worth I saw the same eye doctor last December, exactly
one year ago, and at that time there were no cataracts.
Apparently subcapsular cataracts can form very quickly.

If memory serves me correctly they tend to develop slowly but once they do
develop the onset is rather quick. Odds are it was there last year but for
what ever reason it was missed. The subcapsular type is the more common type
in folks under 60 but more likely to happen to fat former smokers like me
rather than to thin marathon dudes like yourself. Have you ever had to take
steroids for any type of auto immune malfunction?

Wayne
Left the clinical side of healthcare almost 20 years ago but still likes to
dabble in epidemiology.

Wayne Knight wrote:
"Ken Fortenberry" wrote:
... subcapsular cataracts ...

... The subcapsular type is the more common type
in folks under 60 but more likely to happen to fat former smokers like me
rather than to thin marathon dudes like yourself. Have you ever had to take
steroids for any type of auto immune malfunction?

Wayne
Left the clinical side of healthcare almost 20 years ago but still likes to
dabble in epidemiology.

No steroids, and anticipating your next questions, no diabetes
or retinitis pigmentosa and I'm nearsighted not farsighted. I
can't believe I wore out a perfectly good eyeball in only 49
years. ;-)

--
Ken Fortenberry

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
om...
I
can't believe I wore out a perfectly good eyeball in only 49
years. ;-)


Your moma was right, if you didn't stop you were going to go blind

Wayne Knight wrote:

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
om...
I
can't believe I wore out a perfectly good eyeball in only 49
years. ;-)


Your moma was right, if you didn't stop you were going to go blind

Jesus, I'd forgotten how funny you SOBs are. Good one Wayne!

"Wayne Knight" wrote in message
...

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
om...
I
can't believe I wore out a perfectly good eyeball in only 49
years. ;-)


Your moma was right, if you didn't stop you were going to go blind


Well, I guess that answers Myron's question.

Wolfgang
but just one eye?

Ken Fortenberry typed:
Wayne Knight wrote:
"Ken Fortenberry" wrote:
... subcapsular cataracts ...

... The subcapsular type is the more common type
in folks under 60 but more likely to happen to fat former smokers
like me rather than to thin marathon dudes like yourself. Have you
ever had to take steroids for any type of auto immune malfunction?

Wayne
Left the clinical side of healthcare almost 20 years ago but still
likes to dabble in epidemiology.

No steroids, and anticipating your next questions, no diabetes
or retinitis pigmentosa and I'm nearsighted not farsighted. I
can't believe I wore out a perfectly good eyeball in only 49
years. ;-)

It was probably caused by lack of use, since you only see things from the
left point of view.
--
TL,
Tim
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