How Has Having Cataracts Affected You?
Posted , 5 users are following.
Hi All,
I've been thinking lately about how having cataracts at a relatively young age has affected me and was wondering how it may have affected other people on this forum. Looking back, I think my journey has been at least 8 years... maybe more. The change in my vision has been so gradual over this time and I just didn't think of cataracts as a cause. I didn't really act upon the problem until it got so debilitating that I had to do something. I found myself struggling at work, straining to see the details on the spreadsheets I would work on, until finally I had to seek help. All during this time I went through depression, lost work opportunities not feeling I was up to the challenges without knowing really why. Everything seemed so difficult and insurmountable. Even after I finally had my first "distance" eye done a few years ago, my remaining "near" eye was (and still is) at a 2 diopter difference... and this level of mono-vision still feels disorienting to me even if my situation was a huge leap forward in improvement as a result of getting just the one eye done. I'm looking very forward to getting this second eye done next week and will hopefully put this nightmare behind me. I feel I've lost a lot of income, suffered a lot of stress and anxiety over this whole episode, not to mention that close people around me don't always understand what I've gone through. They don't know what it's like to walk around effectively blind in one eye and unable to tackle a lot of things people otherwise take for granted. Anyone else had a similar experience? Or did you jump on and fix the problem before it affected you like it did me?
IG
0 likes, 5 replies
RonAKA indygeo
Posted
To be frank it is a bit of a blur to me! I probably went 2-3 years with my optometrist saying that there was an impending cataract developing, but it really was not affecting my vision. And, in fact over the last decade or so my vision has been improving. Without getting into detail I went from being -4.0 sphere and -2 D astigmatism to much better than that. Sphere went down closer to -2.0 and cylinder between -1 and -2.
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Then one night I was watching TV and realized I was seeing double with my right eye when there was text on the screen. I see the optometrist and he tells me I have a cataract and puts me on the wait list for surgery. It probably took over a year to get a consult and then finally surgery at 1.5 years.
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I have to admit that the whole affair did not cause me much inconvenience other than the worry about selecting the right approach for IOLs etc. I did have a bit of an issue when one eye was done for distance and the other was not really needing surgery. I did not have a big differential between the eyes, but the glasses correction in one eye and not the other was not ideal. I used the situation to trial mini monovision with contacts. That was much better other than the inconvenience of contacts.
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My second eye was less than perfection as I now know what that is, but the reality is that it is very good. I am eyeglasses free for the first time since I was 10 years old!!
john20510 indygeo
Edited
l was wondering how old you are, lm 48 and having surgery next week with vivity lens, l got the posterier sub cataracts the fast growing type, is that what you got, l found out a year ago, l dont know how l got it as l dont have the risk factors like steroid use or diabetes , l thought cataracts would not be something l would get until l was 70 or 80. Before l got cataracts l had perfect 20/20 vison and didnt need glasses for anything ., When l was first diagnosed a year ago my vision seems totally normal but its slowly been getting worse over the last year, but when l am indoors my vision seems normal but outdoors it seems hazy , but l can still see well enough to drive and function normally but by eye doctor said because they are fast growing its better l have surgery now rather then wait until they get bigger . l have been depressed and taking medication for depression and anxiety as a result of the cataracts, but if the surgery goes well and l end up with good vision l think my depression will end and l will feel alot better. its also a big financial cost for me as the surgery costs $9,000 . l guess in one way we are lucky compared to people in the past 30 years ago as the technology now is alot better and alot safer.
indygeo john20510
Edited
John, I'm about your age and so it was just as much a mystery to me as to you as to why this happened. I, too, have spent a small fortune getting my eyes done (my second eye is next week), but I feel like I'm going to a top doctor and when I think about the useful life of IOLs it's an investment worth making. And you're absolutely right...we are fortunate to live in today's world where technology and science can actually do something about our condition. I'd be sunk it this were the Victorian age.
IG
vasily48550 indygeo
Edited
I also had issues with anxiety during the 2 years when I had cataract. I was worrying mostly about getting retinal detachment after the surgery is done. However, in retrospect, it seems that anxiety was there first, and the thoughts about getting RD came later, as a result. I had lots of negative thoughts about the future of my vision, and the blurred picture in one eye itself possibly made my brain depressed. I thought the life has ended, I am an old man, don't even see well, the future will be even worse. Now, after the surgery, I don't have anxiety and I am happy. I can't say for sure this is due to the change in vision, as a few other things in my life have changed too, but I remember that after the surgery for the first week I was feeling very excited. And then I got used to it. Good luck with the surgery!
Sue.An2 indygeo
Edited
Hi I think I recall when you had your 1st surgery. I was going through my own at the time. I was 52 when diagnosed and due to Canada's Medicare system it was 7 months to wait for 1st surgery and had 2nd one 6 weeks after.
It certainly was a hard time but I was going to lose my drivers lic so not much choice. Work and daily life was hard and driving at night was dangerous. I found it hard to made a lens selection and the choice did give me anxiety.
Surgeries were in 2017 and now I have another eye condition which I am in a wait and see. Surgery for epiretinal membrane is risky so it is not recommended unless eyesight is severely affected.
I wish you all the best - It will be good to put this behind you.