Cataract surgery

[gmi3804]

Thanks for asking. The surgery went well as did the healing, but my vision isn't good. I can't see in a mid-range, so I can't see clearly to chop veggies, cook on the stove, hand sew, read labels in the grocery store, etc. It's weird- I can't see my feet clearly so when I walk downstairs, I have to curl with my head bent down, otherwise I can't see the steps that I'm putting my feet on. I think I'm going to have to consider trifocals.

OTOH, my night vision is perfect- provided I don't need to see the speedometer!

I'm sorry things aren't 100%. I hope the glasses will help. Thanks for the update.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I have one eye that is a little weak so I still require the need for glasses to drive which puts me at 20/20. I won't tell you how I know but I can see almost the same without glasses and my night vision is actually better than my daytime. As for the lights, back when I was 16 I took what was then called drivers education. I remember very little of it except these three things. First, if you are driving a car that was built in the 1930 's you are practically died just getting into it much less driving it. Those black and white movies were scary. Second was, that if you imagine a large X in the middle of the road (straight ahead) you will always be situated in the middle of the lane (not close to the lines or the shoulder or the road. That actually worked! But when it came to bright lights from oncoming cars you focus you eyes on the right edge of the lane your in and your peripheral will still see the cars but at a far less brightness level. Granted it worked far better with the old type headlight on highbeam, but it still helps a lot. Those three things are the only thing I remember about the class but the last two really became a lasting lesson even if it was 62 years ago,

Those same recommendations were imparted to me in Driver's Ed classes so many years ago. And I still use them. But still, those awful, new headlights!

 

[goofyernmost]

Those same recommendations were imparted to me in Driver's Ed classes so many years ago. And I still use them. But still, those awful, new headlights!

I agree they are a bad thing particularly on a single/two lane highway. There not so bad on a four lane. However, I have to be a hypocrite on this one because as much as I hate them on oncoming traffic, I love them when they are on my car because it really does make night vision a lot easier. But I was taught that you don't run with high beam. That is twice as bad and I think the biggest effect is that. Not just the low beam (which are still bright) but when they didn't learn the importance of not blinding oncoming traffic and just defiantly leave it on super light.

 

[tvguy]

I agree they are a bad thing particularly on a single/two lane highway. There not so bad on a four lane. However, I have to be a hypocrite on this one because as much as I hate them on oncoming traffic, I love them when they are on my car because it really does make night vision a lot easier. But I was taught that you don't run with high beam. That is twice as bad and I think the biggest effect is that. Not just the low beam (which are still bright) but when they didn't learn the importance of not blinding oncoming traffic and just defiantly leave it on super light.

I agree. However, Europeans wonder why our headlights are so dim. So I do wonder if some of may be related to just being used to brighter headlights in Europe. My wife's Camry has automatic high beams, a feature we normally have turned off. I suspect that feature is on the car because it is sold in other parts of the world where brighter lights are the norm.

 

[goofyernmost]

I agree. However, Europeans wonder why our headlights are so dim. So I do wonder if some of may be related to just being used to brighter headlights in Europe. My wife's Camry has automatic high beams, a feature we normally have turned off. I suspect that feature is on the car because it is sold in other parts of the world where brighter lights are the norm.

It seems to me that the super bright lights are relatively recent in this country. Even today, if I meet a vehicle with the type of lighting we used for years, my first thought is, wow, they most have an alternator problem and they will soon be in darkness. However, the, like I said, it wasn't all that long ago that was the norm on all cars.

 

[Dan Murphy]

The super bright lights are typically HID lights, High Intensity Discharge lights. They are on my car also, no choice. Additionally, car manufacturer designers use lights in their styling efforts, oftentimes having 3, 4 sometimes 5 light bulbs each side. Since the vehicles today, basically all suv or trucks, generally all look the same, the stylists use the headlights and taillights, along with their monntings, as styling aspects.

 

[leebee]

My cataracts were done about 18 months ago. Before surgery, my distant vision, along with near and medium, were all blurry. I've had trifocals for 40 years. My distant is now about 90-95% good, medium and near, about 5o-60% good. I still use trifocals to make everything 95-100% good. Only issue I have is with night driving. Before surgery, headlights were always darker than now. Now, most are soooo bright, especially the ridulous lights on newer cars.

Hey, @Dan Murphy ... Is it hard to see around the lines on the trifocals? I've had bifocals for decades (so long, I don't really remember when I got them) and have no issues with them, but when I mention trifocals, the glasses techs all wrinkle their noses and say how hard they are to adjust to. Right now they are suggesting I get a separate pair of glasses for "desk work" but it's MORE than desk work. Just this weekend, I was trying to get on the "down" escalator at Jacksonville airport, and I couldn't see where each step separated from the next (there was no yellow edge). I couldn't do it. I knew I was going to fall if I attempted it, so instead I carried my suitcase downstairs, which was an adventure all on its own! I'm pretty sure my motion sickness/vertigo will prevent me from progressives (they've never worked in the past), so I'm seriously considering trifocals.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Hey, @Dan Murphy ... Is it hard to see around the lines on the trifocals? I've had bifocals for decades (so long, I don't really remember when I got them) and have no issues with them, but when I mention trifocals, the glasses techs all wrinkle their noses and say how hard they are to adjust to. Right now they are suggesting I get a separate pair of glasses for "desk work" but it's MORE than desk work. Just this weekend, I was trying to get on the "down" escalator at Jacksonville airport, and I couldn't see where each step separated from the next (there was no yellow edge). I couldn't do it. I knew I was going to fall if I attempted it, so instead I carried my suitcase downstairs, which was an adventure all on its own! I'm pretty sure my motion sickness/vertigo will prevent me from progressives (they've never worked in the past), so I'm seriously considering trifocals.

I've had trifocals since my early 40's. I've never had any issues, all those following years, nor after my cataract surgeries. I never notice the lines. My eyes automatically adjust to near, mid and far distances and look through the correct part. I never am conscious of it.

I do take it slowly on escalators, not because of eyesight but rather my balance. I still use them, but very cautious and holding on.

 

[LKing]

Hey, @Dan Murphy ... Is it hard to see around the lines on the trifocals? I've had bifocals for decades (so long, I don't really remember when I got them) and have no issues with them, but when I mention trifocals, the glasses techs all wrinkle their noses and say how hard they are to adjust to. Right now they are suggesting I get a separate pair of glasses for "desk work" but it's MORE than desk work. Just this weekend, I was trying to get on the "down" escalator at Jacksonville airport, and I couldn't see where each step separated from the next (there was no yellow edge). I couldn't do it. I knew I was going to fall if I attempted it, so instead I carried my suitcase downstairs, which was an adventure all on its own! I'm pretty sure my motion sickness/vertigo will prevent me from progressives (they've never worked in the past), so I'm seriously considering trifocals.

Trifocals are set so that your mid range is slightly down from center viewing. Think of driving (distance at the top), dashboard (intermediate, slightly down), phone (at a stop sign of course, in the bottom section). Trifocals work well in that type of viewing scenario where the intermediate viewing is slightly down from center. Are you at a standing desk where your monitor is slightly down or do you have it situated so that your monitor is straight ahead? If if is straight ahead, that is probably why they are recommending a second pair. You don't want to have to lift your head to get to the section of the lens where your intermediate (ie. computer) viewing is located. It isn't as low as a bifocal, but it is lower than most modern workstations.