posted
It's one of those good news/bad news situations, I guess.
I went to see my optometrist for my yearly exam today. I was there for about three hours. *sigh*
Good news: They can charge my visit to my regular health insurance, because my vision is so bad. He said he probably only sees somebody with eyesight like mine once or twice in any given year, and none who don't have some sort of disease of the eye. So, good news... My eyes are healthy, no diseases. Unless "malignant myopathy" counts.
Good news: there is now a surgery that can correct my poor vision (not a candidate for LASIK or any of that sort of thing - that is, they could cut my prescription in half (from negative high teens to negative barely under ten) but there really wouldn't be much point). The new surgery involves an internal contact lens, placed over my existing lens.
Bad news: I'm not a good candidate for the surgery, because i have cataracts. Yes, I said CATARACTS. I turned 36 on Friday. Go figger.
Good news: I am a decent candidate for CATARACT surgery. O_O
He told me I was behind the door when God was passing out eyes. Posts: 1664 | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
Does the internal contact lens surgery allow you to be put under? If so, count that on Good News. The fact that you have to be awake for it was one of the worst things about LASIK. (The other worst things were the horrible itching for hours afterwards and the fact that I can't now shoot lasers out of my eyes.)
And cataracts are not unheard of at your age. Go have the cataract surgery. You'll love it. I've never had it myself, but my patients have told me about it. They describe it as miraculous -- you suddenly can see the most vivid colors, colors that you didn't even know existed. They tell me that after the surgery, they can't keep from gawking at everything colored -- lawns, stop signs, red-headed kids, yellow school buses...
I almost envy the experience.
Posts: 10397 | Registered: Jun 2005
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Enigmatic, it's a mild sedation/numbing drops procedure (either the internal contact lens or the cataract surgery). I can't do the ICL because I have cataracts.
Mac- They are sure. I've known I have them for at least four years. They're fairly small, but I don't drive at night if I don't know the roads or if it's raining. Because I simply can't see anything but lovely light halos around every rain drop or light source, and I am pretty fond of living.
Tante- That's good to hear. I know it's not unheard of to have cataracts at my age, though they tell me it isn't exactly typical. It is, however , quite typical in my family. My grandmother, mother and older sister all have had them, and the surgery. So, I'm familiar with the process, more or less.
Though I know there are risks. My doctor said the surgeon might not want to do it for malpractice insurance reasons, just because I'm not a typical patient (and I'm not really blinded by them yet, either).
Posts: 1664 | Registered: Apr 2004
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When I was in high school, I did some sort of school to work thing at the local hospital and got to scrub in and watch three cataract surgeries.
They were pretty friggin cool.
I hope they can fix it. I think other folks, including myself and Nathan, are pretty fond of your living, too.
Posts: 14745 | Registered: Dec 1999
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Hey Enig, was the LASIK worth it? If you don't mind me asking, how much was it? Ballpark, of course, I am not tryingto pry into your finances, but I have been considering it for a while now.
On Jenni's old insurance is was even covered; not all of it but a good part of it.
Of course I found that out right as they were changing insurance plans, and on this one it ISN'T covered....
posted
Thanks, kq! I'm actually a much healthier person than the average cataract surgery patient, by virtue of being about 20 years younger.
And he may not want to do it. They could do the ICL, because that is elective (I'd just have to pay for it, and it's priced to sell) but the cataract surgery is usually considered medical, so if my insurance won't cover it and I have to pay it all, it could be pricey.
But we'll see.
I'm not really 'down' about it, BTW. I'm used to having horrible eyesight, and very thankful for being so amazingly correctable through conventional means. Usually people with eyes like mine are only correctable to 20/35 or 20/40, but I can actually make out some letters on the 20/20 line, if I try really hard.
Contact lenses and glasses are a blessing, and I'm really grateful I can see.
Posts: 1664 | Registered: Apr 2004
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I'm glad you're in good spirits, Olivetta, because that's really crummy. Good luck with whatever route you take.
I didn't need glasses until I was 18, so I'm still not used to having to squint if I'm not wearing my contacts or glasses. Andrew has perfect vision, but I don't begrudge him b/c he's color-blind.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
I have a dumb question. I mentioned to my boss about seeing the surgeon in July, because the surgeon's ofc is very near the hospital we are currently doing a project for (and hope to do much more work with them in the near future - big meeting is this week! *stress* ).
When I said I had cataracts, he laughed and said he could help me out with that.
I laughed back, but I honestly didn't get the joke, and as with most jokes I don't get, I have a sort of vague uneasiness that it is sexual in nature.
Am I paranoid? Can anybody tell me what the heck that meant?
I'm ashamed to be so clueless.
Posts: 1664 | Registered: Apr 2004
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He was probably being funny about having an 'in' with the hospital. Seems our next project might involve outpatient surgery or something.
It just seemed like an odd thing to say. Something like, "You know what you can do about that, heh, heh" or something. It just sounded... you know that way a man sounds when he's being flirty?
I'm probably just insane. Nevermind.
I'm going to the big hospital meeting with the president and CEO of the company, as a 'show of the company's diversity'. O_O
Posts: 1664 | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
Or he was making a joke about cataracts sounding like something else.
Don't worry - it wasn't that funny in any sort of context.
"The way a man sounds when he's being flirty" or trying to be funny. He might be trying to be flirty out of habit, not because he has a specific objective.
As for the meeting - you'll be fine. Cool, collected and very pleasant ya got covered.
As diversionary tactics go, you make a very good one.
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He's my husband's oldest friend. They seriously go way back. And he DOES flirt with me a lot. Ron knows, and it doesn't bother him. That's just the way "B" relates.
I think Ron said he saw a bong in the guy's appartment once in college, but he doesn't do that anymore. So maybe it was the glaucoma thing.
Thanks, T. I think he just wants it to seem like his company consists of more than just himself and his father. And, I think he either has issues about his race or has reason to believe that having a reasonably cute white woman as an Administrative Assistant will make him look more powerful.
I really don't know how those types of things work in business, at this level. I don't plan on saying a lot, in any case.
BACK ON TOPIC: My appt is July 22, 9:00am. Hope I can get a baby sitter that early in the day, 'cause Ron must go with me when I talk to the surgeon.
Posts: 1664 | Registered: Apr 2004
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