I wasn't sure if this should go here, or in Personal Announcements, feel free to move if I guessed wrong. Thanks, kind mod-man.

About five years or so ago, I developed cataracts in both of my eyes. Over the course of about two years, my vision decreased to 20/800 in my right, 20/750 in my left. For those who don't know, that figure works like this: at 20/750, one has to be 20 feet away from something a person with good vision can see at 750 feet. Going blind slowly was one of the must horrible things I've endured. Cataracts make ones vision seem like it's obscured by a dense layer of Vaseline spread over the eye. Light can be perceived, as well as basic shapes, but there is no detail, and anything not glaringly obvious doesn't appear at all.

I finally was able to secure decent insurance, and after a year of fighting with them (apparently, eye surgery to restore vision is considered elective, go figure), I was able to have a procedure done in one eye, my dominant right. The procedure is the most-performed operation on the world, according to my surgeon, and takes 15 minutes to perform. When it was done, I had my vision back in that eye, at 20/30, with a little far-sightedness. One must be awake during the surgery, which caused a lot of pre-op anxiety, but meds are given that reduce anxiety and paralyze the eye-I don't remember a thing, except suddenly seeing clearly when it was done. When I came out of the anesthetic haze, I grabbed my surgeon by either side of her beautiful face and kissed her right on the lips, no joke, I was so grateful! It didn't hurt that she was a beautiful woman, but she could have been a hairy man-it was a kiss of pure gratitude.

Let me take a minute to describe the procedure, it's amazing. A small incision is made on the sclera (the white), and a probe that emits ultra sound frequencies is inserted through it and placed under the lens. The ultra sound breaks up the cataract, and it is sucked out. The lens also is removed, and a plastic, sort of permanent contact lens is inserted. It is kinda shaped like a galaxy, the "arms"extend out and stabilize it. An interesting effect of owning one of these is that I don't focus my eye anymore, its like a camera set at 'infinity'-everything in my depth-field is in focus, always.

When I walked out of the operating room, I had to tide this really cool aerial trolley that rides from the top of a giant hill overlooking Portland down to the valley floor. It was a spring day with rain showers, the sky was full of bright fluffy cumulus, and there was a freaking rainbow! That was my welcome back to the world of sight. Tears of gratitude and joy streamed down my face as I rode that trolley down. I was laughing and grinning-I was high as hell! I had worn glasses since I was eight, and now I could throw them away! Everyday, when I wake, I'm still grateful not only to be able to see, but to see clearly.

So anyway, now the vision in my left has gotten past legally blind status-over 20/950, and I've gotten the okay from my insurance to begin the process of having that one done, too! Once vision has reached that point, the insurance companies don't fight quite as hard to refuse it. It requires LOTS of appointments, and takes six months or so, but when I'm done being measured and tested, the sight in my left were will be restored ! Something to look forward to, and be grateful for !

Now, I've had no depth perception since I had the one eye done, (except in hyperspace,lol), and that doesn't really bother me-again, I'm happy just to not be blind! (for some odd reason, I play a much meaner game of pool now-again, go figure...)When this procedure is some, three dimensional perception will be restored. I actually have a touch of (good) anxiety at having it back. I imagine it will be disorienting for some time, getting vision back in one way was very much so. It will take getting used to, I'm sure. I can't wait for this to be done, I'm pretty giddy about it. This time, I won't have huge levels of (bad) anxiety and suffer panic attacks from pre surgery jitters, I only have anticipation towards it.

I just wanted to share this with y'all, it's about time I came with some good news. I will post here as it goes along, and I can't wait to be able to post my first trip report in three dimensions. Yay! Happy trails, y'all!

PS: This is, like I said,a very common surgery for a very common problem. Although at 41, I was very young (ha! I love saying that) to have cataracts, they can strike anyone. If you out y someone you know is facing this surgery, and has anxiety about it, feel free to pm me, I'll alleviate it for you. There's absolutely nothing to fear, it doesn't hurt, and you don't remember a thing.

Congrats and I'm very excited for you to get vision and depth perception back soon! I can't imagine how hard and depressing it'd be to slowly go blind like that. I've been noticing more floaters in my vision lately. I've always had floaters, but on eye exam test paperwork, I never answered yes to having floaters ever. Don't know why or if I should be concerned as they seem very common in people.

ANYWAY! I too have had glasses since an early age. My sight blurs after about 3 feet away. Extremely near sighted. SO, when I finally got contacts at age 23 (I'm 32 now), I was overwhelmed to have my whole field in focus and not framed by my... frames. I was seriously disoriented from so much clarity. Not such a stark contrast as your scenario, which I just can't fathom the difference of your before and after perceptions.

Restoring sight is considered an elective surgery????!!!!!! WHAT? That's beyond ridiculous! That seems criminal! Good on you for continuing the fight.


If I may, as I'm always curious with the simple day to day, was it hard to find employment or do everyday things before the first surgery? Were you able to drive? Was even reading this forum hard?

Again, congrats on the surgery being a great success and please keep us posted when the left eye is restored! Go see some 3D movies when that happens

Hey! Thanks!

You may want to keep an eye (pun intended) on the floaters, an excessive amount to where they become distracting, may be a sign of cataracts. I had those real bad, and a little blurry spot right in the center of my vision. I got new glasses and it was still there. When I was receiving the glaucoma test for the new glasses; where they blow the puffs of air on your eyeball to measure the pressure,a tiny piece of metal in the apparatus that they failed to clean apparently lodged in my eye. I went to the hospital to have it removed and that's when they told me I should see an ophthalmologist. (i thought about suing,a place that isn't called USA's worst, but I got distracted, hate the legal system, and am just not litigious.) I was really mad for awhile before they diagnosed me, it never occurred to me it was my eyes, I thought I bought defective glasses,ha.

Yeah, going blind slowly was excruciating, to say the least. Couldn't write, read, only listen to movies or tv, I just lived in my head 24/7. Little things you don't think of, like knowing the denomination of bills one is paying with, become hugely important. Having things organized so they can be found, like keys and such. Being able to read signs. Low-sightedness is not really considered by many,.there are no ADA guidelines. It's kind of in a disability limbo, especially if one isn't "legally" blind, which is 20/950 I believe. I thank goodness for my roommate at the time, she became my eyes by proxy.

It's funny, I received the go ahead from insurance right after I applied for disability. Hmmm.

I like to draw, and was employed as a graphic artist and screen printer,a field I'd been in since high school. I worked as a production manager, but had to quit. A large part of my job was running presses, registering colors on press, and quality control. Kinda hard when you can't see. I tried to hide it but after royally screwing up a couple jobs, losing my company money, I had to come out with it. That's another thing, I tried my best not to let people know, I felt I could be taken advantage of easily if I let the wrong people become privy to my condition.

After the surgery, yes, I've found it hard to return to my line of work, my color perception is a little off, and have really been floundering. Right now, I'm going back to school, in my second year getting pre-reqs out of the way, still not entirely sure, but want to either teach writing or go into psychology on a research end. Prolly writing.

I don't have a problem driving, in the day at least, but have severe night blindness so driving at night is terrifying. Also, going out to dark bars or clubs to see music is hard, unless someone is there whose hand I can hold onto, literally! All in all though, life with one plastic eye is a heck of a lot better than with two broken ones!

Peace, man! Have you ever thought about lasik? It can correct near sightedness to within 20/20 range. It's also used to treat some cataracts, but mine required the more invasive ultra sound procedure. Lucky me! My mom had lasik for her cataracts, funny enough, about the same time I had surgery, she's just 40 years older than I.

Very interesting and thank you for answering my questions. A piece of metal from the eye blower dohickety?! Seriously? You must be open for something literally amazing to come alone with all the karma prepaying you've done! And it'll come too! I'm starting to reap that now in my life as I've become dedicated to being as honest as I can be. Even to the point of not faking when you are in a situation you just don't like, or are even bored in. I speak up now, and some people get shocked, some are amazed that someone can be so honest. Usually it breaks me from a mundane or awkward happening and thrusts me into an adventure or just plain relaxation. I love me, I'm going to treat me right! Speak up or live a lie.

Lasik: I would love to do but it still kind of scares me. I love sight. I know it's a common place operation now, but, it's my eyes man. You know? lol. I've heard that upkeep might be needed in like 10 or 15 years after the lasik, as in a follow up surgery (like plastic surgery but less often.) Do you know if this is true?

I know about the bill denomination thing. I heard a blind speaker talk once about how he used to purposely test people's honesty of those he depended on with it. He'd hand someone a twenty saying, "here's the $5 I owe you." If they said, "ok, let me get change" or "man, you just gave me a twenty", they were trustworthy. He said he lost quite a few people with that test but he's more the better for it.


Glad you are back in school! That's really cool and it's never too late. Learning is wonderful. You, sir, are a testament to overcoming obstacles. Keep on keepin on!

I was born with congenital cataracts. There are a couple dark spots that move around with my eyesight. They're offset from the center of the pupil, so they can never be looked at directly, as they just dart away. It doesn't really affect my vision (I have 20/20 in both eyes) and it was only when I was 6 or 7 or so that I mentioned it to my parents, asking if everyone saw the black dots. They were obviously concerned, but it just turned out to be these cataracts which really don't affect my every day life so much. Sometimes I wonder if the glitches I encounter in hyperspace are a result of visual malformation around the cataracts, but then, I have reasons to believe that not to be so as well.