Visit to the eye doctor

[fbhjr]

Ever since the nerve damage in my left eye almost 10 years ago, I go to my eye doctor twice a year. I used to have two eye doctors and saw each once a year, 6 months apart. But, one retired as he was in his mid-80’s and who could blame him? So, now I see the one in his mid-70’s twice a year.

They started with my visual field test. It took a bit as it was the first time the young woman had run the machine. She did finally ask for help to get it going. Having been through it many, many times I was able to let her know when it wasn’t working, even if I had no idea how to fix it. (The lens was in the wrong position.)
But there was a lot of “does that look right to you?” “Nope” going on.
I’m told the results have not changed. I didn’t get the print out this time. But, OK in the right eye, about 12% loss in the left is what it’s been the last 5 years.

Since I had the cataracts in my left eye removed a year and a half ago, I knew the right one was going to happen too. Six months ago I brought it up to the doctor, but he said he couldn’t do the test as they had already dilated my eye.

So, this time, I made sure they did it before any eye drops went in.
The tech who did it was “amazed” at how bad it was.
I don’t know if their normal patients just complain or what, but I try and give an accurate assessment of my vision, so am surprised that they’re surprised when I say it is bad and they prove it is.

When he did the test he handed me one of the things you hold over one eye and said “cover your left eye” and then walked out of the room.
“Is this part of the test?” I asked after a bit. “Was I not supposed to notice you walked away?”
After a bit he came back with a small ring light thing he put over the right eye.
He asked me to read the lowest line on the chart I could. I explained that with the light on I could not see the chart at all. He kept putting bigger and bigger letters up on the wall that I kept telling him I couldn’t see. Finally he put up an E I could see. When the light was off I saw it was almost a foot tall.
“It’s amazing you test 20/20 in the dark,” he said.
“Driving into work in the morning as the sun rises is an issue for me,” I told him.
“Yeah, we should do something about that.”

The doctor told me if I needed the operation over the winter it would be done quickly because “all the old people would be in Florida”. But, over the summer it will take longer to schedule me. (I did not point out I had brought this up in November and he put me off until now. But, I did think that thought…)

With my left eye, it took 5 months that ended up with a February operation. So, I’m not sure about that winter is faster thing anyhow.

I meet with the eye surgeon in about a month and I’ll find out her schedule then.
Hopefully the only free time won’t be during or just before our trip in October…

Comments

[brittdreams]

That's wild about the wait time. I'm increasingly convinced snowbirds are making appointments in multiple places and keeping the rest of us from timely healthcare though I've no actual proof of this.

[threemeninaboat]

I used to have the universal manual for the Visual Field Machines from way back in the day until 25 years ago. I left it at a previous office since they had a really old machine with no manual. I wonder if they ever ponied up for a newer model. They look to be about $14k used so probably no. It needs the hydrolic table too.

I hope your cataract surgery goes well. Did you opt for the monofocal lenses or the multifocal lenses?

[fbhjr]

When I meet with the surgeon we’ll decide on the lens.
She didn’t want to put the multifocal one in my left eye with the nerve damage. We’ll see if she recommends matching ones or not…

[brisus]

Wow, how did you get nerve damage to your left eye?

I find it interesting that you can't see in the light, but 20/20 in the dark?! That's wild.

[fbhjr]

How it happened is a good question. I blame it on driving through the smoke cloud as the state of Tennessee burned down 10 years ago as the problems started right after that.
But, my opto-neurologists says it could be that, or that I’m over 50, fat, have high blood pressure or a number of things. His possible cause list was three pages long. And, he is considered one of the world’s experts on it and still doesn’t know.

The dark/light thing is because it is like a foggy window. You can see through it, if dimly, when it’s dark, but if you shine a light on it, all you see is the fog.