Cataracts
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Expect your eyes and your game to get worse. Have good communication with your eye doctor, and when the cataracts get to the point (bad enough) that insurance will pay for the surgery, get it immediately. As in all surgeries, get the best surgeon you can find to do it. In the meantime, practice intuitive aiming. Good luck!
A Chinese woman had her eyes examined at the opthamologists office.
The Doctor said, " Madame, you have a cararact."
The Chinese woman replied, "Oh no, Doctor. I own a Rincoln." :smile:
The Doctor said, " Madame, you have a cararact."
The Chinese woman replied, "Oh no, Doctor. I own a Rincoln." :smile:
My friend
I have a friend who is much older than me. We met in the early 90s when I was just starting to play. For many years I learned from him and donated to his fixed income. He played ALL games very well. Suddenly I noticed his game start to decline. At first he blamed it on age. He stopped playing on the big tables and moved to the barboxes. He still would not admit to anything except growing old. It was very sad to watch. He went from a giant killer to a mediocre (at best) barbanger. Finally, when he couldn't make a ball on a bartable anymore he broke down. He admitted to not being able to see. He quit playing pool and switched to poker. Eventually, he couldn't see the cards either. Finally he swallowed his pride (stubborn old goat!) and went to the doctor. After a little time the V.A. covered his surgery. That was about 6 years ago, I think. Anyway, today he is playing the best pool of his life! He gives me the last 2 in 9 ball. I was racing him to 7 the other day. I was up 1-0, hung the 8. Never made it back to the table. By the way, he is 68 years old.
Cataracts will suck. But there is life after surgery!
I have a friend who is much older than me. We met in the early 90s when I was just starting to play. For many years I learned from him and donated to his fixed income. He played ALL games very well. Suddenly I noticed his game start to decline. At first he blamed it on age. He stopped playing on the big tables and moved to the barboxes. He still would not admit to anything except growing old. It was very sad to watch. He went from a giant killer to a mediocre (at best) barbanger. Finally, when he couldn't make a ball on a bartable anymore he broke down. He admitted to not being able to see. He quit playing pool and switched to poker. Eventually, he couldn't see the cards either. Finally he swallowed his pride (stubborn old goat!) and went to the doctor. After a little time the V.A. covered his surgery. That was about 6 years ago, I think. Anyway, today he is playing the best pool of his life! He gives me the last 2 in 9 ball. I was racing him to 7 the other day. I was up 1-0, hung the 8. Never made it back to the table. By the way, he is 68 years old.
Cataracts will suck. But there is life after surgery!
I had it done decades ago, so watch who you call an old fart.
Cataracts not necessarily related to age.
Outpatient surgery.
In at 9, home by 1:30.
Eyesight 20-20 and could see colours again.
Equipment and techniques have improved since then.
Cataracts not necessarily related to age.
Outpatient surgery.
In at 9, home by 1:30.
Eyesight 20-20 and could see colours again.
Equipment and techniques have improved since then.
Our friend had cataract surgery in 2000 and lasik after that. He said now the cataracts are starting to show up again. That said, he smokes everyone at the bar. He started as a four 5 weeks ago in 9 ball and he's won (should say smoked) every game. And is now up to a seven. He's freaking awesome he's game is so hot. It scares everyone to wonder what he was like when he was younger. He likes to coach me and I try to listen. :embarrassed2:
Modern science is so freaking cool!!!
All the best to you:yes:
Modern science is so freaking cool!!!
All the best to you:yes:
Same here...a mild cataract. Everybody I have talked to who has had the lens replacwment surgery raves about the results.
Having worn glasses because of extreme near sightedness, I'm almost looking forward to the cataract getting bad enough for the surgery.
Having worn glasses because of extreme near sightedness, I'm almost looking forward to the cataract getting bad enough for the surgery.
I'm with my fellow older players. Watch out who you call an old fart (67). As the truth often hurts, have them beginning in both eyes. Don't seem to affect my play yet. My doctor told me I have Cadillacs in both eyes. Are they the same thing :scratchhead:?
Lyn
Two years after lense replacement --- one of the best decisions I ever made.
I didn't even realize I had Cataracts 'til my local LensCrafters in the Mall couldn't get me any better than 20/40 and 20/60 with new eyeglasses.
All I knew was that my visual acuity and brightness and colors were in need of some real help.
First and foremost, I am absolutely terrified of any and all medical procedures. Today this procedure is totally 100% painless. No eye bandages, no down time from work, etc. You merely self administer eye drops for c. one week before the procedure, and for a few weeks thereafter.
Here's the clincher. While I awaited the procedure on my other eye, I would close one eye and then switch over to the other. My gosh, you simply won't believe what an unbelievable difference. My white objects went from a brownish tan to titanium white, and my formerly weak eye, was now tremendously clearer than my untreated eye even without eyeglasses.
My Blue Cross/Blue Shield paid for every penny. Lenscrafters said that most insurance companies pay when you reach 20/40, so be certain to get your insurance provider's OK beforehand.
They have various levels of correction. I opted to have the basic, which meant I would still wear eyeglasses,, but you can pay out of your own pocket for more corrective adjustments. I didn't feel this was worth it, because many patients and also the doctor himself said the additional corrections to avoid eyeglasses may or may not be totally correct or permanent, as your eyes may still change in the future.
To further relieve any anxiety or apprehension you may have, you sit on the edge of your bed with an IV drip reading your newspaper. You are then wheeled in, you hear a word or two, and later you find yourself ready to have your wife drive you home. They relax you totally with Versed. It's a totally painless and unbelievably benefical procedure, even for a wussy like me! Close out AZ and make your call right this moment. It's like HE gave you a new set of eyes!!!
Sorry, my link is apparently not pasting, but you can google it yourself...:smile: PM if you wish...
Versed (Midazolam)
www.nlm.nih.gov
Midazolam is given to children before medical procedures or before anesthesia for surgery to cause drowsiness, relieve anxiety, and prevent any memory of the event. Midazolam is in a class of medications called benzodiazepines. It works by slowing activity in the brain to allow relaxation and sleep. Midazolam comes ...
Side effects - How to take - Precautions - Dietary Instructions
All I knew was that my visual acuity and brightness and colors were in need of some real help.
First and foremost, I am absolutely terrified of any and all medical procedures. Today this procedure is totally 100% painless. No eye bandages, no down time from work, etc. You merely self administer eye drops for c. one week before the procedure, and for a few weeks thereafter.
Here's the clincher. While I awaited the procedure on my other eye, I would close one eye and then switch over to the other. My gosh, you simply won't believe what an unbelievable difference. My white objects went from a brownish tan to titanium white, and my formerly weak eye, was now tremendously clearer than my untreated eye even without eyeglasses.
My Blue Cross/Blue Shield paid for every penny. Lenscrafters said that most insurance companies pay when you reach 20/40, so be certain to get your insurance provider's OK beforehand.
They have various levels of correction. I opted to have the basic, which meant I would still wear eyeglasses,, but you can pay out of your own pocket for more corrective adjustments. I didn't feel this was worth it, because many patients and also the doctor himself said the additional corrections to avoid eyeglasses may or may not be totally correct or permanent, as your eyes may still change in the future.
To further relieve any anxiety or apprehension you may have, you sit on the edge of your bed with an IV drip reading your newspaper. You are then wheeled in, you hear a word or two, and later you find yourself ready to have your wife drive you home. They relax you totally with Versed. It's a totally painless and unbelievably benefical procedure, even for a wussy like me! Close out AZ and make your call right this moment. It's like HE gave you a new set of eyes!!!
Sorry, my link is apparently not pasting, but you can google it yourself...:smile: PM if you wish...
Versed (Midazolam)
www.nlm.nih.gov
Midazolam is given to children before medical procedures or before anesthesia for surgery to cause drowsiness, relieve anxiety, and prevent any memory of the event. Midazolam is in a class of medications called benzodiazepines. It works by slowing activity in the brain to allow relaxation and sleep. Midazolam comes ...
Side effects - How to take - Precautions - Dietary Instructions
I don't see how that's possible. When they remove a cataract, they take out the entire damaged lens and put in an artificial lens implant, so the cataract can't come back. What can happen is that the membrane bag that held the original lens can become opaque some time after the surgery. It is called a "secondary cataract", but it is not a real cataract. When this happens, the effect on your vision can be worse than the cataract.
Luckily, all you need to do with a secondary cataract is go back to the doctor and he will use a cold laser to zap a bunch of holes in that bag in a circular pattern. The segment of the bag with then peel away like a perforated postage stamp and fall back into the back of the eye where it will be absorbed by the eye itself.
I had my right eye done after a table saw kickback destroyed much of my eye and the lens inside. It caused a different type of cataract than aging causes, called a "starburst" or "traumatic" cataract. My vision got so bad before the surgery that I couldn't even recognize my own wife sitting right next to me.
After the surgery I could (somewhat) see again, but a year later I developed the secondary cataract and had to have the laser treatment (not Lasix) and the vision improved again. The procedure is not without risks. About 5% of patients subsequently develop a detached retina from the laser surgery, and they don't really know why. A detached retina is real bad, and can lead to permanent blindness if not repaired immediately.
Now I have developed an age related cataract in my "good" eye. Doc says he won't operate on it until it gets to where the vision is worse than 20/40 after being corrected with glasses. That's pretty bad. Funny thing is that everything looks cloudy with the damaged eye, but the whites and colors are much brighter than the good eye with the developing cataract. In that eye, whites look dingy and yellow, but I probably would never notice it if the implanted eye was not sitting there for comparison.
I really doubt it VERY seriously that the cataracts are growing back. This is an impossibility since the lens has been removed. This it what I remember my doctor telling me anyway. It is more likely that he has some other disease. For example, being diabetic and having your veins start to burst in the back of your eyes. HE SHOULD HAVE THIS CHECKED OUT IMMEDIATELY is my advice.
Very good advice. This is exactly what I did just in time as my work was coming to an end of contract.
Another possibility is macular degeneration. This is a condition where the blood vessels in the center of the retina start to leak. It completely destroys the central vision.
After my surgery I had a temporary condition called CME where the macula swells up with fluid and distorts, completely blurring your central vision. It is maddening because your can see perfectly fine with your peripheral vision, but everything you try to focus on becomes a blurry disk. Shooting pool under these conditions would be downright impossible.
All this to say that cataract surgery, while no longer a major deal, is not at all 100% free from risk. The eyes are sacrosanct. Take good care of them, and when you do eventually need sight-restoring surgery, get the very best doc you can find. I saw Dr. Richard Tipperman in Phillie. It was a six hour drive (done three times so far), but he is one of the very best traumatic specialists in the country. He even worked on Larry Holmes' eyes. I guess getting punched in the eye thousands of times eventually takes its toll.
whats are the BEST Multifocal (IOL) Lenses here. I have the Alcon Restor +3
SN6AD1+21.5D and I'm NOT happy with the resault:frown:
In the SUN I can see all but when I are going in a Shop or Poolhall I can not see clear. My Poolgame are destroyed(my life too).
Thanks
Ralf
SN6AD1+21.5D and I'm NOT happy with the resault:frown:
In the SUN I can see all but when I are going in a Shop or Poolhall I can not see clear. My Poolgame are destroyed(my life too).
Thanks
Ralf
I have surgery scheduled a week from Wednesday for the first eye. I can't wait for the results. Everybody tells me it will change my life. I was an unlucky one born with cataracts. So I have been dealing with them for 29 years. I quit playing ball in 8th grade because I couldn't see a pop up in right field. I rarely see a golf ball over 100 yards, and 99% of the time have to ask where it went. Oh yeah, and then there is pool....I am just looking at that for a bonus.
A week and a half for the first eye and 3 weeks after for the 2nd eye. Hoping for great things.
A week and a half for the first eye and 3 weeks after for the 2nd eye. Hoping for great things.
Til then check the woods. That's where I ususally find mine. Get excited! Great times are just ahead!