Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Everyone but me? (self.Blind)
submitted by sunlitshadows
My vision loss is from three conditions, one is degenerative myopia,
another from a weird adult-onset accommodation insufficiency, and third from semi-complex spiral-shaped cataracts that formed (and continue to form) in both eyes that were caused by chemotherapy several years ago.
I don't even come close to qualifying for cataract surgery under my insurer's criteria (on a Medicare plan that may or may not exist shortly):
they only judge by objective criteria, not subjective. Oh, and I'm 33.
I can't read regular print (I qualified for the Library of Congress Talking Book Program), I very little vision at night or if the lighting is dim (I have light perception, that's it), have lost a great deal of color discrimination, bright light severely affects my eyes (glare issues) and although I'm not yet legally blind during daylight, I AM considered low vision and have gone through orientation and mobility training, learned to read Braille,
and learned how to live a full independent life no matter what my eyes feel like doing.
But here's the thing: am I the only one in the world who would really rather NOT have cataract surgery? I had three surgeries to get rid of the cancer in my body, the final one frankly terrifying. Literally everyone I talk to takes it for granted that I'm eager to have cataract surgery when I qualify and that voila, all my vision problems will be fixed!
Not so. I will only qualify for a "plain" intraocular lens. Because of
this, and the impact that the degenerative myopia will have on my eyes, if I have this "routine and easy and everyone has it" surgery, I'll have to choose whether I want near-to-middle range vision ... or if I want middle-to-distance vision. That can be corrected with lenses then, right? No. It might be able to be corrected to an extent, but it's more likely the loss would be uncorrectable.
So there's my story that no one understands and both ophthalmologists
I've seen agree on the specifics, and both believe I ought to opt for
distance vision post-surgery, because of course I'll have surgery.
What if I don't want surgery? What if I don't view blindness as this huge horrible impediment to my life...most often, the major life activities discussed as being disrupted by cataracts are things like watching TV and reading ... well, I wouldn't be able to read anyway, and can live without TV. And living in an urban area, I wouldn't know what to do
with a car if I had one!
Am I an ungrateful person who should be thankful that I have this chance and jump at the chance for surgery? Am I the only one in the world who would consider not having cataract surgery?
another from a weird adult-onset accommodation insufficiency, and third from semi-complex spiral-shaped cataracts that formed (and continue to form) in both eyes that were caused by chemotherapy several years ago.
I don't even come close to qualifying for cataract surgery under my insurer's criteria (on a Medicare plan that may or may not exist shortly):
they only judge by objective criteria, not subjective. Oh, and I'm 33.
I can't read regular print (I qualified for the Library of Congress Talking Book Program), I very little vision at night or if the lighting is dim (I have light perception, that's it), have lost a great deal of color discrimination, bright light severely affects my eyes (glare issues) and although I'm not yet legally blind during daylight, I AM considered low vision and have gone through orientation and mobility training, learned to read Braille,
and learned how to live a full independent life no matter what my eyes feel like doing.
But here's the thing: am I the only one in the world who would really rather NOT have cataract surgery? I had three surgeries to get rid of the cancer in my body, the final one frankly terrifying. Literally everyone I talk to takes it for granted that I'm eager to have cataract surgery when I qualify and that voila, all my vision problems will be fixed!
Not so. I will only qualify for a "plain" intraocular lens. Because of
this, and the impact that the degenerative myopia will have on my eyes, if I have this "routine and easy and everyone has it" surgery, I'll have to choose whether I want near-to-middle range vision ... or if I want middle-to-distance vision. That can be corrected with lenses then, right? No. It might be able to be corrected to an extent, but it's more likely the loss would be uncorrectable.
So there's my story that no one understands and both ophthalmologists
I've seen agree on the specifics, and both believe I ought to opt for
distance vision post-surgery, because of course I'll have surgery.
What if I don't want surgery? What if I don't view blindness as this huge horrible impediment to my life...most often, the major life activities discussed as being disrupted by cataracts are things like watching TV and reading ... well, I wouldn't be able to read anyway, and can live without TV. And living in an urban area, I wouldn't know what to do
with a car if I had one!
Am I an ungrateful person who should be thankful that I have this chance and jump at the chance for surgery? Am I the only one in the world who would consider not having cataract surgery?
1000100001 5 points 6y ago
>watching TV and reading ... well, I wouldn't be able to read anyway, and can live without TV. And living in an urban area, I wouldn't know what to do with a car if I had one!
Its almost like people have forgotten: you already read Braille, listen to books, have mass transit and can hear the TV.
Its almost like people have forgotten: you already read Braille, listen to books, have mass transit and can hear the TV.
Unuhi 3 points 6y ago
Exactly. Everyone sometimes seems so focused on fixing things as if there was no alternative.
O0, if it makes you feel better, i too wouldn't care fir cataract surgery. You already have braille skills, talking books, good mobility skills and everything else to make you happy in life. Enjoy life, you can always change your life later if you'll want it kater. Maybe in 10-20 they'll have lenses that would fix it better, or maybe... gasp, sight is not always the most desirable thing in life for all of us.
O0, if it makes you feel better, i too wouldn't care fir cataract surgery. You already have braille skills, talking books, good mobility skills and everything else to make you happy in life. Enjoy life, you can always change your life later if you'll want it kater. Maybe in 10-20 they'll have lenses that would fix it better, or maybe... gasp, sight is not always the most desirable thing in life for all of us.
1000100001 2 points 6y ago
What truly irritates me is when people act like those types of procedures, will give you the sight of an air force fighter pilot; When that is FAR from the truth.
Unuhi 2 points 6y ago
Indeed.
I remember my eye doc saying i would NOT be able to be a commercial airline pilot after my surgeries, but i laughed at that back then - how would i even dream of being in that job, knowing the eyeball resolution rules were far beyond correctable? A pilot woukd still make a great halloween costume, either with a dressed up guide dog or a cane. Otherwise, a bit like being a tattoo artist or diamond setter - some jobs are just a million times more practical when their practicer has anreally good sight and a 'good eye' too.
I wonder donthey use similarly far fetched scenarios for those who are considering cochlear implants? Sure, you'll be playing violin in a symphony orchestra afterwards, will have the perfect pitch and could consider a voice or accent reduction coach as a career backup plan after getting your CI....
I remember my eye doc saying i would NOT be able to be a commercial airline pilot after my surgeries, but i laughed at that back then - how would i even dream of being in that job, knowing the eyeball resolution rules were far beyond correctable? A pilot woukd still make a great halloween costume, either with a dressed up guide dog or a cane. Otherwise, a bit like being a tattoo artist or diamond setter - some jobs are just a million times more practical when their practicer has anreally good sight and a 'good eye' too.
I wonder donthey use similarly far fetched scenarios for those who are considering cochlear implants? Sure, you'll be playing violin in a symphony orchestra afterwards, will have the perfect pitch and could consider a voice or accent reduction coach as a career backup plan after getting your CI....
1000100001 2 points 6y ago
I had a couple of friends, which had cochlear implants; I know one that could play guitar. However, she was not born deaf and the others were more interested in drums. You asked an interesting question. I know one thing; I cannot work a cash register. There are some dyslexics that can, but NOT me. I also think severity matters.
Vaelian 4 points 6y ago
I had that mindset too when I thought that all I had was a cataract, as long as I could read high contrast magnified text off the screen to code I was fine. Then I got hit by a train after falling to the track because my contrast perception was so bad that I couldn't even see the edge of the platform and decided to have the cataract removed. When my vision didn't return after the cataract surgery and I was told that I might have optic nerve damage I was completely lost.
In my case doctors couldn't actually see my optic nerve because my pupils don't dilate.
In my case doctors couldn't actually see my optic nerve because my pupils don't dilate.
KillerLag 3 points 6y ago
Cataract surgery is one of the safer surgeries in the developed world, but certain things make it more risky. Especially with existing eye conditions, it can cause complications that lead to more vision loss. How you want to deal with that risk is your choice. The doctor may or may not recommend it, but if you don't feel comfortable, you don't have to. If the cataracts aren't that bad currently, you can ask they wait on it and do the surgery if/when the cataracts get worse.
You can explain to your ophthalmologist that you are handling the loss of vision from cataracts well currently, but will revisting that decision when things change. I know plenty of people who have opted not to get the surgery due to the risks.
You can explain to your ophthalmologist that you are handling the loss of vision from cataracts well currently, but will revisting that decision when things change. I know plenty of people who have opted not to get the surgery due to the risks.
KeelHaul-Kovers 1 points 6y ago
No
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