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[sugarcheryl]

Well not really, but you would think I was. Or better yet, perhaps I have cancer of the eye. Sigh!!  In a nutshell I went to have an eye exam so I could get me some glasses. The time has come to renew my DL. I have done it twice through the mail, but this time I have to go the DMV and have a finger print done and I have to pass the eye chart test. Well... I already know off hand that I will not be able to see it. So to save myself from not getting my license, I thought I would be proactive and go get me some glasses.

Come to find out I have astigmatism and possible gluacoma. Great! Whatever. They then want to schedule me for 2 more tests. I go in yesterday for a test that basically checks your periphal vision. You guys I sat there for extreme amounts of time with the little "clicky" thing in my hand that the Tech gave me to press everytime I would see a flash of light doing absolutely nothing. I didn't see them unless they were right infront of my eyes. My eyes were tearing really bad and she was telling me not to forget to blink and everytime I blinked my eyes would focus wrong and I had to do the test twice. UGH! Then she tells me that my pupils are tiny and that when I come in for my last test of the 30th that she will have to dialate my pupils. I'm like what the fuck does that mean? She says that I will not be able to drive very well. Oh, well thats fine I will have someone drive me. Thought it was gonna be something painful. So anywhozzile, I go in on the 30th so they can check my optic nerve. Great!

My Mom goes in today for a.....oh I don't know what it would be called. She is hopefully having her precancerous polyps removed. Poor thing. She had to drink that "shit" again in two phases, then try and make it to the hospital without shitting herself (sorry to be so graphic). If they can't take them out with the colonoscopy then they are going to do it enteroscopicly. We are all hoping that she will not have to go through the same surgical procedure that my Dad just had. He is doing very well by the way. He is going through one final low dosage of chemotherapy, which is making him feel a little poopy, but otherwise he is cancer free. Pray for my Mom. Thanks everyone!

[bill door]

Hi Cheryl
My mother and my brother both have glaucoma. In the UK that entitles me to a free annual check up. I've sat with my head in the field machine lots of times and although painless, it's not much fun. I also get the joy of the 'puff of air' test. I get six puffs of air directed at my eyes and they measure the deformation of the eyeball as a test for internal pressure.

Couple of years back they thought I might have glaucoma and sent me to the hospital. The pupil dilation is absolutely painless but they do shine a bright light into your eyes. Again, it's a great joy. When it ends.

However, as a man, I quite enjoyed the test, in that I was sat about a foot away from the very attractive chest of the lady examiner.
'Look up. . . look to the left. . . to the right. . .look down. . . . . You can stop looking down now, Mr Door'

What I wasn't ready for was the OTHER pressure test. This involves pressing your pupil with a rod to see how much the eye deforms. Naturally, they give you a local anaesthetic in the form of eye drops. If you've ever had dental work and needed an injection, it's the same numb feeling, but in your eyeballs...

In short, no pain, just long and unexciting tests. If  you do have glaucoma, there are a range of eye-drop treatments available, which can be followed by laser surgery at a later date.

[Zwheels]

Hang in there We're pulling for ya.

[sugarcheryl]

Hi Cheryl....I also get the joy of the 'puff of air' test. I get six puffs of air directed at my eyes and they measure the deformation of the eyeball as a test for internal pressure....

I also had that done the first go around. Had to do it a gang of times, cause I kept blinking. Natural reaction when air gets forcefully blown into your eye. LOL!

My Mom told me about the laser surgery....that is more then likely a no go for me as the thought of that absolutely petrifies me. What if he sneeeze? <achoo> slip......oops. :-/

Haha on the pretty lady story. Mine is the totally and absolutely complete opposite story. As a matter of fact I texted my man and told him...."speaking of odd (I told him that the test I took was odd) you should of seen the "lady" Tech that gave me the test" "She" looked like a man. But she was a woman....but sooo ugly, bless her heart (see you can say things like that as long as you say bless their hearts after) hahahaha! Yeah she was horrible looking. Big bushy eyebrows, moppy curly hair. Very very unattractive.

Anyways....not looking forward to the 30th after what you just told me. HA! Thanks a ton Colin I appreciate that. Hahaha! I'm kidding. I will be brave.

Thanks you guys for the kind yet scary words. :-)

[Dr Sketch]

Jebus guys, my eyes are watering in sympathy!

Colin, here in the US the glaucoma test (where they puff air in your eye) is only a few bucks, and is considered part of a regular eye exam.  I no longer allow my eyes to be dilated; they have a machine similar to a photocopier that can do the same process, do it faster, and keep a permanent record for your file.  It costs, at most, $5 more than the dilation test, and your pupils aren't stuck wide after.

The lasik surgery gives me the creeps; they clamp your eyeball open, stick a vacuum to it, cut it open, and shoot a laser into it.  Plus, even though you are numb, you SEE THE WHOLE THING HAPPENING, and can't stop it.  No thanks.  I'll stick with my shitty vision and glasses...

[TootUncommon]

I can sympathize with you!  I don't have glaucoma (that puff of air test is done every time).  I have cataracts but they are not "bad enough" to remove yet. I have astigmatism.  I have distance glasses for driving and close up for computer work.  God forbid I forget one pair.  There is such a drastic difference they can't put both in one pair of glasses.   I have zero depth perception - but you learn to compensate for that.  It doesn't affect passing the tests for my drivers license.  You just compensate.  My vision is correctable yet so as long as they can get the vision corrected, I don't plan on stopping anything I do.  Laser surgery is not an option for me ... not because I am scared to have it done but because it would not do any good. 

Good luck with your tests - it will work out! 

[Navi]

Astigmatism is grand! I've had glasses for 10+ years and have never successfully worn a pair of contacts. So much fun.

Laser surgery looks like a barrel of laughs too. I'm still running on the "my eyes aren't done getting worse yet" excuse whenever people tell me I should do it.

[bill door]

The laser surgery for glaucoma isn't soooo bad....

There are three types of glaucoma laser surgery that can be performed in the doctor’s office:

Trabeculoplasty

Trabeculoplasty uses a laser to burn tissue from the trabecular meshwork, a structure within the eye that controls the flow of fluid. This procedure increases the aqueous outflow in the area surrounding the laser spot, relieving pressure within the eye. Pressure is reduced in 60 to 70 percent of the patients in whom a laser trabeculoplasty is performed. This type of glaucoma laser surgery is used to treat patients with open-angle glaucoma.

Iridotomy

Closed-angle glaucoma occurs when the angle between the iris and the cornea in the eye is too small. This causes the iris to block fluid drainage, increasing inner eye pressure. Iridotomy glaucoma laser surgery makes a small hole in the iris, allowing it to fall back from the fluid channel so fluid can drain.

Cyclophotocoagulation

Cyclophotocoagulation uses a laser to burn ciliary tissue, which decreases the production of fluid in the eye. The procedure, performed under local anesthesia, has only recently become available to glaucoma patients to reduce the intraocular pressure. This type of glaucoma laser surgery is used to treat patients who have failed to respond to other types of glaucoma surgery. Many patients will require more than a single treatment. The procedure appears to have significant success and relatively low risk.

[sugarcheryl]

......I have distance glasses for driving and close up for computer work.  God forbid I forget one pair.  There is such a drastic difference they can't put both in one pair of glasses........   

Good luck with your tests - it will work out! 

Ummm....wouldn't those be bi-focals? <shrug> I am noticing NOW that I may need something like that also. I thought I would only need glasses for driving, but I am noticing that when I take them off my computer is fuzzy. Things close up are fuzzy. :-/ sigh!

Thanks for all the good lucks guys. Will let you all know (if interested) what happens on the 30th.

On a side note.....my Mom went and had a procedure to remove her precancerous polyps from her colon. Her blood pressure I guess was not the most stable, so they were only able to remove 75%. The doctor just didn't feel comfortable doing the rest with her blood pressure so low. So she will have to go back to have the rest later. Her side of the family....very low blood pressures, my Dads side of the family very high. I tend to usually be on the low side. Thankfully....well at least I did until I went and had my physical a few months back, but I got that under control and I am back to low again with my diet and exercise change. Yay Me!

[TootUncommon]

Ummm....wouldn't those be bi-focals?

Actually no.  The close up glasses are trifocals.  The distance area is not strong enough.  So I had to go to a separate pair for distance because if they increase the prescription for distance, it will somehow alter the close up too.  I use the one for close up and midrange and the distance part is ok for well not too distant lol.  But for driving I use the distance ones that make everything sharp as a tack.