The Eyes Have It

My annual eye exam was in January, and I anticipated that the test would reveal what I already knew - my eyesight was worse than the previous year. Though I had passed the driver's license cursory eye exam in October, I know that I am slipping my reading glasses on more frequently. Still, I was unprepared for the ophthalmologist to suggest a prescription for glasses. Huh? I had LASIK done on both eyes in 2004 to eliminate the need for glasses or contacts. I was expecting the doctor to suggest a "tweak" of my previous surgery, not offer up glasses.

When I told him I would like to discuss an enhancement, he explained that he would need to do a more in-depth test for cataracts before we could consider that. If cataracts are present, then LASIK is not a choice. Instead, the option is cataract surgery. As my mom, dad and sister all had cataracts, I knew it was a matter of time before they showed up on my eyes. And sure enough, the additional test revealed the beginnings of cataracts. On the plus side, insurance covers basic cataract surgery, while LASIK is considered an elective procedure.

Before it could be determined if my cataracts were far enough along, additional tests needed to be run. I had a two hour appointment this morning, which entailed multiple tests on my eyes, a discussion with the doctor after he performed an eye exam, a followup test as the optic nerve in one eye was a little enlarged and they wanted to rule out any problems, and then a meeting with the scheduling department.

The bottom line is that I am approved by the insurance company to have surgery on both eyes, and the optic nerve issue is one they believe I was born with and nothing to worry about. The biggest consideration is what type of lens I want to have placed during surgery. Insurance will cover just the minimum lenses, which most likely means needing glasses the rest of my life. They also will not cover the correction for the astigmatism in my left eye, which seems stupid but there you have it.

The next step up in lenses would be similar to what I had done with the LASIK surgery. One eye was corrected for distance, and one for nearness. That has served me well for the past 14 years, with the exception of using reading glasses in low light and with small print. The doctor is concerned, however, because of the fact that I am a writer and a photographer, the lenses might cause problems for me in one area or the other. It is not an exact science, and while it worked well following my previous surgery, those were my own lenses he was working with and not man-made ones.

The final option is using extended depth of focus lenses. Relatively new on the market in the United States, the lens provides improved near and intermediate visual acuity while maintaining comparable distance visual acuity. Sort of like what our eyes were like when we were young, I suppose. As you might imagine, because they are state of the art they are very pricey.

If I was quite a bit younger, the pricier lenses would be a no-brainer. If I was quite a bit older, going the basic route would be a no-brainer. But here I am, stuck in the middle... When Jim gets home tonight we will discuss the pros and cons of the options, along with the associated costs. Although I met with scheduling today, I cannot set up the first eye surgery until a lens decision has been made. The second surgery will take place two weeks after the first, as they want one eye healed before they work on the second. Following surgery, there is no lifting or vigorous exercise for a week. Weeks without pickleball?

Eye, caramba!