Eyes-just some questions

[Crankin]

I know several people who have had the surgery and it was very successful. But, they had simple nearsightedness. I am nearsighted, with a pretty significant astigmatism in my left eye, and now, of course, i need reading glasses. I started wearing contacts at age 24 after getting glasses when I was 8 (which I didn't wear full time until my early twenties). At first, i had a lot of trouble with the soft lenses, but they have improved so much that I don't even know they are in. I wear the kind that last for 2 weeks and then i put a new pair in. I do take them out at night for sleeping. Also, I was not able to wear the toric lenses that correct the astigmatism, so the vision in my left eye is a bit less than 20/20, but i deal with it. I wear reading glasses over my contacts and I have a pair of bifocals for emergency,or at night if i am reading in bed. So, I don't think any surgery would help me! I also have absolutely no depth perception, which has precluded any career that involves mechanical ability, or any sport that requires eye hand coordination. In fact, it has affected my cycling in that I still cannot judge corners well, especially at high speed, so hence, I often am the slug descending, even though i can climb fairly well compared to the others I ride with. I just started using my drops last year and i still can't descend in the drops, not because I can't reach the brakes, but because everything looks and feels different and if I combine that with terrain that I am not sure about (hills with twisty descents), and speed, it totally scares me.
I wish there was a surgery for depth perception. I would love to be able to look at something and understand how it works, how something is put together, or how to fix something.

[crazycanuck]

I visited my optometrist last night and asked him what the possibilities were for eye surgery etc. I was told the following.

1-I have a turned eye, not a lazy eye!

2-A patch or even behavioral optometry wouldn't be a best option for me.

3-This one's a bit more complex. If i wanted to improve the eyesight & turned eye, two surgeries would have to be done. Also, lazer surgery would be first, then the muscle surgery on my left eye. He stated that the vision would change even more if the muscle is operated on first.(or soemthing like that!)

There's only one surgeon in Perth that does the muscle surgery so this should be interesting!

The optometrist is referring me to the clinics & i shall find out more...DOn't know anything about the cost...

I shall keep you updated

C

[annie]

Yikes! Good luck, CC. Anything with the eyes is so scary, as we only have two to start with!
I've had glasses/contacts for 40+ years now. Can't even imagine what it'd be like to see with unaided eyes.
Eye surgery has come a long ways. Just be sure you find an experienced and trusted surgeon before you do anything.

Annie