DiabloScott

I knew I'd find some good stories in here.
For the last year and a half I've been cussing out my optometrist for giving me a crappy prescription for my right eye. Had another exam yesterday and found out my right eye has cataracts and is uncorrectable with lenses. So no hurry, but now that I know the issue, I'm highly aware of my right eye getting worse and worse - left eye is still fine and correctable to 20/20.

I'm thinking right eye surgery, distance focus, and pay extra for astigmatic correction too. I'll be fine wearing whatever glasses I need to if I can see better... won't be trying for perfect unaided vision in either eye.

tyrion

I had cataract surgery a couple years ago - what an amazing transformation - I can see again!

One thing to be aware of with regards to scheduling: I was told, after each surgery (I've had 2 - both eyes) was "no running, swimming, or cycling for 6 weeks". So plan for that down time. My surgeries basically cancelled my cycling for the summer of 2020. If I could do it over I'd do the surgeries in the winter.

DiabloScott

Wow, thanks, I hadn't heard about that! I'll definitely ask, because yeah... 6 weeks of no riding in winter would be somewhat less intolerable than in summer.
I haven't seen the surgeon yet, just got a referral from the opto and she said "a couple days" of recovery.

TakingMyTime

Quite a timely post. I had my first surgery done (left eye) last Tuesday and I go in again in 3 days to have my other eye done.

Same thing for me but mine had slowly been degrading for the past 5-7 years. I would go back and tell the optometrist "I need to be re-tested, you got it wrong". Although I was told I was developing cataracts I was never pushed towards this option by the optometrists I was seeing. I finally took it to the next, saw an ophthalmologist and was told I was a candidate.

I opted for the most advanced lenses they offered (light adjustable). I told the doctor I would like something that would take my reliance on glasses to a minimum. Once the 2 surgeries are completed and my eyes have healed I go back for 5 more appointments where they zap the lenses with a laser and fine-tune them to offer the best possible overall effect. I have been told that there is a good chance that I will only need glasses for up-close details. These "advanced" lenses were not covered by Medicare and the out-of-pocket cost was considerable. I am hoping, believe and have been assured that this was a very wise choice.

My first eye was done 5 days ago and all I can say is WOW. Although I still need to wait until the 2nd eye is completed and they are dialed in but... if this is any indication of where this is headed I only wish I would have had it done years ago. The best way to describe it is that with my new good lens everything looks as if it is lit by a halogen bulb, my non-corrected eye makes things looks as if it is lit by a low watt incandescent bulb. I've got a preview into the results because for some reason when I use the bottom half of my current pair of bifocal glasses they seem to dial the lenses in perfectly. The acuity is stunning. I cannot wait until both eyes are done and dialed in. There is no looking back or thinking that the money was not well spent. I could not be happier.

jadmt

I have had both eyes done, I was young for cataract surgery ie 55 yoa. I noticed I could no longer see in low light conditions which was vital for my occupation. I would go into a room and it would be black. It was gradual and I did not notice it happening for quite a while, also driving at night was brutal between not being able to see and the headlights of oncoming vehicles glaring like crazy. I have needed distance correction since the 3rd grade but was able to see close up my entire life. My surgeon knows I am active cycling, motorcycling, shooting etc. He suggested I might be happier with long vision vs close vision. He is into the same things I am into. He said that is what he would do. my correction is 20/15 in both eyes now but now my close up is +2.25 in both eyes. If I had to do it over I might go the other way as I wear glasses now simply because I need readers (clear lenses with progressive readers) which is more convenient then reaching for readers all the time. being I am wearing glasses anyway it would be nice to read at night in bed and in the morning without reaching for glasses...I was not given a restriction on normal activities including biking and running etc. It has been 7 years for me and I never needed laser touch up yet. still crystal clear at distance. I get checked once a year. My eye doctor tells me the minute things are not crystal clear let him know and he will touch them up.

TakingMyTime

I asked my Dr about exercise, specifically bicycle riding and he said there wasn't any problem jumping back in. They suggest that you don't do any strenuous weight lifting but that was about it. I will confirm this at my appointment in 3 days but as far as it goes I was not told to restrict any other form of exercise. I know for a fact that is he would have said to stay off a bike for 6 weeks it would have sent up an immediate red flag.

pdlamb

My downtime (per my surgeon) was no cycling for two weeks after surgery. I only had to miss three weeks' riding last fall -- and wouldn't you know it, the weather was beautiful for riding for three weeks!

TakingMyTime

I had a talk with the doctor at my post-op for the second eye (yesterday) and she said just to give it about 1 week and I can return to my bike. I do still have to wear UV protective glasses while outside until the fine tuning aspect of these lenses is complete. Unfortunately that will be about a month. Still, I can see well enough to do the things I want and need to do in the course of a day which will include bike riding.

atnyc

A lot of general information on cataract surgery but only a few specifically answer the original question of how to be able to read bike computer while riding...

Does everyone still rides? How do you all do to read the bike computer (and/or Garmin for navigation)?

1) Reader lens stuck to the cycling glasses
2) Progressive

Have I missed any other options?

(I'm assuming you all need good distance vision while riding)

IcySwan1 

I shoot trap and skeet Long distance lens work great and cheaters for close work like reading.

Mike

VegasTriker

Interesting timing as I replied here soon after my optometrist told me I would eventually need surgery (9/3/2019) but put it off until just this week. Wait until you get informed about the cost of the various type of lenses. Medicare only covers the most basic lens replacement. If you are lucky enough to not have astigmatism as well as nearsightedness and farsightedness, the surgery might be cheaper but if you have all three and want to correct all of them it costs $$$$. I chose to go all the way and the cost for both eyes is $7K plus another $340 for eye drops. The reason I went with full correction is just correcting for astigmatism would have cost me $4,600 and I would still have needed glasses either for reading or far vision.


The doc put in the right IOL lens on Tuesday. I'm sitting here with an old set of glasses with the right lens gone. I can read the computer screen perfectly as well as drive a car and see the road better than I could before. I was going to ride my recumbent trike this morning but the raindrops got in the way and I didn't want to get my eye wet. I have no problem reading the computer. Both near and far vision are good. Can't wait until they do the other eye in two weeks and I can finally ditch my glasses that I have worn since I was a young child.


From what the doc told me when I was weighing the options, most of his patients who go with a single correction choose to correct far vision. I actually has chosen that until I realized the cost for just correcting my astigmatism.