What should I do?

Hi, I am new here. I am from Abbotsford. It is for my husband I am writing here. He is working for a form here. And it was last month that he noticed that he had issues in seeing. Alike he had to strain to read something. I made him consult ophthalmologist at Valley Laser Eye center and after the check up it was found that he is having cataract and that too initial stage. If things get worse he has to undergo a surgery for that. But I happened to read a blog recently which said diabetics and obesity as a reason for this. Can it be so? My man is diabetic and he is already under medicines for that so should I make him consult the doctor that gives medicine for diabetics? Will medicines for diabetics cure this eye issues? He is obese too and I didn't understand the logic behind obesity and eye issues? How is it related? How can cataract and obesity be related? I don't have any idea why it happened to him? Why things are getting like this? I am very much worried depressed because of this? I am depressed and down and I am not able to concentrate on my kid's things to because of this. It was all of a sudden that he gained weight.
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
The most common cause of cataracts is excessive exposure to UV light, ie., going out in the sun without wearing UVA/UVB blocking eyglasses or sunglasses.

I'm 56 and was diagnosed with cataract in my left eye about 6 years ago. It is just getting to the point where it is noticeable. I now have the start of cataract in my right eye as well.

I owe mine to many years spent either on the water (Lakes Michigan and Superior mostly) or on horseback, without proper sun protection.

I also have severe sun damage to my skin as a result. Arms, shoulders and upper chest and face.
 
okay so UV light got something to do with cataract. Thanks for the information. my man is already under medicines for diabetics so he has put on weight so I thought it might be the reason as well. So what am I suppose to do now?
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
I'm diabetic, controlled with Metformin and diet. I do have to get my eyes checked frequently due to the risk of blood vessel issues associated diabetes. I haven't heard that diabetes causes cataracts.

I do know that one of the medications I was on for about5 years for my bipolar can cause cataracts as well. I think that medication is why they showed up so early, but that the "set up" was all those years of sun exposure.

He really does need to loose the weight. Unfortunately, some diabetes medications can cause weight gain as a side-effect. (Just what every type II diabetic needs, huh?)

I've dropped about 30lbs , which didn't help my back or any other joints like I'd hoped, didn't change my A1C, but did drop my borderline high blood pressure down to normal. Unfortunately, Itake propranolol (BiPolar (BP) medication) for migraine prevention, and as a result,have a blood pressure that ranges between asleep and dead.

Also, atypical antipsychotics are associated with an weight gain, an increase in serum glucose levels, and the development of diabetes.

I would do some research. I know when my mother had her cataracts removed about 7 years ago it was not really a big deal. My BFF had hers done 4 years ago and it was even less of a deal. She was back to normal activities within about 4 days, and didn't even have to go back to have stitches out.

I'm holding off on mine for a bit if I can, but they are starting to interfere with my driving at night.

Gettin' older ain't for sissies, and diabetes II is a complete PITA that can kill you if you don't keep track of it.
 

ksm

Well-Known Member
I am 60 and have had cataracts in both eyes. First one about 3 years ago, then the other eye a year later. Both surgeries was a breeze! I didn't get sick from the anesthesia, I think they just barely put you under...I kind of remember them talking to me, but everything was fuzzy and I never panicked. And I hate even having eye drops put in my eye!

I wore an eye patch for 24 hours, and now I have better than 20/20 vision! I only need glasses for reading now.

Please don't panic about your husband needing the procedure. I was terrified for the first one, then was in a hurry to get the next one done as my vision was so improved!

KSM
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
My mother said that there were two things about the surgery that really bothered her: one was all the eyedrops she had to put in the first couple of days, and the "no bending over" rule for a week or whatever it was back then.

My sister and I came out to mum's house before hand and put all the cooking utensils from the bottom cabinets that she said she normally used and put those on the counter and rearranged some other cabinets, again putting the most frequently used stuff at chest to eye level.

The surgery these days really seems like no big deal at all.

My sister came out a couple of days a week to cook and clean. I wasn't able to help with that as at that point, I lived 325 miles awayl
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
Replying to an old thread here, but I thought I'd update all on the cataract situation:

This past September I had cataract surgery.
Understand that I'm now sixty, and extremely nearsighted. As a result, the surgeon felt that ethically, he had to correct the nearsightedness.
I was given propofol for both surgeries, which went smoothly ex pet that I came to bolting upright in both cases. First time I nearly smacked heads with my surgeon who was bandaging my eye. 2nd time someone caught me on the way up and pushed me back down.

Left eye healed uneventfully, but the night after surgery on the right eye, I managed to dislodge the dressing and abrade most of my cornea. Thankfully i had my bff staying with me. She drove me to meet the oncall doctor, while i was going slightly crazy with pain. Numbing drops so doctor could get near my eye, ointment for 3 days, plus the usual drops, and my cornea healed fine.
I finished with glasses full time due to heavy astigmatism, a very mild correction, leaving me with corrected vision of 20/20-20/25, whi h given that my CORRECTED vision prior to surgery was 20/40-20/80.
IOTW. I was driving on one legal eye.

Unfortunately, I suffered 2 issues common to extremely myopic eyes, one being myopic regression where some of my nearsightedness came back...landing me in bifocals, but still with marvelous vision when corrected. The 2nd was vitreous detachments, in my right eye about 2 mos after surgery, and in the left 3 weeks ago. Somewhere in ther I also developed a hellacious astigmatism in my left eye.
With all that, my corrected vision in the left eye is now 20/40.
A vitreous detachment is best described as "ya think you got floaters??!"
I'm getting new lenses, but need to raise the cash.
That said, though my surgical results sound scary, I would still do the whole thing over again in a heartbeat, though I'd pass on the corneal abrasion given the choice.
My vision is better even now than it's ever been, my glasses are thin bifocals instead coke bottle bottom trifocals.
Even better, I can safely walk outdoors without glasses, or foofle around indoors without. I can even read without glasses for short periods of time.
My mother other family members, and a friend have all had cataract surgery with no problems at all.
My issues were primarily due to how nearsighted I was, and my apparently deciding that rubbing my eye in my sleep was a good idea.
1 other thing. My surgeon offers a compounded eye drop that combines all the drops used after surgery into a single dose drop. He charged 50 dollars a bottle for that blended drop. I went through 2 bottles with-my surgeries. Ins won't cover in most cases, but those drops were the best 100 bucks I've spent in a long time.
Hope this helps.
 

Deni D

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
Staff member
A vitreous detachment is best described as "ya think you got floaters??!"
GoingNorth, this is just so funny, and so true.

I know in my case I'm going to be legally blind in a few years as is one of my brothers, we compare notes. My father was legally blind by the time he was my age. Our vision is 20/whatever repeatedly corrected, but not really, something called diminished vision or some shat like that. I'm so glad your procedures worked well for you. I think the RK surgery I had almost 30 years ago is working against me now, cataract surgery in my best eye caused shadow vision and caused it to be my worst eye now, shortly after I got the vitreous detachment in that eye also so I'm not going to have it done in the other eye. I'm not sure about my brother because he hasn't had RK surgery but has dealt with a detached retina and then another surgery a few months ago. My sister on the other hand had the same experience as you and is very happy with the cataract surgery.
 
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