PRESCRIPTION BIFOCALS

[rhonda41]

First let me say I am very thankful to have found this web site. Just to know that I am not the only one with problems/questions is a relief. All my friends that have had Lasik rave about it so I was beginning to think it was just me. (4 of them used the same doctor I did) I had Lasik 11/1/06 so almost 4 months ago. My left eye was something like 20/600 and my right was 20/350. I had astigmatism bad enough that I was not a candidate for soft contacts and did not tolerate the gas permables very well. Surgery went well and no halos, etc. I was at the doctor yesterday and my distance vision is 20/40 rt eye and 20/30 left which I am okay with. I was told because of my age (55) that I would need reading glasses which I was also okay with. However I have this deficit from about 3-6 or 7 feet in which I have to wear off the shelf reading glasses of 3.00 to see the calendar on the wall, cans on the shelf at the grocery store, the dashboard of my van, my big screen monitor at work clearly, even the ground is a blur without them. I am 5'10" tall so this is at least 5 1/2 feet. On top of that I have to have another pair of reading glasses of 1.5 to read any print in a book, labels on cans, to see what I am eating. Without the glasses I took a big bite of a slice of lemon thinking is was slice of yellow squash. This is really a hassle to go back and forth between the two glasses. So to go grocery shopping I wear my 3.00 - otherwise I can't see the labels on the lower shelves but if I have to read the can for ingredients, etc I have to switch to the 1.5 to read the print. I have tried a 2.00 glasses but they didn't really clear up either distance. I have not seen my doctor since surgery - only the optomtrist that works for him. He is between 3 offices and seems to only show up on surgery day. I had an appointment scheduled yesterday to discuss an enhancement. Instead there was a new optomtrist that basically told me you see great at a distance - here is a prescription for progressive bifocals. Is this really my only option? I understand the reading part but shouldn't I be able to see at 5-6 feet without glasses? I do have some residual astigmatism in my right eye also.
thanks for any input, Rhonda, Knoxville, TN

[LasikExpert]

I was told because of my age (55) that I would need reading glasses which I was also okay with. However I have this deficit from about 3-6 or 7 feet in which I have to wear off the shelf reading glasses of 3.00 to see the calendar on the wall, cans on the shelf at the grocery store, the dashboard of my van, my big screen monitor at work clearly, even the ground is a blur without them.

What you describe sounds like the full effects of presbyopia.

To see an object closer than about 20 feet requires the natural lens within your eye to change shape and thereby change focus. This is called accommodation. Presbyopia is when the natural lens is less able to accommodate. It actually starts at around age 10, but is not normally problematic until after about age 40.

Now that you have "normal" vision, you don't have any advantage of being myopic (nearsighted, shortsighted). I call this "Sudden Presbyopia" and you may want to read our article that explains this phenomena in more detail.

Without the glasses I took a big bite of a slice of lemon thinking is was slice of yellow squash.

Wow! That must have been quite a shock, expecting squash and getting lemon.

Instead there was a new optomtrist that basically told me you see great at a distance - here is a prescription for progressive bifocals. Is this really my only option?

It might be the best option, but is probably not the only option. You may want to consider monovision, which can be induced with contact lenses or enhancement surgery. You may also want to insist on an examination with your surgeon to discuss what other options may be appropriate.

[rhonda41]

Thanks for all the input - I just wish I had found this site before surgery - I probably would have opted not to have it if I knew this was a possible result. I waited about 5 years as it is because of concerns. I had opted out of the monovision because they gave me a pair of contacts to wear to see if I would adapt to that but couldn't tolerate them. I was so off while I did have them in I wasn't sure I would be able to adapt to it. I think I will suggest to the doctors office to truly explain this possibility. They stressed the need for reading glasses and I think the average person thinks that means for "reading" and close up stuff - not 6 feet. If I end up back in progressive lens then I am back where I started -just at a different prescription , out a bunch of money and I lost the ability to read in bed without glasses, etc.

And yes the lemon was quite an experience - needless to say I do eat with glasses on!

thanks to all - Rhonda

[manort]

I had a similar experience in that I was surprised at how much my near vision was compromised by the surgery. I am not at the same level and I have regained some of my near vision over the weeks and still notice a fair amount of fluctuation during the day - bad in the morning and improving through the day. I am hoping that it will continue to improve.

I was asked to look at a book with decreasing size print through BCV lenses before the surgery and thought that I would be able to well manage with what I saw. What I got was MUCH more severe.

I also think that a better description of what will happen to near vision should be manadatory.

[LasikExpert]

The ironic part to the problem of Sudden Presbyopia is that what you are achieving with Lasik is the normal vision an emmetropic (no refractive error) person would experience. Sudden Presbyopia can be a case of not knowing that a "defect" can be an advantage.

[Rustystud]

In my state one can buy single vision reading glasses over the counter but bifocal requires a visit to the Optomitrist or optomologist.

I kinda cheated. I bout some single vision reading glasses, then added som stick on lenses to make my own bifocal reading glasses. It worked like a charm. I found the stick on lenses at Walgreens, I think Wal Mart and Eckerds have them too.

This may be an option for you.

Rustystud

[rhonda41]

stick on lenses - okay I am on a mission today to find these. thanks for the suggestion! Rhonda