"Support group" for extreme myopia?
Star Leigh Wall
just did today, due to moving to a new area), I end up feeling discouraged
by the doctor's reaction. (For example, "wow, you are very very
nearsighted..." as if I'm a freak.) I also have considerable astigmatism.
It is hard for me to get contacts that fully correct my vision -- I'm told
that my best corrected vision is 20/25. I'm also afraid of my vision
continuing to get worse in the future (I'm 28 now). My latest lenses
are -10 power.
But I realize that there are many people out there who have vision just as
bad as mine, and worse. I think it would make me feel a bit better if I
knew of a forum specifically for extreme myopes. I'd like to hear the
experiences and tips of others who have such problems with vision. Almost
like a "support group." Does anyone out there know of such a forum?
Thanks.
C'est moi
I'm 54 years old and have worn glasses since I was about 9 years old.
I've never got the kind of reaction you did from any of my eye docs,
but I did get a lot of joshing from the kids at school when I was
younger!
I can't tolerate contacts so I just put up with specs. Even with
high-index lenses, the thickness and weight are annoying, but it's the
best I can do - Lasik is out. I have glaucoma and cataracts also
(glaucoma is associated with high myopia so I hope you're getting
regular checks of your eye pressure and especially the optic nerve).
My current prescription is OD sph -9.50 cyl +1.50 axis x124 +2.25 PAL;
OS sph -11.75 cyl 0.50 axis x115 +2.75 PAL. The latest refraction was
done after the glaucoma filtration surgery in my left eye and partly
reflects a still healing eye. Correction was 20/30 in theat eye and
20/25 in the right eye. I had surgery in the right eye in April and am
not yet ready for a new prescription due to complications of the
surgery (distortion - which is driving me nutz!) With my current
prescription, I'm seeing 20/80 in the right eye without using the super
pin hole (I can do much better with the pin hole!)
I've not seen a forum just for myopes although there is one for
glaucoma and that's not too terribly active.
Sherry
"Star Leigh Wall" <starl...@home.com> wrote in
<h5q77.403055$p33.8...@news1.sttls1.wa.home.com>:
Curt Gates
Leigh Wall" <starl...@home.com> wrote:
> But I realize that there are many people out there who have vision just as
> bad as mine, and worse. I think it would make me feel a bit better if I
> knew of a forum specifically for extreme myopes. I'd like to hear the
> experiences and tips of others who have such problems with vision. Almost
> like a "support group." Does anyone out there know of such a forum?
The topic comes up from time to time. A sociologist could do some
interesting work on the topic. There seem to be two parts to the issue.
One is the practical everyday issues of being able to travel, work, etc.
with impaired eyesight. There's often a loss of independence and a
stronger reliance on others -- like for reading signs, PowerPoint slides,
etc. The other involves the subtle ways a person with impaired eyesight
(thick glasses) is regarded and treated by society in general -- there's a
level of discrimination there. I suspect that this is the main reason so
many people wear contacts or pay the thousands of dollars and take the
risks of lasik. Not to see better than they could with glasses, or maybe
participate in sports, but to avoid the negative vibes they get when
wearing thick glasses in social and business contexts. Every extreme myope
deals with it, especially those with jobs in sales and marketing, where a
superficial first impression (appearance) is important. Like the old
saying about a little bit of poison every day, it only makes you stronger
:-)
Dan Roberts
You wrote:
> I think it would make me feel a bit better if I
> knew of a forum specifically for extreme myopes. I'd like to hear the
> experiences and tips of others who have such problems with vision. Almost
> like a "support group." Does anyone out there know of such a forum?
MD Support sponsors a message board through Delphi Forums which includes a
"discussion room" for high myopes, particularly those who are losing (or
feel that they might lose) central vision from neovascularization.
I invite you to visit by going to:
http://www.mdsupport.org/MDForum.html
Best regards,
Dan Roberts, Director
MD Support
Web site: http://www.mdsupport.org
Email: dire...@mdsupport.org
Rick Roberts
tears and holes that are suggested as the direct result of "acute myopia"?
There's more to it than just "feeling good."
Rick
"Curt Gates" <cga...@mitre.org> wrote in message
news:cgates-2507...@cgates.mitre.org...
Star Leigh Wall
connection to conditions such as detached retina. I would say that my worst
fear is eventually going blind. However, at this point, the optometrists
say there is nothing physically wrong with my eyes other than the myopia.
As for what Curt Gates said about social stigma: For me it's not so much
about appearances, because I wear contacts and nobody knows how bad my eyes
are. But I do find myself feeling like a bit of a "freak" when I think
about my vision. I tend to be self-conscious about my own "flaws." I guess I
just want to hear that there are other out there who get by just fine and
live with their myopia without letting it get them down.
"Rick Roberts" <rgr...@ametro.net> wrote in message
news:9jntid$fgi$1...@news.datasync.com...
Jkumar167
myopia varies greatly, and (IMHO) would make a fascinating research study. My
father, who is around -13.00, doesn't see himself really as very handicapped by
his Rx at all....and has said that if he decides to have cataract surgery he
will ask the surgeon to leave him a myope. On the other hand, I've known folks
with -1.00
Rxs who think of themselves as "blind"...I think a lot of it has to do with
parents' attitudes towards their child's myopia. I've seen parents who've
gotten very visibly upset(in front of the child.....) when I told them their
child was myopic (even cried!!), as if this was some horrible, life threatening
diagnosis........Is it any wonder then if the child grows up feeling "like a
freak"??? (to quote you.....)
M.M.
> I've said it here before, but it bears repeating: folks attitude
> towards their myopia varies greatly, and (IMHO) would make a
> fascinating research study. My father, who is around -13.00, doesn't
> see himself really as very handicapped by his Rx at all ...
Me neither. I'm -11 and -12 and have worn coke-bottle-bottom glasses for 45
years. It has never kept me from doing things I wanted to do. Actually, it
may have saved my life by causing me to fail my pre-induction physical in
1967 (Then again, I was trying to enlist so maybe it really did keep me
from doing somthing I wanted to do...). I am really amused by those who are
-1 and just can't handle it. Get a life...
Geoffrey Brent
> Rxs who think of themselves as "blind"...I think a lot of it has to do with
> parents' attitudes towards their child's myopia. I've seen parents who've
> gotten very visibly upset(in front of the child.....) when I told them their
> child was myopic (even cried!!), as if this was some horrible, life threatening
> diagnosis........Is it any wonder then if the child grows up feeling "like a
> freak"??? (to quote you.....)
I'm about -4.5, and it doesn't usually bother me - with a combination
of glasses, contacts, and practice getting around without them, I do just
fine.
But there is one thing I get quite touchy about: "Oh, I didn't realise you
hadn't put your eyes in yet this morning." I get quite annoyed when people
refer to my contacts as 'eyes', since I already _have_ two eyes thank you
very much. For some reason that one really presses my buttons - I find it
condescending.
Other than that, there are millions of worse things than being a correctable
-4.5.
Geoffrey Brent
georgef
lately. Can happen as you age and lens flattens. i have always been
one of those people who needs glasses to find my glasses. I test 20/20
or a little better with my glasses but the see like I'm underwater
without them.