Let's talk about cataract surgery.....

[Sirius Glass]

I have "nuclear" cataracts and have been working hard to get my blood sugar down by giving up food and soda sugars.

The VA says they will fix mine and additionally, fix my distance viewing, which really hampers my game

I hope to get this done in the next two months, so I can really enjoy documenting Autumn.

Giving up food is a good way to get the weight down. Think of the money you will save. You could buy a Leica or Hasselblad! But seriously I found that I can lose weight by eating one meal a day of a large Greek salad made up of half a cucumber, a green or red pepper, sliced red onion, diced tomato, Kalamata olives, Feta cheese and olive oil. I did that for a month and lost a pound [0.454 grams] a day and never felt hungry.

 

[Mike Lopez]

Giving up food is a good way to get the weight down. Think of the money you will save. You could buy a Leica or Hasselblad! But seriously I found that I can loose weight by eating one meal a day of a large Greek salad made up of half a cucumber, a green or red pepper, sliced red onion, diced tomato, Kalamata olives, and olive oil. I did that for a month and lost a pound [0.454 grams] a day and never felt hungry.

Does "loose" mean lose? This post would make a lot more sense if the unit conversion weren't off by three orders of magnitude.

 

[earlj]

I had both eyes done in 2019. I opted for the corrective replacement lenses (PanOptix AcrysofIQ). They cost about $3000 per eye, but I can see Borge near and far, reading and driving, and my night vision/darkroom vision is the best it has ever been. I don’t hesitate to recommend it if you can afford it.

 

[MattKing]

I had both eyes done in 2019. I opted for the corrective replacement lenses (PanOptix AcrysofIQ). They cost about $3000 per eye, but I can see Borge near and far, reading and driving, and my night vision/darkroom vision is the best it has ever been. I don’t hesitate to recommend it if you can afford it.

Looks like those lenses are available here in BC. The basic foldable mono-focal lenses are included in our universal health care coverage, while those lens upgrades are about $1250.00 CDN extra per eye.

 

[eli griggs]

Giving up food is a good way to get the weight down. Think of the money you will save. You could buy a Leica or Hasselblad! But seriously I found that I can lose weight by eating one meal a day of a large Greek salad made up of half a cucumber, a green or red pepper, sliced red onion, diced tomato, Kalamata olives, Feta cheese and olive oil. I did that for a month and lost a pound [0.454 grams] a day and never felt hungry.

Cheers, I like Chief's Salads, but I can no say they are letting anyone lose weight.

I do have a diet, if you can call it that, in I usually have a can of chilli & beans for lunch, with some Arnold Whole Wheat Bread and coffee, and I like Cup Noodles for the in-between and late night meds, but it's a gradual weight loss, for the long term.

Despite the pain, I believe I'll start walking in a few days, which will up my appetite some, but peanut butter sandwich on wheat bread is always on stand-by.

 

[benjiboy]

I've been wearing glasses since I was 4 1/2. I'm now 77. I have had astigmatism all my life and other issues corrected to 20/20 with eyeglasses. I now have had diabetes 2 for the last ten years. I have to check my eyes yearly because diabetes can affect them pretty badly. No problem yet, thank God. I do have cataracts but the doctor says at 77 the amount is about normal for my age. I thankfully see pretty well still. Of course, my photography doesn't seem to be getting any better though.

My whole point is if you have developed diabetes, please have your eyes checked regularly.

 

[benjiboy]

Yes, Alan, I agree, I too have type 2 diabetes, and have an annual eye test at a hospital.

 

[VinceInMT]

Congrats to those of you being proactive about your health: weight, eyes, and the works.

Diabetes and major cardio vascular disease is in my family so my doc likes to keep an eye on me for all of that. At 70, I’ve already outlived the ages of my father, grandparents, and pretty much all the males on the family tree. To combat all of that, I did a massive dietary change over 40-years ago to something healthier, took up regular exercise, and learned how to deal with stress that comes from living. I run 20-miles or so per week and lap swim on the days I don’t run. I don’t have the bad habits like smoking that family members had. My eye doc says I have indications of cataracts but nothing to be concerned with at this time. Aside from a brush with prostate cancer, which has been dealt with, I’m very healthy.

Of course, leaving the rat race career and commuting I was was doing in California 31 years ago for life in Montana was the healthiest decision I ever made.

 

[benjiboy]

I went to the eye hospital today, my cateract operation I had about a month ago has healed up perfectly the doctor said, and I was discharged. I can now get some new glasses, but even better I can focus my cameras now without glasses, something that I haven't been able to do since I was a teenager.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I went to the eye hospital today, my cateract operation I had about a month ago has healed up perfectly the doctor said, and I was discharged. I can now get some new glasses, but even better I can focus my cameras now without glasses, something that I haven't been able to do since I was a teenager.

 

[eli griggs]

I went to the eye hospital today, my cateract operation I had about a month ago has healed up perfectly the doctor said, and I was discharged. I can now get some new glasses, but even better I can focus my cameras now without glasses, something that I haven't been able to do since I was a teenager.

Fantastic news, Congratulations and happy shooting.

 

[benjiboy]

Fantastic news, Congratulations and happy shooting.

Thanks Eli.

 

[jtk]

Congrats to those of you being proactive about your health: weight, eyes, and the works.

Diabetes and major cardio vascular disease is in my family so my doc likes to keep an eye on me for all of that. At 70, I’ve already outlived the ages of my father, grandparents, and pretty much all the males on the family tree. To combat all of that, I did a massive dietary change over 40-years ago to something healthier, took up regular exercise, and learned how to deal with stress that comes from living. I run 20-miles or so per week and lap swim on the days I don’t run. I don’t have the bad habits like smoking that family members had. My eye doc says I have indications of cataracts but nothing to be concerned with at this time. Aside from a brush with prostate cancer, which has been dealt with, I’m very healthy.

Of course, leaving the rat race career and commuting I was was doing in California 31 years ago for life in Montana was the healthiest decision I ever made.

One thing to which I can personally attest is that prostate problem isn't necessarily cancer and is often mis-diagnosed when tract infection is actually the issue. Garden-variety MDs are sometimes careless in their enthusiasm for scans and radiology.

 

[Roger Cole]

One thing to which I can personally attest is that prostate problem isn't necessarily cancer and is often mis-diagnosed when tract infection is actually the issue. Garden-variety MDs are sometimes careless in their enthusiasm for scans and radiology.

Yep. And PSA turns out to be far less useful than was long thought. My father, some years back, had BPH and a PSA level of nearly 35. His urologist asked him if he thought he had cancer and when my dad said no he said, "I don't either." Further testing confirmed it - no cancer, just serious enlargement. His urologist even said, "I don't even know why we still do this test" as he considered it useless.

My father lived more than 10 more years and ultimately died of a massive heart attack at age 89.

 

[benjiboy]

In the final analysis, we all have to die of something, a lady who was a lifetime friend of mine died of lung cancer a few years ago, and she had never smoked in her life.

 

[VinceInMT]

One thing to which I can personally attest is that prostate problem isn't necessarily cancer and is often mis-diagnosed when tract infection is actually the issue. Garden-variety MDs are sometimes careless in their enthusiasm for scans and radiology.

Prostate cancer generally has no symptoms until the patient is way down the line in terms of the level of involvement. This is why an annual PSA check and a DRE (digital rectal exam) are advised once you hit a certain age. The slow urine stream that many deal with as we age is generally not cancer and there are ways to deal with that.

That said, I have two friends who put off going to a doctor for years and by the time they did, the cancer had escaped from the prostate and metastasized to other places. The chance for a “one and done” treatment at that point is unlikely.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Prostate cancer generally has no symptoms until the patient is way down the line in terms of the level of involvement. This is why an annual PSA check and a DRE (digital rectal exam) are advised once you hit a certain age. The slow urine stream that many deal with as we age is generally not cancer and there are ways to deal with that.

That said, I have two friends who put off going to a doctor for years and by the time they did, the cancer had escaped from the prostate and metastasized to other places. The chance for a “one and done” treatment at that point is unlikely.

The next step usually after a high PSA level is to check to see if there is any cancer in the prostate. So they would take samples and biopsy them. There's a Gleason test scale depending on what they find that would recommend the next course of action depending on the level of cancer if they find it.

 

[Sirius Glass]

My left eye has cataracts, but not enough to bother me. The right eye had the cataract operation four or five years ago. So I could drive without glasses with the left side slightly blurry from nearsightedness, so I put up with that and glasses that have been dropped enough to be scratched in the center, have the lenses either replaced or repolished, or have the surgery for the left eye much sooner than needed. I use my right eye for photographic work although I could use either.

 

[benjiboy]

My left eye has cataracts, but not enough to bother me. The right eye had the cataract operation four or five years ago. So I could drive without glasses with the left side slightly blurry from nearsightedness, so I put up with that and glasses that have been dropped enough to be scratched in the center, have the lenses either replaced or repolished, or have the surgery for the left eye much sooner than needed. I use my right eye for photographic work although I could use either.

The worst thing about my recent cateract surgery, was having to put two different types of drops in my eye four times a day for a month..

 

[Sirius Glass]

The worst thing about my recent cateract surgery, was having to put two different types of drops in my eye four times a day for a month..

I still have to put drops in both eyes twice a day for one minute each. On the other hand that is easier to deal with than blindness.

 

[VinceInMT]

The next step usually after a high PSA level is to check to see if there is any cancer in the prostate. So they would take samples and biopsy them. There's a Gleason test scale depending on what they find that would recommend the next course of action depending on the level of cancer if they find it.

That is correct. Four years ago, after an elevated PSA, I had the biopsy which revealed cancer, Gleason 7 (4+3). After doing my homework I selected surgery and my PSA has been undetectable since then.

 

[VinceInMT]

Yep. And PSA turns out to be far less useful than was long thought. My father, some years back, had BPH and a PSA level of nearly 35. His urologist asked him if he thought he had cancer and when my dad said no he said, "I don't either." Further testing confirmed it - no cancer, just serious enlargement. His urologist even said, "I don't even know why we still do this test" as he considered it useless.

My father lived more than 10 more years and ultimately died of a massive heart attack at age 89.

Well, that is still controversial among urologists. Luckily, my primary care provider had me do a PSA test annually and its rise could be plotted on a graph and the doubling rate calculated. My best guess is that I’d have gone from “curable” to “treatable” had I waited for 18-24 months.

Also, it should be noted that after one is treated for prostate cancer, the PSA test is the primary way to monitor for reoccurrence, something that happens to 20-30% of men after their primary treatment (surgery or radiation.)

 

[Sirius Glass]

@Sean, we should start a subforum on old male farts' medical ills.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Well, that is still controversial among urologists. Luckily, my primary care provider had me do a PSA test annually and its rise could be plotted on a graph and the doubling rate calculated. My best guess is that I’d have gone from “curable” to “treatable” had I waited for 18-24 months.

Also, it should be noted that after one is treated for prostate cancer, the PSA test is the primary way to monitor for reoccurrence, something that happens to 20-30% of men after their primary treatment (surgery or radiation.)

The post-operative PSA test is different than the regular PSA test usually given beforehand. The post is a finer measurement as they are looking for very small changes that a regular PSA might not see or measure correctly.

 

[benjiboy]

@Sean, we should start a subforum on old male farts' medical ills.

I initially replied to Mr Hazeleton's queries about cataract surgery having myself recently had the surgery. I don't think this is an appropriate forum for discussing old men's medical problems, including my own any more than it is for political discussion.