Anyone have vision issues?

Not a directly piloting question, but it certainly affects it.

My second class medical expires in December, so panic is starting to
set in.

I have bad eyes. Theoretically correctable to 20/20, but in reality,
toric contact lenses aren't much better than a piece of plastic in my
eye. My correction is so strong that it's difficult for me to drive
with glasses, and don't ask me to land a plane with them. So far I've
managed to hang onto my second class by sticking my finger in my eye
and manually rotating the lens before the test. I'm worried my AME is
going to start having issues with this.

I've seen two doctors in an attempt to get this taken care of, but
they both recommended LASIK (I'm not even a candidate). The
prevailing opinion seems to be that since I'm not flying for a living
(part time CFI and fly for CAP) that I don't need 20/20 vision and can
take the risks associated with the surgery. I actually had one guy
explain to me that "needing 20/20 vision to be a pilot is a myth -
don't let it stop you if you really want to learn to fly!"

Has anyone experiences this kind of treatment? Am I being unrealistic
to expect help in getting 20/20 vision? I have a third opinion
scheduled for next month - how do I make the doctor understand how
important this is?

(and yes, I'm aware I don't even need a medical to instruct, but CAP
requires it and frankly I'm tired of living in an astigmatism-blurred
world)

Why cant you get the Lasik? My son had bad vision with a high stigmatism. 4k
later and he needs no glasses.
"Emily" wrote in message
ups.com...
Not a directly piloting question, but it certainly affects it.

My second class medical expires in December, so panic is starting to
set in.

I have bad eyes. Theoretically correctable to 20/20, but in reality,
toric contact lenses aren't much better than a piece of plastic in my
eye. My correction is so strong that it's difficult for me to drive
with glasses, and don't ask me to land a plane with them. So far I've
managed to hang onto my second class by sticking my finger in my eye
and manually rotating the lens before the test. I'm worried my AME is
going to start having issues with this.

I've seen two doctors in an attempt to get this taken care of, but
they both recommended LASIK (I'm not even a candidate). The
prevailing opinion seems to be that since I'm not flying for a living
(part time CFI and fly for CAP) that I don't need 20/20 vision and can
take the risks associated with the surgery. I actually had one guy
explain to me that "needing 20/20 vision to be a pilot is a myth -
don't let it stop you if you really want to learn to fly!"

Has anyone experiences this kind of treatment? Am I being unrealistic
to expect help in getting 20/20 vision? I have a third opinion
scheduled for next month - how do I make the doctor understand how
important this is?

(and yes, I'm aware I don't even need a medical to instruct, but CAP
requires it and frankly I'm tired of living in an astigmatism-blurred
world)

"Emily" wrote in message
ups.com...
Not a directly piloting question, but it certainly affects it.

My second class medical expires in December, so panic is starting to
set in.

I have bad eyes. Theoretically correctable to 20/20, but in reality,
toric contact lenses aren't much better than a piece of plastic in my
eye. My correction is so strong that it's difficult for me to drive
with glasses, and don't ask me to land a plane with them. So far I've
managed to hang onto my second class by sticking my finger in my eye
and manually rotating the lens before the test. I'm worried my AME is
going to start having issues with this.

I've seen two doctors in an attempt to get this taken care of, but
they both recommended LASIK (I'm not even a candidate).

Two doctors recommend it even though you're not a candidate? Could you
elaborate on that?



The
prevailing opinion seems to be that since I'm not flying for a living
(part time CFI and fly for CAP) that I don't need 20/20 vision and can
take the risks associated with the surgery. I actually had one guy
explain to me that "needing 20/20 vision to be a pilot is a myth -
don't let it stop you if you really want to learn to fly!"

Has anyone experiences this kind of treatment?

Treatment, as in LASIK?

Am I being unrealistic
to expect help in getting 20/20 vision?

No, not if LASIK is an option. I know quite a few four-eyes that looked like
they were viewing the world through Coke bottles, and they're all 20/20 now,
and one person very dear to my heart, is now 20/15, coming from
20/200something.

I have a third opinion
scheduled for next month - how do I make the doctor understand how
important this is?

Just tell him IT IS YOUR LIVLIHOOD.


(and yes, I'm aware I don't even need a medical to instruct, but CAP
requires it and frankly I'm tired of living in an astigmatism-blurred
world)

It certainly sucks!

Good luck however you go about it.


--
Matt Barrow
Performance Homes, LLC.
Cheyenne, WY

"Emily" wrote in message
...
Matt Barrow wrote:

I've seen two doctors in an attempt to get this taken care of, but
they both recommended LASIK (I'm not even a candidate).

Two doctors recommend it even though you're not a candidate? Could you
elaborate on that?

I phrased it poorly. The two doctors suggested I get a consultation, I
did so, and found out my corneas are too thin for LASIK (I can have PRK).
The problem with PRK is that my correction is so strong, it's likely I
won't get 20/20 out of it - in my case, 20/40 would be a success and has
an 80% chance - and an increased risk of halos and night and all that
great stuff.

prevailing opinion seems to be that since I'm not flying for a living
(part time CFI and fly for CAP) that I don't need 20/20 vision and can
take the risks associated with the surgery. I actually had one guy
explain to me that "needing 20/20 vision to be a pilot is a myth -
don't let it stop you if you really want to learn to fly!"

Has anyone experiences this kind of treatment?

Treatment, as in LASIK?

No, being treated like an idiot by doctors. I know I'm not the only pilot
out there with poor uncorrected eyesight, so I can't figure out what I'm
doing wrong in trying to get it fixed.

Have you considered going to a AME for initial consulation rather than bozos
that think pilots are akin to what they saw in "Airplane"? :~)


I have a third opinion
scheduled for next month - how do I make the doctor understand how
important this is?

Just tell him IT IS YOUR LIVLIHOOD.

Problem is, it's not. They seem to think because I'm flying "for fun"
that I'm not one of those pilots that needs 20/20 vision. It almost makes
me wish people still thought all pilots need 20/20 to fly.

It may not be your career, but it is a big part of your life.


Maybe I just lie next time.

Never a good idea. Take your time, avoid the medical dingdongs, and do it
right.

As I said, maybe an AME has some pratitioners that can do more than general
practitioners (even various eye doctors that are used to treating people
that want to watch TV without glasses).

Best!

"Clark" wrote in message
...
Emily wrote in news:1188525088.200757.46160
I had ICL on both eyes about 6 months ago and haven't looked back. If they
can figure out how to orient the lense then ICL should become fairly
common
(and preferred) for astigmatism as well as high myopia corrrection.

What's ICL and how is it different? (First I've heard of it, not that I've
been paying attention...)


--
Matt Barrow
Performance Homes, LLC.
Cheyenne, WY

Emily wrote:
I have bad eyes. Theoretically correctable to 20/20, but in reality,
toric contact lenses aren't much better than a piece of plastic in my
eye. My correction is so strong that it's difficult for me to drive
with glasses, and don't ask me to land a plane with them. So far I've
managed to hang onto my second class by sticking my finger in my eye
and manually rotating the lens before the test. I'm worried my AME is
going to start having issues with this.

I'm not sure whether I understand your problem correctly, but just in case:

I know there are contact lenses available, which can correct astigmatism.
The trick is, they use some sort of built in tiny weight, which makes them
rotate themselves to the correct orientation.

all the best,
Friedrich

I went to Canada in '93 for PRK (wasn't approved in US then). Corrected from
20/400 to 20/20 although no astig. Took a little time to heal but 100%
success (no halos or stars).
Get a Doc who has done thousands of eyes and if you're worried just do one
eye at a time.
Charles

"Emily" wrote in message
ups.com...
Not a directly piloting question, but it certainly affects it.

My second class medical expires in December, so panic is starting to
set in.

I have bad eyes. Theoretically correctable to 20/20, but in reality,

She already has the weighted (toric) lenses. My AME is also an eye doctor,
that is why I go to him. I have had problems with a retinal tear, still
have a second class medical.

--
*H. Allen Smith*
WACO - We are all here, because we are not all there.

"Friedrich Ostertag" wrote in message
...
Emily wrote:
I have bad eyes. Theoretically correctable to 20/20, but in reality,
toric contact lenses aren't much better than a piece of plastic in my
eye. My correction is so strong that it's difficult for me to drive
with glasses, and don't ask me to land a plane with them. So far I've
managed to hang onto my second class by sticking my finger in my eye
and manually rotating the lens before the test. I'm worried my AME is
going to start having issues with this.

I'm not sure whether I understand your problem correctly, but just in
case:

I know there are contact lenses available, which can correct astigmatism.
The trick is, they use some sort of built in tiny weight, which makes them
rotate themselves to the correct orientation.

all the best,
Friedrich

Emily opined

Not a directly piloting question, but it certainly affects it.

My second class medical expires in December, so panic is starting to
set in.

I have bad eyes.

IIUC, you wear contacts? Why not use old-fashioned glasses?


-ash
Cthulhu in 2007!
Why wait for nature?

Emily writes:

I'd do that in a heartbeat if it corrected astigmatism. I'm sure it's a
lot less painful than the PRK I've been relegated to, plus it's reversible.

Check your eyelids. If you have heavy eyelids, the pressure from them can
slightly deform the cornea and produce refraction errors that manifest as
astigmatism. If this is the cause, minor plastic surgery on the eyelids can
reduce their pressure on the cornea and correct the error. Monocular
diplopias can be caused in this way.