Violin makers eyes

[Craig Tucker]

How many people here have used their eyes all of their lives?

Most all of us, I would assume.

And how many people here have noticed something happening that scares the holy crap out of them?

Perhaps its simply age related, but I've noticed that my eyes are not responding "properly"... most of the time lately.

Things in general are slowly becoming, cloudy, is the only way I can describe it. As my eyesight becomes worse as I get older, that I understand, as I have worn glasses all of my life.

But cloudy?

How many people here have developed this type of thing?

Is this common for aging eyes?

Might it be - what exactly?

[Conor Russell]

It's very common, often just cataracts, and usually very treatable, and you should pop in to an optician on Monday and let them have a look..

 

Cataracts are a clouding of the lense, and they creep up on you. It takes about twenty minutes under local anasthetic to wash out the old lense, and put in a brand spanking new one that fits the eye perfectly. The next day you'll be seeing the world for the first time. They even have lenses that hook in to the muscles of the iris so they can focus normally.

[uncle duke]

Have you tried working or just sitting around without glasses to build up eye strength?  Or a 5-6 mile drive without the spectacles.  Don't squint or strain, just try it for awhile then see the difference when you use your glasses again.  I've found carrots start working for a few hours on about the 3rd day after eating.  The Taurine in Red Bull can make a difference too, but you must be careful with that stuff- don't drink to much.

[Janito]

See a professional.

 

I would not monkey around with hocus pocus, given your medical history.

[Craig Tucker]

I had a friend once who at 93, told me that he wanted only ten more good years.

Of course, he told me this shortly before he went on to the other side...

I often wonder at the mechanics of age, on the body... how do we deal with it?

Does one continue on with the 'making' aspect of life?

Until when? And what exactly, if anything, makes you stop?

Since I've always been fairly active in the field(s), a visual artist, and a woodworker... well, my idea is NOT to quit the close up things that I must do, to continue on with these things - even if it's just to satisfy myself.

Stupid questions I know, but only now am I realizing some things that I have simply taken for granted all of my life might simply have been "gifts", given to me for a limited time...

Gack! (< an internet sound effect -)

Or should I say, perhaps, "guffaw"... but it's not all that funny.

[Michael_Molnar]

Get an appointment with an ophthalmologist (medical eye physician).  

[Craig Tucker]

See a professional.

 

I would not monkey around with hocus pocus, given your medical history.

Damn! I knew that this was the correct answer...

I just dislike doing anything that incorporates medical intervention... I've had just a bit too much happen in my life, and since my stroke, three years ago - things have been fairly quiet.

Oh well, I cannot do without my eyes.

And my medical history IS fairly extensive... (well, really EXTENSIVE, actually)

Perhaps I'll phone up the kidney doctor that has helped me out of some real jams in the past, and tell him the symptoms and ask his advice about how to begin to treat this "problem"...

[Rue]

I think early intervention/treatment is the key to anything.  Maybe you can't keep it from happening, but you maybe able to keep it from getting worse.

 

Call a doctor tomorrow and set up an appointment.

[David Beard]

Cataracts also seem to bring about a shift in color perception.   Both my mother and Grandmother were painters.   With each of them, in the 5 years or so leading up to when they got cataract operations, each had a shift in their color palette toward unnaturally vivid and over saturated colors. Then with each, after cataract operations their pallets returned to a more natural color balance.

[Dwight Shirley]

I had my cataracts fixed, not as bad as getting teeth cleaned.

[Julian Cossmann Cooke]

Gack! (< an internet sound effect -)

 

And before the internets, Mad Magazine, no?

 

Lots of good suggestions here, Craig, ones that we OFs would do well to heed.  Taking care of our sensory organs, unfortunately, is something we end up valuing only later in life.  Try to tell a recently minted maker and they stare at you, no doubt thinking "What is that OF talking about?!"  

 

On a related note -- and not intending to hijack your thread --, I am becoming more convinced that we do well not to become lax about our use of vision enhancers like the Optivisor.  I found myself keeping the dang thing on beyond the discreet task for which they were truly needed.  I am sure that is not good for maintaining general independence of such things for as long as we can.  And, more immediately, I found I was losing sight (NPI) of the context in which the fine point on which I was working exists.  I could really work on that one area with great delicacy.  But I did so, sometimes, at the expense of keeping in focus the overall flow of the lines which in the end is far more important than making sure the hair on the backside of the gnat has been expertly styled.

 

Hope you get some encouragement from whatever strategies you adopt in trying to resolve the cloudiness issue.  Please keep us apprised.

[Dwight Brown]

I love my Optivisor when I remember to use it.  I started forming a cataract when I was below 50.  I have never been careful about wearing sunglasses and I thing that did not help.  The eye doctor should get it sorted, I know that eye problems can go hand and hand with other health problems so give them chapter and verse!

 

dlb

[Craig Tucker]

Ahhh - my thanks to all.

Yes, the Optivisor... I am using it now, when I had no real need for it in the very recent past. It was always there, but I saw better without it.

I also find that I cannot have enough light in the room, no matter how I light it - and even when I have the sunlight let in, also.

I still require more light to see - that's rather new.

It seems that perhaps others have gone thru this, and the advices given are about as sound as possible.

I have decided that I'm going to see the nephrologist first - which may sound idiotic, but this nephrologist is a retired giant of a man, a doctor, a surgeon, and a nephrologist.

One that has seen me through this maze of medical problems that I've faced, ever since my kidneys first failed... long ago.

Honestly ? He's saved my life a couple of times, and either done the surgery's himself, or was there as an advisor in the room - etc.

Once, when I went to him with a complaint that no one was listening to, he had me in surgery that night...

Though I haven't seen him in years, it's always a pleasure talking to him... I hope he is still alive and well, and I hope he is still available.

He will tell me the route to go, and the way to get it done swiftly, using my (Government - Medicare) medical insurance.

Thanks again peeps, (Ha! that's one I haven't heard used in years, "peeps" - guffaw!)

ct

[pjham]

Handel and Bach had the same eye surgeon.

http://www.med.wisc.edu/news-events/handel-bach-were-blinded-by-18th-century-quackery/25951

[Ken_N]

At my last visit to the eye doctor I couldn't see anything in one eye perfectly clearly.  He just matter of factly said, "That's just a cataract, they grow slowly and we'll just watch it."

 Just what I need, something to make my hack work look fuzzy!  I guess it could be worse.

Ken 

[Dwight Brown]

Ahhh - my thanks to all.

Yes, the Optivisor... I am using it now, when I had no real need for it in the very recent past. It was always there, but I saw better without it.

I also find that I cannot have enough light in the room, no matter how I light it - and even when I have the sunlight let in, also.

I still require more light to see - that's rather new.

It seems that perhaps others have gone thru this, and the advices given are about as sound as possible.

I have decided that I'm going to see the nephrologist first - which may sound idiotic, but this nephrologist is a retired giant of a man, a doctor, a surgeon, and a nephrologist.

One that has seen me through this maze of medical problems that I've faced, ever since my kidneys first failed... long ago.

Honestly ? He's saved my life a couple of times, and either done the surgery's himself, or was there as an advisor in the room - etc.

Once, when I went to him with a complaint that no one was listening to, he had me in surgery that night...

Though I haven't seen him in years, it's always a pleasure talking to him... I hope he is still alive and well, and I hope he is still available.

He will tell me the route to go, and the way to get it done swiftly, using my (Government - Medicare) medical insurance.

Thanks again peeps, (Ha! that's one I haven't heard used in years, "peeps" - guffaw!)

ct

I think you are wise.

 

dlb

[Craig Tucker]

At my last visit to the eye doctor I couldn't see anything in one eye perfectly clearly.  He just matter of factly said, "That's just a cataract, they grow slowly and we'll just watch it."

 Just what I need, something to make my hack work look fuzzy!  I guess it could be worse.

Ken

Hey, look at it this way, now that your work cannot be clearly seen... by you - so's you can imagine that you've mastered the skill, and that the hack job - is really well done!

(At least, that's what I intend to do...)

Yes, it could be worse.

Much worse.

So - we'll simply deal with it.

Right?

[Craig Tucker]

I think you are wise.

 

dlb

Don't you mean, a "wise @ss"?

[Michael_Molnar]

Whew! I thought you said you were going to see a necrologist. 

[Wolfjk]

Hi Craig,

Age matters. The shape of the eyeball changes so you need regular eye tests. The optician can tell you what treatment you need.

I had cataract operations on both eyes when I was 77.

Regarding your medical condition, the surgeon will advise you. There is nothing to fear.

[Ken_N]

Hey, look at it this way, now that your work cannot be clearly seen... by you - so's you can imagine that you've mastered the skill, and that the hack job - is really well done!

(At least, that's what I intend to do...)

 

 

Yes indeed.  My work IS getting better.

[Craig Tucker]

Yes indeed.  My work IS getting better.

A truly wondrous thing... as is mine!

[Dwight Brown]

Whew! I thought you said you were going to see a necrologist. 

My kids would say "EEWWWWWWWW!"

 

:-)

[MeyerFittings]

I've got a beginning cataract and a vitreous separation floater in my right eye. One they can do something about, the other not so much. Does the cloudiness move around like a jellyfish? 

[Rue]

I've had floaters most of my adult life. Mostly I just ignore them as they come and go...but every now and then one presents in an unusual shape or size and I spend far too much time tracking it...