Strange Medical Exam

[Bigaldoc]

I've had a vision problem all my life and have usually been pretty faithful about my annual eye exams. But for the past several months I've been procrastinating because my attention was focused on my Billie's declining health. My distance vision has been bad for the past several months, so I finally got around to having my delayed eye exam this afternoon.

Unbelievably, the doctor told me that my eyeglass prescription is too STRONG and needs to be backed off a little. I've never heard of such a thing. For many, many years my eyeglass prescription has gotten a little STRONGER every few years.

I can't help but wonder what would make the eyes of an old guy like me need "less help" than in the past! But there was no doubt during the exam that the lens strength he tried on me was better than what I'm using currently. Hmmmm.

No other problems detected like pressure, bleeding or what have you. There IS a hint of advancing cataracts but (in his opinion) nothing needing attention yet. And that's been the diagnosis for the past several years, so I wouldn't think it's impacting my DISTANCE vision. We shall see what we shall see when I get my new glasses in a couple of weeks.

[HansV]

This is a not unusual side effect of age, and it may well happen again in the future.

[Jezza]

As Hans says this does happen and quite normal as we age but if you feel unsure about it I would go back for a second opinion.

Can I assume it was the same optometrist who did the check up with similar equipment? I ask as I have my eyes checked on and off, more off than on and each time I go there is a different optometrist and newer more modern equipment and as they say no two clock owners tell the same same time.

[Bigaldoc]

... and each time I go there is a different optometrist and newer more modern equipment and as they say no two clock owners tell the same same time.

You're probably right, Jerry. The place I use is a "clinic" (multiple doctors) environment with what appears to be high turnover in personnel. I guess the proof of the pudding will be when I get my new specs on Sept. 4.

Meanwhile, they've added something new since last time. They give you (free?) a temporary pair of "reading glasses" made to your current prescription the same day. I was too lazy to go back in Saturday's heavy traffic, so I'll pick 'em up later today.

[John Gray]

Al, it depends somewhat if you are short-sighted or long-sighted. Long-sighted people get somewhat less long-sighted with age, and this effect may happen to short-sighted people (getting less short-sighted, I mean) to a lesser extent. But since I am spectacularly myopic, I don't expect any great improvement if I should ever get old! I find varifocals to be v. wonderful, if <£gasp!> expensive...

[Bigaldoc]

Al, it depends somewhat if you are short-sighted or long-sighted. Long-sighted people get somewhat less long-sighted with age, and this effect may happen to short-sighted people (getting less short-sighted, I mean) to a lesser extent. But since I am spectacularly myopic, I don't expect any great improvement if I should ever get old! I find varifocals to be v. wonderful, if <£gasp!> expensive...

In American English they (doctors) call my vision far-sighted, so I guess I'm in the norm group. I just came home from a followup trip to pickup my "free" temporary "reading" glasses. My IBM insurance requires that my new lenses be cut at THEIR chosen lab somewhere, so it'll be two weeks before I get my new eyeglasses.

If these temporary ones are any indication, the doctor was right on the money with his diagnosis. I had them make these temps in the "middle lens" prescription of my trifocal since I use the computer MUCH more than I read printed material. Anyway, these glasses are an amazement as I sit here and type this post. The computer screen text is so much clearer than it has been for months that it's wonderful and crystal clear!

And yeah, the COST of eyeglasses is a stunner here in the USA as well! Thank God for my IBM eye care medical insurance. The "gross cost" of my new eyeglasses is $555 and my co-pay for that is "only" $136. It would have been somewhat less but I added an anti-glare feature. People without insurance of some kind really have my sympathy.

[Sundog]

Do Loungers know of any "affinity groups" that provide health insurance in New Mexico?

[Doc Watson]

Al, it depends somewhat if you are short-sighted or long-sighted. Long-sighted people get somewhat less long-sighted with age, and this effect may happen to short-sighted people (getting less short-sighted, I mean) to a lesser extent. But since I am spectacularly myopic, I don't expect any great improvement if I should ever get old! I find varifocals to be v. wonderful, if <£gasp!> expensive...

In American English they (doctors) call my vision far-sighted, so I guess I'm in the norm group. I just came home from a followup trip to pickup my "free" temporary "reading" glasses. My IBM insurance requires that my new lenses be cut at THEIR chosen lab somewhere, so it'll be two weeks before I get my new eyeglasses.

If these temporary ones are any indication, the doctor was right on the money with his diagnosis. I had them make these temps in the "middle lens" prescription of my trifocal since I use the computer MUCH more than I read printed material. Anyway, these glasses are an amazement as I sit here and type this post. The computer screen text is so much clearer than it has been for months that it's wonderful and crystal clear!

And yeah, the COST of eyeglasses is a stunner here in the USA as well! Thank God for my IBM eye care medical insurance. The "gross cost" of my new eyeglasses is $555 and my co-pay for that is "only" $136. It would have been somewhat less but I added an anti-glare feature. People without insurance of some kind really have my sympathy.

Shove some of that sympathy over here Al. I don't have either eye care or dental care coverage, simply because I can't afford it. Being self employed all my working life and not fitting into any "professional" group definition for group coverage, I have always had to have an individual policy. My annual (ouch) notice of a premium increase came last month for the current month and year ahead. It's up from $660 to $770/mo. My mortgage, principal and interest charges, are lower. And, I have a chronic, auto-immune disorder that will require me to be on meds the rest of my life. The med of choice currently, is not covered by my insurance and would cost me $1,800/mo if the pharmaceutical company didn't have a patient assistance program for people like myself, who simply cannot afford such an onerous charge for medication on top of the cost of health insurance and life in general today.

[Bigaldoc]

Shove some of that sympathy over here Al.

You got it Doc, for whatever no good it'll do ya! I guess my situation is one of those "...we forget about how lucky we are..." things about having worked for IBM for 30 years!

The only "bummer" about my insurance situation is that when I reached 65, IBM like many companies, required that Medicare be my primary insurance. Since that time any supplemental medical plan they offer is not good enough so I buy my supplemental (Medigap) from State Farm. The only "bennies" I still get from IBM are dental, medication and eye care, which is still a big deal - medications!

[Gfamily]

And yeah, the COST of eyeglasses is a stunner here in the USA as well! Thank God for my IBM eye care medical insurance. The "gross cost" of my new eyeglasses is $555 and my co-pay for that is "only" $136. It would have been somewhat less but I added an anti-glare feature. People without insurance of some kind really have my sympathy.

Ouch,
Here in UK I've just bought 2 pairs of varifocal high index spectacles, one of them tinted, for less than £210 ($325).

[tomyrush]

I moved to HI in 96 and after a year or so I noticed my scrip had changed = went to eent guy in Honolulu and told him what was happening. He told me that was not unusual - that higher levels of sun light (Hi is relatively close to the equator and has much stronger sun light than anywhere on the mainland (he said 20 minutes of mid day sun in HI was equivalent to over an hour in CA.
By the time I moved back to mainland in 2003, I was no longer wearing corrective lenses. Now (2010) and several years older (now 73) i am almost back to where I was in 96 - but not quiet.

Tom

[steveh]

And yeah, the COST of eyeglasses is a stunner here in the USA as well! Thank God for my IBM eye care medical insurance. The "gross cost" of my new eyeglasses is $555 and my co-pay for that is "only" $136. It would have been somewhat less but I added an anti-glare feature. People without insurance of some kind really have my sympathy.

Ouch,
Here in UK I've just bought 2 pairs of varifocal high index spectacles, one of them tinted, for less than £210 ($325).

Tesco's £170 for the 2 one as anti glare sunglasses both varifocal which includes the eye test, however some of the lads here send their prescriptions home with their relatives to India and get them done to the standard in desingner!! frames for less than 50 quid

[stuck]

My annual (ouch) notice of a premium increase came last month for the current month and year ahead. It's up from $660 to $770/mo.

And the UK gripes about its National Health Service, we don't know we're born.

Ken

[PaulB]

And the UK gripes about its National Health Service, we don't know we're born.

Ken

If this is a British expression, it has me totally baffled.

[Leif]

And the UK gripes about its National Health Service, we don't know we're born.

If this is a British expression, it has me totally baffled.

To 'not know you were born' is to not appreciate how lucky you are - i.e. to be so unaware of life you don't realise you have one.

[stuck]

As Leif says, I was noting how here in the UK we often complain about the National Health Service, usually because we feel because it lacks 'service'. However, unlike the just about all of the rest of the world it is 'free'. By that I mean we don't have to pay an clearly defined upfront figure out of our pay every month and by and large it doesn't matter who you are, everyone gets the same treatment, the cost is all hidden in our taxes.

Thus we don't know how fortunate we are, we are carried around safe in our little womb with all our needs provided for. We're not living in the real world, we don't know we are born.

Ken

[Doc Watson]

And the UK gripes about its National Health Service, we don't know we're born.

If this is a British expression, it has me totally baffled.

To 'not know you were born' is to not appreciate how lucky you are - i.e. to be so unaware of life you don't realise you have one.

Haven't the British been that way for centuries ??? Or is it just since National Health Care have they not known "they were born" because they never got a bill ??

[stuck]

We used to have an Empire so the world us us a living, thought you all knew that

Ken

[John Gray]

...is it just since National Health Care have they not known "they were born" because they never got a bill ?

The National Health Service is funded by a punitive (and, indeed, swingeing) tax on employees and employers.

Funding

When the NHS was launched in 1948 it had a budget of £437 million (roughly £9 billion at today’s value). In 2008/9 it received over 10 times that amount (more than £100 billion).

This equates to an average rise in spending over the full 60-year period of about 4% a year once inflation has been taken into account. However, in recent years investment levels have been double that to fund a major modernisation programme.

Some 60% of the NHS budget is used to pay staff. A further 20% pays for drugs and other supplies, with the remaining 20% split between buildings, equipment and training costs on the one hand and medical equipment, catering and cleaning on the other. Nearly 80% of the total budget is distributed by local trusts in line with the particular health priorities in their areas.The money to pay for the NHS comes directly from taxation. According to independent bodies such as the King’s Fund, this remains the “cheapest and fairest” way of funding health care when compared with other systems. The 2008/9 budget roughly equates to a contribution of £1,980 for every man, woman and child in the UK.

[HansV]

I learn something new here every day. English not being my mother tongue, I had to look up "swinge". Now I'm happy to know that the Swinge is the strait between Alderney and Burhou in the Channel Islands...