Dang my eyes - a whiney post

Hi all

I haven't posted for awhile, but still read the group a lot. I used
to be the type of person that would sit for hours working on my
stitching. I have a wonderful wedding sampler next to the couch, that
is already 1 1/2 years too late for a wedding gift. I have to swing
my Lowrey over to sit on the couch. In other words, it's in my face
every day. So how come I haven't wanted to work on it? Or anything
else, for that matter? Because in the past year my eyesight has
gotten so bad it's depressing to try to stitch. One year ago I didn't
need reading glasses, but now I can't do anything without them. I
know it's age, but it got so bad so fast I'm scared that I won't be
able to see to do anything at all someday. I just have a pair of
glasses from the dime store, not prescription. Putting them on and
trying to stitch just reminds me of how I suddenly got old
overnight....

I guess I'm looking for reassurance of some kind. I don't even know
what kind!

Thanks for letting me drop in and whine.

Dutchie

One year ago I didn't
need reading glasses, but now I can't do anything without them. I
know it's age, but it got so bad so fast I'm scared that I won't be
able to see to do anything at all someday. I just have a pair of
glasses from the dime store, not prescription. Putting them on and
trying to stitch just reminds me of how I suddenly got old
overnight....

I guess I'm looking for reassurance of some kind. I don't even know
what kind!

Thanks for letting me drop in and whine.

Dutchie


First of all, my best recommendation is to see an opthalmologist and not
self-diagnose yourself. Needing glasses is not bad - my son has been wearing
them since he was 2. At the age of 15...just months before he was to get his
learner's permit to drive, we were told he had a detached retina. They took
the lens out due to all the scar tissue and for the last 15 years, he has had
sight in just one eye. With that "minimal" sight, he has gotten a B.A., two
masters and is working on his Phd. Thank goodness we didn't give up - and yes,
he got his learners permit and started driving 4 months after the surgery.

As for me, I have glaucoma. I have a special pair of glasses that were
prescribed just for cross stitching. So far, I don't need a magnifier but
recently got an Ott lite and wish I had bought it years ago! My Mom has
macular degeneration and has sight in just one eye, but at 78 is still driving
and writes her own checks, does crossword puzzles, reads and yep, she stitches
too!

So.....go see the Dr and get a pair of glasses that work best for your sight
and pick up that stitching - it's the best therapy.

Linda

Linda, what a remarkable story. I left it for those who might have
missed it the first time. There's probably others out there who get
down in the dumpers about eye sight. Yours is that "just right" message.

I'll only add that in mid-40's, eyesight does change, and it can seem
quite rapid. Then settles down for awhile, then changes again in about
your mid-50's. You need lots more light to stitch - and very bright
windows work better than artificial light of any source. Too sunny and
you get glare. But sunny days, in a bright window, can improve your
vision immensely.

I went from glasses at 4 to contacts at 35 to contacts and reading
glasses at 40. Then bifocals and now trifocals. I take my glasses off
to stitch because I'm near-sighted. In dim light, I turn to other
needlework skills beside needle and thread.

Everyone's sight is a little different. I'm with Linda. Get to an eye
doctor. It happens to ALL of us about mid-life. Some people just
pretend longer than others.

Dianne



Lin706 wrote:
One year ago I didn't
need reading glasses, but now I can't do anything without them. I
know it's age, but it got so bad so fast I'm scared that I won't be
able to see to do anything at all someday. I just have a pair of
glasses from the dime store, not prescription. Putting them on and
trying to stitch just reminds me of how I suddenly got old
overnight....

I guess I'm looking for reassurance of some kind. I don't even know
what kind!

Thanks for letting me drop in and whine.

Dutchie



First of all, my best recommendation is to see an opthalmologist and not
self-diagnose yourself. Needing glasses is not bad - my son has been wearing
them since he was 2. At the age of 15...just months before he was to get his
learner's permit to drive, we were told he had a detached retina. They took
the lens out due to all the scar tissue and for the last 15 years, he has had
sight in just one eye. With that "minimal" sight, he has gotten a B.A., two
masters and is working on his Phd. Thank goodness we didn't give up - and yes,
he got his learners permit and started driving 4 months after the surgery.

As for me, I have glaucoma. I have a special pair of glasses that were
prescribed just for cross stitching. So far, I don't need a magnifier but
recently got an Ott lite and wish I had bought it years ago! My Mom has
macular degeneration and has sight in just one eye, but at 78 is still driving
and writes her own checks, does crossword puzzles, reads and yep, she stitches
too!

So.....go see the Dr and get a pair of glasses that work best for your sight
and pick up that stitching - it's the best therapy.

Linda

Oh boy, ain't it the truth? I've been to the eye doctor, and he said
that while I don't need "regular" glasses, I do need pretty strong
reading glasses. Started happening at early 40's, and now I'm 57. ACK!
Soooooooo ... I just get out the glasses, turn on the bright lights
.... and stitch away!!! Hey, better than not stitching I say!!


On Fri, 22 Aug 2003 16:42:21 -0500, Dianne Lewandowski
wrote:

Linda, what a remarkable story. I left it for those who might have
missed it the first time. There's probably others out there who get
down in the dumpers about eye sight. Yours is that "just right" message.

I'll only add that in mid-40's, eyesight does change, and it can seem
quite rapid. Then settles down for awhile, then changes again in about
your mid-50's. You need lots more light to stitch - and very bright
windows work better than artificial light of any source. Too sunny and
you get glare. But sunny days, in a bright window, can improve your
vision immensely.

I went from glasses at 4 to contacts at 35 to contacts and reading
glasses at 40. Then bifocals and now trifocals. I take my glasses off
to stitch because I'm near-sighted. In dim light, I turn to other
needlework skills beside needle and thread.

Everyone's sight is a little different. I'm with Linda. Get to an eye
doctor. It happens to ALL of us about mid-life. Some people just
pretend longer than others.

Dianne



Lin706 wrote:
One year ago I didn't
need reading glasses, but now I can't do anything without them. I
know it's age, but it got so bad so fast I'm scared that I won't be
able to see to do anything at all someday. I just have a pair of
glasses from the dime store, not prescription. Putting them on and
trying to stitch just reminds me of how I suddenly got old
overnight....

I guess I'm looking for reassurance of some kind. I don't even know
what kind!

Thanks for letting me drop in and whine.

Dutchie



First of all, my best recommendation is to see an opthalmologist and not
self-diagnose yourself. Needing glasses is not bad - my son has been wearing
them since he was 2. At the age of 15...just months before he was to get his
learner's permit to drive, we were told he had a detached retina. They took
the lens out due to all the scar tissue and for the last 15 years, he has had
sight in just one eye. With that "minimal" sight, he has gotten a B.A., two
masters and is working on his Phd. Thank goodness we didn't give up - and yes,
he got his learners permit and started driving 4 months after the surgery.

As for me, I have glaucoma. I have a special pair of glasses that were
prescribed just for cross stitching. So far, I don't need a magnifier but
recently got an Ott lite and wish I had bought it years ago! My Mom has
macular degeneration and has sight in just one eye, but at 78 is still driving
and writes her own checks, does crossword puzzles, reads and yep, she stitches
too!

So.....go see the Dr and get a pair of glasses that work best for your sight
and pick up that stitching - it's the best therapy.

Linda

Jennifer / Poetta

www.LadybugLane.com

Dianne Lewandowski wrote:


I went from glasses at 4 to contacts at 35 to contacts and reading
glasses at 40. Then bifocals and now trifocals. I take my glasses off
to stitch because I'm near-sighted. In dim light, I turn to other
needlework skills beside needle and thread.

Diane -

I'm right with you. I've just hit the bifocal stage, and I *still* take
my glasses off to read or stitch...drives me crazy if I try to stitch
and watch TV at the same time! I'm just not comfortable doing close work
with glasses!

Sue



--
Susan Hartman/Dirty Linen
The Magazine of Folk and World Music
http://www.dirtylinen.com

Me, I started wearing glasses at 18 months old. Less than 'reading sight' in
my left eye, and no 'perfect' vision in the right. I'm now 49. Went to
bifocals at 39, and I use 'flip ups' for magnification when I stitch. Good
light is essential, as others have said. And definately see an eye
doctor...while it might be normal aging, there could be an underlying,
fixable problem...

Sharon in Ohio

"Poetta" wrote in message
...
Oh boy, ain't it the truth? I've been to the eye doctor, and he said
that while I don't need "regular" glasses, I do need pretty strong
reading glasses. Started happening at early 40's, and now I'm 57. ACK!
Soooooooo ... I just get out the glasses, turn on the bright lights
... and stitch away!!! Hey, better than not stitching I say!!


On Fri, 22 Aug 2003 16:42:21 -0500, Dianne Lewandowski
wrote:

Linda, what a remarkable story. I left it for those who might have
missed it the first time. There's probably others out there who get
down in the dumpers about eye sight. Yours is that "just right" message.

I'll only add that in mid-40's, eyesight does change, and it can seem
quite rapid. Then settles down for awhile, then changes again in about
your mid-50's. You need lots more light to stitch - and very bright
windows work better than artificial light of any source. Too sunny and
you get glare. But sunny days, in a bright window, can improve your
vision immensely.

I went from glasses at 4 to contacts at 35 to contacts and reading
glasses at 40. Then bifocals and now trifocals. I take my glasses off
to stitch because I'm near-sighted. In dim light, I turn to other
needlework skills beside needle and thread.

Everyone's sight is a little different. I'm with Linda. Get to an eye
doctor. It happens to ALL of us about mid-life. Some people just
pretend longer than others.

Dianne



Lin706 wrote:
One year ago I didn't
need reading glasses, but now I can't do anything without them. I
know it's age, but it got so bad so fast I'm scared that I won't be
able to see to do anything at all someday. I just have a pair of
glasses from the dime store, not prescription. Putting them on and
trying to stitch just reminds me of how I suddenly got old
overnight....

I guess I'm looking for reassurance of some kind. I don't even know
what kind!

Thanks for letting me drop in and whine.

Dutchie



First of all, my best recommendation is to see an opthalmologist and
not
self-diagnose yourself. Needing glasses is not bad - my son has been
wearing
them since he was 2. At the age of 15...just months before he was to
get his
learner's permit to drive, we were told he had a detached retina. They
took
the lens out due to all the scar tissue and for the last 15 years, he
has had
sight in just one eye. With that "minimal" sight, he has gotten a B.A.,
two
masters and is working on his Phd. Thank goodness we didn't give up -
and yes,
he got his learners permit and started driving 4 months after the
surgery.

As for me, I have glaucoma. I have a special pair of glasses that were
prescribed just for cross stitching. So far, I don't need a magnifier
but
recently got an Ott lite and wish I had bought it years ago! My Mom
has
macular degeneration and has sight in just one eye, but at 78 is still
driving
and writes her own checks, does crossword puzzles, reads and yep, she
stitches
too!

So.....go see the Dr and get a pair of glasses that work best for your
sight
and pick up that stitching - it's the best therapy.

Linda

Jennifer / Poetta

www.LadybugLane.com

Linda and Dianne,

Thanks for the straight talk. I've been wearing glasses or contacts
since 4th grade. Every year I'd go to the optometrist to get a new
contact prescription. But 1 1/2 years ago I was told I had the
beginnings of glaucoma. The eye exam was really painful, and that's
why I don't want to go back. I've had a bad year as far as my health
is concerned, and the last thing I want to do is get slammed with a
new medical problem.

I'm just down because stitching was one of the things I could always
count on, no matter how bad my health was. And to have my close-up
eyesight go bad so quickly just made me think it was another kick in
the head. Like Ha Ha - you think your problems are bad now? Here's
another one. It's not life-threatening like the others, but this one
really cuts into your day to day life.

So now that you know how full of self-pity I am, how do you deal with
it? I have a Lowrey stand. Should I get a magnifying glass for it?
I don't imagine there is any help for this kind of sight problem other
than magnification. Like Dianne, I can't see anything now unless it's
in a really bright light. What gadgets do the rest of you use?

Thanks for sharing any coping strategies --

Dutchie

We don`t mind THAT sort of whine, Dutchie! But please go to the optician and
get some PROPER glasses - you may find that things are no-where as bad as
you thought - and in any case, they`ll do far more for you than
over-the-counter specs can do! You can`t mess around with your sight. I`ve
worn specs since I was about eleven, and recently worried that I wasn`t
seeing well - only to be told that my eyes are actually IMPROVING (at 68).

Pat P.

"dutchie" wrote in message
m...
Hi all

I haven't posted for awhile, but still read the group a lot. I used
to be the type of person that would sit for hours working on my
stitching. I have a wonderful wedding sampler next to the couch, that
is already 1 1/2 years too late for a wedding gift. I have to swing
my Lowrey over to sit on the couch. In other words, it's in my face
every day. So how come I haven't wanted to work on it? Or anything
else, for that matter? Because in the past year my eyesight has
gotten so bad it's depressing to try to stitch. One year ago I didn't
need reading glasses, but now I can't do anything without them. I
know it's age, but it got so bad so fast I'm scared that I won't be
able to see to do anything at all someday. I just have a pair of
glasses from the dime store, not prescription. Putting them on and
trying to stitch just reminds me of how I suddenly got old
overnight....

I guess I'm looking for reassurance of some kind. I don't even know
what kind!

Thanks for letting me drop in and whine.

Dutchie

in article , Reuben at
wrote on 8/23/03 12:35 AM:


So now that you know how full of self-pity I am, how do you deal with
it? I have a Lowrey stand. Should I get a magnifying glass for it?
I don't imagine there is any help for this kind of sight problem other
than magnification. Like Dianne, I can't see anything now unless it's
in a really bright light. What gadgets do the rest of you use?

Thanks for sharing any coping strategies --

Dutchie
---------

Hi..

I've worn glasses for 60 years. At "mid-life" my distance vision improved
but my near vision...always great..started to become weaker. The kids bought
me one of those magnification things you hang around your neck and that did
the job for a while.

Then...cataracts made themselves known. Aging is not for sissies (G) and
those of us who live in the sunny south and have light blue eyes..are at
special risk...Who knew ?

So, here I am today....they cataracts have been removed and the vision
corrected. I have new eyes..one lens is for distance the other for near
vision, the astimatisms were corrected at the same time AND for the first
time in my memory...I can drive without glasses, read the newspaper (without
glasses) and watch TV with no glasses. LOL

It took some getting used to...but I'm loving it. I do have a pair of
glasses with distance and readers for late evening or if my eyes get tired
from reading or needlework. I don't need them often and frequently forget
where they are. I'm trying to train myself to put them back in the case in
my purse so I know where they are..(G)

I have a small, high intensity light that I use when doing really "small
stuff" but life is good.

Life IS change and we can adjust or be perpetually unhappy. I chose to do
what I could to correct the problem (thanking all the good people who made
it possible), accepted my limitations (there will be more..life and aging
sees to that) and go on.

I wish you luck....it's OK to whine now and then (G)

Best,
Patricia

If you've been diagnosed with glaucoma, you shouldn't be waiting between
visits to your optometrist. I get glaucoma checks every year (I have
diabetes - also age related) and they aren't painful. I don't like them,
but they cause no pain. Find another optometrist!

Others will tell you what magnification to give a try, but your
optometrist can fit you with a "just right" perscription for doing
needlework if you can't see well without glasses. Wrong perscriptions
(like off-the-shelf reading glasses) can give you more eye strain.
Cheap magnification lights can distort and cause eye strain (tried
that). Eventually, you may have to give up your contacts. Getting
older means letting go of that "pride" or "vanity" we cultivate so
cleverly. If you think wearing glasses and declining vision makes you
feel old, other diseases can really age you overnight so that you don't
recognize yourself in the mirror.

Bless you. You'll find a lot of us with major health problems. It is
our badge of courage. grin You learn to cope. That's part of what it
is to be human. You grow through adversity. Sometimes ya wanna scream,
but as others have written, it teaches us to be tolerant.

Go see your doctor . . . preferably a new one.
Dianne

Reuben wrote:

Thanks for the straight talk. I've been wearing glasses or contacts
since 4th grade. Every year I'd go to the optometrist to get a new
contact prescription. But 1 1/2 years ago I was told I had the
beginnings of glaucoma. The eye exam was really painful, and that's
why I don't want to go back. I've had a bad year as far as my health
is concerned, and the last thing I want to do is get slammed with a
new medical problem.