What kind of bifocals do you recommend?

["couldbecousin"]

Yes, as we age the lens in each eye becomes less flexible for focusing. Usually becomes noticeable in the mid-40s.

 Exactly!  My eyes have been going out of focus between near and far distances for
 about five years now, to the point that I have to take my glasses off when I EAT
 so I can see my food clearly!  I'm fascinated by these changes in my vision. 

[odeon]

So your strabismus affects you most when looking up or down?

More when looking down. It's called the "A syndrome".

[Queen Victoria]

I had my cataract surgeries in 1999.  Didn't need glasses until this past year.  Before my surgeries I was wearing the strongest prescription possible.  They had to special order my lens implants because they are so strong.  My vision was spectacular after the cataract surgeries.

I can remember seeing the man in the moon for the first time in 5th grade.  Bear in mind that I also needed glasses from about second grade. My parents didn't believe I needed glasses and were quite surprised to see how thick my original pair were. 

Evidently my maternal great-grandmother also had extremely bad eyes from a young age.  Mine is from the eye muscle lengthening the eyeball and moving the focal point. 

[Icequeen]

Had glasses since around 1st grade, I remember having a bitch of a teacher that wore those old horn-rimmed glasses, she noticed I couldn't see the board clearly (I really didn't notice, it seemed to be a gradual thing), she screamed at me for not saying anything and sat me directly in front of the board, all the kids laughed at me the whole day. How I hated that woman.

Near-sighted also, I normally just take them off for now, will probably go with a second pair for close-up when that fails to work. Dr. said that might be my best bet, I have a hell of a time just adjusting to a regular prescription change.

[renaeden]

So your strabismus affects you most when looking up or down?

More when looking down. It's called the "A syndrome".

Mine is in the shape of a V. My ophthalmologist called it "AV Syndrome". Isn't that interesting how you are A and I am V, heh.

["couldbecousin"]

Had glasses since around 1st grade, I remember having a bitch of a teacher that wore those old horn-rimmed glasses, she noticed I couldn't see the board clearly (I really didn't notice, it seemed to be a gradual thing), she screamed at me for not saying anything and sat me directly in front of the board, all the kids laughed at me the whole day. How I hated that woman.

Near-sighted also, I normally just take them off for now, will probably go with a second pair for close-up when that fails to work.  Dr. said that might be my best bet, I have a hell of a time just adjusting to a regular prescription change.

 I'm glad I'm not the only one still doing that!  For now I suppose it's good enough. 

[odeon]

So your strabismus affects you most when looking up or down?

More when looking down. It's called the "A syndrome".

Mine is in the shape of a V. My ophthalmologist called it "AV Syndrome". Isn't that interesting how you are A and I am V, heh.

It is funny, yes.

That A is what they have been trying to fix, among other things. Apparently one of the lateral muscles in my left eye is halfway torn off.

["couldbecousin"]

So your strabismus affects you most when looking up or down?

More when looking down. It's called the "A syndrome".

Mine is in the shape of a V. My ophthalmologist called it "AV Syndrome". Isn't that interesting how you are A and I am V, heh.

It is funny, yes.

That A is what they have been trying to fix, among other things. Apparently one of the lateral muscles in my left eye is halfway torn off.

 Is that as painful as it sounds?  And how did it happen? 

[Queen Victoria]

So your strabismus affects you most when looking up or down?

More when looking down. It's called the "A syndrome".

Mine is in the shape of a V. My ophthalmologist called it "AV Syndrome". Isn't that interesting how you are A and I am V, heh.

It is funny, yes.

That A is what they have been trying to fix, among other things. Apparently one of the lateral muscles in my left eye is halfway torn off.

 Is that as painful as it sounds?  And how did it happen? 

He got smacked in the eye by a boob from watching one of those Swedish films in 3D?

[renaeden]

So your strabismus affects you most when looking up or down?

More when looking down. It's called the "A syndrome".

Mine is in the shape of a V. My ophthalmologist called it "AV Syndrome". Isn't that interesting how you are A and I am V, heh.

It is funny, yes.

That A is what they have been trying to fix, among other things. Apparently one of the lateral muscles in my left eye is halfway torn off.

I didn't know that could be fixed. Did you find out about the torn muscle recently - after your operation? And yeah, it does sound painful.

[odeon]

So your strabismus affects you most when looking up or down?

More when looking down. It's called the "A syndrome".

Mine is in the shape of a V. My ophthalmologist called it "AV Syndrome". Isn't that interesting how you are A and I am V, heh.

It is funny, yes.

That A is what they have been trying to fix, among other things. Apparently one of the lateral muscles in my left eye is halfway torn off.

 Is that as painful as it sounds?  And how did it happen? 

It's not painful--usually--but it explains some of the problems with eye movement I've been experiencing in later years. I have limited eye mobility in that direction (up and to the right).

The doc didn't explain how it happened but said it's been known to happen with people who have been operated multiple times.

["couldbecousin"]

So your strabismus affects you most when looking up or down?

More when looking down. It's called the "A syndrome".

Mine is in the shape of a V. My ophthalmologist called it "AV Syndrome". Isn't that interesting how you are A and I am V, heh.

It is funny, yes.

That A is what they have been trying to fix, among other things. Apparently one of the lateral muscles in my left eye is halfway torn off.

 Is that as painful as it sounds?  And how did it happen? 

It's not painful--usually--but it explains some of the problems with eye movement I've been experiencing in later years. I have limited eye mobility in that direction (up and to the right).

The doc didn't explain how it happened but said it's been known to happen with people who have been operated multiple times.

 Is that muscle likely to heal back together on its own? 

[odeon]

So your strabismus affects you most when looking up or down?

More when looking down. It's called the "A syndrome".

Mine is in the shape of a V. My ophthalmologist called it "AV Syndrome". Isn't that interesting how you are A and I am V, heh.

It is funny, yes.

That A is what they have been trying to fix, among other things. Apparently one of the lateral muscles in my left eye is halfway torn off.

I didn't know that could be fixed. Did you find out about the torn muscle recently - after your operation? And yeah, it does sound painful.

Yes, I found out about it after the last operation.

They can fix lots of things these days. They map how the muscles interact when you move your eyes and make changes to the muscles accordingly. When they first tried it 20 years ago, they moved some of the lateral muscles to counteract the A syndrome. While it did help, what happened also was that when I looked down, both eyes would rotate slightly (left clockwise and right anticlockwise) and my brain would think the world tilted, in opposite directions depending on which eye I used.

My doc tells me that today they can fix that sort of thing, but 20 years ago the surgeons didn't fully know about or understand the problem.

[odeon]

So your strabismus affects you most when looking up or down?

More when looking down. It's called the "A syndrome".

Mine is in the shape of a V. My ophthalmologist called it "AV Syndrome". Isn't that interesting how you are A and I am V, heh.

It is funny, yes.

That A is what they have been trying to fix, among other things. Apparently one of the lateral muscles in my left eye is halfway torn off.

 Is that as painful as it sounds?  And how did it happen? 

It's not painful--usually--but it explains some of the problems with eye movement I've been experiencing in later years. I have limited eye mobility in that direction (up and to the right).

The doc didn't explain how it happened but said it's been known to happen with people who have been operated multiple times.

 Is that muscle likely to heal back together on its own? 

Not fully, no. It requires surgery. And now that I think about it, I need to call them to see when they plan to do it.

["couldbecousin"]

So your strabismus affects you most when looking up or down?

More when looking down. It's called the "A syndrome".

Mine is in the shape of a V. My ophthalmologist called it "AV Syndrome". Isn't that interesting how you are A and I am V, heh.

It is funny, yes.

That A is what they have been trying to fix, among other things. Apparently one of the lateral muscles in my left eye is halfway torn off.

 Is that as painful as it sounds?  And how did it happen? 

It's not painful--usually--but it explains some of the problems with eye movement I've been experiencing in later years. I have limited eye mobility in that direction (up and to the right).

The doc didn't explain how it happened but said it's been known to happen with people who have been operated multiple times.

 Is that muscle likely to heal back together on its own? 

Not fully, no. It requires surgery. And now that I think about it, I need to call them to see when they plan to do it.

 Is there anything they can do this time to prevent another tear from happening later?