Vision Issues

[Kiernan]

I wear contact lenses and can't go without them or my glasses. Since I don't receive good vision with the glasses I always wear my contacts. The only issue with that is overnight shifts. My contacts dry out and take awhile to adjust when I wake up in the middle of the night for a call. Taking them out wouldn't work too well because of the time it takes to put them back in before a call.

What do you do?

(I am not a candidate for overnight contacts.)

[fre156]

Well, I think you should talk to your optometrist. If you're not a candidate for overnight contacts and if they take too long to put in before a call, it sounds to me like you need new glasses (i.e. ones you can see through!). That would also give you eye protection as well. :)

I wouldn't give up on the glasses if I were you. The ones you currently have may not be working for you, but a change in prescription, (or even a simple adjustment) may be your answer.

[Weruj1]

uhmmmmmmmm I can only that after being blind for many years (corrected with glasses) I had vision like 20/800 or something like that. I went in January and had LASIK surgery, my vision is corrected to 20/40. The only thing I have noticed is that if I have to get up before I naturally wake up, it does take a couple mins to get good visoin sometimes but once I am up it is WAY ok .......dont know if that helps but it has been good for me so far.

[kghemtp]

I've known people who can use contacts even while sleeping, but if that's not an option then maybe new glasses is the best & easiest solution in the short term. I use both, but glasses are the only thing I do in overnight shifts. Good luck!

[ALS142]

I have been wearing contacts on duty for the past 21 years. Yours are not drying out at night, they are developing a mucous coating while your eyes are shut. When I have to wake up in the middle of the night for a call, I put a drop of lens wetting solution in each eye as I'm moving to the truck. You can buy lens wetting solution at any local pharmacy.

[CaptBob]

Eye Surgery

You can check out more information concerning eye surgery on the Food and Drug Administration web site @ fda.gov/CDRH/LASIK
If you're considering eye surgery you should know that more than 5% of patients have problems with night vision, results that don't last and vision worse after than before the surgery.

You need to check out the web site surgicaleyes.com put up by a firefighter who had the surgery then had to quit because his eyesight fell below safety standards.
Here are questions and answers about eye surgery from internet postings:

What are the current attitudes regarding corneal surgery to correct poor vision? My eyes suck, to speak plainly. I'm considering getting laser eye surgery to correct the problem. Do departments consider that "corrected" eyesight? As in, "Candidate must have no worse than 20/70 vision, uncorrected, in either eye."

In general, do departments consider eyes modified by corneal surgery "corrected" or "uncorrected?" Have any trends been noticed?
I'm just looking for how departments are tending to receive candidates who have had the surgery. Thanks!

I can't speak for the fire service generally but I can tell you about my cities' attitude on this subject. As a member of my locals' negotiating team I participated in securing an eye surgery benefit as part of our last package. The city agreed that good vision is an important safety issue and that turnout times, (particularly at night) could be enhanced by less reliance on lenses. On that basis they agreed to pay 80% of the cost of corrective surgery for the employee only.
· More input: My personal opinion is go for it. I had RK seven years ago and it was the best money I've ever spent (Lasik wasn't an option then). Another FF on my department had the same surgery just after I did. Much later a FF had Lasik.
· My departments position on anything of this nature is as long as the doc clears you to come back to work there is no problem. I personally always had concerns about contacts, I felt that I didn't want to put a piece of plastic on my cornea, go interior on something and even have the possibility of having it permanently fused to my eyes. Beyond the job, just the change it makes in day-to-day living is worth it.
· Still more: I can't comment on what stand a department may have on surgically corrected vision but I can comment on my own experience. I had Lasik last fall, I was like 20/200 before the procedure, I am now 20/15 in my right eye and 20/18 in my left. It was the best $$$$$ I ever spent. I would recommend it to anyone. Signed Seeing Well.
· Another: I had Lasik in June of last year, and it took like charm. I was 20/100 in one eye and 20/150 in the other. Now I am 20/20 in both, best bucks I spent. No departments have had any problems with my surgery just as long as it was longer than 6 months ago to prove the procedure took. I was never DQ’d (disqualified) in any processes, they just told me to come back for re-evaluation at 6 months past surgery, and I still passed at that time too.
Finally: go for it!
· There were two guys in my academy (paid-new hires) that had their eyes done. The stipulation was they had to be 6 months post op. to make sure the correction took. i.e. the lens didn't loose shape after laser surgery. Good luck with your pursuit.
· I had both of my eyes done. Both eyes were -11.5, which I believe is the equivalent of 20/1150. Lasik usually isn't performed on eyes worse than -12 (20/1200).
· You could say I was an extreme case. The day after the surgery I had 20/30 vision in both eyes and subsequently have improved to 20/25 in each eye. I couldn't be happier. I'd certainly recommend it but would encourage individuals to read up on it, research it and definitely check out more than one doctor who performs the surgery. Good Luck!

From the new book Becoming a Firefighter--Your Complete Guide to Your Badge!

Captain Bob

www.eatstress.com

[kghemtp]

Thanks for the "insight" Cap! Anything pertaining to vision always leaves me a bit skeptical & cautious about forging ahead. In the meantime, glasses & contacts suit me just fine!

[CaptBob]

On on your side too. But many can't pass the vision requirements or have problems in their career that require another look and see (just a play on words).

Captain Bob

www.eatstress.com

[hageremtp]

Vision....problems, where do I begin. I am blind in one eye, as a result of an old war injury (fire fighting accident). I have learned over the course of a few years that its hard to adjust to many things. I have learned how we take our eyes for granted. Unless you have specific contacts that you are to wear for extended amounts of time, it isnt worth the risk. I met a young man that one wore his contacts for 3 months straight. How did I meet him? In the doctors office. He was there because he couldnt get them out. They had attached to his eye and the doctor spent 3 hours and at least 6 bottles of eye drops before the contact would come loose. The young man said its a pain in the butt to take them out every night....so the eye doctor did him a favor! He took away the script for new contacts and told the kid to wear glasses.

I think anything that will effect or risk your eye sight deserves your undivided attention. If you should choose to do surgery, speak to MANY people who have had it done. Speak to MANY doctors who perform the surgery. Talk to your family, they are the ones that will be there to care for you when things go wrong. Lastly remember you only have two good eyes....so be careful! Its amazing how much more a person worries with only one eye. I dont change my oil anymore, I wear safety goggles all the time for nearly EVERYTHING, and use caution doing daring receration things. I have used up the spare and all I have left is the one I am running on. Take time to think things through before you make any decisions!

[DaSharkie]

Part of the problem with your eyes at night could very well be the brand of contact lenses that you are wearing. About 2 years ago I was having a pretty hard time with my contacts having the problems you describe adn after visiting the ol' eye doctor, I tried two or three different brands of lenses and finally found one that I have been using since and they work very well for me.

I have not made up my mind on the surgery oprtion for myself. I have 20/600 and I truly hate wearing glasses and having to deal with contacts but I just can't bring myself to deal with the surgery or the money right now. If you do decide to go for it, the best advice I can give you is to allow for A LOT of time to think on it. Speak to several people from several doctors who had successful and unsuccessful procedures, don't scrimp on the procedure (Don't go to the cheapest guy), and beware of the surgery mills out there where they just spit out procedures like candy machines. Maybe someday I'll do it, but right now I have better things to do with a few thousand dollars.