Post a good thing that happened in your life today

[John Mitchell]

43 minutes ago, gvallee said:

 

I'm still waiting for mine. I had a first appointment but they wanted A$ 5,000 per eye. We are on a retirement visa which denies us Medicare. Waiting for another place which specialises in uninsured people at half-price. Shame I didn't discover them earlier. 

 

Ouch! My operations were covered by the BC government. However, on the advice of my Ophthalmologist, I did shell out for some better quality monofocal lenses (for distance) than the ones provided by the gov. Do you need premium "Toric" lenses to correct astigmatism as well as cataracts? If so, they cost a lot more. I don't know what the situation is like in OZ, but eye surgeons here have a nasty habit of adding extra charges. Caveat emptor!

[John Mitchell]

3 hours ago, NYCat said:

 

The version I'm getting has the second shot 3 to 4 weeks after the first and I'm properly scheduled at this point.

 

Paulette

 

That's good to hear. Vaccine rollout in Canada has ground to a virtual halt due to shortages. I have no idea when I'll get jabbed.

[gvallee]

16 minutes ago, John Mitchell said:

 

Ouch! My operations were covered by the BC government. However, on the advice of my Ophthalmologist, I did shell out for some better quality monofocal lenses (for distance) than the ones provided by the gov. Do you need premium "Toric" lenses to correct astigmatism as well as cataracts? If so, they cost a lot more. I don't know what the situation is like in OZ, but eye surgeons here have a nasty habit of adding extra charges. Caveat emptor!

 

I've been told I need non-Toric lenses. I wasn't sure if I needed the op at all yet and thought, of course they're going to say I do, they're out to make money. To my utter surprise, without me asking, they told me it could wait another year. I am slightly hesistant because my eyesight is not bad, I have good days and bad days with/without a grey veil. But being full time on the road, in such a vast country to boot, makes matters not simple. In fact, I drove nearly 3,000km to Brisbane for medical appointments. So I think I might get it done now. Not 100% decided yet.

[Cecile Marion]

I saw my eye doc earlier this week and she said I was looking at surgery in the next year or two. I’m pleased to read the good reports from those of you who’ve had the experience. 

[John Mitchell]

1 hour ago, gvallee said:

 

I've been told I need non-Toric lenses. I wasn't sure if I needed the op at all yet and thought, of course they're going to say I do, they're out to make money. To my utter surprise, without me asking, they told me it could wait another year. I am slightly hesistant because my eyesight is not bad, I have good days and bad days with/without a grey veil. But being full time on the road, in such a vast country to boot, makes matters not simple. In fact, I drove nearly 3,000km to Brisbane for medical appointments. So I think I might get it done now. Not 100% decided yet.

 

Yup, ophthalmologists make big bucks. In Canada, they bill the provincial governments for huge amounts every year and then add extra charges, often unwarranted. Apparently, the trend is to have cataract surgery done sooner rather than later, especially since technology has made the operation so much easier. Best of luck.

 

P.S. These are the monofocal lenses that I went for. They get excellent reviews.

 

 

[MDM]

2 hours ago, gvallee said:

 

I'm still waiting for mine. I had a first appointment but they wanted A$ 5,000 per eye. We are on a retirement visa which denies us Medicare. Waiting for another place which specialises in uninsured people at half-price. Shame I didn't discover them earlier. 

 

I paid £2500 (about 4200 Australian I guess) per eye here in England over four years ago and it really was the best £5000 I ever spent. I was waiting for some years to get it free on the NHS but the criteria kept changing and one had to be literally almost blind in my area by 2016 to qualify.

 

Even for a non-photographer, eyesight is incredibly important but for a photographer it is vitally important. It has made a massive difference to my life. My biggest regret was not doing it 5 years earlier. My eyes were not too bad I thought but then they were perfect again - that is a feeling and an experience that it is hard to put a value on.

 

So if you can afford it then I would suggest doing it asap it but perhaps be careful about half-price offers - these are your eyes you are talking about. 

Edited January 22, 2021 by MDM

[NYCat]

1 hour ago, John Mitchell said:

 

That's good to hear. Vaccine rollout in Canada has ground to a virtual halt due to shortages. I have no idea when I'll get jabbed.

 

Some (in my opinion) insane decisions were made here in NYC. After the medical people and nursing home residents and staff were taken care of they opened up for 75 years and older. At that point I lucked out because a client of mine sent me a link to making appointments at a nearby hospital. That was great but the very next day the decision was made to also open up for people 65 and over along with lots of categories of workers...school teachers, first responders, grocery workers, public transit workers, etc. Of course these people should all be vaccinated but most of the 75 and older had not managed to get appointments by then and adding huge amounts of other people trying to make appointments has created a madhouse. So we are (surprise) running out of vaccine. It's just crazy and I hope my appointments will pan out but I've been warned they might be cancelled. I am trying to just be cool about it all and assume that it also benefits me if other people are vaccinated.

 

Paulette

[John Mitchell]

5 minutes ago, NYCat said:

 

Some (in my opinion) insane decisions were made here in NYC. After the medical people and nursing home residents and staff were taken care of they opened up for 75 years and older. At that point I lucked out because a client of mine sent me a link to making appointments at a nearby hospital. That was great but the very next day the decision was made to also open up for people 65 and over along with lots of categories of workers...school teachers, first responders, grocery workers, public transit workers, etc. Of course these people should all be vaccinated but most of the 75 and older had not managed to get appointments by then and adding huge amounts of other people trying to make appointments has created a madhouse. So we are (surprise) running out of vaccine. It's just crazy and I hope my appointments will pan out but I've been warned they might be cancelled. I am trying to just be cool about it all and assume that it also benefits me if other people are vaccinated.

 

Paulette

 

Similar situation here. This plan has just been announced today for BC. Looks as if I'm in the Phase 3 group (April to June), which isn't that bad. Good point you make about other people getting vaccinated benefiting everyone. Let's hope those vials keep coming...

[gvallee]

2 hours ago, MDM said:

 

I paid £2500 (about 4200 Australian I guess) per eye here in England over four years ago and it really was the best £5000 I ever spent. I was waiting for some years to get it free on the NHS but the criteria kept changing and one had to be literally almost blind in my area by 2016 to qualify.

 

Even for a non-photographer, eyesight is incredibly important but for a photographer it is vitally important. It has made a massive difference to my life. My biggest regret was not doing it 5 years earlier. My eyes were not too bad I thought but then they were perfect again - that is a feeling and an experience that it is hard to put a value on.

 

So if you can afford it then I would suggest doing it asap it but perhaps be careful about half-price offers - these are your eyes you are talking about. 

 

My thoughts entirely. It was my first reaction. We checked them out and they have good reviews. They are the only outfit in Oz catering for uninsured people. I will have a thorough chat with them and follow my gut feelings. Perhaps I should choose to see it in GBP equivalent, it would be less painful ah ah.

 

I had comments once on this forum about the saturation of some of my pix. Perhaps I overdid it because of my eyes, it will be interesting to see after the op. I hope I won't recoil in horror at my uploads...

Edited January 23, 2021 by gvallee

[MDM]

32 minutes ago, gvallee said:

 

My thoughts entirely. It was my first reaction. We checked them out and they have good reviews. They are the only outfit in Oz catering for uninsured people. I will have a thorough chat with them and follow my gut feelings. Perhaps I should choose to see it in GBP equivalent, it would be less painful ah ah.

 

I had comments once on this forum about the saturation of some of my pix. Perhaps I overdid it because of my eyes, it will be interesting to see after the op. I hope I won't recoil in horror at my uploads...

 

It's the brightness that you have to get used to. You will never go out in the Oz sunshine or drive in the daytime again without shades. When I took off the eyeshield the morning after getting my first eye done, everything was incredibly bright and clear. Also there was a general colour change (call it white balance) to more blue. The other eye had a yellowish tinge - like a dirty tobacco filter. It really was like visual rebirth. Now if I could only get the same for my lungs ......

 

As for your pix, you do go for a saturated look so maybe that is true. I like nicely saturated as well but perhaps a bit less than I used to but I put it down to changing taste.

 

Anyway best of luck with it. 

[John Mitchell]

1 hour ago, MDM said:

 

It's the brightness that you have to get used to. You will never go out in the Oz sunshine or drive in the daytime again without shades. When I took off the eyeshield the morning after getting my first eye done, everything was incredibly bright and clear. Also there was a general colour change (call it white balance) to more blue. The other eye had a yellowish tinge - like a dirty tobacco filter. It really was like visual rebirth. Now if I could only get the same for my lungs ......

 

 

 

Perfect description. That's exactly what struck me right away -- the brilliant whites and blue shift. It's amazing how over the years we get used to stumbling about in a dreary, tobacco-tinted world. Can't believe how much you had to pay. 😮

[sb photos]

10 hours ago, Bryan said:

 

Wall to wall glorious sunshine over here Edo, perishing cold and a biting wind mind.

 

Thursday morning we had sleet early morning, the first of this winter.  It settled on my cars windows and then slowly slid down. Friday morning the heaviest frost I've seen for some time, then bright sun but very cold. Yesterday evening terrible driving conditions on the A41 where it is higher around Tring, sleet and for a while was driving into hypnotic snow. It was extremely cold, but wet, nothing settled. Shame my camera kit was in the boot plus there were noticeable smears on the inside of the windscreen, must clean it today. Sunday snow predicted, should be an interesting day.

[Allan Bell]

16 hours ago, NYCat said:

 

The version I'm getting has the second shot 3 to 4 weeks after the first and I'm properly scheduled at this point.

 

Paulette

 

If I remember correctly we were supposed to have the second jab in about four weeks but in an effort to get some protection to most of the population it was proposed that the second jab could wait for three months. Just heard on the news on radio that now someone is suggesting the second jab should now be given in six weeks.

 

Make up your minds dolts.

 

Allan

 

Edited January 23, 2021 by Allan Bell

[CAROL SAUNDERS]

5 hours ago, sb photos said:

 

Thursday morning we had sleet early morning, the first of this winter.  It settled on my cars windows and then slowly slid down. Friday morning the heaviest frost I've seen for some time, then bright sun but very cold. Yesterday evening terrible driving conditions on the A41 where it is higher around Tring, sleet and for a while was driving into hypnotic snow. It was extremely cold, but wet, nothing settled. Shame my camera kit was in the boot plus there were noticeable smears on the inside of the windscreen, must clean it today. Sunday snow predicted, should be an interesting day.

Same here Steve, snow is predicted for me also tomorrow, I hope it does I love taking snow pictures, fingers crossed.

 

Other half had his jab yesterday at Batchwood Hall, St. Albans it was superb organisation and although he was only there for a few minutes I did manage a few shots with the RX100 nobody seemed to mind.  I think it will be a while before I get my jab😉

 

Here's to snow tomorrow 😁

 

Carol

[CAROL SAUNDERS]

15 minutes ago, Allan Bell said:

 

If I remember correctly we were supposed to have the second jab in about four weeks but in an effort to get some protection to most of the population it was proposed that the second jab could wait for three months. Just heard on the news on radio that now someone is suggesting the second jab should now be given in six weeks.

 

Make up your minds dolts.

 

Allan

 

Don't even get me started on that !🙃

 

Carol

[MDM]

7 hours ago, John Mitchell said:

 

Perfect description. That's exactly what struck me right away -- the brilliant whites and blue shift. It's amazing how over the years we get used to stumbling about in a dreary, tobacco-tinted world. Can't believe how much you had to pay. 😮

 

Basically it was a choice between paying or not getting the op done. A few years before and it would have been free on the NHS but continual underfunding of this magnificent organisation meant that the criteria for having the op done had changed. This is how the NHS deals with the funding cutbacks which were continual over many years since 2010 - they change the criteria (raise the bar) for referrals and operations so people have to pay for private care for many procedures that used to be free. In any case it was the correct decision for me as the benefits of near-perfect eyesight are impossible to measure financially.

[spacecadet]

34 minutes ago, MDM said:

the benefits of near-perfect eyesight are impossible to measure financially.

I agree they are considerable, but it depends on whether or not you have £5000 to spare!

Edited January 23, 2021 by spacecadet

[NYCat]

43 minutes ago, Allan Bell said:

 

If I remember correctly we were supposed to have the second jab in about four weeks but in an effort to get some protection to most of the population it was proposed that the second jab could wait for three months. Just heard on the news on radio that now someone is suggesting the second jab should now be given in six weeks.

 

Make up your minds dolts.

 

Allan

 

 

A couple of days ago our governor was carrying on about not wanting vaccine sitting in freezers waiting for the second dose and saying we should just use everything and hope for more vaccine in time for the second dose. His most recent email was assuring people who have had the first dose that they shouldn't worry. ...."New Yorkers who have already received their first dose do not have to worry that they will not be able to get their second dose. Second dose allocation is a separate process, and we always ensure there are enough second doses to complete vaccination for those who received the first dose." ......He must have had a deluge of email from people worried about the second dose. In any case, we are told we will have to continue taking precautions even after vaccination. There is a lot they don't know.

 

Paulette

[MDM]

1 minute ago, spacecadet said:

I agree they are considerable, but it depends on whether or not you have £5000 to spare!

 

I am not loaded.. If I had to borrow it I would have done. The NHS has been seriously decimated and it was either spend the money or live with poor eyesight that was continuing to deteriorate. So I invested in my health. If you own a decent house in London then you are most probably worth a lot more than me. It's all about priorities I guess.

[spacecadet]

4 minutes ago, MDM said:

If you own a decent house in London

I don't.

It wouldn't be about priorities, it would be about not having £5000 or the ability to borrow it. I would have to wait.

Just another viewpoint.

Edited January 23, 2021 by spacecadet

[MDM]

 

6 minutes ago, spacecadet said:

I don't.

It wouldn't be about priorities, it would be about not having £5000.

 

OK. I can't argue with that. You may be confronted with a similar choice at some point and it may be that you have to borrow then or live with poor eyesight if that is not possible. Getting lens replacements on the NHS these days requires one to have extremely poor sight. 

 

EDIT - there may be a post code thing here of course but that was the situation in Cambridgeshire in 2016 and it doesn't get better.

Edited January 23, 2021 by MDM

[John Mitchell]

6 hours ago, MDM said:

 

 

OK. I can't argue with that. You may be confronted with a similar choice at some point and it may be that you have to borrow then or live with poor eyesight if that is not possible. Getting lens replacements on the NHS these days requires one to have extremely poor sight. 

 

EDIT - there may be a post code thing here of course but that was the situation in Cambridgeshire in 2016 and it doesn't get better.

 

My eyesight was deteriorating, but I could have gotten a new pair of goggles and waited a few years. However, lens replacement seemed the better option. In BC, you just have to go to your doctor and say that you would like a cataract operation, and it's a done deal. The procedure and good quality monofocal lenses are completely covered by the provincial healthcare plan. However, if you want a premium lens, such as one to correct astigmatism, you have to pay your surgeon more. This can open the door to a lot of dubious extra costs. As a result of this open-door policy, ophthalmologists are among the wealthiest medical specialists out there.

[Bryan]

Having watched Rick Stein cook tortilla wraps containing onion, apple and cheese I thought I'd have a go. 

 

The good news, it wasn't a complete disaster.

 

The bad news, I probably won't be doing it again. 

 

The better news, we're having another Xmas dinner tomorrow, to use up the stuff bought to feed the family.

Edited January 23, 2021 by Bryan

[MDM]

2 hours ago, John Mitchell said:

 

My eyesight was deteriorating, but I could have gotten a new pair of goggles and waited a few years. However, lens replacement seemed the better option. In BC, you just have to go to your doctor and say that you would like a cataract operation, and it's a done deal. The procedure and good quality monofocal lenses are completely covered by the provincial healthcare plan. However, if you want a premium lens, such as one to correct astigmatism, you have to pay your surgeon more. This can open the door to a lot of dubious extra costs. As a result of this open-door policy, ophthalmologists are among the wealthiest medical specialists out there.

Quality of life is what really matters though and that improved massively for me after the op. In any case, one doesn’t know if one will actually be alive in a few years, more so now than before so one might as well see things clearly while one can. The deterioration is so gradual that it is not noticeable for a long time but the contrast after the op is unbelievable. 
 

I never got the impression that my surgeon was trying to upsell in any way either. I just got basic distance lenses which is what he recommended. I think I have minor astigmatism but I’m not sure if the lenses were corrected for that. I can’t remember the brand although I have a card somewhere with the lens ID in case there was ever a problem. 
 

 

[MDM]

10 hours ago, Allan Bell said:

 

If I remember correctly we were supposed to have the second jab in about four weeks but in an effort to get some protection to most of the population it was proposed that the second jab could wait for three months. Just heard on the news on radio that now someone is suggesting the second jab should now be given in six weeks.

 

Make up your minds dolts.

 

Allan

 

 

These people are not dolts Allan. There is a big debate going on among expert scientists and the politicians who control the process of distribution about whether it is better to vaccinate a larger number of people with a first dose which should give some degree of immunity or to vaccinate smaller numbers twice at shorter intervals in accordance with how the tests were done. The British Medical Association have expressed serious doubts about the former process as it has not been tested and they are concerned about the gap between vaccinations if they go for higher numbers of initial ones. There are also potential problems with vaccine supply not to mention virus mutations and questions over efficacy against new variants. 
 

The fact is that science does not always have hard answers. This can be hard to accept for those not directly involved. Mix in politics and economics and you can have a right old mess. I would suggest that it is the propagators of conspiracy theories and those who deny science that should be the objects of your ire.
 

The fact that vaccines exist at all at this point is almost miraculous. We should be grateful.