When age interferes with ORBX enjoyment

[Rodger Pettichord]

My left eye went macular last year. The sensation is that of having someone plop a glob of goo right in the middle of my left-eye field of vision. That means that I have to wobble my head around to see all of any particular ORBX scene on the screen. Now my right eye is starting to show the little dark threads of macular degeneration. Sooner or later, both eyes may be shot and I'll be legally blind. If that happens, I'll pretty much lose flight sim and ORBX. Phooey. Now here's my question--out there in Old Cootsville, what other age-related medical surprises have affected your flight simulation experience?

[simdown42]

Sorry to hear Rodger.

[macca22au]

Really sorry to learn that Rodger, just keep on enjoying simming, then there will be other things to compensate.

 

Just to "MeToo", I have quite a serious heart condition, a good lot of heart hardware, and the problem of putting my heart to the test in a low visibility landing.

[teecee]

I am extremely sad to hear of your vision loss Roger.. as nothing replaces seeing things.. Nothing I can say other than that  will help at all except "stay strong mate". Teecee.

[lawrence aldrich]

16 hours ago, Rodger Pettichord said:

My left eye went macular last year. The sensation is that of having someone plop a glob of goo right in the middle of my left-eye field of vision. That means that I have to wobble my head around to see all of any particular ORBX scene on the screen. Now my right eye is starting to show the little dark threads of macular degeneration. Sooner or later, both eyes may be shot and I'll be legally blind. If that happens, I'll pretty much lose flight sim and ORBX. Phooey. Now here's my question--out there in Old Cootsville, what other age-related medical surprises have affected your flight simulation experience?

Anything LASIK can do?

I had the beginnings of that several years ago, and started taking good doses of Lutein and Zeaxanthin.

Hasn't cured it but it did slow it down.

[olderndirt]

Had cataract removal/lens replacement done last year.  Turns out I have fairly serious glaucoma but drops should hold it 'til I check out.  Having  20/20 vision again isn't a big plus for flight simming - computer glasses (2.0) and reading glasses (3.0) now required.

[Rodger Pettichord]

Can't do LASIK--it is for the front of the eye whereas macular degeneration is a thinning and tearing of the back surface of the eye. Have had the lens replacement on both eyes, but, again, that deals with front-of-the-eye problems not back-of-the-eye stuff. LAWRENCE: I'm curious about the Lutein and Zeaxanthin. Is this the same stuff advertised in the various flying magazines as an time-extender for Elder vision?

 

Thanks, all, for your kind words. Things are still good enough for normal needs. It's just that the ticking of the clock suddenly sped up. Even so, many have it much worse. Gratitude is still in order here.

[Ken Q]

Rodger,

 

Lutein and Zeaxanthin are often recommended for eye health, there are supplement formulas containing these and other ingredients which claim to support eye health.  Our optometrist has recommended them for my wife in particular.  They won't work miracles, but may help slow the process.  I have a 95 year old aunt who has one form of Macular Degeneration.  She goes for shots directly into the eyes about once a month, and so far she's doing great.  No further progression, and she is still working (part time church organist) and driving locally.  I know there are different sorts of M.D., and treatment option vary, but perhaps get another opinion. I don't know.   In any case, I wish you well.

 

Talking about front vs. back of the eye: I had cataract surgery six years ago, hoping it would help my night vision.  But in addition to the cataracts I also have a "macular ripple".  As the doc explained it he fixed the cloudy lens, but the film is wrinkled.  Don't like to drive at night, and even night flying in the Sim is difficult.

 

Ken 

[lawrence aldrich]

48 minutes ago, Rodger Pettichord said:

Can't do LASIK--it is for the front of the eye whereas macular degeneration is a thinning and tearing of the back surface of the eye. Have had the lens replacement on both eyes, but, again, that deals with front-of-the-eye problems not back-of-the-eye stuff. LAWRENCE: I'm curious about the Lutein and Zeaxanthin. Is this the same stuff advertised in the various flying magazines as an time-extender for Elder vision?

 

Thanks, all, for your kind words. Things are still good enough for normal needs. It's just that the ticking of the clock suddenly sped up. Even so, many have it much worse. Gratitude is still in order here.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin are the two major "nutrients" for eye health.

My doctor put me on them about 5 years ago when I told him the optometrist had said signs of macular degen were there.

My 83 year old eyes have been stable ever since, correctable to 20/20.

(note:  they were 20/10 when I entered AF pilot training in 1954, so they were fairly good to begin with)

Bausch &Lomb Ocuvite contains lots of both, plus other things like Vitamin C, Zinc, Vitamin E and Copper....all these are important eye nutrients which decline in old cootage.

(along with everything else)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rodger Pettichord]

Lawrence--thank you, Sir. I shall hustle off to the pharmacy and give it a try. 

[Jon Clarke]

I have had wet AMD ( Age related macular degeneration) for a few years now. I was getting injections into the eye every couple of months for 2 years which i thought was horrific!!. Anyway the treatment didn't really work as it was supposed to, which was to slow down the deterioration . I stopped the treatment and now take the supplements everyday. I am fortunate in that my right eye is fine so my vision appears normal as the right eye is compensating. It can be quite distressing initially but that's life. It is only visually evident when I close my "good" eye, but who goes around with one eye shut

To Rodger: the supplements can be quite expensive but I have found MacuPro via Amazon here in the UK which is about a quarter of the price of other brands and it contains exactly the same essential ingredients.

[Rodger Pettichord]

Checking with our doctor today to get the okay, and then off to the supplement aisle. Again, I thank you who have been there and done that for the guidance. Much appreciated.

[lawrence aldrich]

6 minutes ago, Rodger Pettichord said:

Checking with our doctor today to get the okay, and then off to the supplement aisle. Again, I thank you who have been there and done that for the guidance. Much appreciated.

I can't imagine him (her) saying no.

If he does, get another doctor.   

[ridinroun]

The ones recommending Lutein and Zeaxanthin are spot on. I got Preser vision areds 2 thinking it was just a good idea. My sister asked her eye doctor about it and he said only if you already have wet AMD so I quit taking it but those who have the wet AMD I have heard this stuff really stops it from getting any worse. 

[Rodger Pettichord]

Now to find out whether mine is wet or dry. You guys are making this interesting.

 

Now, may I take us back to the original question? Are there other age-related medical challenges that have impacted your flight simulation experience? 

[Ken Q]

Ok Rodger, since you ask,  back to the original question.

 

I have bad arthritis in both knees.  Started way back when a young sailor on an old aircraft carrier (USS Wasp CV/CVA/CVS 18).  Got really bad after a stress test a few years ago (my heart passed, my knees failed).  I have a pretty complete cockpit with realistic controls - and oh! Those rudder pedals.  Still, I do it, though it's not easy,  and probably helps maintain some flexibility that would be otherwise lost.  In the mean time I get periodic lube jobs on the knees, and will probably go for replacement surgery next winter.

Ken

[Gypsy Pilot]

The arthritic pain in my hands, knees, and ankles makes flying a painful chore but they are going to hurt anyway so it's onwards and upwards and  I have to run my screens at 125% to read the text,  but at least I still have wide field vision.

 

Rodger,  I just can't think of anything to say about your vision problem except to say that knowing that you are having to experience it is a real bummer.

 

Instead of calling these our Golden Years I think that we should call them our Brass Years.  Golden and shiny at first, but as time passes the shine fades into a dull reminder of what it used to be, and if we live long enough into an ugly green corrosion that no longer resembles it's former glory. 

 

Dale

[Gypsy Pilot]

I told my Doctor that if he tells me one more time that I am going to live to be at least 100  I will punch him in the nose. 

 

Dale

[Jon Clarke]

The modern fixation of extending life is a real concern. Why extend all the ailments described by the posts above? Best medical efforts should be researched to extend our 20's 30's and 40's by 10 years

[Rodger Pettichord]

I like the attitude that it is going to hurt anyway, so get on with life. As London citizens said during the Blitz,  carry on.

[macca22au]

Rodger, depending how near to the centre of your eye the degeneration is occurring,  Laser treatment with a course of injections certainly helped friends of mine. 

[lawrence aldrich]

I have no idea why anyone would be concerned about all this life extension business.

In about 4 billion years or so this planet will cease to exist as the Sun uses the last of its hydrogen and finally expands to swallow our little planet.

 

Now.....let me see somebody prevent that.

[Rodger Pettichord]

Is that in regular time or daylight savings time?

[Guest]

Its alright for Rodger to joke about it but you've really got me worried now Lawrence.

 

4 billion years doesn't seem that long to me.  What happens then?  Will we be able to go somewhere else?  I mean the general population, not the leaders, they'll look after themselves no matter what.

 

I'm not sure the replacement discs in my eyes that allow me to drive without glasses will last that long!

 

I'll get no sleep tonight now worrying about it!

 

 

[lawrence aldrich]

Relax!!

By the time the Sun tanks, we'll have quantum dimension jumps perfected and you can go to a dimension that will give 200 FPS on any computer no matter what hardware you have.

(All alternate dimensions are (of course) fully compatible with ORBX software.)

 

[wblackret]

Very sorry to hear this Rodger. Knock on wood, the only interferences I’ve experienced have been temporary: left shoulder replaced and both knees. They were temporary set backs, not like what you are experiencing. I guess if there is anything good to say about your situation, it would be that at some point you will be able to go back in your minds eye and reflect on all the places and sights you have experienced. In real life you have flown and seen things from a perspective not many will experience. Virtually, you have probably flown some of the same flights, pleasantly remembering where you have been. It doesn’t make things better, perhaps just a bit easier to bear. It’s my guess you will have much to remember and reflect on.

 

Hang in there brother!

[Rodger Pettichord]

So back to eyeballs--optical people did put me on the eye-vitamins and drops. Eye-vitamins to hold the macular degeneration and drops to hold the glaucoma. My only problem now is that the drops blur vision to the extent that it can be problematic: hard to see details when flying, smearing of words when reading or writing. But I guess that's part of the price one pays for avoiding total blindness. 

 

As for the end of the world -- why worry about a little thing like that when in some infinitely distant future the universe itself will end. If you want to worry, try considering your options in that scenario. 

[wblackret]

My father in law will be 90 in December. For a while he was having difficulty seeing, he did his best to hide it but wasn’t fooling anyone. His three daughters and his wife often suggested he see an eye doctor, but he would just change the subject or flat out give the old, “I don’t need to see no eye doctor. One day, about 7 months ago,he and I were doing something together, and he was talking about how much he enjoyed still being able to drive, especially to go to his grandsons to occasionally baby sit his great grandsons. So I said to him, hey pap, you really enjoy that, so why don’t you go see the eye doctor. I told him his eyes looked cloudy. Two days later he had an eye appointment. He had cataracts and still had a sliver of metal in one eye from an incident years ago when he had done side work in a local radiator shop. Now, he sees better than me ( an I’m a young 64). Go figure. My point being, advancements in medical, opthamalogy and so on change almost weekly, so it is wise to seek out and try whatever is available. Hope you get some relief from the treatments available to you and that you can notice some improvement sometime soon.

[olderndirt]

I'm on Latanoprost for glaucoma - a drop per eye per day.  No vision problems.

[Guest]

Thanks to the Russians who taught us, we thankfully have excellent eye doctors and surgeons in Britain.  But there are still some things even they can't cure.   I'm not sure if they can do transplants for example.  So  Rodger, all I can say is I sincerely hope your condition does not progress too fast.  I realise how difficult it is for older people to have to try to change their way of life due to an inability they've never had before.

 

Have you had any thoughts as to what you would like to do in place of what you do now?

 

John

 

 

[Taph]

Sorry to hear about your problems Roger, hang in there, and do what you can

[shermank]

On 4/8/2018 at 5:07 PM, Rodger Pettichord said:

Can't do LASIK--it is for the front of the eye whereas macular degeneration is a thinning and tearing of the back surface of the eye. Have had the lens replacement on both eyes, but, again, that deals with front-of-the-eye problems not back-of-the-eye stuff. LAWRENCE: I'm curious about the Lutein and Zeaxanthin. Is this the same stuff advertised in the various flying magazines as an time-extender for Elder vision?

 

Thanks, all, for your kind words. Things are still good enough for normal needs. It's just that the ticking of the clock suddenly sped up. Even so, many have it much worse. Gratitude is still in order here.

Roger, I have a friend who has been afflicted with MD for several years. Her ophthalmologist put her on a program of regular injections of a medication directly into the eye. It seems to have worked and her MD is in check. Has your Dr mentioned anything about this type of therapy. Otherwise, good luck and congratulations on your Positive Mental Attitude.

 

Sherm

[Ken Q]

25 minutes ago, shermank said:

Roger, I have a friend who has been afflicted with MD for several years. Her ophthalmologist put her on a program of regular injections of a medication directly into the eye. It seems to have worked and her MD is in check. Has your Dr mentioned anything about this type of therapy. Otherwise, good luck and congratulations on your Positive Mental Attitude.

 

Sherm

In an earlier post I mentioned my elderly aunt having these injections with success. You may want to ask about it.

Ken

[Rodger Pettichord]

10 hours ago, shermank said:

Roger, I have a friend who has been afflicted with MD for several years. Her ophthalmologist put her on a program of regular injections of a medication directly into the eye. It seems to have worked and her MD is in check. Has your Dr mentioned anything about this type of therapy. Otherwise, good luck and congratulations on your Positive Mental Attitude.

 

Sherm

Thanks for the thoughts, Sherm. Yes, the doctor did mention the surgery possibility but only as the next resort if the present course does not work. As you can imagine, I really hope the present course keeps working (so far, so good). "Needle in the eye" is a phrase I do not want to  consider too closely. 

[flsm (Frank)]

I am a relative newbie with Orbx, having come from the X-Plane world, but I have been enjoying your posts.  Stay positive Rodger (mindfullness exercises?) and keep up a good amount of exercise and healthy eating, because sometimes this helps to slow down problems and sometimes stop them altogether.  I know problems are often genetic and not much can be done, but often massive exercise and very healthy eating can help.  I guess I am lucky that at age 68 today, my only two problems seem to be Diabetes Type 2 controlled by exercise and diet, and a back that has a week spot controlled by special exercises every morning and avoiding certain positions.  Simming is so addictve for me that I sit far too long without moving, so my lovely wife, if she is around at the time, makes me stop at least every 30 minutes and have a streatch and a walk.  I empathise strongly with you about having a problem so bad that we cannot Sim, and in my case, go for the ocassional real-life recreational flight.  Hope you have many, many more great Simming years.  Cheers.

[Rodger Pettichord]

On 11/15/2018 at 4:39 PM, flsm (Frank) said:

I am a relative newbie with Orbx, having come from the X-Plane world, but I have been enjoying your posts.  Stay positive Rodger (mindfullness exercises?) and keep up a good amount of exercise and healthy eating, because sometimes this helps to slow down problems and sometimes stop them altogether.  I know problems are often genetic and not much can be done, but often massive exercise and very healthy eating can help.  I guess I am lucky that at age 68 today, my only two problems seem to be Diabetes Type 2 controlled by exercise and diet, and a back that has a week spot controlled by special exercises every morning and avoiding certain positions.  Simming is so addictve for me that I sit far too long without moving, so my lovely wife, if she is around at the time, makes me stop at least every 30 minutes and have a streatch and a walk.  I empathise strongly with you about having a problem so bad that we cannot Sim, and in my case, go for the ocassional real-life recreational flight.  Hope you have many, many more great Simming years.  Cheers.

Frank, thank you so much for the encouraging words and advice. I hear you clearly and am complete agreement. Sp far, so good -- the doctor thinks he may have caught the macular degeneration and the glaucoma in time at least to hold it where it is right now. That ain't entirely good, but it sure ain't entirely bad either. Thanks again.

[Rodger Pettichord]

On 11/15/2018 at 4:39 PM, flsm (Frank) said:

I am a relative newbie with Orbx, having come from the X-Plane world, but I have been enjoying your posts.  Stay positive Rodger (mindfullness exercises?) and keep up a good amount of exercise and healthy eating, because sometimes this helps to slow down problems and sometimes stop them altogether.  I know problems are often genetic and not much can be done, but often massive exercise and very healthy eating can help.  I guess I am lucky that at age 68 today, my only two problems seem to be Diabetes Type 2 controlled by exercise and diet, and a back that has a week spot controlled by special exercises every morning and avoiding certain positions.  Simming is so addictve for me that I sit far too long without moving, so my lovely wife, if she is around at the time, makes me stop at least every 30 minutes and have a streatch and a walk.  I empathise strongly with you about having a problem so bad that we cannot Sim, and in my case, go for the ocassional real-life recreational flight.  Hope you have many, many more great Simming years.  Cheers.

Frank, thank you so much for the encouraging words and advice. I hear you clearly and am complete agreement. Sp far, so good -- the doctor thinks he may have caught the macular degeneration and the glaucoma in time at least to hold it where it is right now. That ain't entirely good, but it sure ain't entirely bad either. Thanks again.

[Rodger Pettichord]

On 11/15/2018 at 4:39 PM, flsm (Frank) said:

I am a relative newbie with Orbx, having come from the X-Plane world, but I have been enjoying your posts.  Stay positive Rodger (mindfullness exercises?) and keep up a good amount of exercise and healthy eating, because sometimes this helps to slow down problems and sometimes stop them altogether.  I know problems are often genetic and not much can be done, but often massive exercise and very healthy eating can help.  I guess I am lucky that at age 68 today, my only two problems seem to be Diabetes Type 2 controlled by exercise and diet, and a back that has a week spot controlled by special exercises every morning and avoiding certain positions.  Simming is so addictve for me that I sit far too long without moving, so my lovely wife, if she is around at the time, makes me stop at least every 30 minutes and have a streatch and a walk.  I empathise strongly with you about having a problem so bad that we cannot Sim, and in my case, go for the ocassional real-life recreational flight.  Hope you have many, many more great Simming years.  Cheers.

Frank, thank you so much for the encouraging words and advice. I hear you clearly and am complete agreement. Sp far, so good -- the doctor thinks he may have caught the macular degeneration and the glaucoma in time at least to hold it where it is right now. That ain't entirely good, but it sure ain't entirely bad either. Thanks again.

[Gypsy Pilot]

That is good news Rodger.  

 

Getting old is sort of like driving on worn out tires, the more you drive the less rubber there is until you are driving on a set of bald tires praying that you do not get a blowout.

 

Ain't no wimps on this site.

 

Dale

[wblackret]

Got that right Gypsy Pilot!