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Vision Changes Post WLS



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Did anyone experience fairly moderate changes to their eyesight post WLS after they lost a considerable amount of their excess body weight?

When I went to the optometrist, my prescription changed fairly significantly (No, it isn't due to internet porn :)).

I asked if the pressure on the eye could have changed due to either losing weight or blood pressure lowering, he said no. I was just thinking in terms of the eye focusing the light on the retina, if the focal point changed due to the curvature of the lens, maybe that could possibly explain it. Either that or it was 2 years between optometrist visits and maybe my prescription would have changed regardless.

He went to medical school, I didn't.

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Did your prescription change for the worse? I noticed that right after my surgery my eyesight was definitely worse for a couple of weeks but it has returned to "normal" since then. My doctor had not heard of that happening before.

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All things are possible, but then there's the problem of probability. Can't you just be happy that you've had to have your wedding band resized?

Oh, Photo, don't let's ask for the moon. We have the stars.

Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?

Don't quote me.

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Well I am not sure about long term results, but when I went to sleep for surgery I could see, and when I woke up it was annoyingly blurry. It was weird. It fixed itself after a few days. Couldn't see a thing...

Edited by provenzee

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I'm three months and my vision seems a bit worse.

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I'm three months and my vision seems a bit worse.

Mine, too..................I'm blaming it on trying to read the tiny nutrition labels on everything.

True story.....I asked a lady in the grocery store the other day to help me read a label on some coffee Creamer. The fact that she was smoking hot and wearing these killer heels had zero to do with it. I needed to know what that label said, I tell ya.

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My vision was much worse; had to get new everything and it hasn't improved at all.

My optometrist did say that significant weight loss can change your vision, and what I was told is it is because of both blood sugars (average differentials can change significantly - it is one of the main reasons diabetics end up having vision issues) and overall shape/pressure, and asked me to get tested to make sure I didn't have a Vitamin A deficiency.

No idea if it's permanent, but I'm over a year out and it's not gotten any better. She said she usually saw vision improve, but lucky me got the other direction. :unsure:

Googling "weight loss and vision changes" there are significant amounts of data to back this phenomenon up.

Medical doctors are fallible, and if they don't keep up with the medical journals or pursue further research in their field they can end up out of the loop.

Edited by FrankiesGirl

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Right after surgery I noticed my vision changed too. I couldn't see anything up close and I started panicking then we noticed it was a side effect of the anti nausea patch that was behind my ear lol whew..

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Not saying that WLS doesn't have effects, sometimes unexpected ones.

But all the changes we go through in life post-op won't be due to or even related to our WLS.

It's also possible that with our increased mindfulness and attention on all the changes we're going through that we are just more aware / alert to all our physical changes.

The good news is that post-op we're much more likely to improve our self-care in every way. :)

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It's weird, I'd say mine has improved. I hardly wear my glasses any more.

I wonder if it's because my blood sugar levels are much more stable and my diabetes is in remission? My eye doctor would often comment that a diabetic's vision could indicate their blood sugar level (blurry or not).

But our body goes through so many changes as we lose the weight, it's not to crazy to think that our eyes go through something too. Hopefully for the better once we're done!

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True story.....I asked a lady in the grocery store the other day to help me read a label on some coffee creamer. The fact that she was smoking hot and wearing these killer heels had zero to do with it. I needed to know what that label said, I tell ya.

The gentleman doth protest too much.

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I couldn't see for weeks. I blame it on the blood sugar and now I am back to normal.

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Glad to see this thread. I'm 5 days post op and I suddenly can't see. My prescription (recently updated) isn't strong enough for distance. I can't see close up with my glasses on. And I can't see intermediate distance with or without my glasses. I had hoped it was the anti nausea patch but it's been more than 24 hrs and not better yet. I really hope this stabilizes soon and I can see. Without buying ANOTHER new pair of glasses.

Jess, mom to Ysabel, 6 and Maggie, 3

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Right after surgery I noticed my vision changed too. I couldn't see anything up close and I started panicking then we noticed it was a side effect of the anti nausea patch that was behind my ear lol whew..

Wow that makes so much sense since I had one of those too

Glad to see this thread. I'm 5 days post op and I suddenly can't see. My prescription (recently updated) isn't strong enough for distance. I can't see close up with my glasses on. And I can't see intermediate distance with or without my glasses. I had hoped it was the anti nausea patch but it's been more than 24 hrs and not better yet. I really hope this stabilizes soon and I can see. Without buying ANOTHER new pair of glasses.

Jess, mom to Ysabel, 6 and Maggie, 3

Mine lasted more than a few days! It was about a week when it improved

Edited by provenzee

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Really? I'd think that 24 hours without the patch my system would be clear. But at least I still have hope that my vision returns to normal.

Jess, mom to Ysabel, 6 and Maggie, 3

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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