People over 50 take note - I just had emergency eye surgery

[DebJ]

29. After reading the posts here, I am alarmed for my fellow DUers in that it seems no one

goes to an opthlamologist (NOT optometrist) on a regular basis. Since I got my first pair of glasses
about 20 years ago now (I'm 58), I have ALWAYS seen an opthalmologist every three years, minimum.
My regular GP told me that since my blood pressure is running a bit too high, I should go once a year...
but when I told the opthalmologist that, he smiled and said no need. But since my insurance pays
most of it, I likely will go again in a year to 18 months or so.

My mother told me decades ago that only an opthalmologist can really find out anything that is going
wrong with your eyesight, that an optometrist isn't going to do much more for you than prescribe glasses.
We don't have any family history of anyone having anything wrong with their eyes other than near-sightedness
or cataracts (which didn't happen until a very few years ago for Mom and Dad, well after her warning).

I just took it for granted that my Mom's warning was the kind of standard info every one should have and know.

I guess not?

I was just told at this last visit that I have the tiniest bit of cataracts forming but that it would be many years
down the road before treatment was necessary....and as far as people 'waiting', I've also been told that cataracts
have to mature or ripen before removal...don't know if that's true.