AIBU - I shouldn't have to wait until I can't see to drive before I get referred

[Sickoffamilydrama]

AIBU to try getting a second opinion?

Two relevant things I'm 47 and been short sighted since 15/16.

Started noticing there was something weird with my eyesight about a year and a half ago. Maybe 2 years this was after lots of backwards and forwards to the optician because they couldn't seem to get my prescription right and things were still looking blurry.

A senior optometrist realised I might have cataracts had a look and I have the start of cloudiness. The problem is it's at the centre of my pupil so that's why I'm noticing it more. Apparently most people it starts on the edges.

So with it getting darker I've obviously been driving at night time and this is when it becomes a problem. Yesterday went to an event and the route wasn't familiar, I came back in the dark and realised I can't read the speed limit on gurneys It's fine with some things but numbers that look similar to each other like 50, 60 and 20, same with signs so M5/ M6 I might struggle with and obviously the glare of the other cars makes it worse on motorways.

Luckily the car read the speed limit and I didn't make a mistake and choose the wrong lane but I can see me taking the wrong turn because I can't read the signs until I'm on top of them.

So I'd already booked an optician's appointment for today. As I'd noticed the worsening the other week, it's getting worse when they tested my prescription. That hasn't changed but there's a bit more cloudiness.

Now for the am I being a unreasonable part?

They told me that they wouldn't refer me until I couldn't drive. Keeping in mind I am the main earner in my family. Currently I'm job seeking after being made redundant but the types of jobs I'm looking at often require travelling and driving.

As well I don't think a new job will be happy if I have to stop driving also if it's not on a bus/train route I'd be restricted to local jobs only.

Plus I'm usually the main driver in the family particularly at night time as my husband had a freak eye condition and lost most of his sight in one eye (he can still drive but night is harder).

So do I go back in a few weeks and push for a referral?

AIBU - waiting for a 47 year old to not be able to drive before referring them is stupid.
YABU - wait until you can't drive and possibly can't work then get it sorted.

Who is refusing to refer you? The optician?

You need to see an ophthalmologist so ask your GP to refer you.

Should have said GP says it's the opticians job to refer me.

When I was speaking to her she said yes lots of people do worry about losing their independence by not being able to drive, I did say it's more about being able to put food on the table and keep a roof over my head.

I did find her a bit patronising, I'm normally very assertive but wasn't sure if I should be pushing it yet.

As far as I understand it doesn't make a difference if you have surgery early on or wait until they are bad.

But also the waiting list could be two years in which case by then I could be having difficulties that affect my ability to earn and live a normal life for someone in their late forties.

Perhaps try a different optician - have you got a local independent that can run investigations in their store? This is how my mums macular degeneration was picked up

I'd certainly be trying another optician for a referral / second opinion.

If you can’t read the numbers on the signs then you are at the point you can’t drive surely?

YABU if you are still driving

You shouldn’t be driving now it seems

My husband had the start of cataracts diagnosed at an optician. He was referred straight away and in for the first, within a week

Yanbu to want to be referred straight away. However, you are unreasonable to carry on driving. You are endangering other road users

I'm mindful of that in daylight I am fine no problems at all at night it is fine if there isn't loads of glare and even then I can judge distance and see other cars and road users, see the road edge etc.

I did check and they said I was safe to drive as well.

It's hard to describe It's literally only things like road signs with words on when the light is reflecting off them.

That's why I didn't push it further believe me I wouldn't be driving if I was worried about hurting anyone but also I shouldn't have to wait until I can't drive to be seen.

Yanbu but its a postcode lottery. I think you have to stop driving now before you cause an accident. This will get you on the wait list as a priority. Your husband can drive in the day time. You will need to work out alternate transport/car pools/ride share apps etc. I know I sound very matter of fact but I had to voluntarily give up driving in 2014 for medical reasons in my early 40s. I am only just now recovered enough to try driving school next year to try and get my driving licence back (my old one is expired but I would want to pass the driving tests to be sure I am recovered enough to drive again). It is very hard but you find ways to make it work.

Definitely.

I'll see if I can get a second opinion tomorrow.

Luckily with no job I'm not driving anywhere at the moment so I'll take on board what everyone is saying although I don't think it's at the point I need to stop in the day time everything is clear.

To those worrying, so using the image attached as a reference I would say my eye sight is on the right so normal except the lights would have more of a halo around the lights and the digits on the clock would be blurry.

Didn't attach grrr

The NHS have really strict guidelines for referrals unfortunately, in our area you can’t normally be referred unless your vision reaches a certain point (which line you can read on the test chart). But we can specify other issues, such as glare, relying on driving for income/caring responsibilities etc.

its all due to funding and waiting lists really….. and of course they only want to do surgery when the benefits outweigh the risks.

I would recommend speaking with the optician again, or seeking a second opinion to see if you can get a referral.

the waiting lists vary massively too, in the last few years lots of private clinics have the contract to do the surgery under NHS, so we had patients having the op within 2 weeks….. now the NHS have realised they can’t afford to do that many a year, so it’s back to 12 weeks, still much better than the 18months post Covid 😭

There is the option to have done privately, normally costs around £2500-£3000 tho, so not an option for a lot of people I realise.

Good luck 🍀

Yeah my dad couldn't get his surgery until he was unable to drive. He couldn't drive at night a good 2 years before that.

Id start pricing private.

If you cannot see the road signs then you should not be driving.

You cannot rely on there being no glare or ideal weather.

You should be pushing to be seen now on the basis that you are at the point of being unable to drive to a safe standard (which includes being able to reliably read speed signs).

At the very least you should not be driving in the dark at all.

If you have an accident and cause damage/kill someone, they'll be able to see you raised concerns about what you could or couldnt see, they'll see you started this thread even if you ask for it to be deleted and they'll conclude you were culpable and could have prevented the risks.

I had a cataract start in the centre of my eye when I was 40. I was referred and had lens replacement surgery within a few weeks (referred by SpecSavers). 19 years later I've now got clouding in the other eye but as they were able to correct my vision with a new prescription I'm in the wait and see phase. The optician said I'll probably be referred next year as by then I'll meet the NHS threshold for replacement. So definitely seek a 2nd opinion and ask what the threshold for the local NHS Trust is. Here if your sight can't be corrected enough to drive then you meet the threshold.

What is your actual visual acuity? Should be written on most prescriptions.. worse than 6/10 means you’ll struggle to reach driving limits and should be referred

But... but... if you're in the UK that means you can't drive after 4 p.m. in winter! I'm not doubting you but what a stupid rule.

OP - if you struggle with glare and reflections can you reliably see pedestrians and cyclists at night?

Same here.

Hi, optometrist here.
A GP is very unlikely to refer you to see an ophthalmologist because of common cataracts ( as annoying as they are) . Cataract surgery is one of the most common NHS procedures and in most counties there are referral criteria us optometrists have to adhere to, before we can refer a patient. There is no point referring a patient if we know they don’t meet the criteria . It’s a waste of the patients time and NHS resources. The NHS simply cannot operate on everyone who has cataracts as the resources simply aren’t there. Cataracts are mostly a natural consequence of aging and don’t need removal until they reach a certain stage , not forgetting whilst it’s a relatively simple procedure with a very high success rate it still comes with risks and performing an operation that’s not completely necessary is not in the patients best interests.
That said you are young to have cataracts and different types of cataracts can be more obstructive then others so I do sympathise .
Quite often a patient can have cataracts that are really bothersome but frustratingly still don’t meet the criteria, in that situation I give other options , ie, private options or I refer through the NHS and plead their case whilst managing their expectations that it may be declined.
Cataracts can be significant but the patient still meets legal driving standards although not comfortably so.
I would maybe have a chat with your Optom again and ask them for more detail, ie type and density of cataract , your visual acuity etc.
It’s difficult to predict when a patients cataract is going to reach referral stage as everyone is different and sometimes you just have to play the waiting game .
Anyway best of luck ( from one fellow cataract sufferer to another … us optometrists sadly don’t have immunity from cataracts either)

That's ridiculous as soon as your sight is getting badly compromised you should get the op. Are both eyes equally affected? Usually you need one eye done first.