Last year,as we know,the requirement tightened up so your better eye has to be one line on the Snellen chart from perfect vision,whereas the other eye could be so poor as to be almost blind!
Even my optician told me this new regulation was really stupid.
Since the age of 65 I have I’ve had no trouble in achieving the standard,but with the new regulation last year I only just scraped through.
So I asked my optician how did things look for my next licence renewal this coming July,so he had me in this week for a half time check up.
I was diagnosed as having type 2 diabetes about 5 years ago,but with a sensible diet and plenty of exercise it causes me no distress,even though I have to have the back of my eyes photographed annually to spot any chance of a detached retina,no trouble so far.
I was told about 3 years ago that I had the beginnings of cataracts in both eyes but it would be 10 years before it became a problem for me.
That was before the new requirement came in for my HGV entitlement.
On Tuesday my optician told me that I would not reach the required eyesight requirement in a few months time and made an appointment for me to see a local eye surgeon which I did yesterday.
He confirmed my cataracts were preventing me reaching the necessary rquirements for the eyesight test,and booked me in for cataract surgery in three weeks time.
Only one eye is done at a time to be sure the new lens fitted is OK and your eye has settled down before the second eye is done.
The NHS waiting list is a bit too long with the limited time I have to attain the standard I require so I’m having it done privately at a cost of £2,000.
If the one eye is able to reach the standard,then I should have no trouble passing the test standard,and the other eye can be done on the NHS whenever they can fit me in.
Going private at this price only gets you a local anaesthetic!.I’ll let you know how I get on.
Some posters tell of how they can get around the medical by applying for a change of photo on their licence just before it’s due for renewal,thereby getting a new licence valid for the next period without having to submit a D4.Or claiming “Grandfather rights”.
Very clever,but as eyesight can deteriorate very quickly,I’d much rather know the exact state of my eyesight,for my own safety,and that of other people.
Very sensible
My mam had this op done a few years back on both eyes ( due to age ) both very successful it is quite easy & quick from all accounts she did say her eye felt like it had grit or sand in it most of day but then after a night sleep & relax she was fine has good eye sight ( even though she has glycoma so yep I can be the same have an eye test every year just to check
So not a lot to worry about after her 2nd eye was done had to go back to opticians approx 3 mth later for an eye test although she does need reading glasses ( normally buys the cheap 1’s from £1 shop or somewhere like that )
My daughter had her cataracts done last year,and she’s only 39,didn’t think anyone so young could have that much trouble.
However,now she does not wear glasses when driving to work,only if she drives for a long distances,but she does need glasses for reading.
A lady friend of ours who is 85,had her cataracts done some time ago she does not wear glasses for anything.
People I’ve spoken to only say how positive the results are,so I’m hoping I shall have just as good an outcome.
Well how about this?
I’m sat here typing away,and NOT wearing my glasses!
I had my op last Wednesday,only took 15 minutes and I was at home in les than two hours.
My eye is VERY bloodshot and the surgeon says it’s probably a burst blood vessel when he was injecting my eye.
But,I never felt a thing,nothing to worry about having only local anaesthetic.
On the Thursday,I went to see the surgeon again and he gave me an eye test,perfect vision!
Not only good distance vision,but the close up focus with my one eye is so good that I can drive and read without my glasses.
I shall definitely have the other one done eventually,but there’s no rush now,this should get me through my HGV medical.
So for those who prefer to claim grandfather rights on their eyesight,I would rather do this and KNOW that I can reach the new standard.
Well I’ve just been to see my eye surgeon four weeks after my op to see how well he thinks I’m doing.
I thought that this last week my eye was not as sharp as it was when I had an eyesight test 24 hours after the op, and I was disappointed at the eye test this morning, my eyesight acuity in the eye I had the operation on, being a fantastic 6/6, has gone down to a 6/9.
Upon further testing, the surgeon found that I had high pressure in my eye, similar to that experienced by glaucoma sufferers like my wife, and this distorts the eyeball so altering the focus of the eye. My daughter had the same problem after her operation.
The surgeon says it’s caused by the post operation eye drops which are steroid based, and advised me to stop taking them now as four weeks is long enough, he has also given me some other eye drops to reduce the pressure in my eye, so hopefully it will return to it’s postoperative condition.
I have to see him again in two weeks time, I’ll keep you informed.
Went to see my eye man on Thursday, had an eye test and the pressure has dropped to about normal and my acuity is almost back to what it was immediately after my operation.
However, apparently I still have some inflammation, (Although can’t feel anything and it doesn’t affect my vision), so the surgeon has given me some more eye drops that are not too much steroid based and told me to use those as well as the pressure reducing drops for another two weeks.
Went to work last night and no trouble driving without my glasses at all.
Went to my opticians yesterday for an eye test.
My right eye that I had the op on has settled down now and passed the new standard no problem.
My left eye is not as good as it was as the cataract in that eye has got slightly worse, however it is more than good enough for the new standard in which your least good eye can be really poor.
I have made an appointment to see the eye surgeon with the intention of having the cataract done in my left eye but am content to wait to have it done on the NHS, unless it’s ridiculously too long, but I should reckon two or three months at the most.
The bottom line is, I will have no difficulty with my D4 as regards my eyesight anyway.
Well done,BB! 
Went to see the eye surgeon today that did my eye op and he discharged me as being OK.
He also put me on the NHS waiting list for my other eye to be done as there is no rush now, my eyesight reaches the required standard.