peregrinerose

I would guess so. You'd need a forklift to unload it. That is 15 skids worth of nickles. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Define 'night blind'. True night blindness is caused by disease of the rod system of the retina (rod dystrophy, retinitis pigmentosa, etc.). There is a big difference between true night blindness and trouble seeing at night. There is a phenominon known as night myopia. Due to pupil dilation in dim lighting, it increases the amount of lens (and thus lens distortion) focusing light to the retina. This can cause a slight shift in prescription to more nearsightedness. See your eye doc to be sure your rx is up to date, this might help some of it. Everyone has different comfort levels at night. I don't function extremely well at night either (too early in my skydiving career to even consider night jumps though!), but it isn't true 'blindness'. Jen Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I've had a lot of minor head injuries, and one pretty good one, thrown from a horse with no helmet on (me, not the horse). I was knocked out, double vision for a short period of time, had no idea who I was for 2 days (I knew all the facts/figures like Princess Di dying the night before, all the crap I learned in school, etc). I felt like I was thinking through mud. Since then, my reading comprehension that was always very good is now crap and I have trouble retaining information. I have to work much harder than I used to for memory. I'm a doc, so have to REALLY work hard to remember things. I was diagnosed with a seizure disorder almost 2 years afterwards, which may or may not be related, they don't know. I also work with people with head injury with my low vision practice, so see how things can progress. My own past makes it easier for patients to relate to me, which is a good thing. My neuro has no idea that I started jumping, but I made sure that my new meds controlled my seizures before jumping (they do, only had one in several months since changing my dosage). I made damn sure I paid attention in AFF classes, and ask a million questions of my instructors to be sure that I am comfortable with the information. I do the muscle memory thing with where cutaway and reserve are. I haven't seen my neuro since prior to jumping, but I made sure that my gut instincts were okay first. If I had any doubts, I wouldn't have started. Talk with your neuro. Once you get the green light, check your gut instincts. If you have any reservations, don't do it until you feel you are 100%. Especially with the vision issues, if your vision/perception is off from normal, may affect your canopy control/flaring. Jen Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

As long as I get sex on a Monday (and Tues, Wed, Thurs.... at least twice on Sunday...), does it really matter how? Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

It absolutely should concern you! As I posted above, initial healing is a couple months, to tack the flap down reasonably well, but it takes years to regain the integrety of the inital pre surgery cornea. It takes a fair amount of trauma (slipped goggles catching your eye the wrong way, baseball to the eye, etc), but it can happen. That doesn't mean to not have surgery. I consider it my job to essentially give worst case scenarios to my patients. They need to know every possible LASIK (or other procedure) outcome to make an educated decision. Sooner or later they will need glasses/contacts again (minimum reading glasses around 40ish). There is reduced contrast sensitivity, not a big deal at 30, but when combined with cataracts at 60 can decrease night vision even more. Permanently less tear film (not big deal at 30, but can cause more problems with age due to decreased tears with time), possible permanent starbursts at night or double vision. A successful lasik outcome is considered 20/40 vision, not 20/20, so not everyone achieves that. I refer them to the surgicaleyes web site so they can see exactly what can happen. It is up to patients to weigh the risk/benefit ratio. Side effects are small, but they happen, even with very very good surgeons. I have seen it with the surgeon that I refer to on one patient out of many, but it happens. I also make sure that people are perfect candidates... no pre-existing dry eye, rx within parameters, healthy cornea/retina, sufficient corneal thickness, pupils that are smaller than the surgical zone even in dark lighting conditions, no existing cataracts (cataract surgery does the same thing as refractive surgery, but insurance pays for it), realistic expectations (ie, the over 40 crowd probably will need readers), stable prescriptions over the past few years, no diabetes (slower healing/frequent prescription changes). If a patient isn't a perfect candidate, I tell them exactly why and I won't refer them. I would rather lose the patient in my office and very high associated pre/post op fees than refer a less than ideal person for an optional surgical procedure. That is just how my medical ethics are, not saying it is right, it is just my way of doing things. As patients, ask a million questions, be comfortable with your gut instincts and be 100% confident in your decision, your optometrist, and the surgeon doing the procedure. Refractive surgery is great, for the right people. Us docs are on your payroll, if you aren't happy, fire us (even if it is me!!) Jen Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

It would have to be the trucker that masterminded it. My husband works with coin and the security is unreal. All the drivers are armed, and you can seriously bust ass in the trucks speed wise to get away as needed. A shitload of nickles like that is insanity though. It's a lot of weight to be moving around, you couldn't realistically cash them in, and especially if they are new nickles (with the new pics on them) they could be fairly easily tracked down once spent. You couldn't even put them in a house, that much weight would destroy the floor and end up in the basement, would have to be a barn or something. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I don't have much time to read, so keep all my optometric journals in there to keep up to date on eye care (aren't you glad a doc keeps track of research while on the shitter??) Plus Parachutist, Sky and Telescope, and occasionally a section of the newspaper. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I agree, poses could have been a little better (another reason I offered to be photographer). Damn, now that I know they are primarily French guys, I'm definitely all over volunteering for that job! My favorite guy pictures are of cowboys, nothing like a man in chaps to get me turned on big time. Most of my favs are either like the calendar ones, naked but nothing really showing... the cowboy wearing only a hat and straddling a bigass western saddle with the horn covering the important parts comes to mind *insert serious drooling here* But a guy wearing low riding jeans and a rig only would have been great. The guys definitely weren't bad looking at all. I don't think, if I wasn't married, I'd have turned any of them down for a date. Or two..... Jen Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

For next year's calendar, I'll volunteer to be photographer. Hmm, me, surrounded by naked guys, coming up with shots/poses that will make everyone happy. Yep, I can live with that. April, August, and Oct were my favorite eye candy. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Isn't this thread so dead it has decomposed and fed the surrounding plant life yet? Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Well written. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I am sooo addicted to that show. And I agree, I think that they are all dead, thought that from the 3rd or 4th episode. But it's so extremely well written, I can't stand to miss an episode!!! Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I absolutely agree. I didn't say that both parties didn't enjoy, at least in my case both definitely do. I meant that each party is more focused on their pleasure than the other person's. Not that the other person's is ignored, just not the primary focus. And if it is done right, both are happy campers in the end. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Definitely not. If there is unwanted pain and it is disregarded, that is closer to rape than fucking. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

selfish isn't exactly the right word, but the closest I could come up with. If fucking, you pay more attention to your body parts than the other person's, in making love you pay more attention to their parts than your own. At least that's how I see it. Now I want to go home and fuck and or make love with my husband. And it'll be another 9 hours before I see him. *sigh* Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Would you want her to be anywhere near your children? Mental illness can cause a lot of strange behavior, but many with mental illness do stop taking their meds due to the feeling of not being themselves, being pharmaceutically altered. It isn't uncommon for this to happen. She needs to be in a psych facility permanently, not in jail, I agree with that. I also think her husband should be held partly responsible for reproducing though the court advised against it then leaving her alone with the kids knowing she's a nut case. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Oh, hell yeah, you can have both in a relationship. Fucking is raw, animalistic, self satisfying sex, with less regard to the other person's enjoyment. Making love is more tender, about emotional bonding as much as physical, about putting your partner first pleasure wise. I'm married, we definitely have both, and enjoy both very very much. Ratio is probably 50/50. Jen Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I agree. There is Orthokeratology which uses RGP contact lenses to mold the cornea. This is great for those with under -4.00 prescriptions and is non surgical, so less risk. There is now a new procedure called a phakic IOL. An artificial lens is slipped inside the eye which corrects for prescriptions higher than -6.00. This is far less invasive to the cornea and heals much quicker than lasik since the incision is made close to a blood supply. Drawback is that the lens is inside the eye, so can cause some initial inflammation. Side effects are basically the same as those who have had cataract surgery. There is a new contact approved for sleeping in that I've had great luck with. Less risk than surgery there, a 2 week extended wear. Plus the night and day lenses which are 30 day extended wear. Parameters don't fit every patient. Those who smoke, have dry eye, sleep with eyes open, or are very allergy prone are not good candidates. There are one day contacts, put the in every morning, throw them out every night, great for those who swim since they are the only lens I'll let you swim in (people pee in that water, you don't want it in your eye any longer than necessary!!). They are also good for us lazy people (it's what I wear most of the time) Always discuss all the options with your eye doc, since refractive technology changes too quickly. By the time these procedures hit the news, they've been things we've known about for months. Jen Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

PK is actually making a really wise move with this from a legal stance. He has to be damn sure of who the person is before saying anything, on the remote chance he has the wrong guy, then he'd be up on slander charges. He needs every morsel of detail and consult with a lawyer before saying anything here. He's handling this situation appropriately, at least based on what's here. From what I have read of his posts he's an extremely intelligent and compassionate person, he'll pull through, and I bet he's read all of these posts of support, whether or not he actively participates in the thread. Jen Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I weighed last night, does that count? Start: 141 Present: 140 Loss: -1 Goal: 125 Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

You should have an 'it doesn't really matter either way' choice there. I am agnostic more than anything else. If I don't like the 'under God' part, I just won't say those two words. What's the big deal? Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

PK, that sucks. We've never met but you'd be very high up on the list of folks I'd love to meet on here, especially after the Red Cross thing. If you need anything, let me know, I'm only a 2 hr drive from you. Jen Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Increased pressure with scuba, the opposite with altitude. Wind isn't great. Increased dryness from dryer air in plane to altitude on an eye that is already dry from surgery so needs as much lube as possible to keep a flap from getting wrinkled (very painful and messy!) Not so hot landings that increase chances of eye getting bumped and wrinkling flap, even minor eye trauma early on causes problems. Chance of foreign body getting in eye. Like I wrote above, chances are low, but is playing Russian roulette really worth it? I always let my patients know what can happen, in the end it is their eyes, they make the final decisions whether it be post-lasik care or any other treatment. Jen Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I ditto that. It's a slightly psychotic community, but still one big occasionally dysfunctional family. Does that mean we have to group hug though? Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Sorry, Penniless was the potluck writer, not me. Too bad too, it was a good analogy that I'd love to take credit for