Every so often I’m asked whether students actually make it out of glasses and back to real, uncorrected 20/20.

Of course they do.  Figure that only a relatively small percentage post progress updates (I can’t really complain, I’d probably be a non-poster myself), and that average myopia is at least 4-6 diopters for most people.  That’s several years of progress and I haven’t been running the site quite long enough for most of them to be back to 20/20 just yet.

But there are always some!  Johnny posts today:

Hi all another quick update for you.

Well I have been very successfully going uncorrected for the past couple of months. Its now slow progress, I think my vision has improved in that time, in the daytime in terms of double vision and night vision is a bit better. I guess its just waiting for the double vision to fully sort itself out, which I know from experience will happen at some point. I religiously do high contrast exercises with a digital clock in a dark room before bed and this definitely helps, my eyesight the next day has less double vision than when I get lazy or forget (hey I’m human). I have to remind myself sometimes just how far I’ve come…its only when I look back at trips I’ve done or holidays I’ve taken that I realise my vision HAS improved when I revisit those same places. Like Jake said in the blog post ‘don’t sweat the small stuff’ I’m just living the outdoors life and not thinking about it too much. It’s the middle of winter here so I’m hoping one more long hot summer might get me to a nice stable 20/20. For the record I should say that I am around this, just the double vision, as ever is a pain but slowly resolving. Still wearing a -1.25 when I go out at night which is adequate, definitely not 20/20, but was looking better the last time I used it.

A few other observations – I’ve had a bit of a rough ride since May, had a fair bit of emotional stress at one point (first time in a long time) and was amazed the impact it had on my vision. Took days to fully recover. wow. Also my euro trip turned into a bit of a bender and again this smashed my eyesight (interesting for me as I don’t really do week long drinking sessions…)

I found Colins email in this blog post a bit sobering https://endmyopia.org/crazy-italian-opticians-know-what-causes-myopia/ I also was told I had these issues, lattice degeneration, atrophic holes, and a retinal tear. Shit, sounds bad doesn’t it? Hopefully Colin can sort it out, and hopefully I don’t have any future issues from all that. At some point I will go back to an optometrist for regular checks, probably when I’m happy my vision is 100% or as close as it can be. I have utter contempt for the industry that resolutely fucked up my eyes, so will have to choose wisely and take a few deep breaths haha.

Ok hope you are all seeing progress!

Johnny

That’s quite good, considering Johnny started with over -5 diopters.

Toshiki is sorting out his low myopia, which in so many ways is a more challenging starting point than high myopia.  He too is making nice no-lens progress:

Very true. There are a few places I don’t come by all too often. But during the last month, when by chance I revisited one of those places I couldn’t help but be in awe about what I could read from what distance (in the beginning wondering whether this was actually true, then later accepting that I actually have improved). On Monday, I went to that bakery on the other side of town again and was amazed: Not only could I read the prices (that I’d been struggling to make out half a year ago), but also could I actually read the names of the breads (of course, smaller font) they sold (still somewhat blurry, but perfectly readable).

I find those places you come by only every some months much more effective at judging progress than the street signs I see every day when looking out of the window. Another reason to get outside, go to places you wouldn’t normally go. Because you’ll end up revisiting one of these places and then you can fully appreciate the progress you’ve made.

The full thread, a long one, is here.

I posts lots and lots of detailed improvement reports in the blog, to help you build confidence.  In the end though the only way you’ll know for sure is to go out and try it for yourself.  You should be able to noticeably use your lens dependence in a matter of months, make measurable improvements, and from there decide whether you want to go keep going all the way to 20/20.

That’s how most pioneers get anywhere, making a decision to go where most won’t.  Either believe mainstream lens-sellers, or … try something a little different.  ;)

Cheers,

-Jake