Pilots and their experience.

Subject: Pilots who NEVER HAD A CHANCE.
This is for Jansen --in part. The normal eye goes down at a rate of -1/2 diopter for each year in school.
If you can not wear the plus, or know the necessity of it, at the threshold -- then this is what is going to happen to your distant vision.
Pilot Brian Severson was at 20/70, but "woke up" and with great consistency wore the plus. He was successful. This is the only "claim" I will make about the plus. This was written by Chris -- and I will post other remarks about the continued need for the plus, if you are lucky enough to get to 20/50 (about -3/4 diopters) from -3 diopters. No one ever said that prevention would be easy.
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Chris> New on here and wanted to write a quick backstory and my reasons for wanting to get my vision back.

I entered the US Air Force Academy as Pilot-Qualified. I had 20/20 vision. In my junior year, my vision began to deteriorate from all the studying (160+ academic hours in 4 years!). Mandatory physicals revealed my vision had gone from 20/20 to 20/50. They prescribed minus lenses. I was being taught not toquestion so I didn't question.

By the spring of my senior year, my vision had degraded to probably 20/100. It's a longer story than you want to read, but I basically lost my PQ. This changed the entire arc of my life and career. Instead of going to pilottraining, spending a career in the Air Force, and fulfilling a childhood dream, I went into Satellite Engineering and US Space Command. Of course, thisrequired constant computer and near work which would continue to degrade my eyes in my 20's.

I'm now 42. I'm at -5.0D in both eyes. I believe my myopia was functionally induced because no eye doctor that I've seen between then and now recommended
that I simply not wear my minus lenses and instead use the plus lenses for close work. I would get hints from time to time, but it was like they were telling me illicit information.

Only because of the Internet have I found information that gives me hope. I got here from an article on ISEE

Though I'm not going to fly for the Air Force (I separated since I wasn't a pilot), I want to improve my vision in hopes of alleviating floaters that developed in my 30's. My understanding is that they are a direct result of progressive functional myopia.

I'm hoping to avoid the remainder of my life in glasses and dealing with floaters in my vision. I also want to verify that preventative methods will work for my young children who are already reading at 4 and 3 yrs old.

I'm hoping I can be disciplined and not lazy and see real improvements. I am combining the exercises with much improved diet that I have been working on for the past few years.

I look forward to keeping in touch and staying accountable. Any advice or further information will be appreciated.

I'll close by saying that I'm always incredulous at most of my myopic friendsand family who can't even tell me their prescription. I'm appalled that they don't care. Starting to wear glasses in college when I grew up an athlete completely changed my life and opportunities. It's important to me and I don't understand why it isn't important to more people.

Chris
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This is an objective lesson on the need for the plus at -1 diopters, the need to make a long term commitment to the plus, and what will happen, if you are at 20/50, and discontinue the use of the plus. I truly know how had it is to sustain the motivation, but Chris is very accurate about this issue.
Otis