A
anon
Guest
Last spring I tried to renew my 3rd class med. I'm a private pilot but not flying these days but hope to resume in the future and possibly fly countries where basic med won't work.
I was on the East Coast staying with family at the time and decided to get a new glasses/contacts script since my right eye seemed a little weak. Got new script and made appointment with a local AME.
At AME office I couldn't pass the vision tests with my right eye at all. He sent me back to the doctor that gave me the script who filled out the proper forms - with which the AME decided I was passing and sent me on my way with a Med.
Two months later, I'm back on the West Coast where I get a letter from the FAA requesting more information due to the eye doctor's mention of macular degeneration on the paperwork they received. They requested a visual field test.
I took this information to my regular (West Coast) ophthalmologist in June where he proceeded to do a battery of tests and concluded that the real concern was cataract formation on both eyes with the right eye distance vision reduced to 20/80 best corrected. My left eye is 20/30 and with both I see 20/30. We discussed cataract surgery but I'm only 45 and my insurance will not cover it so I am opting to wait a little bit longer, especially since I don't fly right now. Obviously, my vision is not to FAA standards so I expect a denial letter, which I could rectify after cataract surgery.
I sent all the information to the FAA on the advice of the AME and waited. Got another letter in September from OK stating that they were forwarding the information to their in-house ophthalmologist for a decision.
Waited another month and got yet another letter from the FAA stating they still can't decide and want an updated consultation from the doctor I saw on the West Coast describing blurry vision, less than optimal visual clarity, cataracts and prognosis. Awesome. BTW - I was back on the East Coast at this point but fortunately had to make another trip to the West Coast anyway, so I made another appointment with the eye doctor.
That appointment was yesterday. We looked at the FAA letter together and went through his files. He gave me another printout which basically indicates I have cataracts resulting in poor vision in at least my right eye and somewhat in my left eye. He recommends surgery and implants to fix it.
So last night I decided to compare what I got from the eye doctor yesterday to the printout from June and to me they are pretty much identical so I'm afraid the FAA will not be satisfied and will ask for yet another "consultation" from this same eye doctor. When I went over everything with the eye doctor yesterday he assured me that he was giving me everything the FAA could possibly need according to their request. Now I'm concerned that I'll send this off and in a few months I will get another letter requesting information. Problem is I'm leaving for the East Coast in 2 weeks and won't be back to the West Coast for at least a year, if at all.
Very, very frustrated and tired.
I was on the East Coast staying with family at the time and decided to get a new glasses/contacts script since my right eye seemed a little weak. Got new script and made appointment with a local AME.
At AME office I couldn't pass the vision tests with my right eye at all. He sent me back to the doctor that gave me the script who filled out the proper forms - with which the AME decided I was passing and sent me on my way with a Med.
Two months later, I'm back on the West Coast where I get a letter from the FAA requesting more information due to the eye doctor's mention of macular degeneration on the paperwork they received. They requested a visual field test.
I took this information to my regular (West Coast) ophthalmologist in June where he proceeded to do a battery of tests and concluded that the real concern was cataract formation on both eyes with the right eye distance vision reduced to 20/80 best corrected. My left eye is 20/30 and with both I see 20/30. We discussed cataract surgery but I'm only 45 and my insurance will not cover it so I am opting to wait a little bit longer, especially since I don't fly right now. Obviously, my vision is not to FAA standards so I expect a denial letter, which I could rectify after cataract surgery.
I sent all the information to the FAA on the advice of the AME and waited. Got another letter in September from OK stating that they were forwarding the information to their in-house ophthalmologist for a decision.
Waited another month and got yet another letter from the FAA stating they still can't decide and want an updated consultation from the doctor I saw on the West Coast describing blurry vision, less than optimal visual clarity, cataracts and prognosis. Awesome. BTW - I was back on the East Coast at this point but fortunately had to make another trip to the West Coast anyway, so I made another appointment with the eye doctor.
That appointment was yesterday. We looked at the FAA letter together and went through his files. He gave me another printout which basically indicates I have cataracts resulting in poor vision in at least my right eye and somewhat in my left eye. He recommends surgery and implants to fix it.
So last night I decided to compare what I got from the eye doctor yesterday to the printout from June and to me they are pretty much identical so I'm afraid the FAA will not be satisfied and will ask for yet another "consultation" from this same eye doctor. When I went over everything with the eye doctor yesterday he assured me that he was giving me everything the FAA could possibly need according to their request. Now I'm concerned that I'll send this off and in a few months I will get another letter requesting information. Problem is I'm leaving for the East Coast in 2 weeks and won't be back to the West Coast for at least a year, if at all.
Very, very frustrated and tired.
