StevePhelps 0 #1 August 8, 2003 Recently, I have been diagnosed with a veinaculor occlusion in my left eye. Thus my left eye is blurry. Most Drs say it is permanent. I can still see with my right eye. I was wondering, do you know anybody who jumps regularly with vision in only one eye? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rgoper 0 #2 August 8, 2003 it's no fun, i can tell ya that. i had a cataract on my right eye for about 5 years before i let them do th operation. now, whenever i fly head down, the lens implant slips downwards thus causing obscured vision.you may want to see what your options will be with just one eye. just having one eye gives you a "bird's eye view" because their eyes are exactly 180 degrees opposed to each other. eye surgery and vision correction is at an all time high in technology and teqniques. good luck, be safe.--Richard-- "We Will Not Be Shaken By Thugs, And Terroist" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gus 1 #3 August 8, 2003 Billvon jumped with one eye taped over as an experiment a while back. Read the thread here. GusOutpatientsOnline.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Luminous 0 #4 August 8, 2003 John Satist. I think he's in Dallas now, used to jump Houston a few years back. I don't remember which eye, but he had to deal with the loss of depth perception and limited periphial (sp?) vision and all that. Didn't stop him from getting his S/L, AFF, and Tandom ratings though. BSBD'In an insane society a sane person seems insane.' Mr. Spock Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davelepka 4 #5 August 8, 2003 My favorite TM (I shoot video) only has one eye, and he's awesome. He's also an RWS T I/E, so it shouldn't be too limiting for your jumping. He did start jumping with two eyes, than had to have one replaced with a (useless) glass eye. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dterrick 0 #6 August 8, 2003 Gus beat me to the link, but I was part of the discussion with Billvon. In summary, if you have enough 'skill' to maintain your driver's license I doubt you'll have any serious trouble skydiving. Between adaptation and the fact that we continually land in the same area I'm sure you;ll be just fine. Do you wear glasses otherwisae? I do, and losing ONE contact lens caused me grief when I tried to use both eyes. Closing the offending 'bad' eye solved 90 percent of my issues - I actually got the cookie on that landing, despite the crash (it was sunset, hiyt n chug load, had a violent opening that wrecked the slider and a riser) -Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TrickyDicky 0 #7 August 8, 2003 One of my friends is very short sighted anyway (jumps prescription goggles) and says that one eye even with the prescription is extreamly blurred, near useless. He has no trouble at all. (well, he has only landed in a graveyard once, and broke his arm hitting a boyancy aid on a beach while taking a downwinder ) But other than that hes fine. UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slotperfect 7 #8 August 8, 2003 First, you are on the right track - seeking advice from those who have experienced this condition. I applaud your desire to help keep yourself and the sport of skydiving safe. [Bow] My opinion is that you should have this conversation with an eye doctor who is also an experienced skydiver. He would be able to help foresee situations in which a shift in procedured might be necessary. Also, I feel that once you have finished your research (seeking advice), etc, that you should inform your DZO. You will likely be asked to include that on the DZ waiver as an "infirmity" as well. I believe that most other skydivers, including me, having seen that you carefully and responsibly made adjustments to what disciplines you participate in, your procedures, etc, will continue to cheerfully skydive with you. I hope this helps! Arrive Safely John Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
darkwing 4 #9 August 8, 2003 As I recall a famous photographer, maybe Carl Boenish, lost an eye in a fireworks accident (due to someone else). I think he adapted to it. -- Jeff My Skydiving History Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 3 #10 August 8, 2003 You might wanna drop a PM to ltdiver here. She only has sight in one eye, is a camera flyer, AFF and PRO rated. So, yes, it's something that -can- be dealt with.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Luminous 0 #11 August 8, 2003 Story of what they used to do in Beaumont years ago when Ethen & Don were taking up an AFF student the video dude whould ask: "What has 3 eyes and 3 legs?" and when the student didn't know he'd say "Your jumpmasters!" Ethen has sight in one eye, and Don has a prosthetic leg. BSBD (i was typing arms but meant eyes. )'In an insane society a sane person seems insane.' Mr. Spock Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
StevePhelps 0 #12 August 8, 2003 I appreciate the info. Right now I can see out of it, but it is all blurry. I go to the retinal specialist Monday. Some of the chances of correction depends on what veins are occluded. On one part of the eye, no chance, on another it may be corrected to 20/40. I'll be praying for a miracle! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hooked 0 #13 August 8, 2003 Good vibes going your way!!! Jan -------------------------------------- Sometimes we're just being Humans.....But we're always Human Beings. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Luminous 0 #14 August 8, 2003 Ditto on the good vibes!'In an insane society a sane person seems insane.' Mr. Spock Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
smiles 0 #15 August 8, 2003 I am just heading in to visit my brother who recently had bad sinus infection and was hospitalized when sinus abcessed....surgery was required to drain and fungus was discovered requiring scraping of bone (cheek) and yesterday removal of his eye due to fungus.... I have no idea how to comfort him. I am sure you are in shock regarding your vision and I want to send all the very best vibes. Our sight is one of our strongest senses... "Looking at handles" in my emergency procedures has always been practised to stay focused on handles with my eyes until reach and pull complete. Not taking my focus off my handles I believe helps follow through with procedures with use of my strongest sense. Hoping you find loads of support from skydivers that are able to accomplish flight without perfect vision. Smiles Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GigaBuist 0 #16 August 9, 2003 My left eye is worthless. Even with corrective lenses it's pointless to try and make it perform anywhere near 20/20 so glasses usually bring me up to around 20/60. Right now the lens in my glasses over the left eye is scratched to all hell and I couldn't care less. It's just there to make things look normal really. To illustrate, here's a snapshot of my browser window I took while trying to read this forum with my left eye only. I made my browser enlarge text until I could read it -- and that was still inching along trying to make the eye really work hard. It's 3.4x larger than normal. This is on a 14.1" LCD screen at 1024x768 around 2 feet from my eyes: right here Depth perception has always been difficult for me. Well, it once was. I'm now 23 and I've had this bad left eye my whole life. The right eye isn't perfect either but I'm something like 20/25 in that one with corrective lenses. You do learn how to cope with it though, although cope is the wrong word. Your brain will start using things around what you're looking at to determine distances rather than rely on that parallax thing. You need to use known points of reference to calculate distance when you operate on only one eye. I cannot tell you at all how far away a circular object is if it is not attached to something else of known size. Stop signs were hard for me to learn when I was driving. Eventually my brain worked out the height of the stop sign (which is basially fixed) vs. it's apparant size and how quickly that's changing I guess to make it work. You eventually begin to life by Pythagorean's theroem it seems. It's sort of like looking through a TV camera all the time. That's the best way I can explain it to people. Thankfully I'm not totally blind in that left eye so I still have periphial vision in it so I can tell (mostly) when objects are coming at me from the bad side. If you suddently lose one eye, or it all goes blurry, I'd expect to be out of whack for quite some time. I was never any good as a child at throwing balls around. I'm still not because I never quite adapted to the situation. Heck, at 19 if you lob a football at me and get it high enough that I have to take my eyes off the ground while catching it I'm hosed. I can't play backhand in tennis or ping-pong because when something approaches at an angle on the right my left eye has to interpret the data and it's game over for me at that point. How can I tell when I'm getting near the ground (just a wee student -- 11 jumps, but so far it hasn't been an issue) -- I use my feet. Them suckers have been the same distance from my head since I was 14, and they're the same size. I know how big they are and how far away they are. If I catch my shadow I can look at my normal feet and my shadow feet and get a little size differential there. It worked once. Other than that -- using the circle of peas in our landing area works too. I know what it looks like at my height so your brain can naturally use that to determine your height by accounting for the angle at which you look at it. Look at the near side, look at the far side, determine angle of change and assuming you can still just relative distance toward the pit based upon your surroundings (ie: buildings, bushes) you're brain will "naturally" use this to give you an idea of where you are. Given that you're coming in at a constant speed your brain can use that to adapt too instead of using it's surroundings. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vertifly 0 #17 August 9, 2003 I know of two good freeflyers who jump with one eye. It took them some time to get used to the 2D environment, but up there they said everything is cool. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkydiverRick 0 #18 August 9, 2003 QuoteRecently, I have been diagnosed with a veinaculor occlusion in my left eye. Thus my left eye is blurry. Most Drs say it is permanent. I can still see with my right eye. I was wondering, do you know anybody who jumps regularly with vision in only one eye? I know three jumpers with vision in one eye. One is a tandem master (and a jump pilot), one is AFF rated and the other does both. never pull low......unless you are Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Topcat 0 #19 August 9, 2003 QuoteI know three jumpers with vision in one eye. One is a tandem master (and a pilot), one is AFF rated and the other does both. Got another one: Jumper who has done thousands of video; AFF and Tandem rated; and is two hours within acquiring his commercial pilot's license. He lost his vision in one eye because his mom had toxoplasmosis when she was pregnant with him. -Sandy (I won't discuss the prop strike, though. I'm trying to encourage you! ) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hooked 0 #20 August 9, 2003 Weird.......my eyes are basically the same, except my right eye is worthless. It always has been, they just put a 'phony' lens in my glasses to balance them. I do (well not really) have sight in the eye, it just doesn't focus on anything. If I ever lost the sight in my left eye, I would be blind. My left eye has really overcompensated for all of my sight. Jan -------------------------------------- Sometimes we're just being Humans.....But we're always Human Beings. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jbrasher 0 #21 August 9, 2003 Me too. BUT I've always only had sight in one eye and that is the issue. There shouldn't be any problem once you've become accustomed to not having vision in that eye BUT be careful during the transition. Red, White and Blue Skies, John T. Brasher D-5166 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ltdiver 3 #22 August 9, 2003 QuoteBUT be careful during the transition. Yep. The hardest thing I had to learn was how to fill up a glass with liquid. I kept thinking it was full when it was only 1/2 way there! Driving...had to learn how to be -really- careful during lane changes, but otherwise it was ok. Parallel parking became easier, as did my spacing behind other cars...I -thought- I was closer than I really was!...so my distance was greater, thus safer now. One thing that I never cued into, though, was that I cock my head to the left naturally now. I guess to line up my vision in it's central field with the right eye. This was pointed out, lovingly, by our own effinjump. He said I looked sexy that way! ltdiver Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DickMcMahon 0 #23 August 9, 2003 Steve: I've been blind in my left eye since I was a little kid. It happened by accident. The lack of depth perception really despressed me when I wanted to play baseball, and other sports. It's hard to judge the distance on a fast-moving ball being thrown my way. Then when 3D movies came out, it was really frustrating not to be able to experience what everybody else did. Well, to make a long story short, I started skydiving about 3 years ago. Have had a few injuries along the way, but still love the sport. My user name should probably be CRASH because that's what I seem to do a lot. Knowing when to flair is my problem. What's REALLY bad is that I'm getting used to it ... and EXPECT to crash. Hang in there man ... you can keep jumping! Hope your diagnosis goes good! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 6 #24 August 9, 2003 QuoteKnowing when to flair is my problem. Quote I can understand that! I did a demo in Sacramento last month... I some how popped myself in the eye on the commerical flight out there...took a hunk outta the lens of my left eye... Painful to say the least...but I jumped the demo anyway... 3 days of not knowing when to flare! I never would have imagined how hard it is to judge with only one blinker working.... I'm all healed now, and have a much greater appreciation for the struggle you must go through every day! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites howardwhite 5 #25 August 9, 2003 QuoteAs I recall a famous photographer, maybe Carl Boenish, lost an eye in a fireworks accident (due to someone else). I think he adapted to it. Jerry Irwin HW Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 Next Page 1 of 2 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0
howardwhite 5 #25 August 9, 2003 QuoteAs I recall a famous photographer, maybe Carl Boenish, lost an eye in a fireworks accident (due to someone else). I think he adapted to it. Jerry Irwin HW Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
