If you are under 65 you can apply for disability. You can also start SS. The baseline eye exam is just what you would get when you have your eyes checked - including dilation. What they mostly want is a color blind test. In Tennessee I wasn’t allowed to drive (hey that might be cause for disability)because one of the meds may cause a change in what you see (ex. A green light when it is really red.) I am ok to drive in Connecticut and haven’t had a change in my eyesight. Walmart should be able to accommodate you. Good luck!

You can apply for, and eventually receive SSDI once your doc says you can no longer manage "gainful employment" as a result of whatever it is...a chronic lung infection is probably one of the illnesses covered. Best way to find it is to first ask you doc about your level of function and if s/he agrees that you are permanently disabled. If the answer is yes, see a SSDisability attorney who will take your case only if s/he believes you have one that will eventually win as they work on contingency. Worth a shot!

@irene5, thank you so much for your information of the entire eye exam. I don’t think my ID Dr. Has ever had a MAC patient. He told me to have a eye exam and I did. He then removed me off Ethambutol due to the terriable problem of not being able to breath with out nearly passing out and losing total control of my bladder during all this. He told me to also have another eye test to see if my eyes were effected and I asked him exactly what he was looking for with this test and I don’t think he truly knew because he said I need the eye Dr to tell me if your eyes have changed. This print out he gave me says I should have a “funduscopy photograph done periodically. Did anyone else have this type of photography done on your eye exam?

@boomerexpert, thank you for all your information.

@carla1196 , have you had a spirometric breathig test? If the results show that you fall within a certain level, it is easy to get disability.

I’ve tried to comment back to you on this, but for some reason it is not going through.

My pleasure! I think just the funduscopy is sufficient since it is a "baseline." That is done with every eye exam, and they write it down. In subsequent exams they would be able to tell if there are changes. You can download the color blindness app to use and check yourself periodically. This disease is so NOT a "walk in the park." Hugs.

@carla1196, Hi Carla. Is it possible for you to find a doctor who has treated 5 or more patients with mac? You really need a doctor who is experienced with treating this disease. It is nothing to play with. You also need a good Infectious Disease doctor.

@irene5
Thank you for this information. Turns out the eye Dr at Walmart does not have machine for a funduscopy. Guess a new eye Dr is needed. Thank you for this information. Much appreciated

I wondered about that. The ID doctor in Tennessee insisted I go to an opthamologist and not an optometrist which is probably who they have at Walmart. Sorry about that. Because the eye exam was recommended by a doctor I paid nothing for it. Hope the same for you!