I didn't really take a vacation but I did have to take a couple of days off last week. I finally gave up, went in, and had my eye fixed. It turned out to be a very fast procedure. For one thing, there was no general anesthetic. I was pretty relaxed and pain-free but fully aware of what was going on through the operation. I could hear the little ultrasound thing that broke up the old lens. When the doctor slipped the new lens in place, I could instantly see the lights above my eye. I'm sure if I hadn't been a little dopey it would have been freaky. As it was, it just seemed pretty cool.
A half hour later I walked out the door and was on the way home. I ate a little, drank a couple of cups of coffee and fell asleep for three hours. The next morning I went in to have it checked and could read the 20/30 line on the eye chart. I think I could read the 20/20 line today. My distance vision is very sharp.
The only negative is that I quickly realized how dark and foggy my other eye is becoming. It isn't nearly as bad as the other one was before I had the surgery, but the doctor says these cataracts can advance quickly. It was certainly the case with my left eye. I first noticed a little "smudge" on one part of my visual field -- like my glasses had a fingerprint on the lens -- less than a year ago. By last week, I could see only vague shapes and color, light and dark. I was, essentially, blind in my left eye.
I probably won't be cleared to drive until Friday, although I can certainly see well enough to pass my vision test without glasses today. I won't get new glasses for about four weeks. Though my distance vision is near-perfect, my arms aren't long enough to read with the new eye. Fortunately, the original equipment eye still works well enough close up.
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4 comments:
Modern medical technology, something we older types consider with growing gratitude.
wv would have you stand back 5 feet and recite, reading left to right.
f a r n o n
I presume there's a sweet spot at just the right distance.
I had it done the summer before last. It is the strangest experience! I remember sitting in the eye doctor's office, and watching the endless loop computer animation of the procedure. The part where they use that combination x-acto knife tweezer thing to cut the eye open just creeped me out no end.
When it came time for the real thing I got the shot, and I remember thinking, "When is the shot going to take effect? Are they starting yet? Hey, there's that tweezer thing inside my eyeball, wow..."
Like you, I went home, fell asleep, and woke up thinking, "Don't I have cataract surgery today?
Wv says c a t a n o m a. ...not sure I like that one. And yeah. What dojo said.
JWM
It's good to know it's all so quick and painless - those videos give me the creeping horrors.
As someone who doesn't need that kind of surgery yet, I'm glad to know it (should) be available someday if I do. We do live in an age of wonders.
What Julie said.
So glad it went well, Mushroom.
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