I am about to have cataract surgery, and like I always do, I went out on the Net to read about the experience of others. To my surprise I haven’t really been able to find anything. At least, nothing like what I’m seeking. Oh, sure, there are lots of articles about the structure of the eye or “Get your surgery done at our clinic”. What I’ve been looking for is a personal experience from others who’ve gone through approximately the same thing. So in the hopes that this will help others, I am write about my Journey Through Cataract Land here.
Living With The Blur
I last went to an optometrist about six years ago. I was told that I had a cataract on one eye and that therefore she (the doc) couldn’t make my glasses as strong as they needed to be. She said I’d have awful headaches so I was cool with ‘living with the blur’. I knew I didn’t see well but I didn’t want to go through cataract surgery. Not to mention that it would cost at least $3,000.
But then I went to have my driver’s license renewed … DISASTER! I can’t pass the vision test! So I can’t drive and that’s totally, completely unacceptable. So now I have to deal with this problem.
First step: visit to my optometrist.
Who Gets Cataracts?
According to my optometrist, almost everybody will get cataracts if they live long enough. So when I presented myself for my first visit he informed me that I now have cataracts on both eyes – damn it! – and offered me two options:
Choice 1: He said that he could write a glasses prescription that would enable me to pass the drivers test but added that I wouldn’t like the glasses at all. Headaches would be only one of my miseries if I wore them for long.
Choice 2: I can have cataract surgery and wouldn’t need glasses except for reading. That’s a pretty exciting thought because I got my first pair of glasses when I was 11 years old. I’ve worn contacts, too, of course, although I don’t bother anymore.
Still, this is my EYES we’re talking about. Yeah, yeah, I know all the stuff about how ‘vetted’ this surgery is, how many times it’s been done, blah, blah, blah. But still …
Nevertheless, I did make an appointment with the eye surgeon he recommended and we’ll see what happens. I have a lot of reservations about cataract surgery but I’m willing to listen.
More to come.
Leave a Reply