One Eye Done
I am recovering from cataract surgery. I have cataracts in both eyes and my vision is really terrible. This I am told is a blessing in disguise as I can have a corrective lens put in during surgery. I have worn glasses since I was 8 years old. So having someone tell you that you will be able to see without them doesn’t sound quite real. But there’s really nothing to do but try it, so off I went.
The operation took place in a posh private hospital in Marylebone. Hubby took a day off from work to accompany me on what is essentially a 15 minute procedure. We arrived before 9:30, the time it said in my letter and sat in the waiting room for 2 hours. I think they forgot about us since eventually someone came to ask if we were waiting to leave. This did not bode well for the day, but soon after they took us up to the room, apologising profusely. Then, they put three rounds of many drops in my eye and hung around waiting for them to take effect. Now there was a sign on my door that said “nil by mouth” which meant no food, no water. I hadn’t eaten since 8:00 and was starving so I had a nap on the very comfy bed.
They took me upstairs to the operating theatre and the most unpleasant procedure of the whole day, the inserting of the catheter in my hand. It hurt the entire time it was in and I now have a lovely bruise on the back of my hand. The surgery itself was mercifully quick because although you can’t feel any pain, you can certainly feel pressure and other actions performed by the surgeon. Some more lying around later, we came home where I vegged on the couch and went to bed early.
So I guess I was hoping for a “Eureka!” moment when everything is in crystal clear focus. Well the reality is that while things do seem a bit brighter, I am still wearing my glasses. But I have noticed as the day has gone on, that my vision is probably improving because it’s making me a bit queasy to wear my glasses. So I’m in this limbo state where I can’t see without my glasses and I can’t really see with them on either. It takes 2-4 weeks for the healing and I guess my vision will continue to improve. In 3 weeks, I will have the other eye done and only then will I be able to tell what my view of the world will be. I only know that if I really come out of this not needing any glasses except for reading, I am going out and splurging on a gorgeous pair of sunglasses. Any recommendations?
It is now the day after I wrote the above and I am still in this limbo state. I can see pretty perfectly out of my left eye, but my right eye lets it down. So, do I wear a patch for the next three weeks? It is almost Halloween. But now I can’t see my computer screen or any words at all unless I get really close. ”Welcome to my world”, hubby says. I am on my way to buy a pair of reading glasses.
