I Can See Clearly Now!

This week, I had something I’d known was coming, but I tried to dismiss it from my mind. I needed cataract surgery. When my ophthalmologist told me, rather matter-of-factly, that I would need cataract surgery, I was shocked.

I thought that I didn’t have any issues, other than glaucoma in one eye. I’ve always been healthy and not needed medication for anything until a year ago, when I was assessed for glaucoma. I have been taking one drop in my right eye every night for the last year. That’s the only medication I take, and I was feeling good about myself since I am 74.

Never get too confident.

“Cataracts! Why do I have cataracts?” I asked. He looked at me like I was a slightly dimwitted child and said, “Because if we are fortunate enough to live long enough, sooner or later, we’ll get cataracts. It’s just like grey hair and wrinkles.

I don’t like grey hair or wrinkles, but at least the government will pay to remove these cataracts.

The thing is that I am scared of vision loss. I didn’t need glasses until I was in my late 40s, and I still mostly use them for reading and my computer.

Tuesday, I had surgery on my right eye. After 5 minutes, the surgery was done. Since I didn’t have any sedation, I didn’t need to wait around and could go straight home. I find this incredible because when I was a student nurse in the early 70s, cataract surgery required a week-long hospital stay!

Everything seems slightly brighter in the right eye, and I’m told this is because when the cataract is growing it causes a yellowing over the eye and tends to grey things. You don’t notice because it occurs so slowly. I can’t wait to have the surgery on the left eye. My vision in my right eye seems slightly better, so that’s a bonus.

Of course, that means no more excuses about writing. I did, however, get the editing done on the first five chapters of my cozy the morning before my surgery. I will send my manuscript to the editor this afternoon.Ciao for now.