Cataracts

Things started looking kind of blurry, so I figured it was time for some new glasses. It turns out, I have cataracts! I have surgery this morning.

I had assumed that they just peel the cloudy film off. It turns out that they take out the lens inside the eye. But then, these days, they replace it with a lens implant that actually corrects vision! The doctor told me that after all of this is over I might not even need glasses! Which would be for the first time since around seventh grade. I am astounded and kind of excited about it.

The operation is reportedly no big deal to go through, nothing to worry about. My only concern is my vision between the first surgery and when it is all over–three weeks later, they’ll do my other eye, and then it takes a few more weeks to heal and for the brain to get used to the new optic signals–so I may have some visual limitations for a month or more.

I’m thinking that after today I’ll have one really good eye, adept at distant vision, but my other eye will still be bad and my glasses will be useless. Will I be able to read? Fool with the computer? Later my other eye will get a new lens for close vision and all will be well. (Realistically, I might need glasses for reading, though those reading glasses you buy at the drug store may be all I’ll need.) But what to do until then?

I’m pretty sure I’ll find a way to function. I’m not supposed to do anything for a couple days after the procedure, which I’m looking forward to also, an enforced rest without guilt. I’ll probably keep up the blog–that surely doesn’t count as “anything”–though I might have trouble seeing for a day or two. So if I miss some days of posting, you’ll know why.