seeing clearly

“I Can See Clearly Now”

a few fun facts about my recent cataract surgery…(shout out to Johnny Nash)

seeing clearly

I can see again…and without binoculars!

I just completed my second cataract surgery this week. Believe me the actual surgery is much easier than the all the prep work and drops before and after the surgery. Having one eye done and then waiting three weeks until the second one can be done is hard. The good eye fights the bad one and sometimes it is just very tiring. The best part of it all is…I CAN SEE AGAIN! Many thoughts went through my head during the surgery and the whole recovery process. Here are a few reflections on my surgery.

1. Cataract surgery isn’t all that bad. The actual surgery is over in about 10 minutes… Its all the prep work, drops and things you can and can’t do before and after that are a pain. Most people who have told me how easy it was only had one eye done. Not both. That is the hard part, the waiting for the second eye to get done so your eyes stop fighting each other. And the drops…oh yes, the drops. I would stand in front of the mirror and think, did I put the drop in or did I just check the little box on my eye drop chart and not put it in?? Every. Single.Time.

2. You don’t know how bad your eyes really are until they are better. Everything is so clear, bright and WHITE… even inside the house. I wear my sunglasses inside the house now.

3. I hate all the rules and precautions. My favorite… Don’t bend. If you have to bend, bend at the knees, not at the waist! I never think about bending…ever…until I’m told I can’t. Do you even know how many times a day you bend??? A lot! I drop so many things now of course and I have to remember, bend at the knees…bend at the knees. Or I just leave it lay there on the floor and hope someone else will pick it up.

4. Not doing any strenuous exercise for two weeks or lift anything over 20 pounds. I actually liked this one!  I have an honest to goodness, awesome, doctor approved excuse to not exercise…for 2 weeks.

5. I think I may be secretly “in love” with my eye surgeon.

“Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.” ~ Jonathan Swift

6. Not letting sweat get in the surgery eye. Um, when the feel like temp is 105 and you are on a beach and not allowed to get in the water, you may sweat a bit. Not sure how you can keep this from happening, maybe someone should invent a little air conditoned cup that covers the eye if you have cataract surgery during the summer months. Note: have your cataract surgery during the winter.

7. Getting used to not wearing makeup. I actually went grocery shopping yesterday and not one single person ran screaming from the sight of me.

8. OMG, I don’t like looking in the mirror when putting drops in. I see all the lines and wrinkles so much more clearly…who is that old woman looking back at me and what is she doing in my bathroom?

9. So I’m laying on this table in the operating room, loud music playing(I like it) and the doc is digging in my eye and I can see him doing it. Weird. He takes out the bad lens and puts in a new one(in my case 2 of them). As I lay there both times, all kind of thoughts go through my mind…What happens to the old lenses he takes out? Do they just throw them away? Do they donate them somewhere? Do they make something out of them? Where do they get the new ones? What are they made out of? Can you buy them on Amazon?

10. Another thing I really hate is the whole, “don’t eat anything after midnight the night before surgery.” I never do, except the occasional dish of ice cream. But when you are told you can’t have anything.. of course you want something. And then knowing when you wake up you can’t have your coffee…It just makes life feel so meaningless. You can have coffee, just not with cream. And who drinks coffee without cream? Not me…

So there you have it, my eye surgery in a nut shell. You may have had a different experience or you will if you haven’t had the pleasure of this surgery yet. Love to hear your comments on this…

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” ~ Albert Einstein

35 thoughts on ““I Can See Clearly Now”

  1. So, You just got two new lenses for your eyes and I got rid of a nasty old gall bladder FULL of stones!!! At least I got to sleep through mine!! My hubs had one eye done so far. Not sure when he is going back to get the other eye done. He has to see his vascular doctor first. Then his urologist, then maybe he will get back to the eye surgeon! It is really bad when all your problems come at the same time. And it is kind of nice to have all of those things functioning well!!! But oh, the eyes!! They are the windows on the world. Mine are needing attention, but so do a lot of things….like my teeth! The day of reckoning is coming!!!! But first, I have a little mole on my left ear that is behaving badly, so my next visit to my doc will to be to get that checked out and hopefully biopsied. Better to be safe than not, I always say! Getting old is NOT for sissies!!! But we grandmas have compensation….it is called grandchildren!!!! They make everything better!!! :D!

    1. You are so right Georgia, at least we have the grandchildren to even out the bad stuff we have to go through…good luck to you..

  2. My husband had cataract surgery (2 months apart) on his eyes. I am so grateful for the surgery (as many people all over the world go blind from cataracts due to lack of the surgery where they live), and the surgery is so different from when my mother in law had it (almost 30 years ago, I think). Think “Needle in the eye” “long recovery” and “patch on the eye for a long time”.

    1. Yes, you are so right Alana, I was thinking about my own Mother and how different it was for her some 20 years ago..much easier now! It’s just the whole drops thing that wears you down..

  3. Congratulations on having these procedures behind you, Renee! I cracked up reading your thoughts about where the old lenses go. And I can totally relate to luxuriating in the “permission” to not exercise for two weeks! I’m sure there are a lot of us baby boomers out here who’ll be in your shoes one of these days–thanks for sharing your experience.

    1. Thank you Roxanne! My daughter had the surgery last year so she helped me through it, but she only had one eye done…

  4. I had both eyes done in late winter. Had the worst vision ever and bad astigmatisms so I had all corrected. They were a walk in the park compared to eyelid surgery that I had done last month and don’t think I will ever be completely over. I’m not a wimp about pain yet…..Live five blocks from the beach. See it from car windows! When I had my vision surgery they offered to leave one eye a bit nearsighted to make it easier for reading. Should have gone with that option as now I have difficulty reading print books even with reading glasses.
    Pia
    http://courtingdestiny.com/2017/08/shame-not-clutter-free-house/

    1. Oh Pia, so sorry to hear that…I need reading glasses now but my sight is so much better…and lucky you for living so close to the beach, that makes everything so much better.

  5. It’s so easy to fall in love with a person who makes your life better. Our bodies determine so much of our happiness that we are often unaware of that fact. Glad you are doing well.

    1. It comes upon us quite fast Ellen so beware! They told me last year I would be needing it in the future…the future is now! LOL..

  6. So funny, i”m exactly the same way, don’t want to eat after midnight, unless you tell me not to. And yes, it sure does sound like the before and after is the worst, but hearing about how much better your eyesight is now, I’d say it’s all worth it. Glad it’s over and done with.

  7. Glad it is over and you can see clearly and brightly! I helped my Mother when she had her eyes done andI was her maid because of the bending and lifting ban. We did have fun cleaning out a cedar closet that had not been gone through in 30 years. I remember my Dad came in, looked and said, “I am out of here!” Her eyes sight was remarkably improved that she never wore glasses for distance again.

    1. Thank you Haralee! I don’t need them for distance now but have astigmatism so I will still need glasses and I don’t mind wearing them…I can drive without them now though so it is wonderful..I can see signs again and what they say before I get right beside them…and have to turn…LOL

  8. Thanks for sharing your experience taking this journey. This is a common medical adventure, so I appreciate having someone who is observant and articulate doing her part to scout the trail! All my best to you as you heal sans make up and as other cut you a break and pick up dropped items.

    1. Thank you Karen, it has been an experience for me and I can happily say, “I’m glad it’s over”….

  9. The thought of someone digging around in my eye while I’m awake freaks me right out! Glad it went well and I hope the need for sunnies inside slowly goes away – I always wonder about people who wear them inside the shops – do they think they’re famous and don’t want to be recognized???

    1. Thank you Leanne! Maybe they wear the sunglasses because they had cataract surgery…LOL! I wear mine a lot…

  10. Ha! You are funny, “where does the lens go?” Well, since I worked in the O.R. and the “Eye Room” was one of my favorites, I will tell you. The dr. uses an ultrasound machine with a tool attached to it. He or She then breaks up the cataract with the tool and suctions the pieces out of the eye. I should tell you first that the cataract is inside a little sac in your eye. Then they place the new lens inside the sac, after suctioning out the old lens, or cataract.

  11. I’m so glad to hear it all went well. Mine are still too small to get them done. I was kinda looking forward to having the little lens put in, but after hearing about all of the prep, etc, now I’m not too anxious. Will the bright light thing be permanent or is it temporary?

  12. So happy to hear that the surgery went well and that your vision has improved. As we get older, we complain of senses being dulled , muscles that ache, and events that seem beyond our stamina to enjoy. Nice to hear of a reversal in this area. Hope you get in a lot of reading with your improved peepers.

    1. Thanks Michelle! I am glad your mother’s surgery went well. yeah, the bright light thing…but it is better than the alternative.

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