Cataract Surgery: What to Expect Before and After

What Happens When You Have Cataract Surgery

Seeing 20 20 in 2020

David Fuentes/Offset For almost all my life, the first thing I did each morning was reach for my glasses, no matter what. When an earthquake was shaking the house to its core, I reached for my glasses. When my daughter cried from down the hall, I reached for my glasses. When the roof started leaking from a sudden downpour, I reached for my glasses. And I'm still reaching, although I no longer need them to find my way to the bathroom, because now I have 20/20 vision. But as most of you will agree, it's almost impossible to break a decades-long habit. The reason for this newfound vision is my recent cataract surgery. It feels extremely weird, as if I can see as far as the neighboring zip code. Cataracts, which come with age, are a clouding of the normally clear lens of your eye. For me it was like looking through a fogged-up window. I found it , drive a car (especially at night) or see the expression on my grandchild's face. Research states that most develop slowly and don't disturb one's eyesight early on. But with time you may develop one or more of the following symptoms: Sensitivity to light and glare Needing brighter light for reading and other activities Seeing “halos” around lights Needing frequent changes in eyeglass or contact lens prescription Fading or yellowing of colors Double vision in one eye Friends who had already had cataract surgery told me that the world would look amazingly sharper once the cloudy lenses were replaced with new ones. What I didn't know was that along with having my blurry vision cleared up, I would have a choice of correcting either my nearsighted (unable to see far way) or farsighted (unable to see up close) vision. For an additional fee I could have had all my vision corrected, but my insurance just covered the basics. After weeks of deliberation, I decided on having my nearsightedness fixed. Why not be able to see freeway signs, billboards and road directions? This would make for safer driving. And I could wear those for up-close reading. My doctor said they do only one eye at a time, to allow the first eye to recover and vision to stabilize. So, the day after Christmas, while the rest of the world was recovering from too much food and libations, I was on the operating table. For me, the procedure itself was easy peasy. But because of the drastic difference in my eyesight between pre- and post-surgery, the recovery period between the right and left eyes was not easy at all — quite the opposite; it was miserable. I drove without my glasses, letting my right eye do all the work. My left eye just hung out, not doing much. When working on the computer, I put on my old glasses and my right eye took a break while my left one read the words on the screen. It was a confusing two weeks. I felt dizzy and off-balance for much of the time. If cataract surgery is in your future, consider trying a few of the things I did to help myself. I rested my eyes a lot. I would work on the computer with my old glasses for about an hour at a time before closing my eyes. Reading was difficult. But instead of becoming frustrated, I took the pressure off myself and spent time binge-watching a few shows. I went for long walks. I talked on the phone with friends, catching up with those I hadn't seen in a long time. Most importantly, I wouldn't let myself feel guilty for not helping everyone all the time. I took time for myself. I took the surgery as a sign to slow down, if not permanently, at least long enough for me to recharge my batteries. My eyes have settled into place. After two months I was able to see the optometrist and get a new prescription. Life is back to normal, with a few changes. I'm seeing everything more clearly, especially the need to slow down and take time for myself.

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