I Can See Clearly Now

I Can See Clearly Now

In May 2024, I had cataract surgery. My procedure was for the basic service. It is not radio keratotomy, but the insertion of a new lens. My right eye was so severe I could not see the eye chart at all, not even the white background. The eye doctor declared the eye blind. My left eye was operated on two weeks later.

Whereas I could see the shadow of the surgeon’s hands during the first surgery, as he scraped away whatever was damaged in there by the growth of the cataracts, it was not like that for the second. I had a serious talk with the anesthesiologist. They don't knock you out but I wanted to be closer to that state. You can experience some residual clouding necessitating a laser surgery process three months after the operation.

My near-sighted eyes are now corrected to 25/25, which means I can see clearly 25 feet whereas most people would see perfectly at 20 feet. It is up to me to get glasses to correct my sight to a perfect 20/20 or not to get them. If I decide to do that, the optimum time would be three months from the surgery. So far, I don’t think they are necessary because I don’t drive.

Looking back, I think the visual impairment with cataracts started in 2016. I distinctly remember the morning I opened my eyes and they were more blurry than usual. My poor nearsightedness and astigmatism needed correction since the age of 12. I was told by the surgeon that cataracts take decades to grow to the extent they affect your vision. My mind pulls out the memory of shopping for my first pair of glasses. I have a picture I may add to this entry when I find it. The glasses were black oval-shaped black frames with a little blink on the upper front location.

Driving home with the new glasses is a ride I will always remember. I saw tree leaves and all around without blurriness. Seeing the world through new bespectacled eyes was a positive highlight of my life. I am thankful for the National Holiday to put visually impaired people in the spotlight. When asked what sense I would give up if I had to, vision would not be one I would even consider.




Written for: "Weird & Wonky World Writing Challenge"
Prompt 1: Visually Impaired People Day
Word count: 392
June 27, 2024