I can see clearly now, the cataracts—and glasses—are gone

Russell McDermott, columnist
Russell McDermott, columnist

I have worn eyeglasses since I was 10 years old.

That means they have been on my face all my waking hours for 47 years.

Until now, that is.

A couple of months ago I went in for a vision exam and found out I'd developed cataracts.

I couldn't believe it. Cataracts at 57? Old folks get cataracts, not a young-OK, relatively young-guy like me. My mother didn't have cataract surgery until she was well into her 70s.

My wife, who is quite a bit younger than I, found it very amusing.

I had some vision problems. Driving at night was becoming a problem. Oncoming headlights were starbursts and darn near blinding, especially on dark roads with no streetlights. My wife and I had been driving around the small towns of New England in September and rural Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota in October, and there were a few times I got really nervous behind the wheel late at night.

A symptom of cataracts as it turns out, but I never connected the dots.

Since being diagnosed, I've found a lot of friends, some younger than I, who have had cataracts and had them removed. And they were all quite happy with the results.

I was told there would be no pain. That I would see better than ever. That the lens implant routinely done with cataract removal these days would mean I could throw away my glasses.

I was skeptical, of course. No pain? Heck, if an eyelash strays into my eye, I cry like a baby until it's removed. Plus, these are my eyes we were talking about. There are a couple of places on a man's body he doesn't want a knife anywhere near. The eyes are one of them.

I went in for a cataract evaluation a month after the vision screening. Dr. Josh Wiggins was reassuring and made me feel more at ease with the prospect of surgery. We discussed when it could be done, with me thinking a month or two down the road. After all, he's a busy guy.

There was an opening in two weeks. My right eye would be done March 7, with the left eye following on the 13th.

That made things very immediate and very real. I got nervous and stayed nervous for two weeks.

The morning of the first surgery I had to be there at 11 a.m., a reasonable time but one that gave me a couple of extra hours to continue fretting. I was called back, changed into a gown, given a mild IV sedative and taken into the operating room.

Maybe 10 or 15 minutes later it was over. No discomfort at all. I didn't even know for sure Dr. Wiggins had started until he told me it was over.

In recovery my right eye was still a bit watery, but the change was immediate. I could see. Clearly and without correction.

Now came the hardest part-going a week with one eye fixed, the other still needing help. I popped one lens from my glasses and that worked fine for watching TV, even driving. My depth perception was a bit off so I found myself veering a bit while walking the halls of the Gazette offices, and using a computer or reading was a challenge, but I muddled through.

I could hardly wait to have the left eye done. I went from frightened baby to true believer.

Dr. Wiggins performed his magic on Monday and when I awoke Tuesday I was seeing better than I had in decades. I do need reading glasses-I stocked up on five pair at a dollar store-but for day-to-day life, my vision is sharp and clear. Colors are brighter. It's just incredible.

Of course, this is going to take getting used to. I still find my self reaching for my glasses when I wake up in the morning. And from time to time. I'll reach up to my face as if to adjust my specs, especially if I'm looking at something close and need to reach for the cheaters instead. But that will pass.

Too old for cataracts? Heck, now I'm wishing I had developed them sooner. I never knew what I was missing.

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