“Follow the light.”

Those were the instructions given to me as I got ready for my first cataract surgery. And frankly, it made me nervous for a moment—just long enough to remember all the movies and stories in which someone died, or had a near-death experience, with a bright light beckoning them to the other side.

I wasn’t really nervous about the surgery—not too much, anyway. Since the time I found out I needed it, I’ve talked to a number of people who’ve had it done and said the surgery itself was a piece of cake, and they loved the results. Still, the idea of someone operating on my eye was not something I particularly looked forward to—no pun intended—especially knowing that I would be sedated, but not totally knocked out, since I needed to be able to follow instructions. Like “Look up,” and “Look down.” Or “Follow the light.”

As far as medical procedures go—and I’ve had more than my fair share over the years—this really was pretty quick and painless. And I was actually fascinated by the lights. Prior to starting the operation, the surgeon told me to let him know if I needed to cough or sneeze, or if I needed any medication to calm my nerves. Other than that, he said, I should follow the bright lights with my eyes. When he started the surgery, three bright circles of light appeared and moved across my field of vision. Then another pattern of lights—a somewhat hypnotic one—appeared briefly, followed by the original three circles of light. Before long, the surgeon said, “Okay, we’re done. You did great.”

It’s not yet a week after the surgery, so I’m still following the post-op instructions I was given: Don’t lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk, or bend forward for any length of time. Use the eyedrops I was given, wear sunglasses whenever I go outside, and wear the eye cover they gave me—which looks more like a cyborg accessory than the pirate’s patch I was expecting—whenever I go to sleep.

By the time I’ve finished all  of that, it will be time to repeat the surgery on my other eye. Once that’s done, I will be happy to have clear, crisp vision once again, to be able to read posters, signs, and TV captions without squinting, and to offer reassurance and support to other people I know who need cataract surgery, but may be apprehensive about it.

I have to say that feels pretty good, now that I’ve seen the light.

May 7, 2024
©Betty Liedtke, 2024

I welcome your comments, but please be aware that all comments will be moderated and approved before appearing on this blog. This is to protect all of us from unwanted spam.