Richard Hyatt: A reminder of age
Cataracts are for old people, so that can’t be why I am looking at the world through a layer of gauze.
Maybe my glasses need cleaning, but scrubbing them doesn't help. Neither does rubbing my eyes.
It was time for an eye exam, so I went to see my friend Dr. Bill Yoe. It was he who had the gall to suggest cataracts. "Come back in six months and we'll look at them again," he said. What a difference those months would make. The layer of gauze seemed to thicken and reading road signs on the interstate became an increasing challenge, and suddenly I was covering one eye and squinting to read articles on my iPhone.
Could it be?
Yes, it could. A return visit to Yoe confirmed his suspicions and he referred me to Dr. Casey Gerringer, a local surgeon. She would deliver the final verdict.
Between appointments I made the mistake of going to Google. The Internet said cataracts are clumps of protein that over time create a cloud between the lens and the retina that cause a person's vision to get duller or blurrier. It tried to be kind and say cataracts are not just for senior citizens, but it then adds your vision is usually affected after the age of 60. That sounded familiar.
Gerringer looked into my eyes and recommended surgery on both of them -- not just one. She saw no reason for concern.
What she did not detect was a severe case of cowardice. I don't like drops in my eyes. I don't want anyone touching my eyes. I was never a candidate for contact lenses, and that was all right with me because I did not want foreign objects stuck in my eyes.
Mention of cataracts was a reminder of age, and because I'm old, I remember what cataract surgery used to mean. It was a delicate procedure that required weeks of healing. I remember visiting relatives who were almost chained to their bed with sandbags on either side of their head so it couldn't move.
Cataract operations were also not a guarantee that your sight would improve, and I didn't like those odds.
I'm told the operation doesn't require anesthesia and that it is over in 20 minutes. You wear a pirate's patch for 24 hours and if all goes well, the gauzy view is gone and you go back in a few weeks to have the other eye done.
An unforeseen bonus is that for the first time in a long time I may not have to wear bifocals. If I need glasses to read the paper or view the computer screen, I may be able to shop at Wal-Mart or CVS. We shall see -- and that is not a pun.
-- Richard Hyatt is an independent correspondent. Reach him at hyatt31906@knology.net.
This story was originally published October 4, 2014 at 9:55 PM with the headline "Richard Hyatt: A reminder of age."