Here’s looking to a new vision for all in 2026!
I literally got my new vision early in November 2026 … cataract surgery! For those of you who have had it or know of someone who has, you were likely amazed (like me) at the results.
This is the first time in 72 years that I am without glasses. My eyes were so bad that if I took off my glasses, I would fumble around feeling for where they disappeared. Without glasses I could only read things from about three inches away.
As I grew older, I needed brighter lighting in which to read, or to use a headlamp when going for a walk at night. When entering a dimly-lit restaurant in the evening, it took my eyes a few minutes to adjust to the lighting. I avoided driving at night since I didn’t feel comfortable or safe driving, for fear I wouldn’t see a deer on the road; or worse, a pedestrian. The vehicle headlights would have “halos,” which made it difficult to know their distance or exactly where they were on the road.
I checked in with my optometrist, who, after testing in her office, referred me to an ophthalmologist (an eye doctor) at the specialist clinic. After testing, I was put on a wait list for cataract surgery. It took a little over a year waiting to have the surgery done.
My husband and some of our friends had had surgery, so I knew a little bit about it; even so, I was a bit nervous. Prior to the surgery, there are precise instructions to follow about the drops for the eyes before surgery, which I followed closely.
The cataract surgery was like a well-oiled machine—an assembly line with each step checked and double-checked by each nurse or doctor who talked to me. It was like a small community behind the scenes. It helped that my friend happened to be scheduled just before me and that there were friendly nurses to reassure us. Waiting in anticipation was much easier with casual conversation happening.
I was scheduled as the last surgery for the day and figured the doctor and medical staff would be well practised by then, and hopefully not too tired. I opted for a mild medication to relax me but was awake during the operation. They freeze your eye so you don’t feel any discomfort. Although I’ve never taken any hallucinatory drugs, I imagined that what I saw was perhaps similar to a “trip.”
There was a bright spot of light in the upper right of my view, and swirling around and below it were pink, green and yellow pastel circles offset with grey shadows every once in a while. I assume they were likely the surgeon doing his magic tricks! I was mesmerized by the colours and felt no discomfort. After they were done, they covered my eye with a cotton pad and patch. Violà! Done in about 15 minutes! After a couple of hours, I went back to have my eye checked by the surgeon.
I had the second eye done the day after, and that went smoothly as well. After that, I followed another regime of drops, over a period of weeks, and made sure that I wore the eye patch at night, kept my eyes free of water while showering, and avoided bending down or lifting any heavy weights for at least two weeks. It was my excuse to avoid housework. My final checkup is scheduled in early January.
I am thrilled with the results. I can see really well with my right eye, although my left eye is not perfect. The left eye was the weakest one, so any improvement is great. Once my eyes settle, I will opt for some good reading glasses. For now, I’m using whatever reading glasses my husband has left in various “activity” corners like the kitchen, dining-room table, bathroom, his office desk, the back-door entry, etc.
The only problem is that I forget that I have the glasses on and I fail to leave them in the “activity” centre, whereupon my husband goes to use them and they’re not there but on top of my head. Oh well, I shall have to buy one of those chain-like eye-glass holders to wear around my neck. (Somehow they remind me of the old librarian from my high-school days.)All the best in 2026. May we all have new insights and a vision for a world filled with peace, love, joy and hope. Let’s make 2026 a really great year!
