Cataract surgery

My OH had his cataract surgery about 7 years ago, on both eyes. All has been well until 2 weeks ago when he went for an eye test and was told that a film was starting to cover both eyes. He is having laser treatment tomorrow to remove the film.

My optician echoes the experience of a friend who has had cataract surgery on both eyes. She was told, as was I, that referral usually happens when the patient’s sight is such that delay would interfere with the ability to drive. It seems it matters not if the patient actually drives. My friend was worried because she lives alone, she expressed her considerable anxiety to her optician who referred her earlier than usual, no objections from the hospital, the operations went ahead. She also said the actual operations were only mildly unpleasant, she was out and about the day after.

I’ve tried to describe how mine are interfering with my life, and the optician thinks I need surgery. I’m the one who has delayed it a bit.

Googling the subject it seems that the concept of a cataract being "ripe" is old hat now, and that they should be dealt with when they start to interfere with daily life. I was wondering about how much interference with daily life constituted a reason for surgery for others who have had the surgery.

I’ve been told I need the surgery. I was told in September, but I have put it off because I could manage, and I had other health problems so it all seemed too much. The optician called them ‘significant cataracts’, and said they made it difficult for him to examine my eyes properly.

I can’t read small print or small titles on TV, and I have great difficulty reading the temperature on my oven dial. I rarely read books or newspapers now except online/on Kindle where I can enlarge the texts. I can’t read notices everybody else can read. I’m a lot better in daylight than artificial light, though. I don’t drive, so I don’t think I’m a danger to anyone.

I shall go back to the optician soon, probably in the next few weeks. I am pretty scared at the thought of an operation on my eyes, but it would be nice to see a bit better.

I have a cataract growing, apparently you have to wait until they are ripe!