Cataracts disappointment

EEJit It’s only my eyes I feel this about.
As I’ve already said, I attend all medical related appointments, e.g. mammograms, smears, vaccinations, annual blood tests to check meds levels, etc. without a second thought. Actually, that’s not quite true, I’m always a wee bit apprehensive before any dental treatments, but once I’m on the chair, I’m fine. Had two babies using only Entonox.
I was a blood donor for many years but had to unfortunately stop because of one of my daily meds. I’ve also carried a donor card for nearly 50 years, I consider it as part of my social duty. I haven’t excluded my eyes from donation, I’ll be dead so won’t care any more 😁
I think I liken how I feel about my eyes as almost a phobia but one that affects my daily life so little that I’ve never considered trying to “fix” it. I’ve actually worn specs since I was 11, also wore contacts for many years.
I appreciate that my medical ailments compared to many other people are fairly mundane and are (normally) well controlled by both meds and/or diet.
I still hope that my cataracts never have to be treated, but if they do, I’ll opt for whatever sedation, etc. the docs suggest.
The good news about my recent eye test was that other than the start of cataracts, my eyes are healthy. My distance vision hasn’t changed at all since my last test, my close vision has deteriorated only slightly. I don’t drive, haven’t for many a year.

Thanks Gundy. My DH is obsessive about his eyes and goes for a thorough eye test every year. But I will make sure that he is thoroughly tested for glaucoma

Granny dark hair. I think phobias are often misunderstood by people who don't have them. I volunteered at a vaccine centre for Covid and we had plenty of needle phobics in. One big , strong man keeled over before he even had the vaccine. So many people said we were heroes, but I always stressed to the needle phobics that they were the heroes, not us.
If you do need your eyes doing make sure the staff know exactly how you feel. You won't be the first or the last and they will make it as easy for you as humanly possible

Everyone, if they live long enough, as I understand it, will eventually develop cataracts - healthy lifestyle or not. Its mainly an age thing - although the age at which they first appear varies a lot. My late husband had his first spotted by the optician in his very early 50s. Apparently the surgery is great - some will no longer need glasses and most of the rest will only need mild strength reading glasses.

Rumbabba - did you have a choice about what lenses were put in? I know some people choose to have distance on one and reading in the other - I thought I might go cross-eyed if I did that! - so I opted for distance vision in both eyes which means I could drive without glasses if I wanted to, and I can find the soap in the shower when I drop it!

But the new lenses cannot correct my astigmatism and other problems, so I still wear glasses - but I have since I was very small and this is not of concern to me.

Don’t worry. I’m older than you and have had to receive an injection into an eye plus one a month from now on. Grief wasn’t I flinching!
Others told me it didn’t hurt and it didn’t. But I squashed the hand of the young man who offered to hold it!!
Stop thinking about it and chat to someone who’s had the operation. It should help. Then forget about it.

I only have one usable eye so was anxious about having cataract surgery. I had a general anaesthetic because I was so afraid of anything going wrong and indeed it did. I had to have a further operation and still have to use two pairs of glasses all the time.
Fortunately complications are very uncommon.

Virtually everyone who is fortunate enough to live long enough gets cataracts.If you don’t want them replaced you can put up with poor eyesight.It’s your choice but a very simple (though not especially pleasant) 15 min procedure

I was very short sighted, but unevenly, one eye was twice as weak as the other.

As my eyes were too weak for the replacement lens to completely remedy my defective eyesight, the surgeon iscussed with me whether I wanted to be left needing glasses for distance or glasses for reading. I opted for needing driving for distance.

So now for all ordinary purposes i do not wear glasses anymore but do need them for driving, tv, weekly shopping or going round museums or art galleries, but most of the time I am blissfully specs-free.

After nearly 60 years of spec wearing, it took me quite a while to break the habit of waking up in the morning and my hand reaching out to the bedside table for my glasses almost before I was awake.

The worst possible thing you can do is put it off. The cataract will continue to develop and thicken increasing the risk of a poor outcome when you finally have it done. Honestly - the anticipation is far worse than the event.

I understand that this came as a big shock to you and that you don't like the idea of anyone rooting around in your eyes. I also felt very squeamish about the idea of anyone touching my eyes as well and the idea of any eye surgery or procedure really freaked me out.

So when I got fast developing cataracts whereby my clarity of sight declined 90% (right eye) and 60% (left eye) in a 9 month period I felt very anxious about the prospect of surgery. But sometimes they can develop very quickly and by the end it was like being in thick fog all the time and I was no longer able to see people's faces unless they were within 2-3 feet of me.

However, the cataract surgery was one of the easiest procedures. I had mine operated 10 weeks apart and one operation took 10 minutes and the other took 9 minutes. The absolute worst bit was the uncomfortable waiting room chairs. The operation was easier and quicker than going to the dentist or having a smear test.

The important thing is not to see this in terms of a moral failure. Lifestyle factors may influence to a certain extent but genetics also plays a part and the fact your siblings needed to be operated in their early 60s may mean that your family has a genetic predisposition to them. I have never smoked, never needed any type of glasses until I was 29, but became rapidly short sighted in my 40s- At 61 I was the youngest in the pre-surgical waiting area by over 20 years - but I don't care because I can see again.