Cataracts disappointment

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

Granny dark hair I have had both mine done when I was 68 due to excessive computer use ( work during Covid🤬)
I had both done within 4 weeks of each other , honestly it was amazing and have never regretted it

Lizbethann55 - the glare your husband experiences at night from oncoming headlights is caused by the foggy diffusionary film of glaucoma - yes. It’s that halo effect around the headlights that is so disarming.

But it could also be an indicator of another eye problem - glaucoma. My ophthalmic surgeon discovered my glaucoma during my pre-op checkup for cataract surgery! She was a lifesaver, for as you know undetected and untreated glaucoma means you WILL go blind - and that lost eyesight can NEVER be recovered.

I’m grateful for the early detection and I’ve preserved and am maintaining my cataract free 20/20 eyesight and normal pressures status-quo. I live a normal life because of it, although sun glare, headlights will always be a pesky side effect of the big G.

Have regular ophthalmic appointments to monitor your sight - especially as you get older.

The operation itself is 100% pain free and nothing at all to be worried about, 10/15 minutes its all over and done with. I recently had both of my eyes done, but there has been a downside to my op. as now my eyes aren't coordinating with one another! I have been prescribed prism lenses for both reading and distance to rectify the problem, which is something I certainly didn't expect, especially for distance!🧐

I am puzzled as to why people are "bereft", "disappointed" etc. I can honestly say that I did not bat an eyelid (!) when I knew I had cataracts. I knew so many people who had had them operated on simply, painlessly and successfully, as I now have.

It is honestly not in the least traumatic. Sit in chair, have some drops and a little "bead" of local anaesthetic plopped under your eyelid, sit a bit longer and it is done!

It is a modern miracle.

I have a number of other eye problems too, which in time will not be so easily solved - I am just so thankful that this was. We are so lucky that the beginning of cataracts does not spell deterioration into blindness as it once did.

The first I knew was when my new optician ( his partner having retired) said to me "well your cataracts aren't any worse"!!! My DH is starting with them too. He finds driving at night difficult because of on coming headlights.
TBH I have a friend who recently had hers removed. She has become so evangelical about how wonderful the process is that I find myself almost looking forward to them being bad enough to be removed.

If you feel that bad at the thought of a cataract operation, how would you feel over something serious such as kidney, liver, or heart transplant

I was the same as you when i was told about 4 years ago that i had cataracts developing. I was utterly bereft!! I had to take my mother when she was in her 80’s to have hers done and can remember thinking ‘ i REALLY DONT WANT TO HAVE THIS DONE!!! Ugh!
But this year at the age of 66 I had both done at the same time under general anaesthetic ( i have a neck tremor apparently)and am so glad it was done!! I can see!! Its made such a difference. You don’t realise how bad your sight is when it is very very slowly being eroded.
Mine were so bad that it was affecting my balance and i also couldn’t drive anymore,
So please don’t be scared just go for it, get it done as soon as you can!!

I was told in my late 50’s that I had the start of cataracts ….I’m just 63 and last year my eyes deteriorated so badly it affected my life …I couldn’t see the tv and my driving was starting to be affected. I had the first one done about 3 months ago….it was absolutely amazing …nothing to be worried about and the result is fantastic. I’m due to have my other one done next week….it’ll be great to be able to see properly again. I will just need glasses for reading now…don’t worry x

No one can ever stave off the natural progression of cataracts. Sometimes it takes years for them to “ripen” - a stage where you can no longer see clearly. Cataracts do not change your actual 20/20 vision, instead causes a film and fog to obscure your vision.

Do not fear the removal procedure. You won’t feel anything as you are under anesthesia. You will awaken to bright clear vision. Only one eye is done at a time, so you will return if/when the second is ready.

I was SO GRATEFUL to have my vision restored! It’s a life changer, that is for sure. If you are that anxious about it, you need to talk to people who’ve undergone the procedure. Why limit yourself when you could have quality of life.
USA Gundy

Please oh please, Have any of you grans who have had cataracts removed also showed signs of Macular degeneration?
About 15 years ago I developed a macular hole which was 'repaired' and the incipient cataract treated at the same time
Vision was much improved ( could read small newsprint) until some 7 years later I was forced to walk through some extensive roadworks with clouds of dust and tarmac being laid. The same eye became very red and sore within a few minutes only of passing through the roadworks.
The GP could not help and I was referred to a hospital where I saw a series of ophthalmic consultants. The conclusion was that they could do nothing much apart from keeping me 'comfortable'.
I can now do very little more than differentiate between light and dark with this damaged Left eye. and use analgesics for the comfortable aim ( I suggested these as the main consultant said my condition could NOT cause pain..... American websites appear to differ from this
My Right eye has been monitored and I have been told I have both AMD and a cataract in this lens

I am scared. My vision is still 20/20 ( R eye) although I now need to concentrate harder to see
Does a cataract operation cause speedier development of the AMD? The doctors think it will be very unlikely that I lose the vision in my R eye BUT how do I prepare for that possibility and also that of becoming blind

Is there anyone there, who, having lost their vision in one eye,,,.... being afflicted with macular degeneration in the other and then went ahead with a cataract operation without further deterioration. I must make a decision very soon and do not know whether to hang on until things become even dimmer

any advice please? But as I have not yet managed to follow any thread on here beyond the original page, I am also keeping my fingers crossed that any responses will be found and someone can give me hope

I am 83 and carer for my 91 yo husband Technically the hospital staff are probably very competent but psychologically i am not sure where I am going

The waiting for them to ripen is to help with waiting list stats. If they don't put you on the list they can claim the list is shorter than it should be. Medically it has no meaning at all. In general it makes sense to have the surgery as soon as they start to give you problems (e.g. night driving) but there is absolutely no reason why they should not be sorted earlier if you wish - but you will finish up going private.

Also there is a move now to get them both done at the same sitting. I had this and it was fine. It saved going around for weeks with cock-eyed sight.

I was terrified to have mine done and found it was not as bad as going to the Dentist

Please don’t worry. I’ve had cataracts removed from both eyes I was sedated a bit. No pain at all
I have perfect 20/20 vision in my left eye and can read with my right eye. Best of both worlds. No more glasses which I’ve worn since I was 7

I had cataracts removed from both eyes during lockdown and so glad I had it done. It was a bit uncomfortable but the result is amazing... my vision is so much better, like someone has turned the lights on. I was only 62!