by Mushroom

Created on: March 18, 2009   Last Updated: March 23, 2009

Having been diagnosed with cataracts in both my eyes I was told by my optician that because of my relatively young age the condition of my eyes would deteriorate quite quickly. In fact from being diagnosed with cataracts to having them surgically removed took approximately three years.

I was told by a doctor that a cataract removal operation was little more than going to the local dental surgery to have a filling. In retrospect given the choice between having a filling or a cataract operation I would choose the latter. Consequently there can be little doubt as to why most people choose a local anaesthetic for the operation.

Having arrived that morning at the hospital's clinic I was looking forward to my cataract operation, because my mind was focused on being able to see with the quality of light that I had been missing for so long. As I lay on the operating table knowing that the operation was about to commence I felt slightly nervous and apprehensive.

The surgeon sensing my unease he then made a rather brash remark to some how allay my fears, "Listen to me I'm going to cut your eye open." I thought to myself why thank you very much Mr. surgeon for your bloody minded frankness. A ready made cloth with a central aperture was taken out of its serialised paper bag and placed over my face. A powerful beam of light was then directed onto my eye hence I could see nothing at all, but then a few moments later I felt the surgeon's scalpel sliding back and forth over my eye.

A suction tube was then placed inside my eye and its content was removed. Until you have received your plastic lens implant you will not know the true meaning of the expression living in the dark, hence the transformation can only be described as magical.

Shortly after my operation as I stood outside the door of the clinic I experienced the sensitivity of the lens and the volume of sunlight to which it had been exposed. At first the brightness of the sunlight was so overpowering that I had to seek shelter to allow my eye to adjust to its newly required enlightenment. A weird observation regarding clarity of vision were peoples facial details such as lines and creases that were not visible before my eye operation. Wireder still was an experience after my second eye operation when my eye was still slightly blurred from the anaesthetic, but I was unaware of any real visual distortion.

That was until night time when I walked out in to Westcliff's main street, the intensity of the light from the street lamps was dazzling. I was experiencing the wow factor of new Bond Street, and with the distortion from my eye each lamp was crowned with its own radiant halo. I couldn't help thinking to myself at that time that if this had been the effect of L.S.D it would have been paradise.

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