It was June 1997 when my eyes first started to deteriorate. This precision in my recall of events is unusual but I will explain. Around this time my ability to read financial reports had become something of a trial leading me to complaning to the individual who produced my ‘weekly figures’ that he might like to consider a larger font. The polite response was along the lines that ‘others had no such issues”!
And so it was I booked an appontment at a local optician in Harpenden where I lived. It was a Wednesday at around 12 noon. I remember this specific fact because I had taken a day off to play cricket for The ‘Harpenden Wednesdays’ on the delightful ground that decorates the centre of the town. The optician informed me that 47 is the age that a large number of people earmark as the time their eyesight deteriorates and yes I had joined the club. He was a kindly man of Asian origin and hearing I was a ‘cricketer’ he suggested contact lenses as a way forward. Better yet he inserted some trial ones for me to experience. ‘See how you get on’ he said.
I was in fact a bowler more than a batsman but on that day a legend of a man called Tony Evans was Captain and he invited me to bat at number 4. I was soon walking to the crease, butterflies in my tummy. The first ball came down and courtesy of my new contact lenses the ball was like a football, the stitching clear as a bell. This new vision gave me so much more time and soon I was accumulating runs. My fifty came up, an unusual feat, and soon I was in the nineties. I would love to relate a happy ending here but alas my brain became scrambled and for some reason I became concerned I was hogging the action. I lobbed a soft shot to a surprised man in the covers who very nearly dropped it and I was out for 93. My best ever score as it happened. Polite applause from my team mates and a fearful bollocking from my Captain who was also my son’s cricket coach. I was a whir of mixed emotion.
A couple of hours late I was fielding in the deep when, looking up, I saw my optician walking along the road at the end of his working day. I gave chase yelling at him. He looked startled and broke into a trot, who was this mad man accosting him -on Harpenden Common no less. Thankfully I saw fit to take my cap off, he instantly recognised me and soon we were engaged in a vigouous hug. In truth I think most of the action came from my behalf but it was a joyous moment.
Wind the clock froward 30 years or so and my eyesight took a real tun for the worse. Car headlights became dazzling, faces blurred and bright open spaces confusing. I had around 10 pairs of glasses at the time. Seeing,reading,driving,computer,close up work and maybe more. Most of the perscriptions I also had in sunglasses form so that I could see in all conditions. It was a nightmare that many will sypathise with. Bulky pockets, lost favourites and worst of scratched lenses.
I took myself off to the local private eye hospital in order to establish what was what. Cataracts! Lots of us get them. Again I was about the ideal age. Some extra good news was the specialist sypathised with the fact that cycling was import to me and he sketched a plan where by reading bike commuter unaided might be possible. Normally cataratcs are simply removed,by laser, and clear new lenses are inserted in their place. However if you are free of complications it is possible to insert new lenses that offer a return to unaided vision. Or in many case close to it anyway.
I quickly signed the form and a few weeks later I found myself sitting in a chair out side the operating theatre. I would describe the experience of having a pain killing injection in your eyeball as ‘interesting’ but drops before had make it painless. Most people take a ‘happy pill’ apparently which is why after the event a load of people of my age were wandering around saying silly things. The good news was the anaesthetist was interested in improving his swimming so we had a chat whereby I offered some tips he seemed to appreciate. The operation itself,one eye at a time with a few weeks in between, was uneventful. You are sort of aware of light and the laser that is doing its work but soon the surgeon announced a good result and I was on my way. I was aloud to go home immediately, unlike the ‘happies’ who had to come down first. I had a patch over my eye with instruction to remove it in 3 hours time. Around 7 30 in the evening the patch came of and wow.!! Light was bright but also I had a whole different visual experience. By the morning I was truly amazed just how well I could see. Interestingly iIhad the contrast of my ‘other eye’ which was blurred a sort of light brown coloured influence too as a comparison. Over the days my vision got better and better such that I was oon reading the small print on spice jars easily and everything else too,albeit one eyed. Several weeks later the second one was done, another week and the surgeon pronounced my experience a success. Indee all my tests suggested the outcome was as good as it could possibly be.
The overall experience is mindblowing as I have a whole new perception of the world and not only can I read my bike computer I now realise their are features on it I did not know existed due to the size of the font. My car too has controls and indications that were blurred lights but a few months ago it is amazing. Are there any draw backs. Well yes a few. Firstly I have become a dust spotter. Where ever I go I almost celebrate my ability to spot dust. Of course there is one other, the mirror. The old boy looking back at me has way more inperfections than I had realised and there are hairs growing out of places I had ‘overlooked’.
Would I recommend it. Absolutely. If you are able to have the ‘corrective lenses’ do and set off the cost against optician bill, contact lenses, and all the rest. If you want more detail let me know.
Tales of a Life Well Lived 