Sharon’s journey with cataract surgery – Post #1

Sharon Groves
American Retirement Advisors,
Practicing Healthcare Professional

I have been very fortunate all my life to have had 20/20 vision, and to never have needed to wear glasses.  My mom always told me, “Wait ‘til you’re 45 or 50, everything changes.” “Ok mom, if you say so,” was my standard answer.

About five years ago, I noticed that I now seemed to need “over-the-counter” readers for small print and to do close-up tasks, like threading a needle.  Still, I felt this was “par” for my age.  No need to worry.  Each year I had to increase the strength of my “cheaters” from 1.00 to 2.25.  It wasn’t until early this year that I began to get concerned.  First, I had difficulty in reading the street signs at night, and then people’s faces were not as clear as they once had been.  Again, I just upped my readers to 2.50.  “Not bad!” I said… “It’s okay.”

My rude awakening came when my husband and I attended an outdoor activity on a sunny Saturday afternoon.  I left him there to hold our table while I procured our sodas.  When I returned, unbeknownst to me, he had moved two tables over for a shadier spot. “This is not like him,” I thought, as my eyes searched the crowd to find him. Everyone was just a blur. I couldn’t make out anyone’s faces, and even when he stood up and waved his arms, I still couldn’t pick him out.  I panicked.  He immediately sensed my dilemma and came to my rescue.  I was so shaken, I started crying.  That’s when I thought, “What if something like this happens in the future when I’m alone?” I realized this was more than just my eyes aging. In addition to my increasingly blurred vision, I also noticed that my left eye was not focusing properly. So I immediately made an appointment with an ophthalmologist.

Before making the requested appointment, the receptionist’s first question to me was, “What insurance do you have?”  I explained to her that I have a Medicare Supplement plan “F.” Which means that Medicare is my insurance company and my Medicare Supplement “F” plan was my secondary.  She then told me I had to be referred by my Primary Care Physician because they don’t take every Advantage or HMO plan. As a practicing Medicare specialist, I exclaimed, “Not so.” I went through a lengthy explanation of what a Medicare Supplement was and the differences of a Medicare Advantage HMO. Unfortunately, she wasn’t getting it. I then asked to speak to her supervisor.  Finally, they gave me my appointment without needing a referral!!!! (Too bad our health care industry is so uninformed of the way we actually experience health care.)

At my first meeting with the doctor, he put my mind at ease by explaining what he would be doing.  After he dilated my eyes, I had to wait about 10 minutes for it to take effect.  I felt a little “out of control” but he said that was normal and there was no need to worry.  Please note: you will need to have someone drive you to and from the appointment, because your eyes remain dilated for some time afterwards.

The doctor told me that I have cataracts in both eyes. As suspected, my left eye was pretty bad.  Hence, my right eye was working extremely hard to compensate, and that, in itself, put more stress on my right eye.  He would start with my left eye.  This would require two initial meetings; one to assess my physical health, and the second, to “map” the eye before actual surgery.  After the surgery, a follow-up the next morning to monitor the surgery from the day before is required. After the left eye heals in about 2-3 weeks, he would proceed with surgery on my right eye.

Major advice from the doctor:  It is so very important to wear sunglasses that provide 100% RV & UV protection when outdoors. This is especially true here in Arizona. It doesn’t matter how old you are, either.

Everyone is different, but just in case you’re a scaredy-cat like I am, I will be reporting each phase of my surgery in hopes you won’t neglect or delay seeing your ophthalmologist like I initially did.