July 12th, 2026

My Vision's Big Comeback

Close-up selfie of a middle-aged man with short gray hair and light skin, wearing rectangular black-framed glasses. The photo is taken from a low angle, capturing the lower half of his face prominently, including his nose, mouth, and chin, with a neutral expression. He is wearing a dark blue shirt. The background shows an indoor setting with a ceiling featuring beige panels and long, bright fluorescent lights arranged in parallel lines. Additional ceiling elements include white square tiles and air vents. The lighting is bright and evenly distributed.

Me with my glasses for the last time full time pre-surgery.

I just shared good news about my heart journey, and now I can finally share another medical milestone for 2026: my cataract surgeries are done and my vision is back.

For the last couple of years, my sight kept slipping, no matter how many times I got new prescriptions from the ophthalmologist or optometrist. A new prescription might clear things up for a few months, then the blurriness would come back. I found myself contorting my face and doing all kinds of facial tricks just to see. It was soul-sapping. Anyone who knows me knows I don't get depressed easily. At 57, I've had low moments before, but nothing like this. The vision loss pushed me into a prolonged low spell. I stopped wanting to read and lost enthusiasm for work, except as a way to pay bills. Even blogging suffered. After my most prolific year in 2025, I barely posted because I literally couldn't see well enough.

My glaucoma doctor mostly saw senile cataracts and told me my eye pressures looked fine. Early this year, he said the cataract in my right eye had progressed from a 1 to a 2, which was probably causing the problems. He offered two options: try another prescription or remove the cataracts. I chose surgery.

On June 22, 2026, I had the right cataract removed. The surgeon did a great job, although the anesthesiologist's nerve block caused bruising and left me with a black eye for almost two weeks. Still, that eye improved noticeably. I had the left eye done on July 9, 2026, and it went much better. A different anesthesiologist gave a smooth block, and the same excellent surgeon operated. The day after the left surgery I was seeing 20/20; after the right surgery I was at 20/40. The team also placed iStents in both eyes for my glaucoma. Those seem to be doing fine so far, though time will tell and my glaucoma specialist, who is different from the surgeon, will follow up.

Close-up image of a middle-aged man’s face, showing his right eye and part of his nose and mouth. He is wearing a blue surgical cap covering his hair and clear protective goggles over his eyes. On his forehead, slightly above the right eyebrow, there is a red circular sticker with the text "R SURGERY" in black capital letters. Next to the sticker, two short purple lines are drawn on the skin, likely surgical markings. The man has light skin with some visible pores and slight stubble on his chin and upper lip. His right eye is open, looking slightly upward and to the left. The background is out of focus, emphasizing the man’s face and surgical preparation. — Surgery day. 1st surgery of the right eye you can see the catarct.

Close-up selfie of a middle-aged man with short, graying hair and light skin. He has a noticeable dark bruise under his left eye. His eyes are partially closed, and his expression is neutral. He is wearing a gray shirt. The background shows an outdoor setting with green trees and bushes, a grassy area, and parts of a beige building with windows and an air conditioning unit. The sky is overcast with light gray clouds. The photo is taken from a low angle, capturing the man's face from below. — Post surgery rigth eye

Close-up image of a middle-aged man with light skin and short, graying hair. The photo is taken from a low angle, showing the upper half of his face and part of his neck and shoulders. His eyes are partially open, and he has a neutral expression. The man is wearing a dark blue shirt. The background shows a ceiling with beige and white panels, fluorescent lights, and part of a wall with a mounted TV screen and wooden paneling. The lighting is bright and evenly distributed. The image captures a candid, casual moment indoors. — Pre-surgery no glasses left eye.

A close-up selfie of a middle-aged man with light skin and short, graying hair. His eyes are partially closed, and he has a neutral expression with a slight smile. On his forehead, there are three small purple marks, possibly made with a pen or marker. He is wearing a dark blue shirt. Behind him, part of a black chair with a blue geometric design is visible. The background shows a white textured ceiling with a ceiling fan that has dark brown blades and brass fixtures, including a light with a frosted glass cover. A framed picture is partially visible on the wall to the right. The lighting is natural and soft. — Post surger left eye and still blocked.

Some expected trade-offs are already showing up. I need readers for near work and some help with intermediate tasks. My distance vision was corrected, and so was my astigmatism. They corrected the right eye's astigmatism with a laser, but the left needed a toric lens upgrade, which I paid for because insurance didn't cover it. My natural, God-given lenses are gone and replaced with implants, basically eyeglasses inside my eyes. It's been life-changing. I didn't realize how dulled colors and whites had become until the right eye was done and whites looked truly white again. Before the left eye was operated on, I could compare the operated and unoperated eyes and everything in the unoperated eye had a yellow tint. Now that both eyes are done, colors are clearer and whites really pop. The left eye is still a bit inflamed since it's only a few days post-op, but distance vision already feels nearly perfect, like the first time I put on glasses at 16.

I didn't expect to need cataract surgery until my 60s or 70s, but I'm relieved it's over and I can see clearly again. Now I have to heal and figure out what kind of readers I'll need and whether I'll need permanent glasses again though for distance at this point and time I don't. I was scared going in. The right-eye surgery felt strange because the nerve block didn't fully take, though I experienced no pain. The left-eye surgery was much calmer and less noticeable.

Being only 57 and needing cataract surgery before my parents, who are in their 70s, felt odd. But I simply could not function properly before the surgeries, and I'm very thankful that God gave me a skilled surgeon and the strength to get it done. I'm glad to be able to see clearly again.

Send a Scribble

💬 Leave a comment