"This was the day for the bandages to be removed and the blue lenses fitted."

From The Blue Lenses by Daphne du Maurier.

As are all her short stories a wonderful, slightly spin-chilling read, especially for me at the moment as I am awaiting cataract surgery and am not allowed to use my contact lenses for TWO WEEKS! I am writing this with my nose pressed against the screen and feel the need for a white cane.

Have any RP'ers had this 'procedure? Please tell me good things about it.

Secrets of the Abbey by Jean Luc Bannalec

”The omens of death, without a doubt. Intersignes de la mort.”

I had both eyes done. There was only a slight problem as the second operation was cancelled at the last minute by a Covid lockdown! It was to be in a Public Hospital and I couldn't get on the list again for a definite date! I immediately booked the same surgeon at the private hospital where I had the first op. and never mind the expense! I could not have two types of vision indefinitely.

The ops went well and my son took me home and back for follow ups. I was made very comfortable with a mild sedative injection during the procedure and good recovery cosseting.

The only drawback is that if I don't wear glasses, I can see the side of my nose! I can see quite well without glasses but better with a prescription lens to enhance the right eye which is weaker.

I never tried contacts so cannot comment about that.

Good Luck and do everything you are told to do. I got a bit slack with eye drops after the second op and had to continue for longer. Stupid me!

Vee.....its been a year since I had both done and it was a breeze !

No problems, no pain, no worry.

As everyone says, the only thing that's bothersome are the eye drops for weeks afterward but using the handy schedule for each it went smoothly.

Nothing to worry about :0)

Thanks Yoyo and Annpan.

My son is driving down today to give me a lift to the first appointment tomorrow where they will give me a date for the first op.

I had hoped that the cost would be covered by the NHS but they only 'do' basic lenses and I need ones for astigmatism. In the UK few people have medical insurance so I think I will be left with a hefty bill (some £6000 . . and counting) so I hope it will be worth it!

Despite 'going private' as we say, I have had to wait several weeks for an appointment. This has been caused by the medical centre having to accommodate many eye patients being sent over to England from Wales. The Welsh branch of the NHS seems to be in severe financial difficulty with years of delays to ops., so they are paying the English NHS to carry out the ops. Rumour has it that as in May the Welsh Assembly (ie Govt) are holding elections and hope that those with restored vision with vote for whichever Party is in power over there!

That is very expensive! Is that for one eye only?

Even though I went private eventually for both eye ops (which was not the way my surgeon planned as she was splitting the ops between a private hospital and one at the public one she attends on some kind of pro bono, to help me with the fees) I still got Australian Govt assistance to reduce the fees. I think it cost me under three thousand pounds in sterling from my UK pension savings in all. There were several bills from the surgeon and hospital charges.

I know how important sight is as my FiL lost his in a work accident and only recovered it temporarily many years later with grafts.

My husband donated corneas when he died in the UK. He was a Lions Club Save sight donor and carried a card in his wallet.

It is worth the effort and cost. I was hesitant when this was first suggested but wish I had done it sooner when I realised that I had lost my sight in the left eye and had to get that fixed quickly. The cataract had grown without me noticing!

Vee......you'll be fine ! Just follow the instructions for your daily drops. I had to use them for 3 weeks after the surgery ( which was a breeze...and actually kind of interesting ) .

The drops schedule was three times a day, three different drops. I used a chart and a timer ( 5 minutes between drops ) and checked off as I did each drop.

For my followup visit I mentioned to the doctor that I was almost finished with the drops ( they taper off by the last week) and he kiddingly said " Oh, you'll miss them when they're done !" Funny.

The Chilbury Women's Choir by Jennifer Ryan

"Notice pinned to the Chilbury Village Hall noticeboard, Sunday, 24th March, 1940 --- As all our male voices have gone to war, the village choir is to close following Cmdr. Edmund Winthrop's funeral next Tuesday."

Yoyobon - Great topic!

Vee - No worries - surgery is easy and quick - results are wonderful.

Yoyobon, I only had one kind of drops which were to flush out debris I believe. I eased up on using them after the second op and the surgeon told me I still had some debris and had to continue after the time allocated. I am very good about seeing my family stick to remedial chores but not so much myself. I get fed up and do not follow through, my bad!

Ann......here we get 3 different ones......antibiotic, steroid and analgesic .They are used for the 3 weeks, weaning off the steroid by week three and stopping the analgesic after week one.

You have a choice of either blade or laser for the procedure. I opted for laser..

I am not sure which procedure I had but I heard the old lenses being sucked out! I was a bit out of it, warmly wrapped and with a soporific drug being injected through a tube in my hand.

After the first op I had to stay at my son's home for monitoring. I was confident to be on my own the second time. I have a Home monitor if I need help and I do like my own bed!

Hello -

First Sentences:

Why Orwell Matters by Christopher Hichens: " It was once written of George Orwell that by consorting with the unemployed and destitute of England he 'went native in his own country'".

But MY favorite sentence thus far is: "Orwell was a tremendous admirer of George Gissing and made frequent references to his novels." I had no idea...

VEE: I've worn glasses since fourth grade. I had cataract surgery at a young-ish age - 51. I was so extremely nearsighted that my contacts were -11.25 and holding a book up to my nose was the only way I could see the print without my glasses. I had both eyes done - two weeks apart. You are given enough sedative not to be aware, but your eyes are open. You will be throughly numbed and have a drop that will keep y our eyes comfortable and moist. SX takes about 20-30 minutes... and then you will be in recovery. It is outpatient, or at least, mine were outpatient. From the moment I opened my eye after each surgery, I was 20/20. My surgeon was even able to "fix" my astigmatism. And while most cataract surgeries will require you to wear readers for closer work, (pretty universal at 2.50 for reading close, 2.0 for computers and if you want to clearly see your food), I drive, garden, and live the majority of my life without glasses or contacts. One tip - I have blue eyes, which were light senstive to begin with, and at my surgeon's recommendation, I only wear polarized sunglasses now. Good luck! I hope you have the same success that I have had - it is wonderful to be able to wake up and see the clock without reaching for glasses first! And equally as wonderful is seeing colors bright and vibrant again - the blue sky, the flowers. But I admit, that after both of my SX, I realized what I put my poor family through as I had changed every light bulb in the house to a 100-watt daylight... It was like Broadway in here.

PAM

Full Of Grace by Dorothea Benton Frank

" Until I met Grace Russo I did not know that my Lacoste shirts did not have to be dry cleaned."

The Astral Library by Kate Quinn

"Have you ever wanted to live inside a book?"

PAM I have a date set for the op in early June, then a three week wait for the check-up then will be given another date for second eye. I don't think they sedate you but might be offered an aspirin or similar. It is a very busy medical 'facility' (only does eyes) I was told they perform at least 20 cataract ops a day 6 days a week and sometimes on a Sunday.

Annpan, I have just received the 'cost' per eye. It will be just over £3000 with no 'hidden extras'! I might have to try and sell my body at our local docks to pay for it; it could take a very long time.

Vee....the only "sedation' given here is a low dose valium to calm your nerves.

You are fully awake and aware. There are numbing drops put in your eye throughout the procedure.