Looking forward to better Vision - Cataract Surgery and the Light-Adjustable Lens

"Don't worry," said my optometrist when he diagnosed me with cataracts a few years ago. "It's a normal part of aging."

Now, a few years later, those cataracts have progressed much quicker than expected, and I can barely see through my right eye,  even when wearing prescription glasses.  

My visibility has gotten so bad that I'm a nervous wreck when driving, especially at night.  When I found out that cataract surgery could correct this, I went from being depressed to overjoyed! Not only is the surgery very low-risk and painless, they can even implant special lenses that will correct my vision to near perfect! My eyes will be restored to being able to see as well as when I was in my 20's without glasses! It's miraculous!

I think back about the doctor telling me not to "worry"...  I think instead he could have said, "Lucky you!"

There are a variety of lenses that ophthalmologists use these days that are "upgrades" to standard cataract surgery.  The type of lens that I'm interested in is called  a "Light-Adjustable Lens. (LAL)"  In Colorado, this type of lens is only available through Boulder Eye Surgeons and Dr. Brian Nichols, who just happens to be my doctor!

The week after I'd gotten an appointment with Dr. Nichols, my friend sent me an email letting me know about a cataract lecture that was going to be available to talk about the LAL. The lecture was being given by Dr. Nichols!  

I'd started reading up about the LAL and thought it sounded like exactly what I wanted without even realizing that the only doctor that offered this option was the very one that I'd already gotten an appointment with! 

The fact that this is relatively new technology, is expensive, and isn't offered by many ophthalmologists makes me a little nervous. But I've been doing my homework and I'm feeling confident that this will be the option I go with.  I really like that they can continue to adjust the prescription post-surgery.

There are so many fears and negative stereotypes about aging.  I even remember feeling embarrassed to say I had cataracts because it sounded like such an "old person problem." But now I feel lucky to be alive during a time when there have been so many advances in medicine and surgical procedures!  

Soon, I can imagine using an app to adjust our eyesight! Someone told me the other day that now there are apps that work with hearing aids that help adjust depending on your ambient noise or situation. People who have had hip replacements, knee replacements, and shoulder replacements are stronger than ever!

And medical advancements will keep getting better and better! 

I've been trying to relate my daily blog posts to Agile, so I'll use "Vision" as a prompt today and say that in business we talking about being "visionary" - imagining a future that's better than what we currently have.

I'm grateful that visionary thinking allows the continued growth in technology, in medicine, and even in our own minds!

Though we can't see into the future, this experience has given me a much greater appreciation for medical science and a trust that whatever challenges I face as I age, I'll get through them... maybe even better than ever!