I had my annual eye checkup today. It was mostly the routine “Which is better – 1 or – 2?” At the end of the exam, the optometrist showed me some information about cataract surgery which, she says, ‘could’ be required at some point.
In the meantime, I still can enjoy corrected vision in the 20-20 or 20-25 range with eyeglasses, of course. I have a set of sunglasses from last year, that work just fine. I ordered a new set of single-vision clear glasses, mostly for watching TV and after dark junkets out with the dogs. I stopped driving at night after I retired.
The interesting thing about cataract surgery is that they can, with minimal invasive surgery, replace the natural crystalline lens affected by cloudiness with a new artificial lens that compensates for both nearsightedness and presbyopia. Of course, there are caveats like astigmatism and muscle range, but it sounds like someday we can get rid of contacts or corrective glasses altogether.
I’ve been wearing glasses since the 4th grade, and I’ve grown quite fond of them. I’ve lost track of the number of times they’ve saved me from “stuff” getting in my eyes, whether it when I was soldering something, or working under my car.
I’ve always paid extra for the photochromatic lenses, and the extra-strength, shatter-resistant, “safety” lenses.
My vision isn’t terribly bad without them, but the thought of going through life without glasses is alien to me.
I can appreciate that. I got my first pair at about age 32 when I noticed that when flying at night the approach lights looked a little fuzzy. What a difference having 20-20 vision, especially at night, makes.