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Slide 1: ==== ==== For more information on Cataract Lens please check this out; http://www.ecataracts.com/ar/cataract-lens.php ==== ==== Cataracts in both eyes had affected my quality of life. Certainly, cataracts were not a good match for a professional writer. Reading incoming email was difficult and proofreading was a real challenge. I did not drive at night because I saw halos around car head lights and street lights. "Are you ready for cataract surgery and a lens implant?" asked the eye doctor. My answer was an instant yes. Using a plastic model of the eye, the eye doctor explains the surgical procedure. Though his explanation was low-key it made me nervous, for I did not want anyone, even a skilled surgeon, messing around with my eye. "Cataract Surgery," an article on the Mayo Clinic website, describes the procedure. The article says surgery is needed if "a cataract is making it difficult for you to carry out normal activities." My eye doctor gave me a list of steps to follow before surgery. To prevent infection, I was to put antibiotic drops in my eyes for several days and the morning of surgery. I was to stop eating at 7 p.m. the evening before surgery and could not eat breakfast. I was not wear a turtleneck sweater or any makeup. Of course I followed these rules to the letter. According to an article on the All About Vision website, "Guide to Eye Cataracts," cataract surgery is usually successful and restores vision. "Nine out of 10 people who have cataract surgery regain good vision, somewhere between 20/20 and 20/40," notes the article. Hopefully, my surgery would have this result. I was the first patient on the surgical schedule. My doctor gave me a step-by-step summary of what would happen. A nurse would review my medial history. Drops would be put in my eye to dilate the pupil. An anesthesiologist would give me medicine that made me sleepy. In the operating room I would be asleep for a few minutes. During this time I would receive local anesthesia to numb the eye. The chair I had been sitting in was set back to become a rolling surgical table and I was wheeled into the operating room. It was so cold I asked for a blanket and, in seconds, was wrapped in a warm cocoon. As the surgeon worked I could shadows in my eye. Though I felt him insert the new lens, I felt no pain. The surgery lasted about 25 minutes, a metal shield was placed over my eye, and I was sent home. "New Lenses Offer Cataract Patients Clearer Future," a 2007 article on the Medical News Today website, describes the lenses that are available. According to the article, these lenses "can respond to the six muscles in the eye that control movement." And a December 2009 article about lenses on the Medicine Net website, says three types of lenses are available: monofocal (highquality distance vision), toric (corrects astigmatism) and multifocal.
Slide 2: Some eye doctors ask their patients to choose the lens they want. My eye doctor chose the lens for me, based on ultrasound measurements taken prior to surgery. Several days later the surgeon checked his work. "Your eye looks good and your vision in that eye is 20/20," he said. "Are you ready to have the other eye done?" Again, my answer was yes. Cataract removal and the insertion of a new lens changed my life. I could read small print, read emails easily, proofread quickly, see television images, and most surprising of all, realized I was living in a bright, colorful world. I think this surgery is a medical miracle. Copyright 2009 by Harriet Hodgson Harriet Hodgson has been an Independent Journalist for 30 years. She is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, the Association of Health Care Journalists, and the Association for Death Education and Counseling. Centering Corporation in Omaha, Nebraska has published her 26th book, "Writing to Recover: The Journey from Loss and Grief to a New Life." The company has also published the "Writing to Recover Journal," which contains 100 writing affirmations, and the "Writing to Recover Affirmations Calendar," a stunning collection of nature photos and life affirmations. Please visit Harriet's website http://www.ecataracts.com/ar/cataract-lens.php for more information. ==== ==== For more information on Cataract Lens please check this out; http://www.ecataracts.com/ar/cataract-lens.php ==== ====