Operation cataract

Here I am safely home after my double cataract operation this evening. In my blip you can see that the surgeon numbered each of my eyes with felt tip pen, and that my pupils are still very large. I have to wear these eye protectors in bed for a week. 

I felt very well cared-for at the hospital. I was seen quickly, had fun speaking to one of the nurses in French (we gave up when we realised that neither of us knew the vocabulary for 'blood pressure'), talked to the surgeon about his father who is an academic in area area allied to my own, and chose Bach as the background music for the operation. There was some pain - from the stinging eye drops administered before I went into surgery, and the injection in my left hand to sedate me (because I suffer from claustrophobia). I 'saw' lots of amazing colours during the procedure and a bean shape in each eye, which I guess are my new lenses. I came home with a goody bag of equipment to aid my recovery over the next four weeks.

I can tell already that my long distance vision has improved vastly. The only problem at the moment is that every light source that I see is garlanded by two halos. On the car journey home from the hospital with Mr hazelh, this made it look like cyclists were travelling inside enormous light bubbles. 

My operation wasn't scheduled until 17:45, so the rest of the day felt like a pretty average Monday. I put on a load of washing, rode my exercise bike, then walked to the gym and back with Karen. While Karen was in her yoga class, I swam 60 lengths. In the time between lunch and catching the bus to the hospital, I dealt with the usual administrivia of everyday life.

From tomorrow, no exercise for a month!

Exercise today: 1 hour on the exercise bike; swim (60 lengths); walking (16,228 steps).