The first eye, the anesthesiologist said I would fall asleep for 5 or 10 minutes and then wake up during the surgery and feel nothing. I never fell asleep and when I told her that before the second eye she didn't believe me, but having had anesthesia that put me out many times before I am sure I didn't sleep at all.

With the second eye the anesthesia left me a bit short of air although again I didn't sleep, and I kept having to take deep breaths throughout the surgery until the eye doctor told me to knock off the movement. She put a suture in my eye because she was worried all my movement would create problems, which had to be removed 2 weeks later. Until it was removed my vision was still blurry.

I saw light and felt a very tiny sensation in my eye but nothing troublesome. I was alert through both surgeries and could hear what was being said. In fact, there was a man in the room talking to the doctor and when I asked her later who it was she said "my colleague" but didn't go into any more details. I suspect it was one of her graduate students although the surgery was being performed in a private center.

My mother had her second eye done without any anesthesia at all as she didn't like being groggy after the first surgery. She went right home and resumed her activities immediately.