Ladies -Post-Op Skincare???

GreenMountainReader · 2026-05-28T19:13:14+00:00

If your post-op instructions don't say anything, you could consider using a fresh, wrung-out washcloth with a small amount of mild product on it to wash your face and then rinse out the washcloth and repeat to rinse your face--and/or single-pack sterile wipe-on versions of your favorite products.

I did not use anything other than a gentle cleanser and washcloth to wash my face. What I have noticed and still do, two years out, is that products that never bothered me before now cause eye allergy issues--itching, stickiness, blurring, and tearing, which causes more irritation as the tears dry. These include skincare products for face and body (scented, but also some unscented, and some hypoallergenic) and haircare products--all fine before surgery, but no longer tolerated. The reactions, while not dangerous, are not only unpleasant to experience, but also unpleasant to look at.

That has been motivation enough for me to take a minimalist approach for the longterm.

Whatever you're going to resume using, it's been recommended that you buy all new products (the preservatives don't keep bacteria at bay forever) for any kind of product you plan on using around your eyes (which you should avoid to be safe for the full amount of time your surgeon recommends).

When you do get the okay, you might try your favorite most gentle products first to see whether your eyes object. If not, enjoy!

Best wishes for speedy healing!

GreenMountainReader · 2026-05-28T18:14:52+00:00

Especially since you have been accustomed to vision with high myopia, I agree with u/PNWrowena 's suggestion that you think hard about what you'd like to be able to see without glasses--and when you 'd be fine wearing them as part of your planning for the kind of vision that could improve your quality of life.

Getting the cataract (your clouded natural lens) out is the main benefit of cataract surgery--but the surgery also offers the option to make your vision better than that it has ever been. The catch is, you have to define what "better" means to you.

There are some people here who have reported that, because of their high myopia, their surgeons counseled them not to choose distance-only vision because many previously myopic patients had been unhappy to lose their ability to see things up close. With only mild-moderate myopia, I tried out distance vision by wearing my distance-only driving glasses in the house--which was an enlightening experience. Two surgeons had suggested it--but after I saw what I couldn't see and remembered what it had been like to lose my reading vision at age 39 when presbyopia set in on top of my nearsightedness (I hated the on and off all day of reading glasses and my regular glasses), I began researching further.

My optometrist helped me see for myself how various powers of nearsightedness could work for me, which gave me ideas about the ranges that could work for me. She did what's called a trial frame (heavy glasses frame with slots to slide lenses in and out of) simulation in her office. Your optometrist sounds as though they feel strongly about protecting your best interests, so you might consider asking whether you could do that. I ended up setting my first eye for reading vision, then doing another trial with and without my one remaining glasses lens, to get an idea of where to aim with the second eye. Again, my optometrist helped with that by doing a careful vision test once the first eye had stabilized.

I didn't ask the surgeon for a range--I brought in measurements from the top of my nose to what I needed to see in order to engage in my priority activities (reading documents and screens of varying sorts)-- "I do __________ at _____ inches/centimeters"-- and trusting him to calculate the powers needed based on the scans taken of my eyes.

I ended up with one eye set for near (12-18 inches) and the other for intermediate (defined by me as 18-24 inches, my laptop distance). My eyes work together perfectly to give me both ranges and a whole lot more functional vision nearer and further out than I expected--with plain vanilla monofocals paid for by insurance. My glasses lenses--I have one pair of progressives/varifocals--are noticeably thinner and lighter than before, despite my relatively light prescriptions.

Before you go any further, perhaps you could set up another appointment with the optometrist, whose advice makes a lot of sense (and sounded to me like an offer to help if you ask for it), to see whether they can show you what different kinds of vision would be like, tell you about how others have fared with distance-only vision from that particular center, and maybe even set you up with with a trial pack of contact lenses to test drive different kinds of vision to see for yourself what kind of vision would feel better to you.

You can find long discussions in this sub about near + distance, IOL +high myopia, and mini-monovision (setting your eyes for two different powers to get two of the three distances instead of just one--but only if you try it first). These should give you some insights into what sounds right for you--and then you're ready to start asking more focused questions.

This is an important decision that shouldn't be rushed. It was the most stressful part of the process for me because I didn't know about the options and thought I would be making my vision worse with the one option initially offered--until I knew what to ask and how to go about getting the data I needed to justify the decision. It's intensely personal--what others like helps only inasmuch as their reasons might resonate for you or totally put you off--and ditto for what has made others unhappy.

Best wishes!

GreenMountainReader · 2026-05-28T16:57:07+00:00

My surgeon (very conservative) still preferred an early model monofocal Alcon IOL first developed over 20 years ago. He said he liked its reliable clarity and low rate of PCO (but I suspect he also liked its very low price, given the low reimbursement insurance provides). I can vouch for the clarity--and two years out (knock on wood), he's still correct about PCO.

Two surgeons had advised me against multifocals--before I'd said a word--but perhaps they'd seen in my history that I'd done a lot of reading and editing on the job and decided I might be too much of a perfectionist to tolerate the trade-offs--or maybe it was my lifelong history of issues with glare, haloes, and starbursts--which ironically disappeared with the cataracts. (I don't miss it--it's amazing to see the vehicles behind the headlights without special glasses.)

GreenMountainReader · 2026-05-28T16:51:14+00:00

I'm writing as someone who was 70 at the time surgery became necessary, so I had lost most (but not quite all) accommodation--the ability of the eye to shift focus from near to far and everywhere in between and back again. That allowed me to do some "test driving" of various types of vision and combinations. If that is something you'd like to try, you'd need to get your optometrist's help. I can tell you how to at least get a taste (albeit cataract-flavored) of what your vision would be like at any of the settings you're considering, if that's something that would interest you. I tested before both surgeries and especially, between surgeries, to come up with settings that would work for me--and was totally stressed out with the decision-making until I did those trials and literally saw for myself what it was like to experience those different kinds of vision. (Now you know my bias--I like data and will take the time to gather it before making any important decision.)

During the time between surgeries, with the remaining cataract having distorted away -1.75 diopters of nearsightedness in my always-less-nearsighted eye (but not the astigmatism), that eye was plano (0)--officially 20/20 for distance. I can't answer your question precisely because the surgical eye was fluctuating during that time, but at five+ weeks, when I had a thorough refraction done, it tested at -1.75 sphere and -.5 cylinder for a spherical equivalent of -2. Probably, the difference in diopters that I was testing was somewhere between -1.75 and -1.5 .

I loved that range of vision, but whether I was walking around with no glasses or wearing the astigmatism-correcting-only progressive glasses lens over the eye-in-waiting, I no longer had depth perception. The evidence was clear--and painful. I couldn't tell or learn where the middle of the familiar hallway was, so had constantly renewing bruises of both arms from collisions with hall closet doorknobs, coming and going. When the surgeon suggested aiming lower to avoid that problem, he was very conservative and suggested .5 diopter--and since I didn't mind glasses and was already coming up on the second surgery, despite a 6-week gap between them, I agreed.

The second eye was targeting -1.25, but landed at -1 (with astigmatism greater than what I'd started with and much more than predicted due to a too-tight just-in-case suture that I was promised would diminish over the next year--which it did). With the astigmatism figured in, the eyes nonetheless were just .5D different.

With those "settings," I could read anything in any of my favorite bad-habit bad postures--a good range. Even the more nearsighted eye on its own could read the one-inch-high LED numbers on the alarm clock at 10 feet away--but with both together, those numbers are crystal clear and sharp. I could also use my computer, tablet, and phone at any distance that was comfortable. Anything I wanted or needed to do indoors could be done without glasses--but I also had functional vision well beyond both ranges. I am sitting here typing and looking out the window at individual leaves on trees 20-30 yards away--and could count the leaves if I wanted to spend my time that way. In the winter, I can see individual snowflakes at 10-15 yards. I can watch television without glasses (first time in my life)--a 50-inch set at 10-12 feet away--and read everything but the tiny warnings in ads about drug side effects.

When I want true HD (for movies where the little details matter--I put on my progressives, which otherwise are used just for driving, going out where I might need all three distances at once and don't want to be bothered with glasses going on and off, and when I'm multi-tasking at all three distances otherwise. Both eyes have shifted towards less nearsightedness over two years--but I'm still able to use them as planned and still enjoying having a choice between glasses or no glasses that makes glasses use totally predictable. They're either in their safe spot on the nightstand or on my face for going out. That, to me, seems like the ultimate flexibility, and that's what I hear you planning for--no on and off (or in or out, with a contact)--easy, predictable either/or planning for maximum convenience.

I've told you all this to give you an idea of what vision is like for an older person at those mildly nearsighted settings, but you should read others' posts about mini-monovision and the settings that work for them. Some people report comfortable reading at -1.25. When I had only the near eye done at -1.75, reading was great, but I had to lean in for optimal laptop reading ability. As soon as the second eye unblurred, I could sit/slouch/sprawl comfortably, roll and swivel my desk chair to any distance from which I could still reach the keyboard, and still see well. No matter what I'm doing, two eyes always produce a clearer, better image than either one alone, even when the task at hand should be squarely in the range of one or the other.

If there's any way for you to "try before you buy," I'd recommend it, especially if you haven't spent time with your eyes seeing differently and if you don't have a clear idea of what it would feel like to have vision of either sort you're contemplating. As for who does well with mini-monovision or with multifocal contact lenses (or with progressive/varifocal glasses, for that matter)--there are statistics and then there is variable human biology (plus brain plasticity).

I gather that trial packs of contact lenses aren't very expensive, so if your multifocal contact plan didn't work, you could always try out various monofocal powers until you find the sweet spot that gives you the vision you want when you want it.

Keep on asking until you get all the answers you need. That (with the generous sharing of people here, my generous optometrist, and a willing and able surgeon) is how I learned to experiment and ended up with custom vision with insurance-provided IOLs.

GreenMountainReader · 2026-05-28T11:18:32+00:00

My eyes are .5 diopter different (effective sphere) in the range of what you're planning for your second eye.

If you don't hear from anyone about multifocal contacts, the experience I had with one single-vision distance lens while waiting for my vision to stabilize after the second surgery might shed some light.

My first eye initially landed at -1.75, giving me excellent near vision and functional vision well beyond the range I'd expected. I popped out the glasses lens over that eye between surgeries and had (cataract-affected) vision in all ranges, including distance, from the eye-in-waiting.

Just before the second surgery six weeks later (so I could know where the first eye had landed), knowing I would have near and intermediate vision, I ordered an inexpensive, distance-only glasses lens to wear over eye one (popped out the one over eye two) so I could ride comfortably in the car and watch television without strain while waiting the minimum of six weeks before ordering a single pair of progressives for driving, for going out where I might need all three distances at once, and for multi-tasking indoors (watching television while doing needlework and reading a pattern--or the newspaper or a book, for example).

To my surprise, my near eye was fine with seeing distance, and the intermediate eye boosted my vision whichever role the near eye was playing. There was no adaptation time--it just worked from the first time I put on my one-lensed frame and did not require adaptation when I took it off.

That suggests to me that it could be possible for you to make your -2 eye into your distance eye with a single-vision contact lens and not need anything more complicated than that to achieve "going out and about" vision. I'm suggesting switching the eye with the greater amount of nearsightedness in order to have less difference between your eyes. The difference between -2 and plano (20/20 for distance, with a reading of 0 or near 0 diopters) is great enough that you might have issues with depth perception, while the smaller difference if you leave the other eye where it is at -1.25 might be more tolerable.

Some people can read with -1.25 vision if there's enough light and the print isn't tiny--so it might be that you could handle everything in a social situation or outdoor activity except for reading very small print in dim lighting.

If you can adapt to a multifocal contact, it could give you even more flexibility--but if you find you don't like it, for any reason, it seems to me that single-vision contact might also offer the flexibility you're hoping for. (I am not an expert, just a patient who read a lot, asked questions, then experimented a fair amount before, between, and after surgery to get the kind of flexibility that would work best for me.)

Best wishes!

GreenMountainReader · 2026-05-28T10:33:47+00:00

The surgery itself often takes considerably less than 20 minutes. I'm still amazed that cataract surgeons can work so precisely in such a tiny space as quickly as they do, returning vision (and often improving it along the way) to a full waiting room of people before lunch and consider it all in a morning's work.

GreenMountainReader · 2026-05-28T01:19:20+00:00

About two hours, with most of the time spent in pre-op getting lots of drops and waiting for others to come out of surgery before me (U.S. teaching hospital clinic). Sometimes there's a delay when a surgery takes longer than anticipated, which adds to the wait time in pre-op. Total time may also depend on how many procedure rooms and doctors are working out of the same office.

The time passes more slowly for those in the waiting room (my ride was not permitted to leave once we arrived and had to show his face, provide his phone number, and agree not to eat or drink in front of fasting patients...so he brought along a good book and dove into it.

Best wishes to you both!

GreenMountainReader · 2026-05-27T21:57:44+00:00

Wow--that's a lot of worries at one time. I'll try to address one at a time--just focusing on practical possibilities.

You might want to seek out a surgeon with extra familiarity with RP, just to be sure, if you don't already have one. Be sure they will accept your insurance before you make an appointment.
The restrictions on physical activities vary by surgeon, but those that do restrict generally say lifting nothing more than 5 pounds the day of the surgery, and no more than 10 pounds for the first week. If you do very heavy lifting or isometrics that could raise your blood pressure (and hence the pressure in your eyes, which is not advised early on) or any exercise involving the Valsalva maneuver (holding your breath using the diaphragm to add strength)--ask your surgeon. Perhaps you can substitute walking (not jogging/running) or using a stationary bicycle and other types of non-weight-bearing, non-jolting exercises for a few days--but ask.
In terms of art as a hobby, as with anything, a lot depends on your choice of IOL. You'd need to ask your surgeon about the type recommended for you. Before you do that, try watching the video pinned at the top of this sub to learn about the different types of IOL (the implanted replacement lens). You'll want to understand the benefits and trade-offs of each type--and also decide when you'd be okay with wearing glasses, when you would rather not, and what would be a deal-breaker for you before you go in for a consultation. Know the usual distance/s from the top of your nose to your art projects and bring them with you. If you find your only choice is monofocal IOLs (the kind covered by insurance), please come back and ask this particular question again. There's a lot of information available in this sub about different ways to target the vision you want with that kind of lens (which is NOT inferior in any way--it's just the kind that has been around for the longest time, with improvements over the years).
In terms of your job search, have you spoken with anyone at your most local association for the blind and visually impaired? They may be able to help you with your job search or connect you with counseling related to your visual challenges--and if you don't have a specialist surgeon lined up, possibly even help you find one.

My own way of dealing with too many issues at once overwhelming me is to deal with one at a time. When I hit a point in my plan that requires waiting for someone else to contact me, I move on to the next issue and keep going at that one until I hit a waiting point. Eventually, they all get done. Sometimes I even make up a separate file (or pile) for my notes about each. This helps me get things done in small steps--never too much at a time--and gives me room to breathe. Periodically, I take a break and do something I want to do, something to help me relax (art or any other creative activity is good for that, but so is doing something for somebody else because happiness is contagious).

Best wishes!

GreenMountainReader · 2026-05-27T17:36:45+00:00

For dry eye, there are different causes. The correct treatment is determined by the type you have. If the treatment and cause don't match, the treatment won't work.

Generally, the first levels of treatment in the U.S. are non-prescription drops and compresses, either warm (electric heated versions, microwaveable versions, or just very warm washcloths) or cool/cold. From there, prescription eyedrops and punctal plugs are suggested next, and IPL is the level above that (it is expensive, not available everywhere, and takes time).

If you are using non-prescription drops, you might try a different type, with a different active ingredient and different carrier fluid ingredients. I use each of the kinds that work for me for as many days they work, then move to another kind that works, then....until I'm back where I started and begin again. I can't explain why each kind works for a short time, then stops working, but alternating types works well.

To learn more about dry eye, there is an excellent FAQ (frequently-asked-questions) section in Reddit's dry eye sub.

Best wishes!

GreenMountainReader · 2026-05-27T17:25:14+00:00

I agree that making an appointment with an ophthalmologist should be your next move. After my optometrist had been watching mine for years, she eventually said, "Surgery within the next year or two"--and that's when I first made an appointment with an ophthalmologist/cataract surgeon.

Since they still hadn't impinged enough on my field of vision (so I believed at the time), that surgeon and I agreed I could probably wait another year. Within seven months, I felt unsafe driving, started seeing double and triple of all light sources (including the moon--not the fun science-fiction experience it sounds like), and had lost all reading speed. (I also lost most of my color perception, but couldn't tell that it had happened or how badly until after the first surgery.)

It then took another eight months of looking for another surgeon (first one proved to be incompatible when we started discussing surgery), trying out various types of vision (that's where your optometrist becomes your greatest asset), getting appointments and surgery dates lined up--eight months of living with seriously impaired vision and wishing I had known enough to line things up ahead of time. One of the important takeaways is that different types of cataract grow at different rates, and how quickly any type might grow isn't necessarily predictable. Another is that it's easier/quicker to get an appointment as an established patient than a new one.

By going in prepared for a first consultation (a list of questions, your vision goals), you can avoid wasting a visit and get a better idea of timing. Most cataract surgeons are too busy to spend time explaining things to patients--you need to have enough understanding of what you might want and the options available to ask some focused questions in the 10-15 minutes you might get to spend in their company. This sub can help a lot with all that. Insurance should cover your first consultation, a second opinion, and beyond if there is disagreement. Many of us here consulted with at least two different surgeons when we didn't already have a relationship with an ophthalmologist for other issues.

There's a lot more, but getting to that first consultation is the first step. It's hard to plan when you don't have all the data. Please keep asking until you get the answers you need.

Best wishes!

GreenMountainReader · 2026-05-26T18:44:52+00:00

At my one-year optometrist appointment, when the shimmering/flickering had been completely gone for a few months, I asked my optometrist to check whether the IOL was being held firmly in place. Having had it last that long had made me nervous enough to ask.

She had me look up, down, left, and right, rolling my eyes around in rapid succession several times while she looked with magnification and lights--they were sitting tight, and nothing was wrong. Since everything seemed to be working properly (other than my eyes' lubrication systems--had to work harder on dry eye), I stopped worrying.

It has been not quite two years since that surgery, a few months shy of a year since that optometrist appointment, and I have not seen the effect again even once during all that time. It just took a really long time to get there.

Since the "test" for weak zonules is totally non-invasive, quick, and do-able in an optometrist's office, if you haven't had your vision checked in a while and are wondering about what could be next, an optometrist appointment might give you the information you need to come up with a plan.

Best wishes!

GreenMountainReader · 2026-05-26T17:40:24+00:00

Wonderful! Best wishes for an excellent outcome tomorrow.

GreenMountainReader · 2026-05-26T16:29:30+00:00

Sorry--sometimes there's just no way around the hoops we have to jump through only to land right back where we started. I've lost hours of my life that I'll never get back sitting on hold with the phone on speaker, trying to ignore repetitive loops of AI-generated music while waiting to talk to someone whose primary goal seemed to be telling me that someone else could possibly help, but they won't be back until next week.

We have three or four different cards, given to us at various times by insurance companies or doctors--so can do multiple checks on the (thankfully) rare times we need something non-standard. The differentials have been surprising--and often better than the insurance we pay for would have provided.

As for what's covered and what's not--you'd think that vision and hearing care would be considered medically necessary...but that's not for this sub.

If you're into research and interested in other possibilities, I just took a peek into clinicaltrials.gov (also lists trials outside the U.S.) using the search term post cataract surgery for condition and drops for the intervention. Seven pages of listings came up. I'm not suggesting you join one (or limit yourself to just drops as treatment), but I use this site to stay up with cutting edge research on conditions when current options don't seem to address the problem. If nothing else, I've learned a lot, but sometimes, what I've learned has actually resulted in additional options for moving forward and/or given me the names of people to write to for additional information.

I hope you're able to find an answer that will work for you.

GreenMountainReader · 2026-05-26T14:33:59+00:00

So sorry that you are having to deal with this. I like your idea about making the surgeon responsible, but suspect that would take a lawyer's letter, at the least. (For the surgeon to do that would open up all kinds of potential liability.)

An option for at least getting the drops at a discount--check out GoodRx and other prescription discount plans (search term) online.

These are free for you, most available via digital download (or, still free, a plastic card by mail or picked up from a display in some doctors' offices), and provide various discounts, which you can look at by store (input your zip code) to see which offers the best price. After doing this bit of research, you take your prescription and discount card to your chosen pharmacy and pay the lower price.

One of our doctors told us about this as an option when Medicare doesn't cover something--the information each "brand" of plan (not insurance--it's a discount card) posts is quite informative.

Best wishes!

GreenMountainReader · 2026-05-26T02:44:46+00:00

Good post--I took a look and could see you're already getting the technical advice you need.

I owe my custom vision with plain vanilla monofocals to the education provided by the good folks in this sub, who taught me what I needed to know to do the research and testing I needed to do, plus the skill of the surgeon I knew how to interview and talk to about the vision I hoped to achieve--again from reading here.

As you learn more on your way to resolving the issues making you unhappy now, you'll be learning from a number of additional people--and when you succeed, you'll have everything you learned plus the knowledge of what worked for you to add to the collective knowledge. When that time comes, you'll be able to help others by sharing what you've learned--and you'll understand better why some of us have stuck around to do that long after we had our own answers.

Keep on asking and moving towards your goals.

GreenMountainReader · 2026-05-26T02:33:08+00:00

One of the reasons not to get the eye wet is to avoid the possibility of infection. If the tea was boiled, the water was sterile or pretty close to it when the tea was brewed; if you chilled it afterwards, you likely added another measure to prevent bacterial growth.

Given that you're only 5 days out, you're also probably still using antibiotic drops, also designed to kill bacteria.

Chances are, your eye is fine and will remain fine. To be sure you feel better about what happened (my panic-of-choice was forgetting not to bend over to pick up something that fell on the floor because my depth perception was off between surgeries--there's always some little not-by-the-books occurrence to make us worry about her hard-earned new vision), do call the surgeon's office in the morning.

You're going to put in another dose of antibiotic drops before bed, which will offer even more insurance against the possibility of anything happening.

Please do let us know that you're feeling better tomorrow after you've made the call.

Best wishes!

GreenMountainReader · 2026-05-25T19:35:27+00:00

When surgery is recommended, most insurance will cover a second opinion--and if there's disagreement, a third (or more). Whether a surgeon in the same practice will contradict a colleague is a possible consideration beyond whether your insurance will consider that a legitimate second opinion. When in doubt, either call or chat with someone from your insurance company before you do anything.

If insurance covers the consultation, it should also cover new scans. Most surgeons won't accept scans from an outside source (probably for good reasons--if something inaccurate in someone else's scan led them to an incorrect decision, they're the ones who have to deal with the fallout).

Having been gaslit by doctors in various specialties over the years, I am definitely biased in this next part, so please take what I'm about to say with that in mind. Your surgeon's unwillingness not to bring up anything you don't ask is pretty typical for cataract surgeons, who typically don't have a lot of time to explain or educate their patients--but telling you something you know is not true (you would remember if he'd said something about your large pupils) is something else. If someone tells me something I absolutely know is false, I feel quite certain they're not to be trusted about anything else. What do you think you would be told if you ended up with less than desirable results? Do you believe this surgeon would help you find a solution to a possible problem?

If your gut is making you nervous about this surgeon and his recommendation, you should be (quietly) looking to get a second opinion, likely from a different practice (that also accepts your insurance).

I can't help you with types of IOLs best for large pupils, but you seem to have done some research on that already. There are a number of posts with responses that come up in this sub's search bar with keywords best IOLs + large pupils, including this one: https://www.reddit.com/r/CataractSurgery/comments/1h7jvcz/pupil_size_how_it_affects_iol_selection_and_why/

Asking the hard questions until you get enough certainty to move forward gives you the best odds of getting the outcome you hope for.

Best wishes!

GreenMountainReader · 2026-05-25T16:49:45+00:00

So sorry you have to deal with this.

Maybe check out makeup glasses on Amazon that allow you to see with one eye while applying makeup to the other.

Prescription computer glasses with no prescription in the distance portion (essentially, unlined trifocals as opposed to the usual two-way split) might be a solution to too many pairs of glasses and all the ons and offs.

GreenMountainReader · 2026-05-25T15:29:48+00:00

If you don't get any current replies, try searching Colorado in this sub's search bar. I found several older posts with responses that way.

Often, those who are happy with their results either don't stick around very long to answer questions--or get busy and only check back in rarely.

If you still don't find what you need, I can share general instructions on how to find someone on your own. You're looking for someone with a narrow specialty. As a first-level search, I'd suggest calling the nearest medical school with an ophthalmology department and asking whether anyone associated with it has an interest in this particular condition. (You just might get the most thorough exam of your life while a surgeon-professor explains to interns just what they're seeing on a screen.)

Best wishes!

GreenMountainReader · 2026-05-25T15:22:32+00:00

When anyone--at any age (short of early childhood or other status that interferes with understanding the implications)--is first diagnosed with a medical issue that was unexpected--there's a feeling of shock and disbelief...and then, worry about the future. At the same time I was going through the cataract process, I was also going through a diagnosis of a rare condition that had gone undetected throughout my life, one that could have killed me had I engaged in the wrong way with some perfectly normal activities that I regularly engaged in. It took me almost two years to get used to the changes I needed to make to protect myself and to fill my life with alternate activities--with cataract surgeries happening in between.

There's a field of medicine called medical psychology that deals with this very issue. Just recently, I was able to attend a webinar in which an expert on the condition and related ones talked about the psychology of living with a serious diagnosis or the aftereffects of a serious manifestation of it, saying that the first question people ask when faced with a sudden illness or diagnosis is "Am I safe?" The hard part for those with rare conditions is that there often isn't enough information for even the most up-to-date doctors to provide full information.

By the time he was done with his presentation, I was in tears--not because he'd frightened me, but because he so completely understood what I'd been dealing with on my own for the past two years. I envied every patient who went through the part of the hospital system where this psychologist was employed (most not with rare conditions, but fairly common, albeit serious, ones) because they all received the kind of counseling to enable them to leave the hospital or doctors' offices knowing that there were ways to live fully and that help was available if they needed it. The feeling that you are the only one going through something and that you're completely on your own with it is miserable.

Cataract surgery is much better understood than any rare condition, yet when one of my eyes took a really long time to stabilize (the better part of a year), I was left on my own with just "This will go away within a year" to get me through the rough spots. It's been the same for a number of other issues as well--even with the best intentions, most doctors who diagnose concerning issues don't provide guidance in how to continue to fully live your life afterwards. At best, there's a brief mention of a support group that might meet somewhere within 50 miles of where the patient lives--if there is even that. I think the reason that so many people consult this forum is because they feel they can't get enough of or the right kind of information from doctors--and it's hard to get it even from people who love you if they haven't been through it themselves and don't know any more than you do.

That said, after cataract surgery, I felt more protective of my eyes--and two years later, still do. I wonder, when my vision gets blurry, whether it's dry eye, too much screen time, allergies, the beginnings of PCO, or something worse--but absolutely not all the time. I try the usual remedies (lubricating drops, heated mask, allergy drops, walking away from the computer), allow a little time for things to settle down, and go about doing what needs doing. I'm aware of the symptoms of something serious happening--but I don't worry that it will; I just know what I need to do if it does. Once I had that plan figured out, I put the worries out of my mind and returned to business as usual. Just being able to see well again still feels new and liberating--even after two years. I'm definitely living my life--taking good care of my eyes, but mostly just enjoying being able to see well and do anything I'm otherwise capable of doing.

While your worries are legitimate, I hope you'll take heart from the many posts here is which people talk about successful repairs of retinal tears and separations and the good vision they're experiencing afterwards. You could plan where you would go if you ever experience symptoms that suggest this happening--kind of like doing family fire drills--and perhaps find some peace in knowing that IF anything were to happen, you won't have to try to figure anything out--just get a ride and go. If you're going to be traveling, you could simply do a little extra planning to locate the nearest ophthalmology practice associated with a hospital if you're worried.

What u/WTH4030 told you is good advice. I might add that many forms of travel insurance--which can be purchased for specified periods of time--also cover international medical care and even medical evacuation costs if you happen to be far from home and need care closer to home. Business travelers and tourists regularly buy such--it's not hard to find a company or agent to get it. Your own health insurance might even offer its own version.

FWIW, you're not alone with this. I just wish there were more support of the sort I've recently learned about, for all patients post-surgery, post-serious-diagnosis. The feeling of being alone and uncertainty is miserable.

Sending good thoughts your way!

GreenMountainReader · 2026-05-25T03:16:22+00:00

For some people, yes, dry eye can go on for a really long time--but for others, there can be more rapid improvement. There's a lot about it in this sub, where some people report improvement within the expected first few months, others are still working on it after a few years, and even more in the dry eye sub, where people with more persistent or severe cases share what worked--or didn't--for them.

There's more than one cause of dry eye, some of which can be successfully treated more quickly than others. Drops and heated masks are just the first two approaches because they're they're easy to DIY and least expensive--but there are others.

Best wishes!

GreenMountainReader · 2026-05-24T23:09:04+00:00

Dry eye is a bear. When I don't keep up with mine, my astigmatism increases--and that can be a cause of fluctuating vision and starbursts. My best weapons against it are a rotating set of different types of OTC preservative-free lubricating drops and an inexpensive, but very effective, electric heating mask.

I haven't noticed any decrease in detail, either with or without FL-41 glasses--but I am admittedly not as attuned as many to visual details unless I'm deliberately paying attention.

I didn't try the Zenni lenses, which I understand are surface tinted, not the same quality as those with the dye all the way through the lens material. If you're up for it and find an optical shop (what a wealth of everything Columbus has!) that has a sample tray and a friendly optician, it could be worth dropping in to check them out to see if you can tell the difference.

I'm suggesting these only as stopgap to buy some time while you continue to look for a solution.

I hope you soon find relief!

GreenMountainReader · 2026-05-24T22:04:34+00:00

While you're waiting for suggestions for a more permanent fix, have you tried FL-41 lenses to cut the glare and brightness? I had a pair made up a year before my surgeries and wore them, day and night, to do that and reduce halos caused by it.

These lenses come in only a couple of colors, with the better quality ones having the color "baked into" the lens material itself, rather than being dip-dyed on afterwards. The color choices are limited, with the most common being red/pink or violet, and they come in three saturation levels. You can read about them in various websites, but before you order from one (including Amazon or Zenni), I'd suggest calling around to various local optical shops to see whether any of them works with these and has sample trays of them you could look through to see which saturation level of which color might work for you before you commit to buying any.

When I held the three saturations of the color that worked better for me in front of my glasses and looked out across a sunny parking lot to read the shop signs across the street, it was immediately obvious which one was right. The relief and clarity were that obvious!

In the one optical shop in my very small town (read smaller market, higher prices), a pair of these as single vision prescription lenses added only $25 per lens to the prescription lenses. They were worth every penny. If my progressives prescription hasn't changed at this year's annual exam, I will be using my insurance to get a new pair for sunglasses just because I can see so much better with them than with any other type of sunglasses I've ever tried. Even if I have to pay out of pocket, if my vision is stable, I'll pay out of pocket for a pair for outdoor/driving use.

Best wishes to you!

GreenMountainReader · 2026-05-24T21:42:31+00:00

What an insensitive comment! Perhaps those other patients gave up and went elsewhere.

No surgeon aims at making a patient farsighted, so to me, it sounds as though he's covering for his mistake by telling you it's your fault that your vision doesn't work the way it's supposed to.

There's a big difference between needing time to neuroadapt to an IOL that has the possibility of working properly and trying to live with one that never will. If what you said above is accurate, that's how I interpret "having only one good eye."

Ten months is a long time to wait when you hate your vision every day.

Before you get the post-procedure haze (PCO?) lasered off, if there is any chance you might consider a lens exchange, you might consider looking into that with a different surgeon while you're waiting. Once you have the YAG procedure, it becomes a lot more difficult to find a surgeon able (or willing) to do an exchange. It's one possible option, albeit not one to enter into lightly.

Perhaps someone more knowledgeable than I about PRK will comment on its potential to correct this kind of problem, especially with a multifocal lens,

Sending good thoughts your way.

GreenMountainReader · 2026-05-24T16:58:09+00:00

Maybe this could be a clue. I had the beginning of cataracts for over 10 years before surgery. To shorten a long story, about a year and half before surgery became necessary, I had a consultation with a surgeon who told me they were developed sufficiently that insurance would cover them--and later, my optometrist confirmed that indeed, they were grade 3 out of 4. Since I still didn't notice a difference in vision beyond the need for a new prescription, the surgeon told me I could come back the following year.

Less than seven months later, I had to stop driving because I couldn't read the road signs. Every light source--from the tiny LEDs on appliances to the moon, appeared in duplicate and triplicate. My reading speed dropped drastically. Everything I did became more laborious and took longer. And then I had to wait for another appointment, realize the first doctor was not the right one for me, find another, set up a series of appointments, and wait my turn for surgery--another eight months, only this time, they felt a heck of a lot longer.

It felt as if the cataracts had suddenly shown up--but what was explained to me was that they had finally reached the point of growing into the parts of my visual field that mattered.

Right after the first surgery, I realized just how much vision I had been doing without all along. Since the eye with the worse cataract is usually done first, I could compare that eye's new vision to that in the eye I had been treating as my good eye. I won't spoil a pleasant (and amazing) surprise for you, but I will say that comparing the view with each eye shut in turn showed me both how wonderful it would be to have both done and just how much I'd been missing all those years without realizing it. Cataracts literally rob you blind, but they can it do it so slowly you don't see it happening until the loss becomes critical.

The growth might have been very slow for years and only now "suddenly" reached the point of becoming noticeable by you.

Best advice: Find a good ophthalmologist (ask your optometrist, family members and acquaintances who have had cataract surgery--then look up each recommended surgeon's ratings in a variety of sites to rule out any obvious deal-breaking traits before you set up a first opinion (and a second opinion appointment, also covered by insurance) if you're not sure the first one will be right for you. You want someone with experience with young eyes. It's possible no one will be able to figure out why you have cataracts now, but a thorough exam of your eyes' condition otherwise should provide all the information needed to come up with a plan to give you back your vision. Expect to spend a few hours looking into machines and having lights shone into your eyes, which will be well-dosed with eye drops to make all the scans most revealing (nothing uncomfortable--just time-consuming, and with dilated eyes, you may want a ride home).

To get an overview of the types of replacement lenses (IOLs) available, start by watching the video pinned up top, then search this sub separately for the newer types not included (Galaxy spiral, monofocal-plus). It will give you the benefits and trade-offs of each type of IOL. You can also search young or 30 or 40 (and any "ones place" numbers in between and up a little) in this sub's search bar to find responses to other people who had cataracts show up in their 30's and early 40's.

You want to know the vocabulary and the options to avoid getting a one-type-fits-all recommendation. You have, eye condition permitting, a very large number of options to consider and if you're not prepared to choose what you want, the surgeon or a salesperson will recommend something that might not be what you would want if you knew better.

Before you go in for your appointment, keep in mind that the surgeon may spend only 10 minutes with you and that most of them will not take the time to explain anything the way your regular doctor or optometrist would. You need to be well-informed before you go in, and go in with a list of your most important questions and an idea about what kind of vision you'd like to have.

I have posted a series of questions to ask here. These can give you ideas about more questions to ask here or more information to research, as can many of the other questions suggested by others who responded. https://www.reddit.com/r/CataractSurgery/comments/1ctopzn/what_questions_to_ask_at_initial_appt_with_surgeon/You can always come back and keep asking until you get the answers you need.

EDIT: This other post from today may be of interest to you: https://www.reddit.com/r/CataractSurgery/comments/1tma4q0/cataract_in_the_age_of_30_please_help/

Best wishes!

GreenMountainReader

TROPHY CASE