Cataract removal

 

Subject: Cataract removal. 

The body repair shop nearby was open for business again yesterday so I was wheeled in under the bright lights of the ophthalmologists scalpel to have a cataract infected lens in my right eye removed for a new synthetic lens.

I mentioned the other day listening to the surgeon describing to his pupil how to gather the skin on my temple, like a tailor finding spare cloth when letting out a pair of trousers, the surgeon described his cut and stitch job as I listened prone on the slab. It's one of those disconnect moments where you are de-identified  and become,  an object.

Yesterday as a  local anesthetic was used to made me amenable to the knife. In a relatively routine cataract removal procedure made a little more risky because I am blind in the left eye and heaven forbid if something should go wrong. Laying there locally anethatised the procedure started with the unceremonious pressure of a ring being forced into the eye socket to hold the eye open and then a antiseptic cover is suctioned on to focus on and keep sterile the eye itself. These procedures are not painful but it's the anticipation of pain or something which reminds you that from here on, you are an observer not a participant. Your observation is purely mental since unlike procedures on other parts of the body, this is crucially taking place right at the connection with the mind and the intensely bright lights of the apparatus used by the surgeon only intensify how important this all is to your performing the tasks which make you who you are. Destroying  the old lens, vacuuming up the debris and inserting a new lens were in themselves disturbingly enough, working on this optical conduit into the brain through the optic nerve seemed to make everything more surreal.

The imagination works overtime as "Henry" sucked up the bits.  Would it work, would the confidences placed be rewarded or would my mind be singed forever with the words "I'm sorry Mr Wood, something unusual occurred"

You all be happy to know that it didn't and like everyone who has had the operation  it's remarkable to get crisply defined sight back with colours and hues you had forgotten existed