Hi neighbor,

I've written about this before, so forgive the redundancy. I had cataracts in both eyes and had lens implants at a young age, twelve years ago in my left eye and four years later in my right. I went completely blind in my left eye in less than six months and it was very frightening and disorienting. My right eye went fast too but I was much less frightened. So don't assume it will take a long time.

Also, a friend of mine who is 82 waited too long and her catarct was too hard to remove effectively. She then got a detached retina almost immediately and has lost her sight in one eye.

My best advice is find the best surgeon possible and have the lens implants when your vision gets worse. No need to be blind for long anymore with cataracts. The surgery is relatively inexpensive because it is outpatient and short. You are awake for it as well. The technology isn't that old so they don't know just how long they will last. But mine have lasted since '91 and '95.

I have only a little dimming in my right eye again. Plus, I had too different types because the technology changed between the first and second operation. I need reading glasses and a slight correction in my right eye for distance so I wear glasses all the time now.

My surgeon was excellent and I had complete confidence in him. He did seem more irritable at the time of the second surgery and urged me to do it quickly. Less than a month later he shot himself.

It was heartbreaking, especially since he might have been saved had he asked someone for psychotherapy and medication managment. What a waste of a fine man!!! It still weighs on my mind. But good luck, Carol. Do it as soon as you need to. Abby