I recently met a woman at a private concert who happily peppered me with questions about my recent cataract surgeries. I was wearing sunglasses indoors, so no one would be distressed if they noticed that the white part of my right eye, the sclera, was quite bloody.

I also did not want to create the possibility that someone might falsely make the assumption I had taken a blow to my face. Not only have I never been punched in the head, fortunately, I’ve never been hit, slapped, or beaten by anyone my entire life.

“How well can you see?” I was asked.

My answer was an enthusiastic “awesome.” The remainder of our pre-concert mingling was dominated by my persuasive affirmation of the decision I made to have the surgeries done as soon as I could get on the surgeon’s schedule. I told her that the minute my optometrist informed me – after he completed my annual eye examination – that my cataracts had developed to the point that I was eligible for the surgeries, I was ecstatically happy.

I wanted to have the best sight and I knew only cataract surgery could offer that. Like me, that woman had been contemplating getting cataract surgery. She has significant myopia (nearsightedness) and had been wearing glasses, contacts, and magnifying readers, for many decades. She also has astigmatism, a condition of the cornea that causes blurry or distorted eye sight, that I had in one of my eyes.

We had been on similar paths, but she was admittedly nervous and afraid. She told me a friend had the regular lenses put in about three years ago, which correct for distance only. Complications led to her friend losing vision in that eye. I said this could had been caused by a variety of reasons, including that her friend may not have been treated by the most highly experienced, or trained professionals.

We got deeper and deeper into the details. I explained that my choice was to have the multifocal lenses put in, rather than just correcting for distance. That means I do not need to use readers, and all of my sight deficiency, with the exception of a couple of “floaters,” was corrected by my cataract surgeries.

Floaters are tiny fragments of collagen fibers that clump in the eyeball’s “vitreous humor.” These airy strands move about, and create a thin gray thread that clouds that area of vision. I have always been able to ignore them to the point I don’t have the awareness they are even there. Floaters will remain in the eye after surgery, and can be more noticeable once the new, corrective lens is inserted.

Other people may have a more severe case of floaters than mine, and find them problematic before and after cataract surgery. But the important note here is floaters can also be a symptom of a more serious issue, like retinal detachment. So, if floaters do suddenly appear, they should be addressed immediately in order to preserve one’s eyesight.

Now, about the bloody eye. The subconjunctival hemorrhage was caused from a capillary that had leaked during my surgery, and it will resolve in a matter of a few more days. This bleed does not happen in all procedures, and it was less severe in my first surgery, which had been done two days before my right eye was done. Yes, both eye surgeries were done the same week. I had not been in any pain during or after the quick surgeries – I’m talking minutes here – and even with my bloody sclera, I have not had any pain, itching, or irritation.

What is remarkable about this vision remedy is that I was able to see clearly within a few hours after the surgeries. For the procedure, the eye pupil must be dilated. This is done by administration of particular eye drops. But once the dilation of my pupil had gone back to normal function, I was seeing with a clarity I had not known since early childhood.

Another unexpected, delightful aspect of the procedure was that my surgeon made conversation and joked with me all the short while he was repairing my eyesight. It was mind blowing that I was conversing with him freely, without any concern for my head or eyes moving, or of him being distracted. That’s how easy peasy this whole thing was, having been done by someone at the top of their field.

I’m not sure why no one in my circle ever talks about their eyesight and/or cataracts. Maybe it’s too much to reveal how apprehensive they are about this surgery. I am thrilled I did this and immensely grateful these wizards know how to improve vision with such efficiency. What I know is this much: If you need to correct this problem, just go get a thorough optometrist examination, and then consult with a highly-trained, experienced cataract eye surgeon. You will learn about the dazzling advances in the technology. You will then be in a much better position to make an informed decision, and even allay concerns about the outcome. Feel free to write me if you or a loved one has cataract surgery questions, or any other personal issues.

Giselle was a journalist with The Denver Post and is the author of “We are Here for a Purpose: HOW TO FIND YOURS” and the novel “Just Dance the Steps.” Her romantacy “WYNTER’S DREAM” is now available.  Email Giselle with your question at [email protected]  To read more columns go to  www.gisellemassi.com