Removal of the cataract on my right eye has created a
different way of seeing, both visually and perceptually. After left eye surgery
last August, I was able to continue functioning with my old glasses. But when
the second mono-focal lens went in this month, reality took a twist.
I know nothing about the surgery on the right eye because
they numbed me up the gazoo and gave me enough anesthesia to knock me out for a
week. That ensured that I did not move during surgery, a good thing, but right
eye follow-up has been far more traumatic than the left one was.
Evidently the stigmatism in my right eye needed to be
corrected for the newly inserted lens to lie flat. Two extra cuts by the
surgeon made the eye swell, creating a weird sensation of being continually off
balance. That was a nuisance as I attempted to cut mats and frame giclee prints
for a show in December and January. Not being able to read, with or without the
old glasses, was a shock. After a week of limited computer use and no reading,
I bought some cheap reading glasses.
A check up with my regular optometrist confirmed that
healing is progressing just fine but no new prescription can be
given until the right eye stabilizes. It seems that takes a month. And then
there will be the time it takes for the new glasses to be made. That makes six
weeks of seeing with “far vision” as my primary mode. So, with cheap reading
glasses strung on a chain around my neck and being continuously pulled on and
off, I am making my way through the world.
Initial “altered vision” revelations include:· Colors are brighter and clearer.
· In order to see ‘paintings in progress’ from several distances, the studio easel had to find a new location.
· From a five-month distance, it is clear that the toaster has lost its right to counter space, being no longer used since I went on the “hunter gather” diet.
· After attending a mentoring conference to discern how we can better guide our students, I now see that I myself need to be mentored in relation to the next stage of my art career, and possibly for life with altered vision.
· A short blog is better than none at all.
Photo credits: Justin Wikinator, feathers boutique, Best Image
Optical
