"Well, I'm back…"

…to quote Master Sam Gamgee.

In hospital at noon on Saturday, a bit of admin, three rounds of eye drops and I was on a gurney being wheeled in to the anaesthetist by a very cheerful orderly called Colin around 2pm, and being woken up again by a nurse well before 3, and cleared to go home before 5.30. Only side effects a sore throat (I'm assuming there was a tube in while I was asleep), a bit of a headache, and… very bizarrely, the really nasty back pain I'd been having for most of the past two weeks had completely vanished and hasn't come back since! Full marks to the Spire Hospital in Hull for being excellent, and keeping me supplied post-op with tea which is far too good to come from a hospital.

My eye surgeon pronounces himself very happy. What's supposed to happen when they fix a cataract [link not for the squeamish, but fascinating if you aren't] is they try and judge the prescription on the lens implant to suit you - unless you go for very expensive implants, they're relatively fixed focus compared to the human eye, so you need to decide what you want to be able to do without glasses. My right eye (done in about 1999) went from -16 (pre-op) to -2, which is basically perfect for reading without glasses, so we were aiming for the same in my left eye (-18 to about -2 - yes, I used to have really THICK glasses). Have to say, I think we've overshot, as I can focus on pretty near infinity with my left eye! Admittedly, I still have a fair squint with that eye, so I'd need some correction anyway. I still can't see in 3D, and to be honest I'm not sure I ever will - I've always been very right-eye dominant and my left eye is very lazy.

So - back on Saturday for a final check and a measure so I can order new glasses! Can't wait.