Okay! Maybe it isn’t into the breach, in the classic sense. I’m not stepping in to save the day for someone. I’m not volunteering to stand between society and the chaos some seem to seek. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.

I’m just trying to make it through the “Golden Years” without any more 4:30 AM ambulance rides or ICU visits. Thankfully, my shift from “Darn! You don’t look that old” to “Have you had any problems with anesthesia before” is relatively benign. At least the initial phase has been fairly low-key.

Yes, I am a brand new cataract surgery patient. With minimal fanfare but a long wait for an appointment, I had a relatively comfortable and pleasant experience having a five-figure lens implanted in my right eye. Of course, as with any medical procedure involving introducing a foreign object into your body, there is discomfort, worry, and adjustment when the anesthesia wears off.

So, here I go. Will my blurry vision in that eye at the moment clear up? Will the foggy look go away? The after-procedure instructions say you don’t rub the eye. Did I rub it while I was still befuddled by the sedation? Are the drops I need to put in the eye going to burn so much every time I put them in the eye? What happens if this doesn’t work? Will an optometrist be able to correct the poor vision left by the ophthalmologists?

Thankfully, the road I traveled to reach this point taught me many lessons. I cannot change what happened or didn’t happen this morning. I cannot let the potential shortcomings of the procedure interfere with my walk through this life. I have overcome and will overcome until my time here is done.

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