Seeing is believing...

2018 has truly begun with me having a new view on the world around me...

I developed cataracts in both eyes last year because of my uncontrolled diabetes and they developed in a matter of a few months. Scheduling the surgery for the first eye was a process of waiting for nearly TWO months.  I could see things close-up, but anything further than a few feet away was a blur. I was fortunate enough that my husband had some old glasses that allowed me to have a fuzzy view on the world, but let me see some distances. This, thankfully, allowed me to still work while waiting for the surgery. I changed my computer settings for nearly everything a truly visually impaired person would need. At night, every headlight became a huge starburst that prevented me from distinguishing cars coming from any direction. After one frightening and disorienting drive home, where I was racing the sunset, I knew I had to make the decision to forsake my independence on the road for a time. I told my husband I could not risk driving again until after the surgery.

I had to take a 45-60 minute bus ride to work, for what was normally a 15-20 minute drive. It was a daunting walk in the dark, early in the morning and just after sunset. It was necessary to get me to my job and I still feel thankful that it was available near me. I will say that at first, I was terrified of each walk to the bus stop if the sun was not out. Mostly due to the somewhat sketchy neighborhoods I had to walk through. People came out of the misty shadows, I had no idea if I was looking at people or telephone poles, and I could not see well enough so that crossing the road, even at a crosswalk, became true leaps of faith.  I had to walk about 2.7 miles every day, to and from each bus stop. The exercise did me good....I lost about 5 pounds, my blood pressure was in good shape and my A1C dropped about 4 points. I had been looking for a way to get more exercise in so I could get healthier. Be careful what you wish for...

I had the surgery on my left eye on January 3, 2018. I could see details and distance clearly before I even got out of recovery. As soon as my husband walked into the room, I burst into tears because I could see all of him, clearly, standing in front of me, especially his smile, for the first time in months. On the way home I marveled at trees, cars, the sidewalk, doors, clouds, television, books, etc. The first time I saw a seagull flying through cloudy skies, I cried with joy again.

I'm not taking anything for granted. I still need surgery on my other eye, but I am feeling so blessed right now, that I know joy in everything. Of course, I can also see now that my house isn't as clean as I thought it was...but I can take care of that a little at a time. LOL! I am still recovering from surgery, and I don't want to do anything that would jeopardize the clear vision that has been restored. So, I do what I can, grateful for what I can do, and thank the Universe for the blessing of clear eyesight.

I'm paying attention to little things. Not just what I see, but what I feel, smell, and hear and sense intuitively.  I had to get fully in touch with all my senses for a time and it served me well.
The world is as it was a few months ago, yet it seems different now. It's me....this has changed ME. I see differently now...I am looking at the world through new eyes. And I am looking forward to what I will see next.