Article Reproduced Courtesy of Pioneer Press
Farewell to Cataracts
By Chuck Wenk, Pioneer Press, April 28, 2005
Medically speaking, I’ve been lucky all my life.
OK, maybe I’ve been lucky all the way around. Thank
you, Lord!
In any event, outside of getting tonsils removed when I
was too young to even get nervous, and then a bit of primary
skin cancer on my nose from way too much sun, that’s
been it.
However – and I suppose most of you would settle for
this instead of any kind of serious illness – I had
the first of two cataracts removed Wednesday. The second
one will be a goner in two weeks.
They say you know when it’s time to get these things
carved out. That was true for me. I don’t like to
write about myself. I never have to any extent in the column,
unless it was connected with a local story or personality.
But so many friends I know have recently had cataract surgery
and many others have been carefully quizzing me when I told
them about it that I thought I would drag you through this
situation along with me. Perhaps it will help you make a
decision.
I first noticed rays of light, like little spears, popping
out like runway lights when I landed my airplane at night.
Then I noticed the same rays and even a glow from oncoming
headlights at night. During the day I was having trouble
reading the same traffic signs that never bothered me before.
I used reading glasses only when the print is really tiny
and have glasses for distance because I am nearsighted a
bit. However, even with the glasses, the highway in front
of me seemed gray suddenly. Gray? What the heck is that?
Was I losing my sight?
At my first medical with old Doc Ed Klemptner, he advised
that I had tiny cataracts in both eyes. While they weren’t
“ripe” yet, (a term modern eye surgeons stopped
using years ago) I was barely passing the requirements for
my second-class airman’s medical!
Third-class medicals are for private pilots usually flying
for pleasure or their own business and must be taken every
24 months. Second class medicals are required annually,
and airline and corporate pilots must take first class exams
every six months.
Anyway, Dr. Bradley Ruff from Lake Forest Hospital has successfully
completed more than 8,000 cataract procedures, and the actual
surgery only takes about 20 minutes. They tell me I will
be back on the street running with my Setter by the time
you read this. I’ll keep you advised, and you can
call me with any questions.
See you next week…and I don’t mean maybe!
Read
Chuck Wenk's second article, " The Eyes Have It"
here
Cataracts
