Body & Mind

It’s a miracle: May can see

By May-Britt Mobach | #!30Sat, 23 Sep 2023 07:15:59 +0200+02:005930#30Sat, 23 Sep 2023 07:15:59 +0200+02:00-7Europe/Amsterdam3030Europe/Amsterdam202330 23am30am-30Sat, 23 Sep 2023 07:15:59 +0200+02:007Europe/Amsterdam3030Europe/Amsterdam2023302023Sat, 23 Sep 2023 07:15:59 +0200157159amSaturday=9#!30Sat, 23 Sep 2023 07:15:59 +0200+02:00Europe/Amsterdam9#09-23-2023#!30Sat, 23 Sep 2023 07:15:59 +0200+02:005930#/30Sat, 23 Sep 2023 07:15:59 +0200+02:00-7Europe/Amsterdam3030Europe/Amsterdam202330#!30Sat, 23 Sep 2023 07:15:59 +0200+02:00Europe/Amsterdam9#

may laughing on the beach wearing a blue blouse

It. Is. A. Miracle. I have no other words for it. Well, a miracle. A revelation. A gift from God. I can see. And how. Do you know those rarely small letters on the back of, for example, a jar of magnesium pills? I can read them now. Just like the leaflet of the paracetamol. The newspaper? A piece of cake. And it’s all getting even better.

All thanks to the surgery on my eyes. There was again a fountain of questions in my DM, so here are the most frequently asked.

1. How does it work?
I arrived half an hour before the procedure. Then everything is reviewed again and you get an oxazepam to stay calm and two aspirins. After that, I was led to a room where I received a charming shower cap, an operation gown, and slippers for my feet. In a waiting area, I waited until the surgeon came to get me. It felt a bit like sitting in the cart of the Python that slowly and ominously goes up. You can’t turn back and wonder why on earth you did this. But then the surgeon comes, the radio is just on (it’s just another day at the office for them and that is reassuring) and everyone is very serious and intensely kind. Moreover, they explain what happens when and why, which I always find very nice. After twenty minutes, eye one was done. Then preparations were made for eye two and within three quarters of an hour, I was downstairs.

2. Do you see sharply right away?
Not yet. Your lens still needs to form and your eye is still blurry from the ointments used to numb and disinfect it. It is recommended to take it easy that day. You sleep with two protective caps on your eye so you don’t rub it. You also get a drop schedule for the coming month.

3. What are you not allowed to do?
No eye makeup for a week, don’t rub your eyes, don’t bend over, don’t lift heavy things, etc. Also preferably not go to smoky places, saunas, or swimming pools. Oh, and that one thing, that is allowed, but carefully. ‘Like two hedgehogs,’ says Jan-Willem, the owner of Retina. So with care.

4. Does this last forever?
For me, yes. These lenses can go in the coffin. I have two hundred years of warranty, so that’s all good. But the best thing is to come by for a consultation. Not all eyes are suitable for this procedure. Maybe laser treatment suits you better or it’s wise to wait until your ‘reading defect’ is at its lowest point.

5. What do you see?
Everything! That annoying instruction on the Albert Heijn delivery package that I always had to take pictures of to enlarge them later. This Word document in font size 12 instead of 18, my daughter’s messages, the newspaper… My score was already 20 out of 20 at the follow-up check today. And it’s supposed to get even better.

‘Mom, such an operation. That’s almost as expensive as a Birkin, right?’ my daughter asked in the car on the way to the follow-up check. I know, I nodded. And you know, I’m actually happier with this.’ She understood it too.