Quite a process to go through. I think going in for any operation is something we’d just prefer to avoid.
Rosemary Kneipp
October 6th, 2014 at 9:17 pm
I quite agree – although I wouldn’t mind having the other eye done and getting perfect eyesight as a result!
Kim
October 6th, 2014 at 1:18 am
So glad all went well for you!
Rosemary Kneipp
October 6th, 2014 at 8:19 am
Thank you, Kim, and welcome to Aussie in France.
amrita
October 6th, 2014 at 8:59 am
I went through all those emotions a year back, when I had my left eye operated for cataract. I did not opt for a multifocal lens. So now post operation i cannot thread a needle nor read the little writing on my watch, something I could do with ease before the operation. The operation would have taken about 10 minutes at the most. I could ‘see’ beautiful colours floating around during the operation and then something like a jelly fish settling down. It seemed like a psychedelic experience. I refrained from writing earlier because I didn’t want to make you nervous. I’m happy for you.
Rosemary Kneipp
October 6th, 2014 at 9:18 pm
Amrita, why didn’t you opt for a multifocal lens? What a disappointment it must have been. Thank you for not commenting before the operation. It would have freaked me out! I didn’t get the psychedelic jelly fish experience.
I’m quite surprised that you haven’t had any friends who’ve had cataracts operated on. We have that to look forward to later this year with Simon I expect. The earlier they are done the better is my understanding, and everyone who’s had it done has told us it’s not a big deal and very successful. The description of your op sounds much like Simon’s description for his detached retina. I’m glad it went well and hopefully the move will go well today too.
Rosemary Kneipp
October 6th, 2014 at 9:20 pm
I think it might have been a question of age. Most of the people in the waiting room were about 10 years older than me but I think Australians are more prone to early cataracts because of the strong sun.
The move went well today. We have a busy fortnight ahead before going back to Paris for the removalists. We would have preferred some sun on our arrival though!
I love the tiny details of your stories Rosemary – only in France would the Pharmacists go on strike! So pleased for you that all went well
Rosemary Kneipp
October 6th, 2014 at 9:20 pm
Incredible isn’t it, that pharmacists should be on strike!
Pamela
October 6th, 2014 at 2:16 pm
Rosemary
So well written it made me feel as though I was going through the trauma of eye surgery with you. So pleased that it’s worked out so well. Take it easy, give yourself time to recover and the eye time to heal. Best wishes, Pamela
Rosemary Kneipp
October 6th, 2014 at 9:21 pm
The eye seems fine but I’m going to take it easy this week despite the move!
Conrad Boucher
October 6th, 2014 at 7:02 pm
Hi
My ophthalmologist told me last month that i have the start of a cataract in one eye. Something to look forward to in the next 5 years (-: I keep hearing that it is now done with lasers, so was surprised that you did not mention that in your post.
Wishing you good health and un bon déménagement to Blois; looking forward to reading about that “adventure”
cheers
Rosemary Kneipp
October 6th, 2014 at 9:23 pm
I’d have to done as soon as possible – the new vision is really great. I forgot to mention that it was done with ultrasound (I’ll add a sentence to the post).
Thank you for your well wishes for the déménagement. We arrived today to get everything ready for the removalists – in the rain!
Good report about your surgery. I feel like I was there all along. I’m so glad you are over this surgery, Rosemary. Although banal and easy to do (for the surgeon) there is always the risk for infections and complications. I can’t believe how inexpensive the cost of medical procedures is in Europe. My health insurance has a $4,000 deductible after which I get covered only 80%.
Rosemary Kneipp
October 7th, 2014 at 10:19 am
Goodness, do you mean you’d have to pay for a cataract operation in full? I have to contact my mutual benefits fund and see if they reimburse any of the remaining 375 euros.
Janelle
October 7th, 2014 at 3:05 pm
Glad to know everything went well, move included 🙂
It’s great that you kept your sense of humour depsite the stress at the hospital. I know how stiff the French can be in those situations!
Rosemary Kneipp
October 7th, 2014 at 8:11 pm
Thanks Janelle! I lost my sense of humour in the morning with the Bétadine thing but once I got to the hospital, it came back again, thank goodness. I think that the fact that are so nice really helped.
Gwendoline in Australia
February 10th, 2015 at 7:59 pm
That was a fascinating account of your cataract operation. How incredible that parts of the procedure should vary so much between there and here (Melbourne, Australia). I had both eyes done by a cataract specialist who only does cataracts – by laser. (Not sure how they would have used ultrasound for you there). The right eye had a ‘massive’ cataract – my optician didn’t tell me it was big. I found the story of needing to wash your face (and your hair !!??) with ANYthing was a bit bizarre. I had to fast for the anaesthetic of course but apart from the preparations you describe I knew nothing. I saw the cataract surgeon when they put me on a trolley and took me to surgery, then I knew nothing until someone said to me ‘would you get off the trolley and sit in the chair please’. It was all done, no pain and no stress. My eyes were done 2 days apart (normally a week apart) and they used a transparent plastic shield to cover the eye for a day, much better and safer than the non-transparent one you had in the photo. (Such a simple thing but much so much better). I now have almost 20/20 vision and I no longer wear glasses, after 14 years of progressively stronger glasses. I was $1700 out of pocket for the whole thing. It could have been done for much less if I had gone to an ordinary eye surgeon in my regional city of Ballarat, but I understand results can very depending on the surgeon’s expertise. It was like a miracle to me. I had had a terrible fall earlier in the year (broken hip and shoulder, 9 weeks in 4 different hospitals) and then my optician told me I had a cataract (which they had known for 5 years apparently). The surgeon said I was not seeing the pavement as it really was. So I say to everyone ‘Don’t wait if you have cataracts’. The surgeon said I would have been ‘legally blind’ in the right eye within 6 months. The optician had said it was not urgent . Wishing you a wonderful time in regional France.
Rosemary Kneipp
February 10th, 2015 at 9:32 pm
Hi Gwendoline, I agree – it’s amazing how different things can be from one country to another, and even from one person to another. I wish my doctor had explained the vision thing. I loved my near vision but my night vision is very annoying.
Looks like you had a really great experience with your surgery overseas. Sometimes it can save so much money! Thanks for sharing.
Colin Chatfield
April 1st, 2021 at 9:27 pm
What a difference from my experience, but I loved your story.
I was British but now French and the cataract was replaced with an intaocular devise with an injectable syringe in the south west of France.
Unfortunately after a few days it slipped down and cause loss of vision and was replaced yeserday 31 March 150 kms away in Bordaux having left at 5:45 am in a complicated surgery that only took 25 minutes. Cost of the reimbursed taxi was 540€.
A day later 1st April the controle surgeon locally said “c’est nickel”, great now time will tell. But others shouldn’t worry as it is only 1-1000 with such a problem or less.
Quite a process to go through. I think going in for any operation is something we’d just prefer to avoid.
I quite agree – although I wouldn’t mind having the other eye done and getting perfect eyesight as a result!
So glad all went well for you!
Thank you, Kim, and welcome to Aussie in France.
I went through all those emotions a year back, when I had my left eye operated for cataract. I did not opt for a multifocal lens. So now post operation i cannot thread a needle nor read the little writing on my watch, something I could do with ease before the operation. The operation would have taken about 10 minutes at the most. I could ‘see’ beautiful colours floating around during the operation and then something like a jelly fish settling down. It seemed like a psychedelic experience. I refrained from writing earlier because I didn’t want to make you nervous. I’m happy for you.
Amrita, why didn’t you opt for a multifocal lens? What a disappointment it must have been. Thank you for not commenting before the operation. It would have freaked me out! I didn’t get the psychedelic jelly fish experience.
I’m quite surprised that you haven’t had any friends who’ve had cataracts operated on. We have that to look forward to later this year with Simon I expect. The earlier they are done the better is my understanding, and everyone who’s had it done has told us it’s not a big deal and very successful. The description of your op sounds much like Simon’s description for his detached retina. I’m glad it went well and hopefully the move will go well today too.
I think it might have been a question of age. Most of the people in the waiting room were about 10 years older than me but I think Australians are more prone to early cataracts because of the strong sun.
The move went well today. We have a busy fortnight ahead before going back to Paris for the removalists. We would have preferred some sun on our arrival though!
I love the tiny details of your stories Rosemary – only in France would the Pharmacists go on strike! So pleased for you that all went well
Incredible isn’t it, that pharmacists should be on strike!
Rosemary
So well written it made me feel as though I was going through the trauma of eye surgery with you. So pleased that it’s worked out so well. Take it easy, give yourself time to recover and the eye time to heal. Best wishes, Pamela
The eye seems fine but I’m going to take it easy this week despite the move!
Hi
My ophthalmologist told me last month that i have the start of a cataract in one eye. Something to look forward to in the next 5 years (-: I keep hearing that it is now done with lasers, so was surprised that you did not mention that in your post.
Wishing you good health and un bon déménagement to Blois; looking forward to reading about that “adventure”
cheers
I’d have to done as soon as possible – the new vision is really great. I forgot to mention that it was done with ultrasound (I’ll add a sentence to the post).
Thank you for your well wishes for the déménagement. We arrived today to get everything ready for the removalists – in the rain!
Good report about your surgery. I feel like I was there all along. I’m so glad you are over this surgery, Rosemary. Although banal and easy to do (for the surgeon) there is always the risk for infections and complications. I can’t believe how inexpensive the cost of medical procedures is in Europe. My health insurance has a $4,000 deductible after which I get covered only 80%.
Goodness, do you mean you’d have to pay for a cataract operation in full? I have to contact my mutual benefits fund and see if they reimburse any of the remaining 375 euros.
Glad to know everything went well, move included 🙂
It’s great that you kept your sense of humour depsite the stress at the hospital. I know how stiff the French can be in those situations!
Thanks Janelle! I lost my sense of humour in the morning with the Bétadine thing but once I got to the hospital, it came back again, thank goodness. I think that the fact that are so nice really helped.
That was a fascinating account of your cataract operation. How incredible that parts of the procedure should vary so much between there and here (Melbourne, Australia). I had both eyes done by a cataract specialist who only does cataracts – by laser. (Not sure how they would have used ultrasound for you there). The right eye had a ‘massive’ cataract – my optician didn’t tell me it was big. I found the story of needing to wash your face (and your hair !!??) with ANYthing was a bit bizarre. I had to fast for the anaesthetic of course but apart from the preparations you describe I knew nothing. I saw the cataract surgeon when they put me on a trolley and took me to surgery, then I knew nothing until someone said to me ‘would you get off the trolley and sit in the chair please’. It was all done, no pain and no stress. My eyes were done 2 days apart (normally a week apart) and they used a transparent plastic shield to cover the eye for a day, much better and safer than the non-transparent one you had in the photo. (Such a simple thing but much so much better). I now have almost 20/20 vision and I no longer wear glasses, after 14 years of progressively stronger glasses. I was $1700 out of pocket for the whole thing. It could have been done for much less if I had gone to an ordinary eye surgeon in my regional city of Ballarat, but I understand results can very depending on the surgeon’s expertise. It was like a miracle to me. I had had a terrible fall earlier in the year (broken hip and shoulder, 9 weeks in 4 different hospitals) and then my optician told me I had a cataract (which they had known for 5 years apparently). The surgeon said I was not seeing the pavement as it really was. So I say to everyone ‘Don’t wait if you have cataracts’. The surgeon said I would have been ‘legally blind’ in the right eye within 6 months. The optician had said it was not urgent . Wishing you a wonderful time in regional France.
Hi Gwendoline, I agree – it’s amazing how different things can be from one country to another, and even from one person to another. I wish my doctor had explained the vision thing. I loved my near vision but my night vision is very annoying.
Looks like you had a really great experience with your surgery overseas. Sometimes it can save so much money! Thanks for sharing.
What a difference from my experience, but I loved your story.
I was British but now French and the cataract was replaced with an intaocular devise with an injectable syringe in the south west of France.
Unfortunately after a few days it slipped down and cause loss of vision and was replaced yeserday 31 March 150 kms away in Bordaux having left at 5:45 am in a complicated surgery that only took 25 minutes. Cost of the reimbursed taxi was 540€.
A day later 1st April the controle surgeon locally said “c’est nickel”, great now time will tell. But others shouldn’t worry as it is only 1-1000 with such a problem or less.