Bending Light

When young, in playing out one day a swinging stick got in my way, it crushed my eye into my head another inch and I’d be dead. Back in 1952 there wasn’t much that they could do, so when eye surgery was done they sent me home with only one! A life of fun just flew right by for fifty years, with just one eye, some problems this has given me, but none through which I could not ‘see’. Became a marksman with a gun, in competitions had real fun. To shoot left handed I had learned for problems must be overturned. Now every job I’d ever had required good eyesight, I was glad that even though I hadn’t two, the one I had was clear and true. Then came the day that things weren’t right I noticed problems with my sight, instead of seeing clear and true, I still saw clear but now saw two! Within a week it turned to three but doctors said they couldn’t see the problem that impaired my sight and was I sure I’d got it right? It took a month of pressing on before they knew what must be done, their diagnosis now exact, a true refractive cataract. Not a cloudy type of course these stop the vision at the source but one that’s difficult to find that bends the light and tricks the mind. By now my eye was seeing four, I wondered if I’d take much more although I’ve learned to live with stress I’d clearly like to see much less! Then finally the phone call came, a cancellation brought my name to top of list, “Would I come in?” my operation could begin. Local anaesthesia and me never ever could agree, it rarely ever did the trick but none believed, until first prick! Although my surgeon said he’d try he had to re-inject my eye, the operation then went quick, just twenty minutes did the trick. The next few hours were very strange my neural pathways rearranged, from sightlessness to very blurred, illusions then that were absurd. Pure black becoming ghostly white, then seeing bright unearthly light, next colours came, but not quite right, but blazing out with blinding light. Like neon tubes in dead of night, florescent, shining, glowing bright, just like a trip on ‘LSD’, mind boggling with intensity. The next day brought me far more sense, though light still bright and contrast dense, I knew for sure I’d finally won for now my eye saw only one! It’s ten days now and my sight’s fine, my eye still hurts but that takes time. My ‘pictures’ now are crystal clear, my future’s bright and free from fear. So if you find your sight gets worse don’t live with this and simply curse but get it checked before it’s gone for wonders nowadays can be done. Our vision’s precious, don’t you see, and sight helps all to live life free but sometimes we must bear some pain to live a life of fun again! Ivor G Davies ©2011