Life-Changing Surgery Opens the Door to New Adventures

Jane shares her experience of life before and after cataract surgery with Freedom Vision by SpaMedica, highlighting the dramatic improvement in her sight and overall quality of life.

“I was beginning to struggle doing the things I enjoyed, and even simple parts of my daily routine were being disrupted. Popping to the shops was hard because my sight impacted my driving, especially at night when the glare of the lights started to make me feel unsafe behind the wheel. And to some it may sound simple, but I really wanted to paint my own nails again,” explained Jane. “I couldn’t even see to paint my toenails, so I knew I had to act and have surgery”.

For Jane, choosing a cataract surgery provider was easy. Motivated by her desire to also correct her astigmatism, which develops when the cornea or lens becomes misshapen, Jane was impressed with the variety of lenses Freedom Vision offers, including Monofocal Torics, which would allow her to correct the cataract and astigmatism.

Jane also knew she wanted to be cared for by Freedom Vision by SpaMedica Solihull as it had no waiting times, so felt it was the best choice to support her on her patient journey, to receive the best possible outcome.

“My vision is so good, I keep thinking I need to take my contact lenses out.” Jane laughs. After years of murky vision, she can now see colours vividly, and as a keen gardener, it’s brought some of the magic back to her hobby. “Before, I couldn’t see my orange dahlias clearly – they all looked yellow. Now, I can spot a weed at 30 feet! It’s made a complete change; everything is so much brighter now.”

Jane’s husband Steve, a 74-year-old retired engineer, also had his cataracts removed this year. And though it had a vast impact on his quality of life, he was more delighted that his wife could see clearly for the first time in decades.

Saving money on glasses, and time wasted trying to look for them, the couple can see huge benefits to their decision to undergo surgery. However, their newfound clarity hasn’t just changed their day-to-day life, it’s opened the door to new opportunities. Jane and Steve are avid travellers and will be exploring Singapore and Japan in the next few months. Jane is particularly excited about trying scuba diving for the first time, something she avoided before because she relied on glasses. “I want to live as much as I can before we pop our clogs!” she jokes. Steve, however, will be sitting the scuba diving out, leaving the underwater exploring to Jane.

“The surgery was a positive experience. It wasn’t actually uncomfortable at all, and it felt as though I was looking through a kaleidoscope. You are looked after and go through many patient checks, and aftercare. I can honestly say now, it is the surgery that changed my life.”

While both eyes can be treated closely together, Jane was delighted to work her appointments around her busy schedule. “I had both eyes done on different occasions at times that suited me, and I actually looked forward to the second surgery!”

“I appreciate with eyes, some people can feel nervous, but Freedom Vision by SpaMedica are true professionals. The fact that they gave me the best vision possible is priceless and I will always be grateful. As for my toenails, I’ve been able to paint them for the first time in a long while.”