man goes blind; recovers later

Yesterday I returned to my optician to have him inspect my eyes carefully. In order to facilitate said task, he applied drops of mydrilate, a powerful chemical which enlarges the pupils and allow a full examination to be carried out. Unfortunately this renders the pupils incapable of contracting properly for several hours. The verdict was that a central cataract (the most awkward position, as it interdicts rays of light as they converge and cross) in each eye, the left worse than the right. To my considerable relief, no additional disease was detected. Now I must arrange to see an ophthalmologist to see whether, and if so, when, it will become appropriate to remove the lens opacities. At the moment I can just about pass the criteria required in the driving test, which is the bottom line for these things. I fancy the eye specialist will delay operation until I can no longer operate to this standard- perhaps a year, perhaps more.

On leaving the opticians I found myself assailed by the intensity of the sunlight even with sunglasses, and limped home with eyes screwed up like someone stranded in the Central Libyan Desert without his shades. Which is still better than BEING stranded in the Central Libyan Desert, I suppose. And being deprived of accommodation (the pupils must contract to allow this), focus is more or less impossible. After about 4 hours the effect wore off, but it was an interesting experience, realizing how much one can do even when three quarters blind.