Dear J: My Glasses
Dear  [J],
Yes, I have poor eyesight. I had congenital cataracts. In fact, at birth, I was totally blind. But then surgery between 6 months and 2 years of age allowed me to see. True, I don’t see 20 / 20. But I have enough vision to enjoy most sighted-world activities – movies, hikes, skating, reading, . . .
The laser surgery you speak of is intended to treat a different eye condition than what I have. The lasers reshape the eyeball (to make it more spherical). They correct conditions like astigmatism, in which the light rays entering the eye, do not focus exactly at the retina. By altering the shape of the front of the eye, the distance between the front and the retina can be adjusted slightly. Often this is enough to correct the problem, and the glasses or contacts need no longer be worn.
However, my reduced vision comes from the absence of natural lenses in my eyes. That was the part that was cloudy at birth, from the cataracts, and was therefore removed from both eyes. Thus, the laser surgery would not help here.
I try contacts periodically as the technology advances. However, to date, they do not stay centered over my pupils properly and are more of a headache than the glasses. I have also looked into lens implants. However, from the surgery as a baby, there is some scar tissue in there, and ophthalmologists are reluctant to perform the operations due to the possibility that the scar tissue could interfere with the proper operation of the implanted lens. So, at least for the moment, technology offers no solutions.
But I am happy with my life and very grateful for it. Oh I suppose that during my teens and early 20s, I might have wanted to change places with a person with full vision. But not these days. I have managed to complete my bachelor or science work in computer science with a minor in mathematics, and to become a respected computer authority at my company where I have worked for 12 years. Three fully sighted people report to me currently for technical direction. And that is despite my reduced eyesight. Many folks never achieve that status. And so, looking back from this day, I would not change a thing about my life, since I am quite content with this spiritual location, where the path I followed through my past has led me.
More later,
Tom Hesley
