On 1 March 2017 I had cataract surgery on my left eye and two weeks later on the right eye. In the overall scheme of things no big deal, routine procedures that are performed on hundreds of thousands of folks each year. But mine was somewhat out of the ordinary and apparently unmasked a preexisting condition called right fourth nerve palsy that produces double vision, something I had had since birth apparently but my eyes had compensated over time.
Anyway, it was several months before the condition was diagnosed. Eventually I was faced with either eye muscle surgery -- not always successful I was informed -- or go through life using a pretty serious set of prism lenses in glasses.
I opted for the glasses, resigned to living with double vision for the rest of my life.
But as the years went on I became increasingly frustrated by the restrictions the prisms placed on me and frankly I tired of them. I turned to an eye specialist in Detroit and after several visits scheduled for surgery. The result was disappointing to say the least: the procedure did NOTHING to resolve my condition.
So it was back to resignation mode.
I had been getting my glasses at Cascade Optical in Grand Rapids and at one point needed an updated prescription. They suggested Dr. Renée Korican. During my examination she casually suggested I see Dr. Patrick Droste, a well-known pediatric ophthalmologist here in Grand Rapids. And so I did.
So, at about 2:00 pm (1400 for many of you) on Wednesday 22 March, 2023 I was wheeled into the operating room, slipped into oblivion for an hour and a half and awoke to what I would soon discover to be a state of single vision back once again! Under the incredible skill of Dr. Droste I walked out of the hospital groggy to be sure but DOUBLE-VISION FREE!!
My excitement notwithstanding, it would be difficult to overstate Dr. Droste's kindness, empathy, understanding, optimism and compassion, all of which are matched only by his skill tweaking something as fragile and delicate as an eye. . .
A truly wonderful experience for me. And that cannot be overstated either.
