"Cataract Surgery successful & fuss free"

I have suffered from cataracts since at least the late 1980s. I became unable to read road signs by 2000 even with fully corrected contact lenses - I was lucky I only rode a bike! I was unable to read power point presentations and the like, but continued teaching and leading a department until 2010.

My opticians, Boots, formerly Dolland and Aitchinson could not explain it, I was able to read down ti the 4th/5th line on the chart - but with a lot of hesitation, I also was able to read close to without reading glasses again, I had a collection of a dozen or so reading glasses I had needed before, I also indicated heightened sensitivity to bright lights. My myopia was again getting worse after a period if stability

All this indicated cataracts but because their record keeping is so dismal the optometrists were never able to see a continuation of data which would have led them to the right diagnosis.

Last year revisited them being desperate, I was seeing two images in each eye by this time - all they could say to me was that I owed them £40 for the extra visit and couldn't help me. I felt it was my fault.

A few weeks after this I again went back asking for a referral to the NHS. They said no, but that they would refer me to another private company in Grays where I went and sat in front of countless pieces of apparatuses for almost 2 hours only for them to give up and shrug their shoulders.

So at last I was referred to the NHS. I wasn't more than 5 minutes with the ophthalmic consultant at Orsett before they ascertained that I had severe cataracts and put me on the urgent list!

3 weeks later my first eye was done and I felt I had moved from one world to another -- and indescribable feeling! Just over a month later my second eye was done with the same results. At the check up on the first eye my left eye could see better than 20:20! I had no problem reading the bottom line of the chart.

I retired in 2010, I would have given anything to have finished my teaching career having being able to see like this!

The two operations lasted hardly 10 minutes and the before and after care were exemplary, I felt being treated like an individual unlike with the private merchants I had had to deal with previously.

A really big thank you to the surgeons and staff at Orsett. Orsett Eye Clinic is part of Southend Hospital, I am sure that the treatment there is no less professional.

Thumbs up to the NHS.