Cataract surgery for my mum

One of the least exceptional things my mom Eileen was born with was her brown eyes. But. They were crossed. At 16 she had an operation to correct them, and while it did what was intended, an allergic reaction to the materials used in surgery also resulted in quadruplopia (quadruple vision). So while her eye physically looked straight, her brain now saw four of everything. (Later she found out that our dad had thought her crossed eye was cute, but that’s a story for another time.) She learned her way around this new way of seeing, and until recently, her vision was not something that bothered her.

Lately, though, she has developed cataracts that make some day to day activities challenging, and she is scheduled for surgery on July 5 and 19. She has some apprehension because the only other operation she’s ever had left her with compromised vision, but despite her reservations, she’s been excited to see clearly again.

Now here’s the bad news. She just received a phone call letting her know she has to meet a pretty high copay and deductible before she can have these surgeries, and that’s money she doesn’t have. She doesn’t know I’m doing this and maybe she’d be mortified; I don’t know. I just thought I had to give it a try. If I had the means, I’d obviously help her out myself.

Maybe to an excessive degree, my mom has always seen the good in everyone. I want her to keep seeing that. Thank you.