My mother has had what we in the scientific community would classify as “poor vision” for a while now. It was especially hard for her to see well at night, and she couldn’t read the cable guide (even on a 27″ TV). When walking somewhere after sundown she needed somebody to help with things like curbs and stairs.

So, it was with great relief this evening when — from across the couch — she read the subtitle on a book I just bought. I was even more elated when she started reading the text off the television.

Last week she had corrective surgery for a cataract in her left eye, and it appears she’s recovering quickly. That’s good news, because the doctor has scheduled a similar procedure for her right eye in two weeks. Considering her improvement with just one eye repaired, I can’t imagine how wonderful it will be for her once they’ve both been fixed.

The sad part of the story is that she’s having these surgeries so late in life. Her previous eye doctor told her the cataracts in her eyes were inoperable. It wasn’t until she felt she couldn’t drive that she sought a second opinion, and it turns out that was a wise decision that we wish she had made earlier.

Anyhoo, thanks for indulging me: I know a bunch of folk back in Silver City might be interested, and I’m so excited for my mom (who, on the day after her surgery kept telling me “I keep catching glimpses of what I’m going to see.)”