67-year-old's 'life-changing surgery' at Solihull clinic allows her to send Christmas cards again

The 67-year-old former IT specialist from Warwick had struggled with her eyesight for 47 years, but it was the development of cataracts that she found debilitating.

“I was beginning to struggle doing the things I enjoyed, and even simple parts of my daily routine were being disrupted. Popping to the shops was hard because my sight impacted my driving, especially at night when the glare of the lights started to make me feel unsafe behind the wheel,” explained Jane. “I knew I had to act and have surgery”.

For Jane, choosing a cataract surgery provider was easy. Motivated by her desire to correct her astigmatism, which develops when the cornea or lens becomes misshapen, as well as getting rid of her cataracts, Jane was impressed with the quality and variety of lenses Freedom Vision offers. During her consultation with her surgeon, they agreed that for Jane’s specific needs, Monofocal Torics would give her optimum vision.

“As someone who has always had problems with eyesight, I was determined to choose the best option for me. It’s incredible, I now have 20:20 vision.

Jane also knew she wanted to be cared for by Freedom Vision (Solihull) as it has no waiting times, so felt it was the best choice to support her on her patient journey, to receive the best possible outcome.

“Freedom Vision has brought colour back into my life. I never thought I would be able to see so clearly.

“My vision is so good, I keep thinking I need to take my contact lenses out,” Jane laughs. After years of murky vision, she can now see colours vividly, and as a keen gardener, it’s brought some of the magic back to her hobby.

“Before, I couldn’t see my orange dahlias clearly - they all looked yellow. Now, I can spot a weed at 30 feet! It’s made a complete change; everything is so much brighter now.”

Jane’s husband Steve, a 74-year-old retired engineer, also had his cataracts removed this year. And though it had a vast impact on his quality of life, he was more delighted that his wife could see clearly for the first time in decades.

“It’s been life-changing for her,” Steve says. “Knowing how difficult her vision was, I’m more pleased for her than for myself. It was absolutely the right decision investing in our eye health - and we are looking forward to future adventures.”

Saving money on glasses, and time wasted trying to look for them, the couple can see huge benefits to their decision to undergo surgery. However, their newfound clarity hasn’t just changed their day-to-day life, it’s opened the door to new opportunities.

Jane and Steve are avid travellers and will be exploring Singapore and Japan in the next few months. Jane is particularly excited about trying scuba diving for the first time, something she avoided previously because she relied on glasses.

“I want to live as much as I can before we pop our clogs!” she jokes. Steve, however, will be sitting the scuba diving out, leaving the underwater exploring to Jane.

Now Jane and Steve are reassuring others looking to have cataract surgery to go for it.

“The surgery was a positive experience. It wasn’t actually uncomfortable at all, and it felt as though I was looking through a kaleidoscope. You are looked after and go through many patient checks, and aftercare. I can honestly say now, it is the surgery that changed my life.

While both eyes can be treated closely together, Jane was delighted to work her appointments around her busy schedule, “I had both eyes done on different occasions at times that suited me, and I actually looked forward to the second surgery!

“I appreciate with eyes, some people can feel nervous, but Freedom Vision are true professionals. The fact that they gave me the best vision possible to me is priceless and I will always be grateful.

“As for Christmas cards, I’d like my friends and family to know there will be some in the post for them this year.”

Amie Carter, Patient Liaison Manager at Freedom Vision Solihull, explains: “Jane chose Freedom Vision because we can offer high-quality care, with a variety of lenses available.

“Now she has enhanced vision and can do more of the things she loves – both figuratively and literally she sees the world differently. It’s proof that investing in your eye health has huge personal benefits. It’s wonderful to see how our work with patients truly impacts their lives, and it makes me proud to work here.

“Cataracts are common in adults - about 30% of adults aged 65+ will have a cataract that is affecting their vision and requires treatment.

“As Jane experienced, during a free consultation, a specialist consultant can advise on the wide range of lenses we offer, from Toric lenses that can correct large degrees of astigmatism to multifocals that help with both distance and reading.

“This kind of bespoke service, which can improve vision and even remove reliance on glasses, is a benefit of investing in cataract treatment through a private provider.”