Pensioner pens poem to encourage others to seek cataract treatment

Company news

Jun 23, 2014

A retired manager from Langport was so happy following his cataract operation that he turned to poetry to help persuade others to go through with the surgery.

Prior to the 15-minute treatment, Ken Rose was one of almost a third of over 65s across the country to suffer from cataracts in one or both eyes.  Cataracts are due to cloudy patches developing in the lens of the eye which can cause blurry or misty vision.

Just a few weeks after the operation the 83 year old was back reading and penning poems. He attributes his quick recovery to the team at Care UK’s Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre, which he said has given him a new lease   of life after improving his sight.

“I had cataracts removed in both eyes last November and I can’t begin to describe the changes it has made to my life. I didn’t realise how bad my eyesight had got.”

A trip to his GP revealed his sight was deteriorating and he was given the choice, as in line with patient choice regulations, of two places to have his treatment.

The grandfather of seven said he chose Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre because he liked the idea of a more personalised service compared to the bigger hospitals. He also knew a number of people who had gone there and were happy with their treatment, along with 92 per cent of former patients who would recommend the centre to family and friends.

With a local waiting time of around four weeks for ophthalmology treatments, which include cataract extraction, it wasn’t long before Ken was in the surgeon’s chair ready to undergo the procedure.

Ken says: “Even though it wasn’t as close to home as the local hospital, I still wanted to go there because of the feedback I’d heard. It was also much quicker to get into for treatment.”

The retired pension scheme manager said his full recovery following the cataract extraction was just a matter of weeks.

“The support of my wife who gave me eye drops 24/7 really helped my recovery. Shepton Mallet had a phone number I could call if I needed to speak to a consultant and offered an extra visit when I felt I needed a follow up.”

“I was treated like a real person, not a number, and the actual procedure wasn’t at all painful for me. My surgeon Mr Javad Moayedi made the treatment as quick as possible. It was over in 15 minutes and I was allowed to go home later that day. To those who are worried about undergoing a cataract extraction I’d say just go for it! The benefits far outweigh any fear.” 

Care UK Ophthalmic Surgeon Mr Moayedi says many people don’t realise they can have surgery to fix their sight: “As a surgeon, it’s a pleasure to see the life changing results these techniques can create. In many cases you can be having the treatment done within four weeks of a visit to your GP or optometrist.”       

Since recovering from the treatment, Ken has penned a new poem, which he hopes will encourage others to seek a path to clearer vision.

Post-Cataract-Extraction!

With my new eyes
I can see the tracery
of distant trees against the sky;
the delicacy of detail I once missed,
however hard I looked
before.

With my new eyes
I can see the shades
unfolding in that subtle sky;
the blues, the grays, and yes the greens,
that only artists saw
before.

With my new eyes
I can see the clarity
of colour on the white (not yellowish) page,
the lines and lineaments of faces;
images not quite grasped
before.

With my new eyes
I can see the kindness
and the good in faces on the street.
Have they changed, or perhaps it’s me
who hadn’t noticed this
before?