I tried 5 different contact lenses in the first half of 2005, until my optometrist said that the prescription was correct, but I had opacity in my eye. I returned to wearing glasses — something I haven’t done constantly since teenage years. By November, the vision was getting worse. It’s now definitely been diagnosed as a trauma-induced cataract, but I have to first get an official opinion from an opthamologist.
From early December, the first available referral was in April. A second try was in March. I decided to phone the St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation — I have actually donated (small amounts) of money to the eye clinic, because Diana had a nearly-detached retina some years back. They got me onto the cancellation list for the eye clinic, so I have an appointment on February 12 — next Tuesday. This is just the consult, not the surgery.
In a movement in the right direction, the Province of Ontario is now monitoring wait times, and cataract surgeries are one procedure they monitor. Here’s what I think I’ll have to look forward to, after Tuesday.
| Hospital Name | Approximate distance (Km) | LHIN | Median Wait Time (days) | Average Wait Time (days) | 90% completed within (days) |
| Cataract Surgery For All Of Ontario (Hospital Reporting: 66 of 77) |
93 | 138 | 314 | ||
| St. Michael’s Hospital (Toronto) | 3 | Toronto Central | 85 | 134 | 335 |
I usually work at about 150% — that means that I can do my day job, and other volunteer stuff and graduate studies — but now I seem to be operating at about 80%. I may have to look to short-term disability. This is when it’s good to be working for a big company.