Cataract Surgery Close to Home [Cheryl Huyck]

In this video, Cheryl Huyck from Volga, South Dakota, shares her experience with cataract surgery and how it restored her vision. She discusses her hesitation, what led her to move forward, and what recovery was like. Her story highlights how receiving expert care close to home can be both reassuring and life-changing.

  • Vision Changes Can Affect Daily Life: Cataracts can make it difficult to read, drive, use a computer or enjoy hobbies like music and gardening.
  • Glasses May Not Be Enough: When cataracts progress, glasses often cannot fully correct blurry or unfocused vision.
  • Surgery Is Quick and Local: Cataract surgery is a fast procedure with a short recovery period and can be performed close to home.
  • Noticeable Results Quickly: Many patients experience dramatic improvements in clarity and color shortly after surgery.
  • Compassionate, Personalized Care: Patients value a hometown approach where they feel supported, heard, and treated like family.

Frequently Asked Questions

Cataract surgery is a procedure that removes a cloudy natural lens from the eye and replaces it to restore clear vision. It is performed when cataracts interfere with daily activities such as reading, driving or working on a computer.

It may be time for surgery when vision problems affect everyday life and glasses no longer provide clear focus. The decision is typically based on symptom severity and an eye doctor’s recommendation.

In early stages, vision changes from cataracts may be managed with updated glasses prescriptions. However, once cataracts significantly limit vision, surgery is the only effective treatment.

Cataract surgery is generally considered safe and is commonly performed. Your surgeon will monitor for potential reactions or complications and ensure your pain level and recovery are carefully managed.

Recovery is typically short, and the procedure itself is fast. Many patients notice clearer, brighter vision—sometimes as soon as the next day.

Video Transcript

My name is Cheryl Huyck, and I am from Volga, South Dakota, and I love gardening and I love music.

How was your vision before cataract surgery?

I would get frustrated because I couldn't see or focus right and I would squint and I would...So it affected my working on a computer. It affected my simple things like going for a walk, taking a long drive. So it affected just about every area for me.

Why were you hesitant about cataract surgery?

To be honest, it wasn't necessarily a fear of the surgery. I think I was just hesitant that is this really something that absolutely had to be done? You know, couldn't the glasses correct it, you know, instead of going through all that?

What brought you to Dr. Knudtson?

I went to my regular doctor, Dr. Twitero, and I was having a lot of problems with my seeing and he said, "Now it's time." He said, "I encourage you to go to Dr. Knudtson here in Brookings." And I said, "I would much rather keep it local." And he spoke very, very highly of him. And I knew of others that had gone to him, so I did.

When did you decide to move forward with cataract surgery?

When it became so bad that everything I was doing, everything I did in my home, reading, it didn't make any difference, trying to work on music, whatever it was, it was just getting too much. I was tired of not being able to see and focus even with my glasses, my current ones that I had. And I became so frustrated and just knew, "Okay. This is time. You have to do something."

How was your experience with Dr. Knudtson?

Absolutely fantastic. He was so personable, very, very compassionate, and he was patient, and kind, absolutely what you would look for in what I would call more of a hometown doctor and yet an expert in what he does. And so I was just so impressed with him.

What did you appreciate about the surgical staff?

Oh, kind. Oh, my goodness, they were kind. You know, it was almost like gathering with family because they treated you as if you were one of them and you weren't just a number on a page and a person, you know, just like, "Okay. We've seen four now. Here comes number five." They treated you as if you were family. And they were very supportive, very kind, and answered any question that I had without any hesitating at all.

How was your recovery?

The recovery part was short, maybe 10 to 15 minutes, then back into my room. And we stayed there not that long, about an hour and a half, and Dr. Knudtson came back in to see me and talk to me and wanted to make sure that pain level-wise and what I would need, you know, he was just so compassionate. And then making sure that I didn't have a reaction to any, you know, dyes or anything like that. And the nurses too. Oh, my goodness. They were wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. And so it really was a very fast procedure.

What did you notice after your first surgery?

Tremendous. I woke up the next day and I decided to check some news out and I turned on the television and I was absolutely in shock. I had never seen color like that in years, many years. And I squealed and I said, "You've got to come and see this," to my husband, Terryl, and he said, "What are you so excited about?" And I said, "I can see." I said, "I see the brightest blues, and the softest pinks, and the yellows." And it was like a miracle for me. It really was.

What would you say to someone that is hesitant about cataract surgery?

Don't wait. If you have been told that you need to have your cataracts taken care of, I would say do it. It was a life-changing experience for me to be able to see the way I see today. I didn't realize how much I was missing. I could not encourage anybody...just do it. Do it and be peaceful about doing it. Dr. Knudtson did a remarkable job and would answer any questions you wanted and was there to make sure that your experience was really good. And mine was as excellent as it comes.

Are you one of Brookings Health System's grateful patients who would like to give back to us? Learn more or about how you can give back at brookingshealth.org/MyThanks.

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