UNLIKE many who have to close their eyes to imagine how it feels to be blind, Karen Bishop already knows.
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At the age of 32 she lived in total darkness for a year after being diagnosed with diabetes and experiencing complications.
Her vision was restored through treatment, but she now has cataracts covering most of her right eye and part of her left.
She has been on the public surgery waiting list for more than a year.
While visiting her specialist last week, Ms Bishop learned the Launceston General Hospital was cutting a significant number of cataract and other procedures at the Launceston Eye Hospital as it tries to save $28 million this financial year.
"It hit me like a tonne of bricks - I walked out of here crying," she said.
With more than 800 people in the North waiting for cataract surgery, it is estimated she will not get hers for two years.
Within that time her vision will most likely deteriorate to total blindness.
"It was hell (being blind). I won't go through it again," Ms Bishop said.
While blindness can be reversed through cataract surgery, ophthalmologist Brendan Vote said Ms Bishop's chronic illness added further complications.
"If she can't see out, we can't see in to monitor the diabetes," he said.
"And in the meantime, if someone's vision is quite impaired, they're at risk of other things like falls and psychological distress."
The North's five eye specialists are planning a community rally next month involving all patients on the waiting list.
There is only enough funding for up to 50 eye surgeries to be done before July next year.
Northern Area Health Service chief executive John Kirwan said 198 public patients had already received eye surgery this financial year, with 82 being cataract procedures.
"The LGH has advised the Eye Hospital to maintain emergency work while reducing elective surgery activity to stay within the contracted amounts," he said.
"The LGH acknowledges the Eye Hospital's past effort and help in addressing waiting lists and times."