Penn's Sunday School See You Next Eye Surgery
Jan 14, 2026
A humorous account of cataract surgery and the dizzying visual fireworks that followed. A deep dive into lens choices, recovery timelines, and why both eyes were not done at once. Stories about learning Spanish, performing in another language, and surprising app notifications. Wild local anecdotes from gas-station confrontations to high-speed crashes. A New Year’s Eve challenge featuring the Spanish 12-grape ritual.
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Cataract Surgery Felt Like A Psychedelic Light Show
- Penn Jillette describes his cataract surgery experience and immediate perceptual changes after one eye was operated on.
- He recounts dilation, psychedelic color shifts when the lens was removed, and seeing one eye crisp white and the other sepia while awaiting the second eye.
Lens Choice Forces Permanent Vision Tradeoffs
- Penn highlights tradeoffs in lens choices: distance, intermediate, or close vision, and mixing strengths between eyes.
- He explains these choices are permanent and require weighing driving, computer use, and reading needs.
Insurance Blocked Doing Both Eyes At Once
- Penn recounts insurance blocking simultaneous two-eye surgery and the staff's creative attempt to get both covered.
- He describes lying on forms, offering to pay cash, and insurers refusing to allow immediate dual procedures.