Geesh! that lady who spoke to you was not to bright.

My neighbor's senior fox terrier had cataracts in both eyes
for many years.
Eventually it progress, to the point that Dutches
started walking very slow because she was unsure.
Dutches was taken to a specialist,
and was a candidate for cataract surgery.
First one eye, and later on the other.
Dutches acted like a young dog again.
Good for your mom, for helping you pay for the surgery.