I had both of mine done a few years back - it was when the opitician told me that I was on the edge of not being to drive.
Live by myself and on the morning my daughter was due to take me for the first eye, I got myself into a total state. Indeed when I arrived at the eye hospital, my BP reading was frightening high. Wonderful senior nurse who took it was not as alarmed by it as I was (Obviously used to this happening to patients), proceeded to prepare me and took it again a little later and it had dropped.
Probably one of the most easy and painless procedure I have ever undergone in a hospital. No pain afterwards either. The day after the op. I went, by bus, to my local town (wore some normal sunglasses, even though it was November). Had to get used to putting in eye drops for a few weeks.
The only time immediately afterwards I went into panic was when I first got home, with a pad covering the repaired eye, could not put on my normal glasses, and could not read anything. My trip to town the following day was to purchase a pair of over-the-counter reading glasses, which served me perfectly.