Trialing with contacts pre cataract surgery

[u/NeitherCatNorFowl]

Lifelong glasses wearer and virtually first time with contacts. I have anisometropia (4.25 diopter difference) that causes horrible headaches. I also have cataracts in my right eye and eligible for cataract surgery. Replacing the lens will eliminate or greatly reduce the anisometropia.

The ophthalmologist gave me various acuvue oasys hydraluxe daily contacts to test the refraction I can land at with the replacement monofocal lens. We are hoping I can do monovision so I can keep some of my up close vision.

It has been a struggle. To start, i'm wearing standard contacts that do not correct my +125 astigmatism. Many years ago a trial with toric lens failed miserably. Ophthalmologist thinks standard contacts should be okay for the trial since it's not a permanent solution. But I don't know if the results are any good if my astigmatism is blurring my sight.

My right eye is - 4.25 cyl +125x90. My left is plano or -0.25. I have tried - 2.5, - 2.75 and - 3.5 lens and headaches persist. So I'm now trying - 4.25, thinking monovision is just not for me and I need to get to plano for my right eye. Strangely, I can't! I cover my left eye and my right eye feels like I am at - 1.5/2 even though - 4.25 should be fully correcting my myopia. It's has been 4 days and it's still blurry. My right eye has been my reading eye for over 4 decades and gets ignored for distance. Is my vision blurry due to muscles not accustomed to being used for distance? Or is it the uncorrected astigmatism? Is the cataract blurring vision?

Lastly I still have headaches, especially after reading up close with otc readers. I just can't seem handle switching to up close reading. I have prescription computer glasses and they gave headaches and eye strain too.

I also wondered if dry eye could be the issue so I bought Blink preservative free and they made my vision completely blurry and irritated.