Registered blind

[Jennymary]

From looking at some posts, a, lot of you, quite rightly, are concerned you'll lose your vision. As you know I was born with glaucoma, but putting drops in every single day since at least 1983, my glaucoma, was stable enough to live a full life, driving etc. Over the years, from time to time, I've looked at the sky and thought, OK if I lose my vision I'll know what blue sky is, what a daffodil looks like.. At the end of 2015 I had successful cataract surgery, but my eye rebelled to such an extent that in October 2017 I was registered blind, in those 2 years I had hospital appts at least once a month, usually my glaucoma checks are twice per calander year. After getting to grips that something I'd always known could happen, had happened, yes I was in pieces, but I gradually picked myself up dusted myself down, car was sold, TV licence sorted, but then I had to find a new social life. Since then I've been going to a, Shared Reading Group, usually in my local library, currently on Zoom I go to a couple of U3A groups to get me out and about, when you're registered blind or partially sighted, yes it changes your life, but you learn to make a new one. One friend has been brilliant, one OK, third one isn't a friend any more due to insensitive remarks she's said. If you're registered with Vision loss, remember 96% of people registered have some degree of vision. If you're sporty minded look online, in my area there's a blind bowling club, haven't joined it but who knows what I'll do in the future, the moral of this post is being registered with sight loss isn't the end of the world

[muddledme]

Thank you so much for sharing how you have coped with sight loss. I expect most of us have it at the back of our minds . It is so good to hear of the positive things. My mother was partially sighted but had wonderful hearing , loved gardening and the talking book and seemed to enjoy life too.

I have lost a bit of sight but I am lucky and responded well to two operations so now I can dwell on what I have got and accept what has happened. If in the future things get worse I will try and accept and adapt as you seemed to have done.

The NHS has been wonderful and also Glaucoma UK is so informative and helpful.

Best wishes

[Trish_GlaucomaUK Partner]

Thank you for sharing your experiences with everyone. Its lovely to read when loss of sight doesn't mean loss of social life. I'm sure your post will inspire so many to grab life by the horns with both hands and see that there are so many things that can still be achieved and enjoy.

[Vich81]

Thank you for sharing this. It is reassuring that most are still left with some vision. Having been diagnosed at 23 years old and already on max drops, had surgery and laser, I wonder just how long it will all hold out and it still scares me if I stop and think about it. I just hope I last till at my least my 60’s but I know there are always advances in medicine so we all need to keep the faith, be strict in our regime and never miss an appointment.