Dithering about my eyesight

[Flumptious]

I received my TBI in 2005, when I fell off my bike. Thankfully, I was wearing a helmet. I assume that without it, I'd have died.

I am officially 'blind'. In practice, I see as normal to the left, but when I look at myself in a mirror, I can't see my right side at all. If I specifically look to the right, it is OK, but if I look forward, the right side is 'missing'. I call myself 'blind', because I don't think of myself as blind, it is just what the doctors say. I *most*certainly* can't drive any more, and occasionally bump into people (like I kept doing at the weekend, when I went to a crowded May fair), but hey, I get Disability Living Allowance, cheaper train fares, free bus rides, a cheaper TV licence...

I keep doing 'exercises' with my eyes. For months after the accident, I saw double everywhere, so they had me wearing an eyepatch over one eye. I am very lucky that that resolved itself, and I only used the patch for 6 or 7 months. However, I only see 'normally' if I look straight forward. If I look to the side, or down, I normally see a different image from each eye, as my poor, injured, brain can't put the two together.

Do you think this is really silly? I do 'exercises' with my eyes. As I am walking along, I spot something a few metres ahead. As I walk towards it, I keep looking at it, but obviously I have to roll my eyes down. It starts off as a single image, but becomes two, and they get further and further apart, the more I am looking downwards (so, as I get closer and closer to it). I know which of the two is the 'real' one, but I can still see the second one.

I figure that this is a sort of 'exercise' for my eyes. I have been doing it for a while, now, and I *think* I am seeing some improvement (although I admit, that might just be my imagination!). I sad down with a book on my iPad tonight, and was intentionally reading it looking downwards, so I could see two images - one, the *real* one, and one, a bit lower, and at a funny angle. I *hope* that by doing this, I will strengthen the 'proper' image.

Am I being really really silly? I mean, it's been nearly nine years since the accident. It is silly for me to try to improve this brain injury now, isn't it? I keep thinking and hoping I see minor improvements (like, with my balance), but I'm not really going to see any, am I? Am I stupid for doing 'exercises' with my eyes?

Sorry, I accidentally told it to include that silly image (which i see when I look in the mirror), but I can't remove it. It is showing the blurry rubbish I see to the right, when I look in a mirror, but it does't show the doubling I get, if I look down.

Flump

[RogerCMerriman]

Why not, it's unlikely to make it worse. And even after time the brain is remarkably plastic.

Have to say if I did that I'd get a mirgrane in a very short period of time and thus would loose sight for while until it passed.

[BaronC]

If it works for you, then you keep on exercising. I have a very, very similar problem myself. I have no peripheral vision to my left side but see perfectly clearly if I look forward. No exercises work for me, despite trying in the very early years, I'm resigned to living with it now, have been for a long time.

Like I say though, if you find that these exercises make a difference, whether genuinely or imagined, then you keep on going. I don't see any problem with it at all and it most certainly isn't 'silly'. It makes perfect sense in fact.

[Kirk5w7]

No, you're not silly to want to improve things. I have a similar problem but not as severe, I have lost some peripheral vision in my right eye, or should I say to the right, I can see out of either eye, but when you put the two together that's when detail starts getting lost and the peripheral vision becomes a problem. I dont drive because to see correctly to the right I would have to move my head too often to that side and then balance and other issues kick in.

It's a bit s@@@ really cos to look at you or me everything looks fine, but sight problems are hard to deal with. It affects perspective and everything doesn't it, even a feeling that I'm in a strange world when I venture out!!!!!

I was hoping I'd get used to it, and who knows, anything is possible!!!

Good luck, and keep up with those exercises, you never know xxx Janet

[Hidden]

Headway's Way Ahead a couple of years ago had a specialist speaker on how coloured filters help eyesight problems that follow brain injury (amongst other conditions). Some of the results were astounding.

Might be worth checking Ian Jordan out to see if he can help jordanseyes.com/index.htm

[B_S_A]

I think exercises are a great idea! I still get someone to put playing cards in my area of bad vision to see if I can tell them what it is.

Can you see at all to the right? Or is it literally like in that picture?

[Flumptious in reply to B_S_A]

When I actually look towards the right, I can see normally, there. But then the stuff even further to the right is all blurry and dark. That image is just what I see if I look in the mirror. The right side used to be darker, but for a while now it's been bright and blotchy. This morning as I was walking into work, the sun shone through between two houses, and I think that was the first time I've seen a flash on the right, and it was definitely much brighter than usual, until I'd passed the gap, and the sun went away again.

[B_S_A in reply to Flumptious]

So you've been noticing some improvement recently?

[Flumptious in reply to B_S_A]

Well, I *think* so, but I worry - maybe it's just my imagination, and it's not any better. I *hope* I've seen some improvement, but maybe it's just wishful thinking.

[Flumptious in reply to B_S_A]

Sorry, this will seem very odd to you, but when I see your name, I always think 'British Speleological Association', which is the BSA I know. Speleology is caving, and the exploration of caves. I met my husband when I joined our university caving club, and we are still members of a caving club in Yorkshire, and have lots of friends there. So, whenever I see your name, I think of cavers!

[B_S_A in reply to Flumptious]

Ahahaha, I'm glad my name is associated with such happy memories!

[Negeen]

Optimism will always benefit you greater than sheer acquisce to circumstance. Whether it helps or not.

[dazzzler]

Hi Flump,

I had a Motorcycle accident in 2009 and have almost exactly the same issue with my eye sight. I've seen various people about it, and have been told that its to do with the visual cortex part of the brain, and for some reason the right side vision is the side that is lost most of the time.

readright.ucl.ac.uk/

I too have days when I think things improve a little, despite the experts saying its unlikely.

I too have been classed as blind and cannot drive, struggle in crowds, and miss the enjoyment of reading.

All the best