At this point after the 2007 procedure in which a doctor removed this same scar tissue from behind my cornea, I was already noticing decreases in my vision and was very discouraged. Things are definitely better this time. We still wait and see whether it remains stable; but for now I really couldn’t be more pleased, and I keep wanting to ask someone to pinch me. I won’t–I think people might have a bit too much fun with that.
I have discovered numerous things, some of which I did not post right away because I didn’t believe them. I’ve had seven surgeries (I think) on my eyes now, and each time my vision goes back to some semblance of this amazingness–I have journal entries that say, “I haven’t seen that since I was a child.” They all say that because each time the vision goes away in a matter of months–I think the longest lasting effect has perhaps been a couple of years, but within that time period my vision fluctuated wildly due to immune system problems. So every time I go through this it is like making all the discoveries over again, except that I remember a bit better how to manage the process of healing and learning to use the vision. One advantage I have is that I had some vision as a child and I went through a process of learning to intentionally integrate it with my other senses. This is not often done anymore–children are most often taught to rely on their other senses without using their vision intentionally because low vision can be unreliable. Every day I am thankful that this did not happen to me.
Lighting has always been very important to me. Either it helps or it is too dark and I can’t see much at all. I am finding this time around that I am functioning better in low lighting and things are possible that are very shocking to me. I don’t do well in overhead incandescent lighting (normal household lighting), but I seem to be doing superbly in fluorescent lighting. The other day I was locating objects on the opposite side of the room from a desk lamp. It had a 75 wat bulb in it, but i have never been able to operate by any type of lamp light outside the area where the light shined directly.
On Saturday evening, I decided to find out whether I could see designs on clothing. I was able to pick something out and tell that it had a design on it, though it looked to me like colored blobs. Still, I have not seen anything on clothing for a long time, especially in small detail. This was in indoor lighting, and I was very tired afterward.
I was in Indianapolis for the ordination service and the annual state ministers’ meeting yesterday and today, so I had a chance to test in an unfamiliar environment. I am beginning to learn the strengths and limitations of what I can see in the distance, crowds, etc. I can see some differences in the colors of people’s clothing from a few feet away, and I am beginning to be able to use the eye to navigate somewhat reliably. I cannot, however, point to what I’m looking at. When I view things it is off center–my vision is in the periphery and I haven’t learned how to compensate for that. When I reach for close objects, I pick up the thing that I want, but it doesn’t seem to translate into pointing.
The real milestones today were that I did not put on the wrap-arounds except in the car, and I did not need pain meds after all that eye work. This is a huge milestone since part of what causes all that pain is so much eye movement. I am definitely making progress. I did take a good kitty nap, but that is just part of my normal life.
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- ITD day 1 - June 27, 2023
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- Traveling without a Guide Dog: Experience with Cane and Walker - October 14, 2022
- Disability and Church, Intersection - June 11, 2022
- Review: When Chronic Pain and Illness Take Everything Away - June 11, 2022
- Grammar and Style Resources for Writers - June 9, 2022
