Lost More Sight But Not Vision

For the past couple of years, I had suspected that I was losing more of my sight. It was confirmed in my recent visit to my ophthalmologist. 

Here is a run down. In 2009, I had roughly 15 degrees in each eye (normal human eye has 120 degrees of vision). That is about 13% of visual field remaining. My right eye had dropped to 5 degrees or 4%, the left eye dropped to 10 degrees or 8% remaining. 

Visual acuity measured at 20/500, by seeing fingers at 3 ft away. 

The definition of legal blindness is having no greater than 20 degrees of visual feild in the better eye or having 20/200 or better with correction in the better eye.

So what does this all mean? 

You just keep on truckin'! Being or going blind does not change my personality or who I am. Certainly I will have to adapt, make some adjustments. Does this mean I become less independant? It depends upon your perspective.

How many of you who have normal vision depend upon yoru car? Does it make you a slave or does it increase yoru independance? What happens when your car doesn't start when you are late for a very important meeting? You are now a slave and dependant upon a dead car. If your car starts, you are independant and free to do wherever the roads take you. 


There are many tools out there that will help me. Many of them are expensive, and to be frank, exploit those with disabilities by their outrageous prices! 


You see, I have a viosn. A vison of continued independance. I will be getting training at the Blind Center. I will be able to obtain the necessary skills to be employed. More importantly, get the skills I need so I can finish school and pursue my Master's degree. (Back when I graduated in 2004, it was taking me 2-3 hours just to read one chapter! Too much on the eyes to keep up with my Grad Level work so I took a leave). Now with my Cochlear Implant, it opens up so many new doors such as breaking down communication barriers and allowing me to utilize digital books, including audio books for Grad School. 


There is always hope. Hope that one day they will find a cure for retinitis pigmentosa, the very eye disease that causes my blindness.