Wednesday, November 01, 2006
In June of this year, a few weeks after my eyes opened, I went to the optometrist for an exam. While my vision remained "good" -- that is, I can function in most areas of life without glasses -- a discovery was made that really opened my eyes: I am in the early stage of macular degeneration which, if it progresses, will result in blindness. Further, I had rather advanced binocular dysfunction, which I have known about since my teens but did not know that this can treated. In this condition, the eyes are not working together, and so it is difficult to see objects in three dimensions, and spatial relationships in general are somewhat fuzzy. No wonder I struggled with geometry, and jigsaw puzzles, and trying to fit square pegs into round holes.
You must be very tired of compensating, it takes a lot more effort to make sense of the world, the doctor said.
But there's a plan to get out of this. First, build up my vision (and depleted body) with minerals and vitamins. Second, daily exercises to be done at home. And third, twice-weekly vision therapy sessions for the past four months.
During the first few in-office visits, I tested off-the-charts. What circle? That's 3-D? Colors? They all look black to me! And, frankly, this was giving me a headache.
Then, the circles began to expand, others came together -- and, of course, that's red, and that's green! I felt an earthquake in my brain. Something was working!
You really are developing new muscles in your eyes, building new synapses in your brain, the therapist says. This is unusual, isn't it, I say; she says, well, yes; most patients with similiar difficulties have had trauma to the brain, such as a head accident, or a stroke.
Or emotional? I ask.
Yes, that's possible, too.
Of seeing, but afraid of "putting it together." And having only the blind to guide me ---
Five months out, the progress has been remarkable, but this, I know, is just the beginning.
Have a slow journey,
Candace
You must be very tired of compensating, it takes a lot more effort to make sense of the world, the doctor said.
But there's a plan to get out of this. First, build up my vision (and depleted body) with minerals and vitamins. Second, daily exercises to be done at home. And third, twice-weekly vision therapy sessions for the past four months.
During the first few in-office visits, I tested off-the-charts. What circle? That's 3-D? Colors? They all look black to me! And, frankly, this was giving me a headache.
Then, the circles began to expand, others came together -- and, of course, that's red, and that's green! I felt an earthquake in my brain. Something was working!
You really are developing new muscles in your eyes, building new synapses in your brain, the therapist says. This is unusual, isn't it, I say; she says, well, yes; most patients with similiar difficulties have had trauma to the brain, such as a head accident, or a stroke.
Or emotional? I ask.
Yes, that's possible, too.
Of seeing, but afraid of "putting it together." And having only the blind to guide me ---
Five months out, the progress has been remarkable, but this, I know, is just the beginning.
Have a slow journey,
Candace
