Being Visually Impaired

BlueMolly2006 · Post by **BlueMolly2006** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 5:39 pm

I thought I'd let you all know, since some of you probably don't know this already that I'm visually impaired. I don't mind talking about it, because I think I am educating people about being disabled for some reason.

It started out when I was about nine months old and I got my first pair of glasses. At the age of three, I lost visition in my right eye due to surgery to try to correct a detached retina. They couldn't save my eye so I am totally blind in that eye. Then in 1979, I got a detached retina in my left eye, but this time they saved my eye. I remember not being able to go to school for months because they were afraid I was going to get hit in the head. I had a tutor and my second grade class sent me lots of cards and goodies.
I've had several surgeries on my eyes. My last major surgery was in 1994 when I had my right eye completely removed. I now have a prosthetic in my right eye. Soon I'll be getting a new one, because the one I have now isn't fitting right. I look like I have "Marty Feldman Eyes".

My left eye is okay, I can see 20/200, which means I can see 200 feet away, but I can't see things close up (I'm farsighted).
I just wanted to let you know about my visual imairment.

Post by **Diabolique** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 5:51 pm

Wow, Molly. Sounds like you went through a lot. I knew you had lost vision in one eye, because you told me once, but I didn't know that you had to go through so many surgeries.

Hope you don't mind my asking but what I am wondering is - Why did they need to remove your eye completely though? Couldn't they just let it be?

Reading your post made me realize how much we tend to take for granted every day.

Post by **Nakor** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 8:41 pm

Wow, you're as farsighted as I am nearsighted. Neither of my eyes are actually visionless, but I have 20/210 and 20/230 vision in them. (Or is it 210/20 230/20 for nearsightedness? I never remember. I remember it being 20/80 when I first got glasses, so I thought it was this way.) Basically, words that the average person can see from 200 feet away at most, I have to be within 20 feet to read clearly. Molly's exact opposite.

Have you ever considered getting a Hallowe'en style prosthetic?

Or would that be too expensive? I have no idea what those would cost.

BlueMolly2006 · Post by **BlueMolly2006** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 9:30 pm

Diabolique wrote:Wow, Molly. Sounds like you went through a lot. I knew you had lost vision in one eye, because you told me once, but I didn't know that you had to go through so many surgeries.

Hope you don't mind my asking but what I am wondering is - Why did they need to remove your eye completely though? Couldn't they just let it be?

Reading your post made me realize how much we tend to take for granted every day.

WARNING A LITTLE GROSSNESS ALERT!!!

Ingrid, they had to remove the entire eye because it was shriveling up because I also have glacoma and it was getting red and irritated. My eye kept on getting really watery and I keept getting teary. Since I was blind in that eye already, they thought it was the best to just remove it.

Colonel Zoidberg · Post by **Colonel Zoidberg** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 10:21 am

Wow...I thought my eyes were ridiculously bad. My laptop screen sits less than two feet from my face, and I can't even read Molly's signature if I squint. (That's if I don't have glasses on; if I do, my vision is fine.) Without glasses, the "Molly" picture in her sig is illegible unless my eyes are within a hand's length of the screen.

But that's far worse. Mine's correctible with laser eye surgery; I wouldn't ever want what Molly's got.

ILOveTim · Post by **ILOveTim** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 10:39 am

Molly, wow I didnt know that. I am sorry to hear that you had all thoses surgeries. It must have been very painful. Thank you for sharing your story with us. You are a good role model to other people going through similar situations. You do not let it get you down and you keep a positive attitude and keep on going enjoying life setting a good example for all of us. Way to go Molly

Post by **Diabolique** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 6:07 pm

BlueMolly2006 wrote:
WARNING A LITTLE GROSSNESS ALERT!!!

Ingrid, they had to remove the entire eye because it was shriveling up because I also have glacoma and it was getting red and irritated. My eye kept on getting really watery and I keept getting teary. Since I was blind in that eye already, they thought it was the best to just remove it.

Oh I forgot about your glaucoma. That's right...

RaptorMoonX · Post by **RaptorMoonX** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 9:42 pm

Wow Molly. *hugs* That bites. I also wear glasses (since sixth grade). I've got nearsightedness in one eye, farsightedness in the other, and astigmatism in both eyes. I also had surgery when I was four. I had lazy eye and also suffered from severe double vision. They had to cut the muscles in my eyes with a laser. One good thing that came from this is the fact that I look damn cute with glasses.

Post by **NOA Imawario** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 11:59 pm

o_O

That's some pretty hard stuff to go through. Sorry about all that. Indeed that does make us realize how we should not take for granted some of the things in life like reading and responding to these posts.

BlueMolly2006 · Post by **BlueMolly2006** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:37 pm

Well, I just found out today that I am going to be getting a new prosthetic eye August 30th. Whoohooo!!!! My Mom's going to pick me up and we're going to drive to Rochester, and then I'm taking a few days off for the Labor Day weekend.
I'm stupposed to get a new prosthetic eye every 4 to 5 years, but I've been a bad girl and haven't gotten a new one since 1994.

on me.

RaptorMoonX · Post by **RaptorMoonX** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 7:55 pm

My parents would never let me miss a doctor's appointment. Unfortunately I don't have health insurance and haven't seen a doctor in a year. It's hard to get insurance when you have preexisting conditions. >.<

Captain Zap · Post by **Captain Zap** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 5:28 pm

Molly

BlueMolly2006 · Post by **BlueMolly2006** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 6:13 pm

Awww, thanks everyone.

Post by **Frong** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 6:43 pm

New eye = good.

RaptorMoonX wrote:I've got nearsightedness in one eye, farsightedness in the other, and astigmatism in both eyes.

That's the same thing that originally happened to me, minus the astigmatism. My left eye was slightly farsighted and my right eye was slightly nearsighted. Oddly enough, I ended up using them like built-in bifocals - I was using my left eye to see and my right eye to read.

Only problem was, I saw double for a small range a foot or two away from my face, and eventually, my right eye started to cross in from focusing too hard. Since I inherited my Dad's insane flinch reflex that prevents me from ever getting anything anywhere near my eye (I can't even take eye drops normally), I just got glasses with only the right corrective lens instead of wearing one contact.

That was back in high school. Since then, both of my eyes got more nearsighted, so that my left eye went from a little farsighted to a little nearsighted and my right eye went from a little nearsighted to largely useless.

I can't see for squat with just my right eye, but at least my left eye lets me see well enough to get by if my glasses are off.

I'm just glad nothing ever happened to me like it did to my uncle Mike. He actually managed to somehow get two detached retinas at the same time. Caused him not to be able to see for weeks, and then made him painfully light-sensitive for a while after he did heal. That must have been hell.

RaptorMoonX · Post by **RaptorMoonX** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 7:47 pm

O_O Aye! Sounds.............*cringes*