What does proliferative retinopathy look like?

[Flower]

From my point of view it looks something like this.


I'm blind in my left eye and just have central vision in my right eye. It's very flickery, flashing sight due to my retina cells giving out alarm signals to my brain that they're short of oxygen. I don't have enough living retina left to provide the oxygen my retina cells need after maximum laser treatment.

It's like peering down a dark tube with vital parts missing. I continually have to move my head around to try and see the missing bits. I can't tell colour apart from dark, white and sludge - that's all the other colours lumped together. In the dark and low light I'm blind as my peripheral vision was destroyed by laser to try and protect my central vision

My friend who's known me for years, suggested I get some new glasses so I can see better. Ahh if only it was that beautifully simple I most definitely would go straight to Specsavers. I tried to think how I could show her why I walk into people and things, fall down steps , can't walk in a straight line, generally feel unsafe and this is what I came up with to give an idea of what a complication looks like in reality.

 

[trophywench]

I can't possibly give you a 'Like' for your post, @Flower - but that's extremely informative, so thank you for it.

'Walk a mile in their shoes ........ ' indeed.

{{{Hugs}}}

 

[Flower]

Thanks TW 🙂 I was so impressed with my paper cutting skills that I thought I'd share my interpretation of proliferative retinopathy on here

 

[zx10pilot]

I can't begin to imagine what this feels like Flower, but I appreciate you trying to explain. I hope what sight you have left lasts as long as possible. I have read your previous posts about trying to look after what remains but this seems to show it so much more clearly.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Wow. Thanks for sharing this Flower. Really ingenious way of explaining what your vision is like.

 

[Ditto]

I feel very frightened reading this Flower, I think you're really brave and stoic. My greatest fear has always been of going blind like poor Sue Townsend, my fave author. I can't believe I now have a chronic condition where one of the things is I could go blind. 😱 Yes, it's a shame Specsavers don't sell magicglasses to miraculously restore lost vision.

 

[Stitch147]

I can't begin to imagine what it's like for you flower. Thank you for sharing what it's like for you. You are one brave lady dealing with everything you do. X

 

[trophywench]

Sue Townsend in the finish - did at least admit it was because she chose to ignore it - not because she either didn't know or that nobody helped her - she chose to ignore them instead. Amazing how you can think so well of someone one minute - and the next realise that she was actually stupid - but that (ie lack of personal common sense) has nothing whatever to do with a person's IQ, wit or humour.

 

[KookyCat]

Very impressive craft skills Flower 🙂. It's really useful to "see" how another person sees because it's almost impossible to imagine from words. I remember as a teenager doing work with a charity who were supporting children in Africa with various sight issues, they trained people using special obscured lenses, even the most argumentative of teen gained a bit of empathy.

 

[Northerner]

I have often wondered how you manage @Flower, this really illustrates it well for me so thank you for sharing it 🙂 I'm hopeful that they manage to refine the technology I've read about recently, that would hopefully give someone in your situation much more confidence when you are out and about:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-35753978

Who knows - it might even become available at Specsavers soon! 🙂

 

[Flower]

I have tried some of the glasses that the RNIB bring to the retina clinic to show various sight loss conditions which gave me the idea KookyC, they really are enlightening - I was going to say eye openers! 🙄

It was very interesting watching the partners of people at the clinic getting an idea of what it is like to have so much vision obscured.

 

[mikeyB]

That's a great piece of work, Flower. Beautifully illustrates your problems, which you bear with remarkable fortitude. Thank you.

It's given me an idea for illustrating the problems I have with Ulcerative Colitis but it might put people off their breakfast, though that is insignificant compared to your problems. Oh well, plough on. 😉

 

[Flower]

t's given me an idea for illustrating the problems I have with Ulcerative Colitis but it might put people off their breakfast,

Nooooo! 😱

 

[Redkite]

Hope your precious remaining sight lasts a lifetime Flower xx. Must be so difficult at times.