Yes, I Can See Out Of Both Eyes, But…....

OneEyedDiva

SF VIP
Location
New Jersey
Several months ago, a forum member asked me if I only had one eye. More recently someone commented to me that they thought I could only see out of one eye. Well, of course my screen name prompted those reasonable assumptions, which I thought were kind of funny. Although corrective lenses allow me to see almost 20/20, I’ve had some peculiar and sometimes scary eye issues which include:

Current:
~Blind spots at the bottom of both eyes, but with both open, they are not noticeable at all. In fact, it seems they’ve improved over the last couple of years. Decades ago, I noticed the blind spot that was the shape of a crescent moon at the bottom of my right eye. Over time it grew to the shape of a basket with a handle. Several years later, I developed a half moon shape on the bottom the left eye.

~I have “split vision”, which I started noticing about a decade ago when we were riding in the car. Split vision messes with my visual perception. Eg two cars on the road seem to merge and become one for a few seconds. Once while in Costco, my son, who was standing at a distance waiting for me, "disappeared" from view for a second or two. Or, when we’re riding, I may read the words Spring Valley as Spng Vay. More recently I've been noticing that on T.V. letters or entire words will be missing. I haven’t driven since my first eye surgery 20 years ago, so I’m not a danger on the roads. But now I have to be extra careful when crossing the street.

~I have a bleb, that looks like a blob of clear Vaseline, that developed under the top of my right lid after cataract-glaucoma surgery. It has caused my right eye to look bigger (wider) than the left. So yep…my eyes don’t match! I didn’t notice it for quite a while. When I did, it scared me because I thought it was a tumor.

Past Issues:
~About three years ago, the day I was supposed to check out of our timeshare in Atlantic City, I woke up and realized I couldn’t see out of one eye (forgot which). It was like an opaque white curtain covered it. Good thing I know how to get around pretty well down there. After getting off the Jitney, which blessedly stops a short block from the resort, I had to find my way to the casino bus lane, which unfortunately was at the Tropicana and is more confusing (I'll never take the bus from there again).

Before going to the bus lane, I was starving and had to find a place to eat that didn’t cost an arm and a leg. I chose a pizzeria but even that was expensive. It was very scary. Also a blessing is that my son picked me up from the bus stop so I didn't have to order an Uber to get home. Thankfully the blindness was gone by the next day. I found out from my eye specialist that it was probably caused by extreme dry eye.

~I’ve also had dry eye so severe that periodically, it felt like shards of glass had flown into my eye. Blessedly that only lasted a few seconds each time. My specialist told me to use Systane Ultra at least twice daily and I haven’t had the problem since.

This has gotten long, so I'll add more later. Have any of you had or know someone who's had any of these eye issues?
 

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I have a blind spot in the middle of my right eye. I call it the "road frog" because it's the shape of a squashed frog. I cannot read ordinary print with that eye.

I had retina problems. Unfortunately, the first retinal operation left the blind spot and the second one made it worse. I just live with it. I also have 20/40 vision in the rest of that eye that can't be corrected.

I get by. I don't have any problem with driving, but I'm not looking forward to trying to pass the eye test when my current license expires. Once you're over 75, you have to come in for an eye test. From what I read, I may have to install special mirrors if they determine I'm "legally" blind in that eye.
 

I was told i have macular degeneration 4 years ago. My mom also had it.

Anyway, I have a lot of problems reading, have letters go missing, see squiggles and sparkly bits,blurred vision, watching tv is difficult, colors are dim, need flashlights everywhere and lately am having problems cooking.

Can't see if things are brown to turn or leave it and then it's burnt!


Eye doc is not much help. Says i could have cataract surgery but that won't help the mac deg and might make it worse. Can't take the eye vitamins, they bother my stomach.

I am blessed with the vision i have but miss doing a lot of things like driving and seeing details.
 
Have any of you had or know someone who's had any of these eye issues?
None of those issues but I do have: Photokeratitis. An eye condition akin to sunburn of the cornea and conjunctiva. It's caused by unprotected exposure to intense ultraviolet light. That's why you see me in what looks like sunglasses. They are actually prescription spectacles, the lenses are photochromic, which means that they darken in strong sunlight to protect the eyes.
 
Yes, my husband has a lot of problems like you describe with blind spots and split vision. He has these after having glaucoma and cataract surgery. Monday with his eye appointment they just prescribed new lenses and eye drops for the pressure in his eyes.
Just curious...did he have the glaucoma and cataract surgeries together (at the same time). I did and during the surgeries, she corrected my vision, removed the astigmatism and for several years (for the first time since I was 10), I didn't need prescription glasses. Also, by lenses, do you mean contacts or glasses? My specialist tried several different drops over the years before finding the right combination for my needs. Some of them I wouldn't or couldn't use. I hope your husband's vision and eye issues will not get any worse.

I have a blind spot in the middle of my right eye. I call it the "road frog" because it's the shape of a squashed frog. I cannot read ordinary print with that eye.

I had retina problems. Unfortunately, the first retinal operation left the blind spot and the second one made it worse. I just live with it. I also have 20/40 vision in the rest of that eye that can't be corrected.

I get by. I don't have any problem with driving, but I'm not looking forward to trying to pass the eye test when my current license expires. Once you're over 75, you have to come in for an eye test. From what I read, I may have to install special mirrors if they determine I'm "legally" blind in that eye.
Oh Jujube, I'm sorry to read that you have those issues and that the surgeries made things worse! It's good that you can still drive though. I didn't know people who are deemed legally blind could still drive using those mirrors. Hopefully you'll pass that test. We do learn to adjust, don't we. That's what I've been having to do. I pray your eye issues do not get any worse.
I was told i have macular degeneration 4 years ago. My mom also had it.

Anyway, I have a lot of problems reading, have letters go missing, see squiggles and sparkly bits,blurred vision, watching tv is difficult, colors are dim, need flashlights everywhere and lately am having problems cooking.

Can't see if things are brown to turn or leave it and then it's burnt!


Eye doc is not much help. Says i could have cataract surgery but that won't help the mac deg and might make it worse. Can't take the eye vitamins, they bother my stomach.

I am blessed with the vision i have but miss doing a lot of things like driving and seeing details.
I'm sorry to read of your diagnosis; MD is a scary one. You have a good attitude about it though. I hope your condition doesn't get any worse so you don't completely lose your vision.
 
Oh Jujube, I'm sorry to read that you have those issues and that the surgeries made things worse! It's good that you can still drive though. I didn't know people who are deemed legally blind could still drive using those mirrors. Hopefully you'll pass that test. We do learn to adjust, don't we. That's what I've been having to do. I pray your eye issues do not get any worse.
Yes, I have 20/20 in the left eye. People who are legally blind in one eye can still drive here....you just have to show them you can drive safely, which I can, and have some sort of extra mirrors.
 
Just curious...did he have the glaucoma and cataract surgeries together (at the same time). I did and during the surgeries, she corrected my vision, removed the astigmatism and for several years (for the first time since I was 10), I didn't need prescription glasses. Also, by lenses, do you mean contacts or glasses? My specialist tried several different drops over the years before finding the right combination for my needs. Some of them I wouldn't or couldn't use. I hope your husband's vision and eye issues will not get any worse.


Oh Jujube, I'm sorry to read that you have those issues and that the surgeries made things worse! It's good that you can still drive though. I didn't know people who are deemed legally blind could still drive using those mirrors. Hopefully you'll pass that test. We do learn to adjust, don't we. That's what I've been having to do. I pray your eye issues do not get any worse.

I'm sorry to read of your diagnosis; MD is a scary one. You have a good attitude about it though. I hope your condition doesn't get any worse so you don't completely lose your vision.

You're right, Diva. We do learn to adjust. Thanks for your positive words!
 
I always think of Gary when we discuss being blind. His vision loss came on relatively fast.
 


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