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Name
Stephanie Albert
Born
November 26, 1977
Home
Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada (now in Stratford)
Diagnosis
Wet MD (non-age related)
Eyes Affected
Left
Eye Color
Big and brown
Age at Diagnosis
22
Acuity
20/20 right eye, I believe they put down 500/20 for left, but it's zero.
Treatment
Vitrectomies in 2000 & 2001 - both allowed me to regain full
sight for about a week each, but after each lost more vision than the previous one.
Prognosis or Current State of
Vision
Right eye is sill fine, left has zero
central and very little peripheral (by little I mean VERY little)
Family History
Mother & Maternal Grandma had cataracts at young ages (mom
was 40, grandma was 55). Paternal Grandpa just diagnosed in 2006 with Dry AMD but he's 92. Everyone else is fine, my mother & her mother both have bifocals, but that's it.
Impact on My Life
Besides losing my license to drive (lack of depth
perception which I am showing resistance to accomodating), headaches on a
daily basis, loss of balance when eyes closed, walking into walls, little
things like not being able to grab something from someone the first dozen
tries (a smoke, a pen, a plate, dog hair from a shirt...), stairs - need I
say more? Pouring a glass of water is still proving to be difficult, as well.
Positive Effects
Realize how lucky I am to have this and not something
worse, or more debilatating. And MORE than lucky to have it only in one eye as of yet. No idea why it happened to me in the first place (my docs don't either, with my age and lack of risk-factors), so they can't say if it'll happen in my right eye. I see my specialist every 18 months now, and look
at the square chart with the dot in the middle of it weekly, so if I have any concerns or see a change, I go see him asap - no appointment needed, just make sure the office is open (it's a 2+ hour drive to his office). I ask for help more. Hearing & sense of smell have improved! Sometimes not a good
thing, but generally not bad.
Adaptations
Finger over edge of glass when pouring water/juice etc. Clear
mugs, pour coffee etc. when I'm eye level so I don't spill it. Hubby uses
knives for me (since I almost lost a finger more than once). I don't
drive (heck I'm a paranoid passenger!). I tend to shy away from uneven
ground as it is tough to not trip (and it hurts the foot I broke a year ago when I fell down a flight of stairs). I've learned to ask for help more
often than not. I realize I can't do everything I used to be able to do on
my own, and attempt new things each day, but have yet to master anything. I
shower with both elbows on the sides of the shower stall so I don't lose my
balance. I get severe stabbing pains behind my eye occasionally, and have
learned to take a step back and rest more often.
Employment
I'm now a secretary, for bosses who are very
understanding and have worked with me. It's a small office, and my she-boss has a pituitary tumor, so she knows what it's like to have appointments you
can't reschedule and all that jazz. I'm also diabetic, so her understanding
with appointments and when I'm sick certainly help a great deal. When I had
the first surgery done, I was a lab technician at Purina. But microscope
work became difficult, and healing took longer than I had off, so I lost
that job. When I had the 2nd surgery done I was working at Subway
restaurant. Again, healing took much longer than expected (full year before
I could lift and return to work). My surgeon suggested I find a different
job, as working with knives & ovens was not advisable with the lack of depth
perception.
More About Me
Diabetic (type 1, diagnosed in March 2004). I'm
married, starting IVF for our first child this summer I hope (bilateral
tubal blockage diagnosed via surgery December 2006). We have a 2 year old
border collie, a 7 year old cat & a 1 1/2 year old Love Bird (Harley,
Skittles & Herbie respectively). We live in his hometown, which is about an
hour north (in the snow belt, I might add) of where I grew up on a farm. I
have one sister who is 2 years younger, and she has 3 little ones (ages 3,6 & 9), and I
have a 1/2 brother, whom we met about 7 years ago. He has 2 kids, 8 & 11. My sister & I are very close to one another and our mother. I am close with
our step-father, and neither of us care to ever see our biological father
again. We have been through a lot of negatives in our lives, but we've
remained strong and best friends through it all. :) I've been blessed with
my family. They are the ones who got me through this whole journey. If it
hadn't been for them, I would have given up long ago.
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