Has anyone ever lost their sight in one eye?? I am about to...

[driver8]

I posted in the lounge a few weeks ago that the vision in my left eye was blurry and that I had gone to see my eye doctor. My eye doctor found a spot on my retina and sent me to a specialist.

The retinal specialist said I had a "choroidal nevus" which is basically a freckle (pigment)on the retina. His suggestion was to observe it for 6 weeks and if it grew, we would decide what to do. The options were radiation plaque or laser. The thing is, my "spot" is on the center of the macula -- anything that is done to destroy the melanoma will destroy my central vision.

Well, my vision is getting worse in the left eye and my night vision is almost non existent. I go back to the doctor on Thursday to basically have him tell me that the melanoma is growing and will have to be treated to save my eye (and possibly my life). Because these melanomas cannot be biopsied, they are always removed.

I am so fucking pissed about this. These melanomas occur in about 6 people per million in the United States. I finally had Lasik two years ago and I have had 20/20 vision in both eyes ever since. I don't deserve this shit.

[Whoa_Nelly]

1. No, you don't deserve this

No one does :hug:

Can you get on an eye donor list?

[Droopy]

2. I'm sorry, man

That has to be very scary. Best wishes on a successful surgery and a full recovery.

[chookie]

3. :-(

I am very sorry that you are enduring this experience, and wish you the very best.

[bigwillq]

4. That just stinks.

I am very sorry that you have to go through this. Best of luck to you in this situation.
:hug:

[Ladyhawk]

5. I am so sorry. :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :(

God that sucks. No, you don't deserve this. Please, let me give you a hug. I feel powerless to do anything else. :( :hug:

[MissB]

6. I'm so sorry.

Positive thoughts heading your way.

[Madrone]

7. My mom -

I'm so sorry. :hug:

My mom lost sight in one eye when she was about 7 years old. She wore glasses, and some kid shot her in the eye with a slingslot, breaking her glasses and propelling glass into her eyeball. She had I don't know how many surgeries, and still to this day has glass fragments floating around inside her eye.

Anyway - because she's had hers for soooo long she's very well adjusted to it and it doesn't hinder her in any way. She has made reference to different depth perception issues - but she's so accustomed to them she's able to compensate easily. That will likely be the hardest thing for you to get used to - a lack of depth perception. You'll get used to it in time, though.

I wish I could do something for you. Life just freaking sucks sometimes.

[Shine]

8. I am so sorry to hear this.

I wish you all the best, driver8, as you move through this difficult time.

Blessings of Peace, Comfort and Courage to you.... :hug:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

9. I wish there were words...

:hug:

[jus_the_facts]

10. I've never had full vision in my left eye from birth...at least you've....

...been lucky enough to see with both eyes...some people have never known what it's like to see fully or at all. :(

on edit...I can only see the out of the outside corner of my left eye and now I've gotten nearsighted in my right good eye....every eye doctor I've ever been to told me something different was the cause of my partial blindness...the last doctor said he could see nothing at all wrong with it like I was lying to him...and I haven't had any insurance in 20 years to ever find out exactly why I've never been able to see out of it...who deserves THAT shit?! x(

[SoCalDem]

11. I have vision in only one eye.. It sucks, but you do get used to it

The condition I have in my "bad" eye, I also have in my "good" eye, but my Ophthalmologist and I keep on it constantly.. The meds cause cataracts, so i will have to take a gamble soon, and have them removed from my good eye.. That does scare me, but he will remove them from the bad one too, and I "might" recover some vision in it..

It sucks to have what you have but thank goodness they found it and can cure it..

Keep your chin up..:hug:

[eyesroll]

12. My SO has lost most of the vision in his left eye.

He doesn't have a lens in that eye (car accident 6 years ago). He has some blurry vision in that eye, but can't focus at all and is considered legally blind in that eye.

He sees double as a result, but his brain has gotten used to it and doesn't think it's abnormal anymore.
He's able to drive, but parallel parking can be an ordeal (and we live in a city, so he's gotten used to that, quick).
He reads a bit more slowly than he used to, as well, but it's not to the point of a disability. Slow end of normal.
And if you approach him on the left (in person, not in a car), he may not see you. (I do that frequently, even though we've been together for more than a year and I should know better by now.)

Aside from that, life is normal. He has other injuries from the crash, and he's learned to work around them as well.

And I'm sorry you're going through this. Best of luck to you.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

13. I'm very sorry, driver8.

:hug:

[Redstone]

14. Serious bummer. Hope it goes as well as possible. Hang in there.

Redstone

[Wetzelbill]

15. I was born with a closed left eyelid

after a few surgeries when I was around 4 or so it worked out. Still a little droopy, but noticeable, not not so much. I can see out of it, but it's not nearly as strong as my right. My vision is heavily dominated by my right side, and I do wear glasses. I never have really noticed it that much really. Unless I take off my Specs though. I'm blind as a bat without them, haha. My depth perception and night vision are a little lackluster, I have always hated to drive for example. You're in a tough spot no doubt, but you get pretty used to using one eye. I did when I was little before I had surgery. And, although, I see out of my left eye, it's not good at all, so I am used to mainly seeing out of the right. The left is worthless half the time, lol. It's something you can adapt to though. Just stay strong, you'll be fine. Mentally, you can't let it get you too down, that's the worst part of it all.

[Strong Atheist]

16. Yikes! Sorry about that!

:(

[driver8]

17. Thank you.

I guess I was in a "feeling sorry for myself" mood yesterday.

Thanks for the hugs and words of encouragement; They mean a lot!

[LynzM]

18. I think that's a valid reason, dude

:hug: I'm sorry that you're going through it, and I hope that the surgery (if necessary) causes as little damage and helps as much as possible. :hug:

[Deep13]

19. Shit, dude. Good luck is all I can say.

:pals:

[riona]

20. sorry this has happened

one of my eyes is so bad, it won't respond to a lens. depth perception can be a problem. things look flat rather than 3-d

[maxrandb]

21. Had a relative

with something called "iritis". Nasty thing, and they don't really know what causes it. Had to use steroid drops for a couple of weeks, but the doc said if they had not come in, their eye could have been permanently damaged.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

22. That is just awful

but I have read that after a while, you get very used to the one eye and it doesn't feel like half your vision is gone. Although there will always be depth perception problems.

You sure don't deserve this. I hope it all goes well for you. Hang in there. Wish there was something more profound I could say.

[blondeatlast]

23. I've had no sight in my left eye for 10 years (torn retina beyond repair).

My heart goes out to you.

Feel free to PM if I can be of help, friend.

[wain]

24. Life doesn't always turn out the way we wanted

I wish you great strength in this ordeal and I so wish this has not happened to you.

I apologize, but it's hard to know what to say. We do care about you.

:grouphug:

[In_The_Wind]

25. I'm very sorry to hear this news, driver8.

[nutsnberries]

26. i know someone with macular degeneration since he was young and

another person that lost an eye in an accident at age 6.

it's not what you want... but i think you know there's no making sense of this and you can't change it.

i'm sorry. :hug: take care.

[arwalden]

27. Sorry To Hear That You're Having To Go Through This...

... it's difficult to offer any meaningful words of encouragement when you're already keenly aware of the likely diagnosis, treatment options, and prognosis. --- Be certain to get a second-opinion and then trust that your doctors to do what's best for you. Try to keep your spirits up, and don't be shy about leaning on your family and friends during this stressful and emotional time.

Best of luck to you!

~Allen

[khashka]

28. Ugh! Scary.....

You don't deserve it.

I'm going blind in my left eye. Because of neurolgical problems. My immune system is dimantling the nerves.

(Oddly, since I was a child I've nightmares about losing an eye..... I was just thinking about it this afternoon.....)

:hug:

I think I know what you might be feeling.... But you have to do what you have to do. And if it saves your life.....well....

I'm so sorry you're having to go through this.

Khash.