When I was 14 years old I noticed a “black curtain” in my right eye. The curtain had flashes of light at the leading edge. I was scared and didn’t tell my parents what was happening until I was blind in that eye for three days. After several months and four operations, the doctor finally got my retina to stay attached, but the damage had been done. At best, my right eye could be corrected at 20/200. But at least I still had my left eye. About six months later my family moved to south Florida and then I began having retina detachments in my left eye. After five more operations the best doctors at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute (probably the best eye hospital in the world) said there was nothing else to be done. So at the age of 16 I became legally blind. Fortunately my right eye stabilized and my vision was good enough for getting around. But at the age of 38 I noticed changes in my vision and was again diagnosed with another retina detachment. (This time it was only a partial detachment.) The doctor told me it was a risky operation. I told him since I would go blind without the surgery there was no risk. The operation worked and after a few months I was again able to wear a contact lens. But again, the damage was done and my vision diminished slightly.
To this point my problems stemmed from a genetic defect, Stykler’s syndrome, that affects the connective tissues in the body. But in February of 2010 I again noticed problems with my eyesight and was diagnosed with macular edema. My doctor, who had been trained at Bascom Palmer, said the damage was irreversible and there was nothing to prevent it from getting worse.
