I have just found out tonight that my friend has gone blind in one eye and the pupil has gotten so large in the other that she can hardly see.
Well, first of all i’m shocked and amazed that someone who I’ve known since Primary school has developed this (could it be immaculate degeneration, I think it’s called that,anyway) she had all this life ahead of her and now strucken down with this illness, now I want to know, what happens next?
Please help.
Regards
Ryan_Liam
First of all, you’re probably talking about macular degeneration. Age-related macular degeneration is one of the most common causes of blindness, and generally occurs in people over age 65. I’m assuming that your friend is younger, which means that she may have a rare hereditary disease called polymorphic macular degeneration.
The most important thing you can do is continue to be a friend to your friend. Blindness can easily lead to isolation, often because people are unsure how to talk to and treat a blind person. The truth is that blind people are just like everyone else except that they cannot see. Continue to treat your friend the same way you did before. Do not assume that she can’t or won’t want to participate in activities because she is blind (yes, blind people go to the movies, watch T.V. and do other primarily vision-oriented activities). Don’t feel the need to censor your language by removing sight-based terms – blind people are used to hearing those terms used metaphorically.
Remember, your friend still has her whole life ahead of her. She will naturally have to go through a period of adjustment which can be very difficult emotionally, but ultimately she should be able to live just as productive and happy a life as anyone else. Right now the best thing you can do is be there for her the way you would be there for any friend who was going through a painful and difficult time.
My sister lost a lot of her eyesight while she was in her early 20s. It was horrible at first, because we all had to sit back and watch. We couldn’t do anything to stop it.
She still has some eyesight, but she can’t read unaided (except for large print books, which annoy her) and she can’t drive. She says her vision is like she’s looking through a dirty windshield, all the time.
But still, she adjusted after a while. She got what she calls a “reading machine”, that enlarges the print of any book or publication by using a closed-circuit TV. It opened her whole world again, she said, because she could read anything once again, not just large print or books on tape. She also watches movies, TV, and lives “normally” in many ways. She’s attended classes at the Braille Institute, which was helpful. (Blind people can do amazing things in the wood shop class! AMAZING!)
The computer can be adjusted to accomodate the visually impaired. My sister browses the Internet and has all sorts of fun on her computer!