How I Coped With Losing My Sight

For me, when I started to lose my sight, it was actually quite a surreal experience. I was standing at work one day, and the sight in one eye just went. There was no warning or pain. The sight just literally went out like a light bulb. I used to drive at the time, so I had to call my sister to come and pick me up.

I went to the hospital the next day, and they informed me that my retina had detached. They said this normally happens when someone has a blow to the head, but nothing like that happened to me. They operated right away to re-attach the retina, and it was a 2-hour operation under general anaesthetic! The surgeon was great and kept chatting to me to keep me relaxed. After the operation, I had to do ‘posturing’, which involved lying on my side for as long as possible. I thought it would be great to be given permission to just lie on the couch all day, but believe me, it is harder than it sounds!

After the operation, I was referred to the optician to get new glasses. I eagerly asked the optometrist when I would get my new glasses and when I would be able to drive again. They looked at me for some time and said that they could give me glasses, but my vision would still be greatly deteriorated, and I would not be able to drive again. This hit me like a tonne of bricks. I was completely unprepared for this news, as I assumed that I would just return to my normal life after the operation.

I broke down in front of the optometrist, who comforted me as best as they could. 9 months later, I was going in for a follow-up operation, and whilst I was waiting for a pre-operation appointment, I felt there was a dark spot in my other eye. I saw my consultant, who said my other retina had also detached, and they had to operate on it right away. Apparently, if one retina detaches, then there is a 5% chance the other retina will also detach, but they didn’t tell me this nice little statistic beforehand! I guess that I was lucky that I could still see a little so that I could get around without too much assistance.

After some time getting my head around the news my vision wouldn't return, I decided I needed to find a new job. I went to an agency, which will remain nameless, the reason for which will become clear. I met with one of their advisors, and I explained my situation. He then went on to tell me that I have no skills, no prospects and due to my sight loss, there are very few jobs I could do. This shook me to my core, and I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The thing is, when someone in authority is saying this to you, you start to believe it and wonder if they might be right.

I spent the next few days in bed, unable to do anything. I finally managed to pick myself up (with a few wise words from my wife!) and went to see RNIB (The Royal National Institute for Blind People) to get some more advice on what I should do next. After some emotional support, I started volunteering for them, which led to a part-time job, which then led to a full-time job as a Digital Skills Trainer, helping people with sight loss use the accessibility features of mobile devices. It felt great being able to help people who were in the same position that I was in when I didn’t know what to do when I started to lose my sight.

This role gave me the confidence to take on bigger and more challenging roles, such as being an Eye Clinic Liaison Officer, providing emotional and practical support to people in hospital newly diagnosed with sight loss, to working for Access to Work, assessing people with disabilities in the workplace for equipment and adaptations to help them continue in their jobs. I also started doing public speaking at meetings and conferences, telling my sight loss story and promoting good eye health.

My vision continued to deteriorate, and after 14 years and 13 operations, I now have no useable sight. I am still extremely grateful that I am able to work and still able to do activities with my children. I feel my disability does not define me, and it shouldn't define anybody. If someone or something puts barriers in front of you, just know that with the right help and support, you can not just overcome these barriers, but you can run right through them.