Grateful and graceful. Honest to God, I didn't even notice anything "out of the ordinary" by watching your other videos. Your positivity covers up everything else. I wish that I had a sincere and compassionate friend like you, and I really do mean it. God bless you, dear soul.
It's taken me a long time to be positive about being visually impaired. Some days are hard, but trying to find the positives in life make sit so much easier! Thanks for taking the time to comment on my video - I hope you are having a great week! :)
My story. I was born with transposition of the great arteries and had to have life saving open heart surgery @ 6 weeks old. I then developed congenital cataracts, which I had removed @ 6 months (I have since read that cataracts can form after a serious illness and I was in an incubator and a head box to give me oxygen just to keep me alive due to my heart condition). Anyway, after having the cataracts removed I was left with aphakia in both eyes, but with a delay in the cataract surgery, my right eye is far stronger than my left, which I can barely see out of, and have amblyopia in both eyes, left worse than right, and also have nystagmus in both eyes. As this was in 1984 I was told I wasn’t given any lens replacement because, at the time, they didn’t think they’d last a lifetime so left me without lenses. Consequently, I had to wear bifocal glasses as a child (which were like fish bowls and caused me great distress on hot, summer days) and made me a target for bullies at school, hence my lack of friends and social anxiety now. When I turned 20 in 2004 and realising that I was growing up and wanted to give myself at least half a chance of attracting girls (which never happened due to confidence issues) I switched to Extended Wear Contact Lenses, which were soft lenses I wore all the time and even slept in, which regular checkups and new lenses being ordered by the hospital. My consultant at the time did say about having an IOL but was happy with the lenses so kept with them. However, in 2017, I made the decision to investigate the IOL Surgery, as I was tiring of the contacts as I had no-one to change them and keeping them looked after was starting to become a burden, but at the same time the hospital optician went on the sick and as they didn’t have a replacement I couldn’t get any lenses. When I finally did a few months later, it was too late as I had developed Keratitis from over wearing of the lenses I couldn’t get replaced, in my right eye, the only eye I see out of so was rendered effectively blind, which terrified the life out of me and is the worst thing I’ve knowingly gone through, and ended up in a specialised eye hospital for a week receiving treatment to fight the infection. Whilst my sight was saved, the infection left a permanent scar in my eye which has made my vision worse, and so had to go back to glasses (I’ll never wear contacts again and encourage everyone else to not wear them). Exactly a year later, after having investigative tests for an IOL I was found to have had a detached retina in the same eye (my right eye the only one I see out of) and whilst I had successful surgery, due to the silicone oil used, it left me with glaucoma and now have to take eye drops for the rest of my life to keep my eye pressure down. In 2020 my new eye consultant said it would be dangerous for me to have lens implantation surgery as due to me having no lens in my eyes for 38 years, the shape of my eyes has changed and he would have to put the lens on my cornea, which was damaged by the keratitis, and is reluctant to do it in case it damages it further and / or my body rejects the implants this meaning I’d need a corneal transplant and thus leaving my vision worse, so I’ll be aphakic for the rest of my life now. After what I’ve been through I’m glad of what little sight I have, but my dreams of having my own lenses in my eyes seem over now so I’ll have to stick to thick heavy glasses and a constant change between reading and distance, which is a pain, but far preferable to contacts which nearly blinded me. To those who can have the IOL, yes I know it’s scary, but you should have it done, at least you’ll be able to, some of us aren’t as fortunate to have that option not unless, as my consultant says, technology improves in the future to give me that option.
Thank you Solange! It's hard work to form a long lasting positive attitude but the benefits are worth it! :) Thanks for taking the time to comment on my video - I hope you're having a great week!
I just started this video a couple minutes ago, but it is so much fun learning more about you! Thank you so much for being on the lifestream yesterday. I’m so glad to know you, and have you as a friend! :-) Matt
Hi Sophie This is a great video, and love to see how positive you are which is'nt always easy for everyone. I have had two corneal transplants in the past which has made a big difference to my vision.
Hi Robin, thanks for your comment and glad you like the video! I try to be as positive as I can, but I definitely have days where it's a struggle. How was your experience with the corneal transplants? I have mostly put them off as due to complications with my eyes, it could take multiple attempts for them to take and the recovery time would be long. That was ten years ago that they told me this though so maybe things would be different now!
@@BirdNerdSophie Hi Sophie Thank's for your reply. Below is a link to an interview that i did for RNIB Radio a couple of years ago which details my experience with corneal transplants. My eye condition is corneal ulcers, cataracts and coloboma of the iris, so a mixture really. audioboom.com/posts/5231856-robin-dunford-rnib-connector-interview
Hi Sophie, empathy and compassion would be most important to me (even more than a bus pass! :-) ). I'll bet you are a true friend to anyone who is experiencing serious adversity. It often seems that people who enjoy all the advantages and have only trivial challenges to deal with in their lives seldom develop interesting depth of character. So, yeah, the problems you have been living through have been a positive factor, making you a stronger, more interesting and unique individual over the long course. Nicely articulated. I for one would like to know your perspective on the "negatives", we all have limitations and I don't think that qualifies as gloom, really.
Thanks for your comment! Perhaps I didn't put it as high up on my list as I feel that everyone should be empathetic an compassionate to others and it shouldn't have to be mentioned, however sadly there are plenty of people who still bully and discriminate others who have something different about them that stands out! I will definitely start planning a video on the negatives/limitations then! I think there are probably more than ten though haha!
@@BirdNerdSophie More than ten yes, I imagine so. My wife has struggled all her life with limited mobility due to a bout of polio in childhood. Annoying physical barriers are numerous of course. What bothers her more, I think, is the way thoughtless people fail to understand her difficulties.
@@tamsuan9962 Oh bless her - best wishes to her! I do agree with you though, one of the hardest parts of having a disability is being made to feel different, unwelcome and an inconvenience. All it takes is an ear to listen and a little understanding sometimes!
Thank you! That sounds awesome! Do you know what kind of parrots they are? We have some wild Indian Ring necks here but they don;t come to our area often!
BirdNerdSophie we get a lot of white cockatoos. Sometimes in a big flock. They can make a lot of noise and even do some damage. One day they almost stripped a tree across the road. Eating the flowers and breaking off twigs and branches. They are real characters and great to see.We also get a few black cockatoos. And a few Rosellas. Sometimes we even get pink and grey galah‘s. They tend to congregate in the park and eat the grass seed. It is nice to have them around though.
best part of having nystagmus is rolling your eyes at unsuspecting teachers and telling them it's because of the nystagmus haha also getting extra time on exams for "fatigue" I don't actually experience
For me due to my study program I have to give lots of presentations and due to my cataract aphakia I can’t see the audience staring at me and so it helps me not to be nervous at all 😊
Grateful and graceful. Honest to God, I didn't even notice anything "out of the ordinary" by watching your other videos. Your positivity covers up everything else. I wish that I had a sincere and compassionate friend like you, and I really do mean it. God bless you, dear soul.
Thank you so much for your kind words! 😊
Love how you can look on the bright side. I always say you can still have an amazing life even if you are blind or vision impaired. Have a great day!
It's taken me a long time to be positive about being visually impaired. Some days are hard, but trying to find the positives in life make sit so much easier! Thanks for taking the time to comment on my video - I hope you are having a great week! :)
My story.
I was born with transposition of the great arteries and had to have life saving open heart surgery @ 6 weeks old. I then developed congenital cataracts, which I had removed @ 6 months (I have since read that cataracts can form after a serious illness and I was in an incubator and a head box to give me oxygen just to keep me alive due to my heart condition). Anyway, after having the cataracts removed I was left with aphakia in both eyes, but with a delay in the cataract surgery, my right eye is far stronger than my left, which I can barely see out of, and have amblyopia in both eyes, left worse than right, and also have nystagmus in both eyes. As this was in 1984 I was told I wasn’t given any lens replacement because, at the time, they didn’t think they’d last a lifetime so left me without lenses. Consequently, I had to wear bifocal glasses as a child (which were like fish bowls and caused me great distress on hot, summer days) and made me a target for bullies at school, hence my lack of friends and social anxiety now.
When I turned 20 in 2004 and realising that I was growing up and wanted to give myself at least half a chance of attracting girls (which never happened due to confidence issues) I switched to Extended Wear Contact Lenses, which were soft lenses I wore all the time and even slept in, which regular checkups and new lenses being ordered by the hospital. My consultant at the time did say about having an IOL but was happy with the lenses so kept with them. However, in 2017, I made the decision to investigate the IOL Surgery, as I was tiring of the contacts as I had no-one to change them and keeping them looked after was starting to become a burden, but at the same time the hospital optician went on the sick and as they didn’t have a replacement I couldn’t get any lenses. When I finally did a few months later, it was too late as I had developed Keratitis from over wearing of the lenses I couldn’t get replaced, in my right eye, the only eye I see out of so was rendered effectively blind, which terrified the life out of me and is the worst thing I’ve knowingly gone through,
and ended up in a specialised eye hospital for a week receiving treatment to fight the infection. Whilst my sight was saved, the infection left a permanent scar in my eye which has made my vision worse, and so had to go back to glasses (I’ll never wear contacts again and encourage everyone else to not wear them). Exactly a year later, after having investigative tests for an IOL I was found to have had a detached retina in the same eye (my right eye the only one I see out of) and whilst I had successful surgery, due to the silicone oil used, it left me with glaucoma and now have to take eye drops for the rest of my life to keep my eye pressure down. In 2020 my new eye consultant said it would be dangerous for me to have lens implantation surgery as due to me having no lens in my eyes for 38 years, the shape of my eyes has changed and he would have to put the lens on my cornea, which was damaged by the keratitis, and is reluctant to do it in case it damages it further and / or my body rejects the implants this meaning I’d need a corneal transplant and thus leaving my vision worse, so I’ll be aphakic for the rest of my life now.
After what I’ve been through I’m glad of what little sight I have, but my dreams of having my own lenses in my eyes seem over now so I’ll have to stick to thick heavy glasses and a constant change between reading and distance, which is a pain, but far preferable to contacts which nearly blinded me.
To those who can have the IOL, yes I know it’s scary, but you should have it done, at least you’ll be able to, some of us aren’t as fortunate to have that option not unless, as my consultant says, technology improves in the future to give me that option.
Love your attitude, and your channel
Thank you Solange! It's hard work to form a long lasting positive attitude but the benefits are worth it! :) Thanks for taking the time to comment on my video - I hope you're having a great week!
I just started this video a couple minutes ago, but it is so much fun learning more about you! Thank you so much for being on the lifestream yesterday. I’m so glad to know you, and have you as a friend! :-) Matt
Thank you Matt and thanks for having me on your live stream! It was a lot of fun chatting to everyone! It's great to have you a a friend too! :)
BirdNerdSophie you are welcome, it is a lot of fun watching your videos and getting to know more about you! You are such a special person! ☺️
Hi Sophie This is a great video, and love to see how positive you are which is'nt always easy for everyone. I have had two corneal transplants in the past which has made a big difference to my vision.
Hi Robin, thanks for your comment and glad you like the video! I try to be as positive as I can, but I definitely have days where it's a struggle.
How was your experience with the corneal transplants? I have mostly put them off as due to complications with my eyes, it could take multiple attempts for them to take and the recovery time would be long. That was ten years ago that they told me this though so maybe things would be different now!
@@BirdNerdSophie Hi Sophie Thank's for your reply. Below is a link to an interview that i did for RNIB Radio a couple of years ago which details my experience with corneal transplants. My eye condition is corneal ulcers, cataracts and coloboma of the iris, so a mixture really. audioboom.com/posts/5231856-robin-dunford-rnib-connector-interview
Robin dunford fantastic, I will give it a watch this evening!
Hi Sophie, I was on line to billionaires stream today. I subscribe to you. Can’t wait to see more of your content in the future. Keep it up
Hi Blind and Proud, thanks for your comment! I will hopefully have a new video up this week if my internet stops being annoying! Hope you are well!
Hi Sophie, empathy and compassion would be most important to me (even more than a bus pass! :-) ). I'll bet you are a true friend to anyone who is experiencing serious adversity. It often seems that people who enjoy all the advantages and have only trivial challenges to deal with in their lives seldom develop interesting depth of character.
So, yeah, the problems you have been living through have been a positive factor, making you a stronger, more interesting and unique individual over the long course. Nicely articulated.
I for one would like to know your perspective on the "negatives", we all have limitations and I don't think that qualifies as gloom, really.
Thanks for your comment! Perhaps I didn't put it as high up on my list as I feel that everyone should be empathetic an compassionate to others and it shouldn't have to be mentioned, however sadly there are plenty of people who still bully and discriminate others who have something different about them that stands out!
I will definitely start planning a video on the negatives/limitations then! I think there are probably more than ten though haha!
@@BirdNerdSophie More than ten yes, I imagine so. My wife has struggled all her life with limited mobility due to a bout of polio in childhood. Annoying physical barriers are numerous of course. What bothers her more, I think, is the way thoughtless people fail to understand her difficulties.
@@tamsuan9962 Oh bless her - best wishes to her!
I do agree with you though, one of the hardest parts of having a disability is being made to feel different, unwelcome and an inconvenience. All it takes is an ear to listen and a little understanding sometimes!
Great video. You would love it at my house. We have parrots in the backyard all the time. There are lots around here. Cheers!
Thank you! That sounds awesome! Do you know what kind of parrots they are? We have some wild Indian Ring necks here but they don;t come to our area often!
BirdNerdSophie we get a lot of white cockatoos. Sometimes in a big flock. They can make a lot of noise and even do some damage. One day they almost stripped a tree across the road. Eating the flowers and breaking off twigs and branches. They are real characters and great to see.We also get a few black cockatoos. And a few Rosellas. Sometimes we even get pink and grey galah‘s. They tend to congregate in the park and eat the grass seed. It is nice to have them around though.
best part of having nystagmus is rolling your eyes at unsuspecting teachers and telling them it's because of the nystagmus haha also getting extra time on exams for "fatigue" I don't actually experience
Haha that’s a good one! I was offered extra time for exams too but decided against it!
I just shared this on Twitter
Thank you so much for sharing 😊
For me due to my study program I have to give lots of presentations and due to my cataract aphakia I can’t see the audience staring at me and so it helps me not to be nervous at all 😊
That's an awesome positive and I have benefitted from it too! :) Thanks for watching!
My name is crystal hello 👋
Hello!