A Helping Hand for a Healing Touch
Donación protegida
My journey to becoming legally blind began when I was 15. After an accident I had, I started seeing black spots floating in my vision. They were ever increasing in quantity and frequency so to the doctor I went. I was told my eyes were slightly inflamed and the "floaters I was seeing would settle back down and basically take care of themselves". Needless to say, this did not happen. I continued to be pestered by floaters, swirls and flashers. Back to the doctor...
On my 16th birthday, I was told due to the consistent inflammation, then labeled Uveitis (an autoimmune disease), I had developed cataracts on both eyes. They said they would monitor me every few months to watch progress. I started taking anti-inflammatory eye drops several times a day. This debris in my vision made it very hard to see boards in school and made me hand in my car keys. Throughout this time, I was placed on several intense immunosupression drugs, all of which had terrible side effects and did not help.
By 18 years old, I had received several injections directly into the eyes to help with inflammation and had also tried many medications. Going through all of this, forced me to graduate early and start my very lengthy road of surgeries. Still at 18, I had both of my lenses removed due to such severe cataracts, no laser treatments for this girl. Also no lenses replacements as my eyes would have rejected them like an organ that didn't match. So there I sat with no lenses, which is how you focus vision, and no glasses as I had to let my eyes heal for proper prescription assessment. It was a very hard few weeks. Eventually, I got some serious coke bottle glasses and tried to figure out what this kind of vision was. I was not a fan, the strong prescription was nauseating and left me with no peripheral vision. I moved my way into very strong contacts and found a new normal all while still taking unkind medications. I persisted and off to college I went. I lasted about 3 weeks. Not only was there no technological support for visually impaired people, I was having new eye issues.
Due to all of the anti-inflammatory treatments I had developed glaucoma (high eye pressure), which is very painful. More eye drops and medications and surgery-I had to have a shunt put in to release the pressure in my eye as needed. This led to a very difficult balancing act between anti inflammatory drugs for the now dubbed chronic non infectious uveitis, that raises pressure, and shunts and drops to help glaucoma decrease the pressure, which causes inflammation. Havoc, needless to say, ensues.
The next 10 years are surgeries every 3 to 9 months for scleral buckles (to hold the retinas in place) as they detached numerous times. Retisert implants (a slow release) implant for inflammation, new shunt, shunt plug, and shunt removal, and last but not least a corneal replacement. I have lost count, but it is somewhere between 30-40 procedures and surgeries. All of this ironically only further damaged my vision while attempting to save the physical eyeballs.
My life was surgery, recovery, rinse and repeat. Every time waking up not knowing what vision I would have, which by the way had become double vision in the process. I have struggled and persevered. This process has taught me a lot. It has pushed me forward and held me back. At 33, I'm feeling a push forward moment. My vision is at 20/500 corrected in my left eye, and there is no measure for the right-it merely lets in the light in layman's terms. I don't even see the big E on the eye chart. All of which I have grown used to and accepted. However, it doesn't set me up for a lot of employment. I've been on disability for years, which barely pays the bills. I've tried odd jobs and surgeries have gotten in the way. I'm at a point where there isn't really anything left for the doctors to do, pending another new cornea. That was hard to hear at first considering the little bit of vision I have is pretty grim. It does however also grant me an opportunity. While being medication free (besides eye drops) and with no surgeries on the horizon, I'm going to try and grant myself some freedom with some help along the way.
I would like to go to school for massage. Not only do I believe in the power of massage, but it is a skill that even if the lights go completely out, I could still perform. I have thought about this path at several different points in my life. Perhaps, it was the timing, or surgeries, or just my belief in myself to be ready. I'm there now. I've always considered myself capable and intelligent, I'd like the opportunity to flex those muscles. School will be hard I'm sure, but I'd like to for once let myself try and accept failure may come, but not due to fear.
So this is me asking for help, not something I excel at, ask any of my friends. But to be given the chance to rise above my disability and find freedom because of it would be my own personal miracle. Thank you for your consideration and taking part in my journey.
Here are the breakdown of costs:
Tuition=$7,500.00
Books and other supplies=$1,000.00
A table and items to get started with post certification=1,000.00
On my 16th birthday, I was told due to the consistent inflammation, then labeled Uveitis (an autoimmune disease), I had developed cataracts on both eyes. They said they would monitor me every few months to watch progress. I started taking anti-inflammatory eye drops several times a day. This debris in my vision made it very hard to see boards in school and made me hand in my car keys. Throughout this time, I was placed on several intense immunosupression drugs, all of which had terrible side effects and did not help.
By 18 years old, I had received several injections directly into the eyes to help with inflammation and had also tried many medications. Going through all of this, forced me to graduate early and start my very lengthy road of surgeries. Still at 18, I had both of my lenses removed due to such severe cataracts, no laser treatments for this girl. Also no lenses replacements as my eyes would have rejected them like an organ that didn't match. So there I sat with no lenses, which is how you focus vision, and no glasses as I had to let my eyes heal for proper prescription assessment. It was a very hard few weeks. Eventually, I got some serious coke bottle glasses and tried to figure out what this kind of vision was. I was not a fan, the strong prescription was nauseating and left me with no peripheral vision. I moved my way into very strong contacts and found a new normal all while still taking unkind medications. I persisted and off to college I went. I lasted about 3 weeks. Not only was there no technological support for visually impaired people, I was having new eye issues.
Due to all of the anti-inflammatory treatments I had developed glaucoma (high eye pressure), which is very painful. More eye drops and medications and surgery-I had to have a shunt put in to release the pressure in my eye as needed. This led to a very difficult balancing act between anti inflammatory drugs for the now dubbed chronic non infectious uveitis, that raises pressure, and shunts and drops to help glaucoma decrease the pressure, which causes inflammation. Havoc, needless to say, ensues.
The next 10 years are surgeries every 3 to 9 months for scleral buckles (to hold the retinas in place) as they detached numerous times. Retisert implants (a slow release) implant for inflammation, new shunt, shunt plug, and shunt removal, and last but not least a corneal replacement. I have lost count, but it is somewhere between 30-40 procedures and surgeries. All of this ironically only further damaged my vision while attempting to save the physical eyeballs.
My life was surgery, recovery, rinse and repeat. Every time waking up not knowing what vision I would have, which by the way had become double vision in the process. I have struggled and persevered. This process has taught me a lot. It has pushed me forward and held me back. At 33, I'm feeling a push forward moment. My vision is at 20/500 corrected in my left eye, and there is no measure for the right-it merely lets in the light in layman's terms. I don't even see the big E on the eye chart. All of which I have grown used to and accepted. However, it doesn't set me up for a lot of employment. I've been on disability for years, which barely pays the bills. I've tried odd jobs and surgeries have gotten in the way. I'm at a point where there isn't really anything left for the doctors to do, pending another new cornea. That was hard to hear at first considering the little bit of vision I have is pretty grim. It does however also grant me an opportunity. While being medication free (besides eye drops) and with no surgeries on the horizon, I'm going to try and grant myself some freedom with some help along the way.
I would like to go to school for massage. Not only do I believe in the power of massage, but it is a skill that even if the lights go completely out, I could still perform. I have thought about this path at several different points in my life. Perhaps, it was the timing, or surgeries, or just my belief in myself to be ready. I'm there now. I've always considered myself capable and intelligent, I'd like the opportunity to flex those muscles. School will be hard I'm sure, but I'd like to for once let myself try and accept failure may come, but not due to fear.
So this is me asking for help, not something I excel at, ask any of my friends. But to be given the chance to rise above my disability and find freedom because of it would be my own personal miracle. Thank you for your consideration and taking part in my journey.
Here are the breakdown of costs:
Tuition=$7,500.00
Books and other supplies=$1,000.00
A table and items to get started with post certification=1,000.00
Organizador
Jamie Lynn Ver Voort
Organizador
Appleton, WI
