There’s a massive difference between taking your vision for granted and suddenly having to think about every single thing you try to look at. Over the last few months, that distinction has been brought home to me in a big way.
Back in late July, a severe eye injury pretty much flipped my daily routine on its head. Overnight, I was dealing with a missing lens, corneal stitches, scarring, and a calendar full of hospital appointments. The world went from sharp and simple to blurry, distorted, and pretty overwhelming.
Early on, it felt like my whole life was on pause. You’re just sticking to drop schedules, managing the light sensitivity, and trying to get used to a visual field that feels completely wrong. Even basic stuff like hanging out with family or going for a walk took extra effort. It’s easy to get stuck in your own head, waiting impatiently for things to just go back to how they were.
But healing takes as long as it takes.
Now, past the ten-week mark, things are finally starting to turn a corner. My eye is settling down, and as the team slowly takes out individual stitches to help straighten out the cornea, I can feel things moving in the right direction.
Next up is getting a secondary artificial lens put in. It’s a huge step forward, moving away from just fixing the damage and actually getting back to proper, functional sight.
That said, I’ve realised this isn’t about hitting a reset button and pretending the last few months didn’t happen. The scars are there, and the experience stays with you. It’s less about getting my old sight back and more about settling into a new normal.
If this whole process has taught me anything, it’s how to slow down and take the small wins where I can get them: like a day where the glare isn’t as bad, or when things look just a tiny bit sharper than they did last week.
As I get ready for the next operation, I’m feeling really positive about where things are heading. It’s been a long road, but I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next.