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Glaucoma has been a long haul for me - 41 years of using eye drops every day, plus 9 eye operations at the last count.
When I was diagnosed with glaucoma I was not surprised because I was already aware that my father had glaucoma before he died.
I was living in Papua New Guinea at the time of my diagnosis and had to come to Cairns every 6 months to see an ophthalmologist for reviews.
Soon after we moved back to Australia in 1984, I had my first glaucoma operation in 1985 - a left eye trabeculectomy. At first it all seemed so dramatic, after another trabeculectomy on both eyes, I progressed along to have cataract surgery on both eyes also. In 2013, I had a Moltenoi tube inserted in in both eyes.
These operations were going to be my last, but unfortunately last year my right eye rebelled, as my cornea disintegrated and I was facing yet another operation. This one involved a cornea transplant and was performed last July (2021), but unfortunately the eye is taking its time to adjust to the transplant. I only have hazy vision in my right eye, luckily my left is okay and my pressure in both eyes are stable.
All my traumas with both my eyes has weakened them, but I can still read. For this reason I am eternally grateful to Dr Morgan and Whiffen at Lions Eye Institute in Perth. They have kept me reading!
...When I was diagnosed with glaucoma I was not surprised because I was already aware that my father had glaucoma before he died...Barbara
Living in York Peninsula community two hour's drive from Adelaide and with no optometrist in her local community, Debra booked an appointment as soon as she could. That’s when she received her life changing diagnosis.
When Bette Smith’s cousin told her they had glaucoma in the family, she did what all Australians should be doing, she got her eyes checked.
My mother was diagnosed with glaucoma when she was about seventy, so I was closely monitored. When there were indicators that I could be following the same path, I was referred to a glaucoma specialist.