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I was born with Glaucoma. It certainly affects young people so don’t wait until you’re 40 or 50 so go and get a regular check.
When I was very young I was learning to ride a bike on the footpath and I just slammed straight into a telegraph pole. The next thing I knew I woke up in hospital and the specialist told me I had glaucoma.
I think probably the biggest fear of any human being is to go blind as it obviously completely changes your life. I can’t stress how important it is to look after your eyes and get tested. Most optometrists now can do a basic glaucoma test and it’s not an expensive exercise to save a precious thing.
It’s also very important to stay positive as there are great things out there to help you, great technology and medications but you must stick to the medication that you are given.
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.