Mariya's Story

I was diagnosed a few years ago, not too long ago, but it´s a few years now. At first it wasn´t a definite diagnosis, just a "possible". I wanted it to be a mistake, to be something else, something fixable.

There was a lot of testing of this and that, ruling out first one thing then another. I remember finding it quite difficult to take in, this situation that I was in, that I didn´t want to be in, as I hadn´t been aware of any vision changes at all. In my family there had been no history of glaucoma, at least none that I was aware of. I consoled myself that the trouble seemed only to be in my left eye. 

So eventually, with other possibilities ruled out, the diagnosis was confirmed and then began what I now know is the standard daily eye drops regime to bring my eye pressure down. I started with Lumigan at bedtime and lubricating drops twice a day. All seemed well, but after a time my ophthalmologist wanted to reduce the pressure further, so I had in-rooms laser surgery, just the once, but both eyes, first one, then I think some little time later the other.

Sometime after that I needed to add new drops to the existing regime. Drops that needed to be applied twice a day at a 12-hour interval, Azopt. I understand now that this additional maintenance treatment is quite common, but in the beginning, it felt quite burdensome, this expanded regime impinged on my lifestyle, I found it annoying. I needed to remember to take the drops medication with me whenever going out at night.

I should mention that I have cataracts. I couldn´t really say that I notice it much. I read a lot, I spend a lot of time at my laptop writing and researching, I wear glasses. I don´t think anyone would know that I have any vision problems at all and neither my cataracts nor the glaucoma in my left eye has affected my ability to do anything that I enjoy. 

Today, following a visit to my ophthalmologist, I´m now swapping the twice daily lubricating drops for four times daily dry eye relief drops. So, the five times a day regime is now seven times a day. Phew! Lucky I´m now retired is all I can say. The light at the end of the tunnel is future cataract surgery when I should have a stent put in and, fingers crossed, will need less medication. 

I have one friend who also has glaucoma. She has been tremendously helpful. It´s very nice to complain to someone who really knows what you´re talking about. It was this lovely lady who put me in touch with Glaucoma Australia and all the great resources that they have. I attended a webinar recently about correct technique with eye drops. It was very affirming to know that my strategy of setting medication reminder alarms on my phone, something I had felt rather self-conscious about, is actually a recommended one.