[Nfb-seniors] New to this...

[Raymond Juliano]

Hello,

I am new to this, but thought that I would get involved just in case I lose
what remaining sight I have yet in one eye.  About two years ago I sustained
a CRVO of my left eye.  It has caused a marked loss of visual acuity in my
left eye along with narrow angle glaucoma.  Thus far my right eye seems to
be o.k., altho during a visit with a retinal specialist at the Mayo Clinic,
he took photos of my right eye and it is showing some narrowing of some of
the retinal vessels where they cross over each other which could lead to
another occlusion of my right eye that would produce blindness in my right
eye as well.  I have had eye injections, lazering, and a number of surgical
procedures in the past two years and will have a silicone oil bubble placed
into my right eye on Dec. 3rd. to try and control the frequent bleeds I have
been having in my left eye.  The oil bubble would remain in the eye 6-12
months or possibly indefinitely depending on how I tolerate it.  At the same
time my retinal doctor would suck out the old blood and possibly do more
lazering to try and control the neovascular glaucoma.  I also have a tube
shunt in the eye for the narrow angle glaucoma which seems to be controlling
the pressure.

I can't imagine anything happening to my right eye or I would be legally
blind.  I am so grateful every time I open my right eye and can still see
out of it.  I love to read and I write poetry and song lyrics for the
guitar, and I also play the piano.  I love music, and I know I would
continue to play even without my sight, but it would probably be a difficult
adaptation.  I also like to play chess and I play about 20 games online at
gameknot.com and I was wondering if I would be able to continue to play
chess if I could not see the moves.  I know that some of the great chess
masters play blindfolded games, but I am not now nor will ever attain that
level of expertise, at least not in this lifetime.  I also like to do scroll
sawing, which I don't know how I would be able to do if I could not see.  I
also do hypnosis, and I think I would be able to continue to do that, but it
would be good to be able to have continued access to the many hypnosis books
that I have collected over the years.  I am currently working full time as a
nurse anesthetist at a small critical access hospital about 25 miles from my
home, but plan on retiring from anesthesia within the next two years or
sooner depending on the stability of my sight.  At the present time there is
no known long term cure or treatment for what I have short of a retinal stem
cell implant, altho my doctor feels that I cure or treatment will be found
for my CRVO within my lifetime.  I tell him I hope they hurry up as I am not
getting any younger...lol...I am 68 years young and I don't plan on
retiring, but refiring as Art Linkletter suggests doing.  I hope to have
some time and vision to be able to enjoy some retirement before my time here
is up.  I have a wonderful wife, a dog, a cat, four adult children, and five
grandkids.  I live on a 4000 acre walleye lake and I love to fish.  My wife
is a writer and photographer and we like to travel and enjoy life up here in
the U.P. of Michigan.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and responding.
Sincerely,
Ray Juliano