Newswise, March 7, 2016 — A slip and fall with his face
hitting a concrete step left David French with a detached retina in one eye and
damage in the other. He now faces life with diminished or low vision.
While not
totally blind, French lacks the ability to make out objects a few feet away,
read materials or see at night without the aid of powerful equipment.
French is one of more than 350 patients annually seen in the
Low Vision Clinic at Harris
Health System’s Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital. Patients suffering from
congenital diseases like glaucoma or cataracts, diabetic retinopathy or macular
degeneration to victims of trauma or stroke get a chance to regain some vision
independence.
Patients are evaluated and paired up with high-powered lenses
like magnifying glasses, telescopes or electronic magnifiers.
Additionally,
they work with an occupational therapist who trains patients on the equipment
or ways to maximize their vision levels. Now, patients also have access to a
new support group where like-diagnosed patients can share and learn from each
other.
“It’s a place where people are like you and you can relate,”
French says. “It’s where if you make a mistake, you don’t have to worry because
most of the people in the group are going to make the same mistakes. I don’t
know what I’m doing all the time, so it’s good to be with others who don’t
either.”
Regina Budet, occupational therapist, LBJ Hospital, and
support group coordinator, says having patients learn and motivate each other
is a major reason for the group.
“They need to know they’re not alone,” she says. “There are
others facing the same issues they encounter on a daily basis. It’s also a great
way for them to get out, socialize and talk in a comfortable setting.”
For French, opportunities to get out and socialize are few. He
relies on others to drive him places. His nephew takes him out often. However,
they limit their visits to locations, stores and restaurants French had
frequented prior to his vision loss. In restaurants, he feels most comfortable
when he knows the layout of restrooms and seating areas.
“I don’t ever want to walk into a women’s restroom,” he says.
“That would not be good.”
The Low Vision Clinic, the only one at Harris Health, is in
its third year of operation. Staff works with various organizations and
agencies like the Texas State Department of Health Services to provide patients
with free or discounted vision aids.
Support groups and others training tools
are funded through the Harris County Low Vision Project, funded by a Lions
Clubs International Foundation SightFirst grant.
“With low vision, it’s hard to tell that other people have the
same problem when you look at them,” says Dr. Bhavani Iyer, director, Low
Vision Clinic, LBJ Hospital, and clinical assistant professor, the University of Texas Health Science
Center at Houston (UTHealth). “When someone’s completely blind, they
look and act different. But a lot of times, people with low vision don’t act
different or look different, but suffer silently.”
For his part, French is excited about the group and the
arrival of a high-powered monocular lens set that he thinks will open up
greater opportunities for independence and allow him to do more activities
including one of his favorite pastimes of fishing.
“I’ll be able to see from two feet to infinity,” he gushingly
says of his new eyepiece. “Right now, I can only think about how much I want to
do what I used to do in the past. So when I get my new lenses, I’m going to
explore and maybe go fishing again.”
For more information about the support group, call Regina
Budet at 713-873-4728 or by e-mail at regina.budet@harrishealth.org
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