I’ve had some people come to see me lately who leave me with a sense of sadness.
Their anxieties about their artificial eye have taken a huge toll on their self esteem.
Even though years have past, I can feel that they are still carrying a great burden, as if they had lost their eye recently.
What is even sadder is that these people have fantastic looking eyes. They are attractive looking people with a natural looking eye.
It is often very difficult to communicate with people when they are burdened. They are very protective of themselves.
I would like to suggest they see a counsellor or a psychologist. It would be great to see these folk freed from the anxiety they carry about their appearance.
I am reminded of a song I am learning to play on the ukulele. The song is called This Eye by Edie Brickell and The New Bohemians. The chorus goes:
This eye looks with love
This eye looks with judgement
Free me, take the sight out of this eye.
If you are left with only harsh judgement about yourself and how you look, you are indeed imprisoned.
Losing an eye is very difficult. Carrying angst for many years can be a far greater disability then living with an artificial eye.
If living with an artificial eye is the most important part of your life still, a year or two down the track, then maybe a couple of sessions with a psychologist may help.
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Hi im 24yr old i have a 1 yr old daughter i lost the vision in my left eye 2 yr ago due to retinal detachment and have been told that nothibg can be done to restore the sight in my left eye. Due to this my eye colour has changed and i have lost alot of confidence in me i dont go out as much as i use to bcoz of the fact that i feel people are staring at me. Now i have been asked to make a decision on having an artificial eye which has upset me evan more i still cant get over the fact that i have lost one of my eye no matter how much i try to move on in my life there is always a moment everyday that i get upset over this please can you help me please XXX
Hi Nelly,
While this is not something I have experienced personally there are thousands of people who have faced this very difficult decision.
My advise to you would be to make an appointment with an ocularist (person who makes artificial eyes). The ocularist should be able to introduce you to someone else who has been through a similar experience. They will also talk you through the whole process which may relieve you of some angst.
There may be a several options available to you.
The first would be to try a soft coloured contact lens. If this works for you it is the least invasive option. Secondly, you may be able to wear a scleral lens. This is a hard lens similar to a contact lens which covers the whole eye. It is opaque and painted to match your other eye.
In the event that you require an operation to have the blind eye removed, the volume of the eye is replaced with a ball which has the muscles attached to it. In this case you would have an eye prosthesis which is similar to a scleral lens which fits over the ball and under the lids. The artificial eye should have good movement and look quite natural.
It is all well illustrated at http://www.artificialeyes.net If you look at the mind map on adjusting to eye loss and click on each of the branches then you will find a full explanation of each. This site also has a find an ocularist page which should be helpful in finding an ocularist close to you. Your Ophthalmologist may also have an idea as to who makes a great prosthesis.
There is a support group in Australia for people with artificial eyes. They would love to hear from you. You will find them very supportive. You can contact Jo through http://www.arteyes.org.au
We wish you the best and hope you find some peace. There are some great stories on the http://www.artificialeyeservices.com.au site which would also benefit you from reading other peoples experiences.