Picture description: Sarah is sat on a carved wooden chair on a street. She is wearing bright blue leggings, a black vest top, sandals, and a blue headband. She has her hair down and sunglasses on. She is holding a dark blue shoulder bag.
As part of National Eye Health Week, I will sharing stories from the friends I have made across the Instagram community. Many of these friends have different eye conditions to myself. I personally feel it is really important to help raise awareness of a variety of eye diseases, and not just PIC; vision loss of any sorts is devastating. Hopefully sharing these stories will raise awareness, potentially help others spot signs earlier, improve knowledge on caring for eye health, and importantly, help others feel less alone.
This is Sarah's story...
Hi everyone! My name is Sarah and I’m honored to be celebrating the UK’s National Eye Health Week this year! Dealing with vision loss and eye pain is scary and frustrating, but I am thankful for the different organizations around the world who are constantly researching these diseases and innovating new treatments. I have had pars planitis (intermediate uveitis) for about 1.5 years and was additionally diagnosed with anterior uveitis this month. I also have retinal vasculitis and macular edema, which are complications of the uveitis.
I first knew there was something wrong because I had a lot of black floaters in my left eye. Since then, my vision has become really blurry and my visual acuity has decreased. I’ve gone through a mix of steroid shots, pills, and eye drops, and I’ll soon be starting immunosuppressant injections to hopefully help get my condition under control.
I would recommend getting eye exams frequently and seeing a doctor as soon as possible if you start having any vision issues. Waiting too long and delaying treatment complicates the matter and can cause further problems. I would also encourage others to connect with people who are facing similar issues to offer support and friendship! Make sure to buy a cute and functional pair of sunglasses and wear them when it’s sunny outside. Lastly, stay strong and always remember to be your biggest advocate!
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