vision problems

[Guest guest]

Hi to everyone.

I've been away for quite a while, and I have been reading about all

of the vision happenings. About Feb. of this year, I chose to stop

driving in part due to vision difficulties. I couldn't really explain

what was happening, but new there was a problem with depth perception

and not being able to smoothly scan my feild of vision while riding

my motor cycle or driving my car. Instead of my eyes moving smoothly

from one side to the other and back again they seem to jerk, stop,

focus, jerk, stop, focus, etc. Of course this really can mess up the

reaction time needed for various driving situations. Man, I'm only 54

and I have to be picked up and driven to work and where ever. I think

it was harder for my teriffic wife, because she had to do her stuff

and cart me around to do my stuff to.

Patty, my wife, suggested getting an eye patch. Now my double vision,

as it turned out to be, has been resolved and I'm driving again. What

joy! I know that some of us have double vision in each eye so I'll

just wait and see (HA) what happens next.

Last October I started using my wheelchair at work due to falling

down on the job, (Ha again), up to 14 times a day. Now I'm only

sitting down on the job.

I have had some fun with the patch though. I was waiting for my order

at a Whataburger sitting in my wheelchair wearing my patch. Out of

the corner of my patched eye, I could see a couple of young gals

looking at me. I looked towards them, they looked away. I looked

away, then I looked back at them and caught them looking at me. What

a sight, (we are talking about vision here), I must have been to

them. I said that I was practicing to be a pirate. They looked

surprised, so I continued. I'm going to have one of my legs cut off,

but I don't know which one, then have a pogo stick duct taped to my

thigh so I can hop around on it. They must have thought I was a nut,

but I had fun!

And here I thought I was the only one with eye problems that " might "

be related to MSA. Whether it is or not, I know that EYE have plenty

of company.

Larry of Tucson

[Guest guest]

Greetings Larry!

What a great sense of humor! " They must have thought I was a nut, but I

had fun! "

People are either embarrassed to ask questions, have better manners than

some, or (thankfully) are accepting of others. Never do I mind if there is

a serious interest. Only when someone (usually late teens, early 20s) make

some rude remarks, do I take action. Fortunately that's only happened two

or three times. Most of the time, people either express concern, want to

help, or are curious. If they are curious, I try to explain. But often

with a bit of humor to cut the ice. When I am up to going out to eat, my

symptoms often increase as I am at a resturant. I've then left the table

only to walk as if I had two bottles of wine too many. I occassionally

stumble. People generally offer to help, but you can tell they are

wondering what's up. I'll say something stupid along the lines: " My

apologies .. [slight pause] .. I'm auditioning in the morning for the

Ministry of Silly Walks. Do you think I have a chance? " This is followed

by a longer pause to let that Monty Pythonism sink in ... some people get

it, most don't. Regardless, I explain I have a neurological problem, which

continues to get worse. But as long as I can walk, I will try to do so.

Yes, they often assume I'm drunk. But by adding some humor, I let them hear

and learn that the old addage is very true: Don't judge a book by it's

cover.

So, good for you. Be a nut. Too many people take life to seriously. Yes,

living can be serious. But we ought to enjoy it as much as possible. So,

I'm hoping to find out when you'll have that operation! At least a picture

of Buckaneer Larry seems to be in order!!

As to the vision problems ...

It sounds as if your doctors are hoping you will gradually be able to

improve your depth perception. It appears you have developed a " lazy eye " .

There's a fancy term that basically means you have an eye that is either

crossed inward or outward. And of course loss of depth perception results

from the lack of normal alignment. Due to an accident early (very) in my

life, I've never had depth perception. That made diagnosis for me that much

more difficult.

For many people, having the patch over the previously 'good' eye helps

retrain both eyes to see well. It may not help in your case. I hope it

does. I hope it does for a long while. It may. It depends on the

individual. But the fundamental problem is not a tweaking of the

cerebellum. It is a loss of neurons. This lack of neurons means that no

matter how much practise, your brain can do only so much to compensate.

For example, by the end of the day, I have spent much time working at my

computer screen, flitting from one thing to another, attempting to keep my

eyes focused. The result? I am lucky if I can see TV. Normally, I can

just hear it and see blurs on the screen. Books on tape help. But the best

help? Getting sleep! After a couple hours of sleep I can see well enough

to read again. I just don't use it all the time, as I don't want it to

interfere with my time with family or interfere with my sleep that night.

The following set of terms is based on input from various websites and my

doctors:

Problems controlling the autonomic nervous system can result in Adie's

Pupil - a pupil that does not react normally to bright light due to impaired

nerve function. This usually does not interfere substantially with vision.

But it gives my kids the 'willies' when they see it. Sorry, kids! (As I

laugh at their reactions!

Let's see .. The actual name for a misalignment of the eyes is Strabismus.

" Lazy eye " or Amblyopia results from lack of input from the eye to the brain

during childhood. In either case, this misalignment cuases Diplopia or

double vision.

And then problems with muscles controlling our ability to point at one spot

results in Nystagmus or oscillating movements of the eye. Sometimes that

same problem causes the eye to cogwheel. That is when the eyes move in a

start-stop manner as it follows movement. Normally that movement is smooth.

Instead it seems to lurch forward, stop, move forward, stop, etc.

Problems with coordination of muscles can also lead to problems controlling

muscles in the face. It is often termed Bell's Palsy, which is a paralysis

of muscles on one side of the face due to nerve damage. It can interfere

with blinking and protection of the eye. Another name for this is Ptosis or

the droopiness of the eyelid, which also may result from nerve or muscle

damage.

That in turn can cause Corneal Erosion. That is a spontaneous loss of a

part of the surface " skin " of the eye-causes pain, light sensitivity and

occasionally blurriness, and often occurs on awakening. With time it can

lead to continued problems with vision.

Interestingly, since very early childhood, I've had a scar on the retina of

my right eye. In spite of that, my eyes maintained alignment until I was in

my mid thirties. From that time on, my right eye wandered outward. My wife

swears that as my symptoms intensify, my eye moves farther into alignment.

No one can make sense out of that, but there it is. It's happened too

often, been observed by too many people for me to be 'making it up'. My

doctors all shrug and note there is so much medical science does not know

about how vision works.

Hope that helps everyone.

Regards,

=jbf=

B. Fisher