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Impaired Vision / Glaucoma


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TL/DR: How can I help my 77 year old mother live with impaired vision?

After years of struggles and visits to the Houston Medical Center (Cizik Eye Clinic), UT Southwestern, and just yesterday, the Mayo Clinic, it does not seem like we are going to be able to do anything to restore my mom's complete vision.  Ocular hypertension / glaucoma has taken its tool despite all the treatments from the best doctors we could find.  The latest setback happened about a week ago when the clarity of vision in "good eye" diminished substantially.  We are still processing all of this.  She is not entirely blind.  She can get up and take care of herself and function somewhat.  We know she has to go through low vision therapy to figure out how to do more things.  She is mostly frustrated (and heartbroken) that she can't read and thinks she is can't play cards and games with her friends.  We need to figure out a way for her to maintain a good and fun quality of life.  She is otherwise in good health and active.  We are beyond sad but need to be positive and work on this.

Anyone out there with tips?  I am thinking a bunch of Echos around the house, nest thermostats, other home automation.  Can Alexa read books to her?  Do we need a subscription of some kind?  I am about to do a bunch of research, but am a little freaked out right now, so any help / guidance / tips would be appreciated.

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https://www.google.com/search?q=dealing+with+glaucoma&rlz=1C1CHBD_enUS773US773&oq=deling+with+gla&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l5.9871j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

Lots to sift through in the link above. 

I always like to know what I am dealing with or potentially dealing with in ailments.  Are there any foods that I should avoid?  Are there foods that might help, at all?  What is the science on who/what/where/why it happens?  

It doesn't mean knowing always helps but it can help you mentally accept what it is that might be the case as life happens, especially things beyond your control.   If you can accept what you have going on, you can give yourself the best chance to fight it mentally IMHO. 

Spoiler

 

That is just me though.  Others would rather not know.  Not all Docs will share with you everything whether it is because they don't know or because they might not have time to explain or not understand everything related to the xyz ailment that is experimental/holistic/etc.   You have to sift though a lot of quackery/BS sometimes to find nuggets on diet that might help or stem the tide a bit.

Just had this thought:  At 77 she has literally seen a ton.  Help her with larger pictures of her favorite things so she might be able to still see them a little.  Things that help her smile.  Music!  touch, smells, brain teasers of whatever she might like, religion for hope if y'all go there, to help stimulate the other senses that might still be working better than her deteriorating sight.

Read about what people with 5, 10, 20% or whatever is worse than your mom's vision so she can understand what is going to happen or you can and give her everything that might soften the blow as it gets worse.  Even blind people have many options.  The partially blind still have more than that.

Be there for her.  Try and keep her positive.  Appreciate every day you have left with her even if it isn't always the best as time takes its toll.  Not all lemons into lemonade because life can certainly have suck outcomes.  But some positive is better than just lemons all the time.

Best wishes.  It is obvious you feel her pain and want to help.  Keep it up.

 

 

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