Introduction

When I was eleven I noticed significent visual disturbances, I was already short sighted however my optician could not account for a blurring visual field. He referred me to an opthalmologist. My mother was concerned and unsure how else to react she insisted I see a private opthamologist, whilst this is a normal motherly powerless reaction, as an adult I now know that consultants you see in private hospitals have day jobs in NHS hospitals. I was promptly diagnosed with "probable retinitis pigmentosa" at that time there was no measurable way to be absolutely sure, the human genome hadnt been cracked and my retina hadnt deteriorated to the point where it was easily obvious using an opthalmoscope.

 

Years later, with a confirmed diagnosis I became a nurse. A foolish choice you may think. My eyes are going to deteriorate into blindness or something so close it wont make a difference. I spent two years working general wards and a high dependency unit. I have to admit working on HDU despite the fact it was little over a year was a high point for me, years of training and experience brought to a point where i could function autonomously and I feel I earned a great deal of respect from the patients, doctors and nurses I worked with.

 

However this is where my story finds me now. I recently made the move from HDU to an NHS led phone triage service(which i can not name for legal and confidentiality reasons, there are a number of these services around). With the noticable deterioration in my eyesight, despite occupational health suggesting I was still safe to practice I know it was only a matter of time before I made a mistake, and in all likelihood in that environment it would be a big one.

 

I do not intend this blog to be a self mourning last will and testiment. I want to document here some of the things  I have and will struggle with, ways I have found to adapt and any other information I have which could be used to help others in a similar situation to me. Weather this will attract any readership at all I have no idea however I feel its important for the imformation to be out there. I will occasionally slip into some science, that is something I cant help, I am a trained critical care nurse and as such I have a very scientific approach to presenting information and quite frankly my condition facinates me.

 

So let us begin.....