Specific info about my vision

Below you will find specific information about my vision loss. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in a comment below.

Pictures are worth a thousand words, so I thought I would start off this section with images of my visual field to show you where I can and cannot see. The first set is from 1995 and the second set is from 2006, to give you an idea of how my vision has deteriorated.

Visual Field results from 1995:

Visual Field results from 2006:

As you can see in the 2006 set, I have lost all of my mid-peripheral vision. This means that I have central vision, and “islands” of vision on the outer periphery.

Other information about my vision:

• As of February, 2008, I have lost approximately 75-85% of my vision.
• My central vision is GREAT! I can still read small and fine print in normal light.
• My central vision is correctable to 20/25 with glasses or contacts.
• My central vision is now down to 20 degrees, which is considered “legally blind” by the government. HOWEVER, as seen on my visual fields, I still have some vision on the outer periphery, which means means that I am not technically “legally blind.”
• My outer peripheral vision will probably vanish in the next 10-20-30 years. BUT, I hope to always retain at least some central vision.
• I have always been night-blind, and need assistance in the dark or dimly lit areas.
• I have a cane and use it mostly when traveling alone in busy, dark, and/or unknown areas.
• I drove for 15 years (daylight only), but stopped when I was 31-years old.
• I am one of approximately 5% of RP patients who have cystoid macular edema, which are fluid-filled cysts in the retina. They affect my central vision only slightly, and I take drops to keep the cysts as small as possible.
• I also have esotropia, a form of strabismus that causes double vision, but that is unrelated to my RP. If you want to learn more about it, check out this website.

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This man was born blind so the power of God could be seen in him.” (John 9:1-3)