MY STORY... Kirsty Campbell, from the charity RNIB, talks to Glengormley Presbyterian member Nan Murray about her sight loss due to diabetes.
Watch your sight
“I
f I’d known then how diabetes could affect my sight, shops without at least one book. Thankfully, advice and training I’d have been much more careful,” says Nan Murray. from the RNIB’s Technology for Life team has enabled Nan There are now 100,000 people in Northern Ireland to keep reading through her Kindle and tablet. “I still have one and an estimated 225,000 in the Republic living level of magnification left before I might have to start thinking with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. All are at increased risk of about audio books.” diabetic eye disease as well as glaucoma and cataracts. She continues, “Just a few weeks ago I gave my daughter all Within 20 years of being diagnosed, nearly all people with my knitting supplies, including dozens of knitting needles with type 1 diabetes and almost two thirds of half knitted rows that I’d dropped stitches people with type 2 will have developed and couldn’t see to pick back up. I “It is frustrating…But I’m in some form of diabetic retinopathy, a would’ve knitted lots to send to Africa, and condition which affects different parts of thankful for the sight I do for friends’ children and family. I would the eye and can result in vision loss. love to still be able to. Now 82, Nan was diagnosed with type 2 still have.” “It is frustrating. Even trying to find diabetes in her early 50s and is registered things is so difficult now. Like the right severely sight impaired due to progressive diabetic retinopathy. bit of paperwork, what I want to wear, or the TV remote… But She wants to make others diagnosed with the condition more I’m thankful for the sight I do still have. That I am still able to aware of the effect uncontrolled blood sugars could have on read with the Kindle, and use my magnifier for letters and the their sight. TV Times. That I’m still able to see pictures and the faces of my “It didn’t affect my sight at first. I started off just watching children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, though a bit what I was eating. Gradually though, I lost that fear and started blurry. It was so hard during lockdown when we had to rely on eating more of what I shouldn’t. My sugars were high and phone and videocalls or doorstep visits when it’s harder to see erratic. The doctor put me on tablets for a while to help stabilise people. I love my visits, they really make my day.” them, but my eyesight started deteriorating,” she explains. She advises anyone who has recently been diagnosed with Nan noticed a change in her right eye when she was in her diabetes, or is at risk, to be careful with their eating. “Don’t do mid-60s. She found her vision went blurry when looking at a like me, I ate sweets the whole time but if I had to do it again I screen in work. “It turned out my retina at the back of my eye wouldn’t. You just don’t know what’s going to happen.” has been damaged. I’ve experienced a lot of bleeds which have Nan adds, “If you have developed sight loss like me, maybe really blurred my vision and caused it to be patchy. Sometimes recently, I’d say you just have to keep trying. Keep trying they’ve cleared on their own, but I’ve had quite a few surgeries different things to help. Get advice from the RNIB and others. on my eyes now, including laser and a vitrectomy, which did You don’t know what’s available in your own area or by just help and delay any further sight loss, for a while. Thankfully I lifting the phone. And I’ll try to take my own advice too.” was able to work right up to, and a little beyond retirement, but For further information on looking after eye health with my sight has got a fair bit worse since those days. diabetes, visit http://rnib.org.uk/diabetes. To speak to someone “It’s now that I’m really starting to regret not taking better about any queries or concerns, and to find out about support care of my diabetes to try to have avoided the difficulties that available, call the RNIB helpline on 0303 123 9999. have come with the degradation of my sight.” A member of Glengormley Presbyterian, Nan sang in the church choir for many years and knit items for Africa. Also an avid reader, she jokes that she rarely returned home from the Herald Autumn 2021
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