“I could see people… but not their faces.”
When Gail sits down at her local takeaway shop in Nelson, she has learned to choose her seat carefully.
“With the light behind people, I can’t see their faces properly,” she says. “So now, I sit with my back to the window.”
It’s one of the small adjustments she’s made over time.
“You just learn,” she says.
A beginning she didn’t expect
Gail’s journey with glaucoma began back in 2005, through a community initiative led by Glaucoma New Zealand.
She remembers the testing more than anything.
“They put me through all those terrible field tests,” she says, laughing. “One doctor said to me, ‘The field test is not an IQ test.’”
During those early checks, something small was picked up, but they couldn’t be sure.
From watching to change
Gail kept going back about once a year. “I didn’t think I had anything wrong,” she says.
For years, she returned for regular check-ups, with no major changes.
“I was a long-term glaucoma suspect,” Gail says. “And then they said it was progressing.”
“It was slow for a long time… and then it started moving.”
What it actually looks like
“I can see a room full of people,” says Gail. “But when I look at their faces, I don’t see the same detail…there are grey patches.”
She described an instance where she was sitting nearby two women. “I couldn’t tell whether I knew them or not,” she says.
In moments like that, there’s a bit of hesitation.
“You do wonder if they might think… why is Gail not waving… or ignoring me?”
Learning not to stay quiet
For a long time, Gail trusted the system and waited.
“I realised that being patient… wasn’t to my advantage,” she says.
“So I became a bit of a squeaky wheel.”
She began asking more questions and following things up when something didn’t feel right.
When it started to make sense
Through information from Glaucoma New Zealand, Gail was able to better understand what she was experiencing.
“When you’re talking with someone… and then you see it in the information, it helps reinforce what you’ve heard,” she says.
“It falls into place.”
The parts people don’t always talk about
Side effects from treatment caused her eyes to water constantly.
“I joked I could hire myself out as a professional mourner,” she says.
But it wasn’t just a joke.
At times, her eyes would start watering during everyday tasks, and it became frustrating to deal with.
Connection matters
“People might not want to talk about it,” she says.
“But they will read about it. They will listen.”
Having access to information, and hearing from others, helps make sense of something that can otherwise feel uncertain and isolating.
Nelson’s Glaucoma NZ Love Your Eyes Symposium
Gail is planning to attend the glaucoma education event in Nelson this May.
“I’m putting aside the time to go,” she says.
For her, it’s about knowing where to go, who to talk to, and how to better understand what lies ahead.
“There’s no cure… we just have to move through how it progresses.”
“And it’s important to know where you can go… and who you can talk to.”
“To find out more… and get some help.”
Join us in Nelson this May
The Glaucoma NZ Love Your Eyes Symposium is an opportunity to:
- Hear from trusted experts
- Learn practical ways to manage day-to-day life with glaucoma
- Connect with others who understand what you are going through
If you’ve been told you have glaucoma or might be at risk, and you’re not sure what to do next, you can come along, listen, and get some clarity. Click here to register or find another symposium.
You don’t have to figure it out on your own.
Special thanks to Freemasons Foundation NZ for making this event and others available around the country.