Allan is a 34 years old, businessman with three wonderful young children and a great wife. Allan believed that glaucoma is a disease that only affects the elderly.
However, after being involved in a car accident 10 years ago he found out it can affect you at any age. Allan suffered blow to the left side of his head and has been battling with glaucoma ever since.
This is Allan’s story in his own words:
” I had an upper Molteno drain inserted into my left eye eight years ago and over the last eight months I have had trabeculectomy surgery followed by additional surgery two weeks later due to my body rapidly healing the trabeculectomy trap” said Allan, “I then had a revision of the Molteno drain but after all this, the pressure in my left eye still continued to rise”. However, over the last three months, my pressure has seemed to stabilise and my eye feels good, although it is very cloudy due to my cornea being damaged. If my pressures remain under control for the next three months, I will be having a partial cornea replacement surgery in my left eye.
I have had around eight injections into my eye over the last eight months. Lucky for me, my right eye is not affected! I am very grateful to my ophthalmologist together with the specialist team for all the support and help that has been given to me throughout my treatment.
I would encourage anyone who has glaucoma to talk to others with glaucoma who will know what they are going through.
I now know that glaucoma is a disease that can affect children right through to the elderly. I have also learnt that glaucoma is not only hereditary but as in my case can be caused by an accident.
It is my goal, along with my very supportive wife Sally, to make as many people as possible aware of glaucoma and how it can affect not only your life but the lives of your loved ones.
By Allan Nicholson