In April of 2015, my world as I knew it came crashing down.
I woke up with the worst headache I have ever had in my life. The pain was so severe I was dizzy and vomiting. And my vision was blurry. My husband took me to the ER where I was admitted for testing. I began to lose vision in my left eye. The hospital brought in a neurologist, who sent for a spinal tap. I was then diagnosed with Psuedotumor Cerebri. A neurological brain disorder where your brain thinks you have a tumor. I had all the symptoms of a tumor, increased spinal fluid pressure, headaches, dizziness, nausea and vision loss, minus the tumor. I was taken for emergency surgery where they poked holes in the sheath of my optic nerve to drain spinal fluid off my brain. But it was too late. I was left with permanent damage to my optic nerves.
I am now considered legally blind. It’s a rough road going from seeing yesterday to blind today. My family and I are struggling to find our footing again. I never realized how much gray area there was to blindness. It is so hard to explain to friends and family that I am legally blind but I still wear my glasses. That I can read license plates on the interstate but cannot see the wall in front of me. As a 29 year old woman, I am also struggling with my pride a bit. It’s hard to go from walking yourself to relying on your husband to lead you. I cannot drive anymore. I am relearning how to do so many things in my life. But I haven’t let it keep me down. I have made peace with my blindness.
All because I woke up one day in April.
My name is Amanda and I am 29 years old. My husband and I got married when I was 18 and we have two children ages 7 and 5. We live in sunny Florida and you will never get me to move anywhere else unless it’s further south! I still suffer from Psuedotumor Cerebri, which is chronic headaches and pain. I also have fibromyalgia and a blood clotting disorder. Pray for me if you think about me!
