Fear turns to reassurance
When Manjeet was told he had glaucoma, he felt a sense of panic.
My Story...
Manjeet says that fear soon turned to reassurance following his appointment with Eye Clinic Liaison Officer Glen Sheader at Royal Lancaster Infirmary.
The 68-year-old recalls: “When I was first diagnosed in 2019, my panic and fear kicked in, as I was paranoid about becoming blind very quickly. I felt I needed to talk to someone about my emotions and my fear. And Glen provided that service to me. Having face to face talks with him at the clinic was great. It allowed me the opportunity to understand and reflect on where the panic was coming from. He also told me about the Galloway’s centre in Morecambe, which was an additional service of support.
“Pauline McSalley, Sight Loss Advisor, was absolutely marvellous in talking to myself and my partner about the more practical issues facing people with sight loss, such as the help available, apparatus, lighting and talking books. That went a long way in making me realise there was a whole network of assistance out there and I wasn’t having to face this problem alone.
“I was also put in touch with a counsellor and that has been really helpful. I am arriving slowly at a point where I feel less panicky. I am able to recognise that I am not going to go blind next month, or the month after that. I can recognise that medically, there are options and I have a lot of emotional techniques to keep my fears under control. I can look forward to the future in a way which does not make me totally disabled and I am very grateful for the help Galloway’s has given me.”