Living with Ocular Hypertension: A Personal Story

Hey Y’all! As you all know, I have been striving to be more vulnerable on my blog and sharing my PCOS journey this year. But wait, there’s more! I also have Ocular Hypertension, which is Glaucoma’s little sister. Glaucoma is an eye condition that leads to blindness due to high eye pressure, causing damage to the optic nerve. Al-Humduillah, I do not have damage to my optic nerve, but I am under the same treatment plan.

I was diagnosed when I was twelve, and it has been an interesting journey. The doctor who diagnosed me was an older Chinese man, who was hilarious! He was racist, sexist, and had no filter. He would say the most outrageous things to me, and it was a nice distraction from my new reality. Because the truth is, I have a severe eye condition, and if I do not take care of myself, I will go blind.

I still remember the anxiety I felt before every appointment and still feel before my appointments. A constant thought runs through my mind; this will be when I’m told I’m losing my vision, which is a painful and terrifying feeling. I rarely, if ever, truly express the constant fear I feel and do what I do best and minimize it. Many live with more severe conditions and diseases, which doesn’t discredit my experience and reality.

If I can be honest, y’all, sometimes it truly sucks, and the negative thoughts creep in. But I try to focus on my blessings because I have been managing this condition for over ten years, and zero vision has been lost. And inshAllah, I never lose my sight.

But I know I’m not alone and will start sharing all the knowledge I’ve learned to preserve my vision.