Living with Ocular Hypertension: A Personal Transformation

I have been so preoccupied with my foot and healing journey; full transparency, I neglected my eyes all of 2024, but Happy New Year!

Quick recap: I have Ocular Hypertension, a condition in which the pressure inside the eye is higher than normal, but there are no noticeable symptoms or damage to the eye. Insha’Allah, it will remain that way and not progress to Glaucoma, which will mean vision loss. 

You can read about my journey here, Living with Ocular Hypertension: A Personal Story. 

Now that we are all on the same page, I must schedule an eye exam! A significant shift of mindset developed last year; the fear and anxiety are gone! There is no need to focus on what I can’t change and fear over something that possibly won’t happen. Instead, I redirected the energy to celebrate myself for managing this condition since childhood.

Through the years, I have tried different eye drops and laser eye surgery to manage my eye pressure. My numbers fluctuate, but rarely are they great. Typically, it is always a win because there’s no damage or vision loss, but my eye pressure is high. My first doctor strongly encouraged me to try medical marijuana when I turned 21, but I was always hesitant. 

Like most, I had a lot of negative misconceptions about cannabis and lacked the initiative to do proper research. Then, the pandemic happened, and I decided to dabble in the herbal delights. I knew I wasn’t a smoker, so I went with edibles. Initially, I began the herbal delight journey for recreational purposes; let me tell y’all, I enjoy being in the clouds. Then, I noticed my eye pressure was excellent after my next eye appointment. At that point, I have been getting my eye pressure checked every three months since I was 12. I was in my mid-20s, and for the first time, I had an excellent reading, which inspired me to do proper research on cannabis. 

Through my research, I discovered the world of medical cannabis, and it has changed my life for the better. I’m going to save that deep-dive tea for next time. In the meantime, go follow me on IG @theafromuslimah, where I really break down the Elevated Experience. 

The moral of the post, step out of your own way, research for yourself, and you may discover something that will save your life.