Hi everybody. I'm new to the list. I'd like to know if anyone else has
the same problem I do. When I ask my boyfriend, "What's that?" or "Is
that a [whatever I think it might be]?" he always says he doesn't know
and I say, "Well tell me this: do you see a [whatever I thought I might
be seeing]?" and he says it "might be that"! What is that all about?
It makes things a bit tense.

Michelle Denise Gentile
BioMet / IBS&S
MAI.A3109, (919) 483-7241
mdg85022@glaxowellcome.com

Hi Michelle,
I'm laughing thinking about your question because I've had similar experiences. I usually embarass myself by assuming that I know what something is and asking a question about it(when in fact it is really something else). I also experience a different frustration though. I frequently assume that people with 20/20 vision can see better than they actually can. This happens most often when I'm driving(with a small and very cool bioptic lens) and my wife is trying to find something(store, street number). I always drive too fast for her to read them, which inevitably leads to frustration! By the way she has sfter 14 years, gotten to the point where she can anticipate when I won't be able to see something and give me a play by play description!
Rob

Hi everybody,

I guess I should be used to this by now, but I still get so frustrated and have to remember people have never heard of nystagmus much less know what it is.
Both my sons were borned with it (it runs in my father's side of the family).
My son was trying for a higher level job at the company he works for and an eye test was administered, and of course he failed. People will not listen when you say you must turn your head for best vision. What is the world do we do
to make them understand this is not a form of cheating, etc. His vision is not to the point where glasses are an isssue, but he must posture himself to the point where he can read the eye charts or his vision becomes blurred. I know all of you know this......but it just becomes so frustrating. Maybe I still feel guilty since it came from my side and I hate to see this constantly happening to my children.
Thanks!
Linda

I don't know what to do. I can't have a driver liscence yet because I can't past that vison thing. plus they won't let me moved my head a littel to gett a better angle so I can see so I am right now tranportating by bus that comes every half an hour so if I missed on you bet I'm late for my class or work.

To Saylah

A really good idea for your vision test is to have your eye doctor do it for you instead. I had the same worries that you did, because I needed to pass a vision test for my permit. Eye doctors are much more considerate of your needs than a lot of other people. He/she will probably let you turn your head to read the chart.

Hope that helps!
Jeanne

Saylah, yes i would definitely go talk to you doc
I had the same problem well i could only drive during the day. I went to my doctor and he wrote a note to the liscence branch and they gave me my
liscence without taking the test. That was when i was 16 i turned 21 in june and took the test and passed on my own. I dont know i believe its cause i got hard contacts now they slow down my eye movement.

Hi. I'm new to the board but not to CN. My daughter Katie is 17 and has lived with it all her life. I first noticed it in the hospital when she was just a few hours old. The doc there had no clue what it was. He said it was the eye drops the put in at birth. So it wasn't until she was 5months old another doc finally help us get the right answers. So far we haven't met anyone else with it. Her teachers just don't seem too understand. So school has been tough. Please e-mail me . pdenham1964@yahoo.com

Can anyone tell me if they have recently applied
or dealt with the Social Security Administration
in regards to disability status. I would truly appreciate any info or imput in this matter.
MY e-mail is rcdehart@worldnet.att.net

I also had my doctor test me for a driver’s license. That was 15 years ago. I have never been at fault for an accident, and I believe that having insight into my own visual limitations has actually made me a more cautious and aware driver.

People need to understand that just because we can’t read the lettering on a pedestrian’s shirt does not mean we cannot see the pedestrian. Thus, reading letters or shapes on an eye chart does not appropriately gage our ability to drive. Eye doctors understand this. People at the Motor Vehicle Branch don’t.

Don’t cheat yourself out of a life. If one doctor won’t accommodate you, then go to another one. When you fall down, get right back up.

The thing about nystagmus is most people do not know it exists. There are no actors doing TV spots for it. No athletes are visiting children with it. No rock stars are doing benefit concerts for it. To most people it is just an alien word to them. It even seemed to perplex an MD I got a physical from. It seems as if I am explaining radiation to a cave man at times since it is a totally new concept that never occurred to them. My spell checker does not even recognize it.

Most people are too polite to mention it. I am not sure if that is a good thing or not because that leaves people in a position to assume. I have been accused of being stoned before because of it. Even though I have never partaken of such things in my life. What are people thinking when I am meeting them for the first time? What are potential employers thinking when I have a job interview? Having shifty eyes does have a stigma attached to it after all.

The facts are just not out there and that gives our disadvantage a bit of extra sting. It is like being lost, and no one knows to look for you.