Oh no! My annual trip to the eye clinic

‘It’s that time of the year again, my annual appointment at the eye clinic, always unsure why I am attending, there is nothing the consultants can do for me as a patient living with retinitis pigmentosa. Becoming more and more anxious, numerous conversations going on in my mind as, I know all they can really say is that my vision has got worse or stayed the same, there is no cure or treatment available to me. It therefore feels like a pointless exercise to repeat the obvious.’

Arrival

‘As I reach the eye clinic, hands sweating, I approach the reception desk, already the lighting in the room is patchy, darker in the waiting area then lighter at the reception desk. I take a moment for my eyes to adjust. There are two people, neither of them really acknowledge that I am standing there, a muffled ‘what is your name?’ is heard, but I’m not quite sure if it is directed at me. It is very difficult to focus with the bright light overhead. I’m signed in, and then told to ‘sit over there’ and I am now thinking ‘where is over there?’ I head to the area behind me, assuming that that is ‘over there,’ and try to locate a seat. Everything is green; green walls, green floors, green chairs. I really am finding it difficult.’